New Orleans Pelicans Debrief Discussions: Jaylen Brown
- Talk about Brown’s first year contributions as a Pelican. Do you think he makes an immediate impact, or do you see this as a redshirt year (18 mpg or less).
Charles: YES! Jaylen Brown will have an impact on this team from the jump, I fully expect him to be a mainstay among the second unit. His ability to defend will allow him to get into some 4th quarters if the team needs a stopper. With all that being said, I do not think Alvin Gentry throws Brown right into the fire. If he is the guy, I would imagine his minutes gradually increasing as he gets more nuanced in guarding NBA level players. Offensively, I do not see him struggling as mightily as some may think. Due to his ability to finish in transition, he should find opportunities in Alvin Gentry’s up tempo offense. In no way do I expect Brown to put up anywhere close to rookie of the year numbers, but I do imagine him putting together a rookie campaign that Pelicans fans can be hopeful about. With Quincy Pondexter entrenched at the small forward slot, I envision a two year window until Brown supplements him in that role.
Preston: Should the Pelicans ultimately take a chance on Jaylen Brown, this will be the most crucial aspect towards his development. Forcing him onto the court from the get-go will irrevocably damage his learning curve in the NBA.
Above, I touched upon some players Brown can aspire to emulate. Kawhi, Jimmy Butler, and Stanley Johnson began by averaging around 20 minutes per game or less and focused on defense from the start. This seems to be a solid path to Brown’s development with one caveat.
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The teams mentioned above, Spurs, Bulls and Pistons boast playoff ready franchises. None of the three players were expected to be more than a third or fourth option offensively once they took the floor. With the expected loss of Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson to free agency, the Pelicans will be without many reliable offensive options. Outside of Anthony Davis, Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday are the only self sufficient creators on the team.
My greatest fears involve Brown becoming a second scoring option off the bench, constantly crashing towards the basket and forever seeking to draw fouls and make circus type shots around the rim. In high school and college he relied on his athleticism and power to create, and it hindered the overall growth of his game.
With AD’s free agency and Tom Benson’s time as Pelicans’ owner on the clock, I fear the Pelicans will force a developmental player like Jaylen Brown into an immediate role and the results will bring the Pelicans closer to a Jeff Green type basement, and further from a Jimmy Butler like ceiling.
Next: Bryce Dejean-Jones tragically passes away
Anthony Davis was put on the floor 28 minutes per game in his rookie year. I think this number is too high for Jaylen Brown, and expect, or rather hope, his contribution will be limited to 20-23 minutes per game or less.