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Photo via Bleacher Report.com
Three seasons in and Texas junior guard J’Covan Brown is finally showing his full arsenal on the basketball court. After sitting out the 2008-2009 season Brown has steadily upped his production each year.
From his freshman year to now he has improved his numbers across the board, doubling them in most categories this season. The numbers increase is in large part due to the lack of players taking the time from Brown. He needed the time in the shadows to improve his game, watch from the sidelines and get his game ready for full-time duty. Over the years he has had to deal with sharing the load with “more talented” prospects like Avery Bradley, Jordan Hamilton, Cory Joseph and the classic over achiever Douglas Balbay. This season he plays opposite dynamic freshman Myck Kabongo in which he is playing off of him and showing him the ropes.
As a point guard Brown measures pretty normal at 6”1 185 lbs. He has adequate quickness and speed, not the fastest end-to-end, but uses his limited athleticism to his advantage.
Brown is a bit undersized for his skill-set though.
While playing the point primarily, Brown is more of a scoring guard that gets his points on the perimeter. He is a quality shooter that has shown NBA range. He gets the shot up quick with good fluid motion every time. The shot releases slightly to the right protecting it from defenders and getting blocked. With his size and length he will often have to shoot over longer, taller defenders.
His shooting will be the primary source of his scoring because he is not the quickest athlete on the floor. Brown has very deceptive speed that allows him to create for others, but there is a lack of explosiveness. His speed is similar to the likes of Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups which is both good and bad. He has veteran speed as a junior which speaks to his lack of athleticism. It also speaks to his savvy and the feel he has for the game.
Brown is not a volume play-maker from the point guard position and is used to playing next to a pure point guard during his collegiate career. Playing off of these points has its effects. It shows that Brown is not seen as a top flight point even at the college level that does not bode well for him at the NBA level. Not many 6-1 scoring guards make it.
That lack of size will also hurt Brown on the defensive end at the NBA level. He has shown a decent ability to shadow offensive players off the ball with good technique. On the ball however he is not as quick or strong enough to play the scoring guards at the next level. He will be able to adequately stay with bigger guards, stronger guards in ball denial, but will struggle in man-to-man situations.
When covering other point guards Brown has shown the ability to be an above average man-to-man defender. He keeps good track of his man off the ball which makes it to where he is rarely out of place when they catch the ball.
Overall Brown has grown as a player over three years getting better in every way. Playing in the shadows of others has proven to be a good way for Brown to come along at his own pace and learn multiple facets of the game. At the next level Brown will likely be used as a combo-guard that provides solid shooting, intelligence and veteran savvy.
