New Orleans Pelicans Debrief Discussions: Jaylen Brown

It is not clear who the top prospect on the board will be when the New Orleans Pelicans make their selection at number six. Jaylen Brown could be a potential pick, and Charles and Preston discussed the possibility.

Nathan Heck (@NathanHeck22): Alright, guys. Let’s have a nice clean match. No hitting below the belt.

1.  Why should the New Orleans Pelicans choose Jaylen Brown, freshmen, Cal?

Charles (@CLaRoccaJR): Pelicans fans, what have been the biggest holes for the New Orleans Pelicans in recent years? Surely wing play, defense, and lack of youth must come to mind.

With the sixth pick in the draft the Pelicans have the chance to grab a player who can check all of these boxes in the form of the 6-6 athletic specimen that is Cal swingman Brown. Brown has the raw ability to be exactly what the Pelicans are lacking. Brown offers positional versatility with the ability to guard positions 1-4 due to his uncanny speed and strength for a guy of his size. Jaylen Brown excelled in transition in college and showed an ability to start breaks and finish them off, something that will prove to be very valuable in Alvin Gentry’s offense.

At 19 years old, the Pelicans could be getting something special in Jaylen Brown and outside of the top two prospects, Brown offers the most versatility. If developed correctly Jaylen Brown has the tools to become a legit two way player and at worst become a defender who can guard multiple positions, something the Pelicans have been lacking for years.

Preston (@Pelicanbriefnba): Don’t worry Pelicans fans, I’m here, and I brought my hatorade with me!  

First and foremost, there will be better talent available for the Pelicans at six.  Simply based on fit, the Pelicans would be best suited to take Jamal Murray or Buddy Hield, or, if raw potential is the goal, Dragon Bender and Kris Dunn rank as superiors to Jaylen Brown.

Pelicans fans have been without a capable wing defender since the unexciting days of Trevor Ariza, and we’ve been so desperately yearning for that element that it could lead to a reach in Jaylen Brown.

Charles does make several good points about Jaylen Brown’s athleticism and his ability to transition in a fast break.  His strengths are his defensive versatility and his athleticism.  His NBA-ready body (6’7, 223 lbs) and wingspan (7’0)  are definitely cause for excitement.

But, let me be very clear.  Jaylen Brown is an extremely raw prospect.  He struggles with efficiency, turnovers (4 per 36 minutes), ball handling, lateral movement, focus and finish rate at the rim, where too often he seeks to cause contact with defenders who are ill equipped to handle his size.  That may not work in the NBA.

And then there’s his jump shot:

His first trouble is the lift he gets in his shot.  There’s none at all.  He will have to learn to jump higher to reach over the arms of longer defenders or will not get shots off.

Secondly, he likes to lean back into his shot.  As he comes down he almost naturally fades away which will, and has, create inconsistency in his shot.

Thirdly, and most troubling, the motion features a nasty hitch. His release varies from shot to shot, sometimes lingering in his hands until his body has begun descending from his jump.

Any player can learn to develop a shot with hard work, the right attitude, proper coaching and technique. It’s not unheard of for a player to improve his shot over the life of his career (Jason Kidd) although, with a 43 percent field goal percentage from the floor and 29 percent from the college three point line, it’s hard to believe that help is fewer than several years away.

Brown is a tantalizing prospect, but he is far from being ready to contribute, and I think joining the Pelicans will only slow his growth.

The Pelicans have no shooters.  What shooters the Pelicans do have will likely be shown the door as Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon board their flights out of town this summer. Brown belongs with a high percentage jump shooting team who can space the floor and create alleys for his exciting array of highlight reel dunks.

His best landing spot would be with the Suns at 4, Denver at 7, or Portland at 9.

These teams would be able to spread the floor with shooters while also keeping the up tempo system Charles suggests he’ll thrive in.

Charles: All fair points by my rival, now I will address each one with a rebuttal.

Yes, Jaylen Brown is extremely green on the offensive side of the ball, but some of his struggles with inefficiency can be traced to the lackluster talent around him. Cal did him no favors with the personnel they matched him with. Often, Brown was forced to create for himself, which accounted for his amount of turnovers.

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Excuses aside, it’s clear that Brown offense at this stage is Alonzo Gee level at best. Now, that by no means is something that should be set in stone, and, while the Pelicans have been criticized a ton for their lack of ability to develop players, one consistent skill they have been able to develop is shooting. Players like Dante Cunningham, Tyreke Evans and Anthony Davis have all seen their shooting improve with the help of coach Fred Vincent.

While my colleague Preston provides a very in depth breakdown on the struggles of Jaylen Brown’s shot, I tend to disagree. His lift is admittedly terrible, but Brown still gets good rotation on his shots and, if he can just keep his form consistent, you can see substantial improvements.

Now, the biggest difference Preston and I seem to have are the Pelicans’ priorities for this next season. The Pelicans should not be drafting players who can fit the current roster but players who fit the scheme that Alvin Gentry is trying to implement.

Here is a quote from Alvin Gentry’s postseason press conference on what he’d like to acquire in the offseason.

Now, I’m not sure how many 6’7 athletic guys that can pass are lining up to join the Pelicans right now, but I do know that outside of Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown best fits that description. Brown has shown the ability to be a willing passer and was adept on drive and kicks to the corner this season. The lack of talent around him resulted in his assist numbers being lower but Brown certainly has it in him.

The Pelicans roster may not fit Brown at the moment but the scheme without a doubt is best suited for him. Playing in an uptempo offense like Alvin Gentry’s will offer Jaylen Brown plentiful transition opportunities.

Here is a display of the ridiculous athleticism that Brown possesses.

A man with that speed and size is such a tantalizing prospect and the holes he fills on the defensive side of the ball will nullify his lack of immediate impact on offense. The modern day NBA is all about finding players who can play multiple positions. Those are the players who have the most value, which is why the Pelicans should not be short sighted when analyzing the potential of Jaylen Brown.

Next: The mental game