The journey for the Chicago Bulls small forward Troy Brown Jr. to get where he is now was a weird one. Brown started out his run in the NBA as the 15th overall pick of the Washington Wizards in the 2018 NBA Draft. But he never really found traction in a few seasons with the Wizards, before he was traded off to the Bulls at the deadline this year.
Brown showed flashes of the player he was with the Oregon Ducks coming out of college in the 2018 NBA Draft class with the Bulls down the stretch last season. But there aren’t really any advanced metrics that prove on a broad basis that Brown was efficient over any significant stretch of his career in the NBA to date.
He’s never shot better than roughly 34 percent from beyond the arc, never touched 80 percent from the free-throw line, or had a box plus/minus anywhere close to a positive number.
Brown did show down the stretch last season a versatile ability to spark the offense, defend well one-on-one, and the real ability to minimize turnovers. For the first time in his career, Brown posted a turnover rate below 10 percent. He also registered a career-best 123 offensive rating.
It was also encouraging that Brown posted career highs with a 61.6 true shooting percentage and 0.2 defensive box plus/minus.
Chicago Bulls can give Troy Brown Jr. the opportunity to shine that he needs
Moreover, this seems like the first real opportunity for Brown to find consistent traction with one team. He’s going to be an integral part of the Bulls’ wing rotation heading into next season. And if he continues his efficient shooting stretch at the outset of next season, Brown will become a critical offensive component of the wing rotation for head coach Billy Donovan.
Since Brown is about to enter the final year of his rookie contract, he’s playing for a lot before the summer of 2022 arrives. He’ll be a restricted free agent next summer, and his next contract will largely hinge on his play for the Bulls next season.
A lot of people recognize the ceiling that Brown brings to the table. It’s just a matter of him finally capitalizing on that over the course of an entire season. He certainly has the skill set and potential to be a key three-and-D wing in this league, that also has good handles and court vision.
Prove that he can be a consistently productive and efficient player at the outset of next season, and the value of Brown’s next contract could wind up skyrocketing. Potent three-and-D type wings like Brown that are young and have gifted physical tools are so highly coveted in the modern NBA.
Brown is likely to find himself in a backup role on the wing for the Bulls heading into next season behind the likes of second-year forward Patrick Williams and star shooting guard/forward DeMar DeRozan. About the only player on the roster at the moment that could challenge Brown for minutes off the bench is shooting guard Javonte Green.