2018 NBA Mock Draft: Where do Doncic, Ayton and Bagley land?

It almost seems too perfect — the guy once pegged as mid-first-round option, who fell due to concerns about his jumper and injuries, ends up in Brooklyn. We saw it with Caris LeVert last year, and we may well see it again with Brown this June.

What do we make, though, of Brown’s precipitous slip as a shooter this season? Given the keys to the kingdom next to Anthony Lawrence Jr. and Lonnie Walker IV, Brown was in prime position to improve statistically. He probably shouldn’t have come back to school, but with Walker coming in and a perfect environment for his style, there as at least a chance his numbers would look better.

But after shooting 35 percent from 3 and 74 percent from the line last season, he fell to 27 percent and 63 percent this fall in 19 games. Almost nothing changed in his usage and assist rates, showing us his role really didn’t change much. About the same amount of his total shots were 3s, and he got to the line at a similar rate.

It’s incredibly tough to tell what kind of shooter Brown will be at the next level, so I default to a team that trusts its player development and shot construction more than most. Brown and Brooklyn are a match.