Fansided

2018 NBA Mock Draft: If need were all that mattered

By Brendon Kleen

DURHAM, NC - JANUARY 20: Wendell Carter Jr #34 of the Duke Blue Devils during their game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 20, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 81-54. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - JANUARY 20: Wendell Carter Jr #34 of the Duke Blue Devils during their game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 20, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 81-54. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 7: Oregon forward Troy Brown (0) looks on during the first round game of the mens Pac-12 Tournament between the Oregon Ducks and the Washington State Cougars on March 7, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 7: Oregon forward Troy Brown (0) looks on during the first round game of the mens Pac-12 Tournament between the Oregon Ducks and the Washington State Cougars on March 7, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

24. . G/F. Oregon. Troy Brown. 22. player

*Insert talking head emoji* THE BULLS NEED WINGS.

I have Chicago taking perhaps the best two-way wing in the class at No. 7, but Brown could offer them a slightly different approach to the position. The freshman simultaneously did a whole lot and nothing at all at Oregon, scoring 14.5 points per 40 minutes on blah shooting percentages and chipping in as a passer and defender. The Bulls can probably afford the patience to see the Brown experiment out.

Despite his solid assist numbers, the oversized guard turned the ball over at a grotesque rate. Teams will need to decide how much of that was a result of his talent-deprived Oregon team compared to his own boneheadedness. I tend to believe it’s more of the latter, as Brown was rarely given opportunities to truly run offense in the halfcourt. His turnovers likely came on broken actions or mistakes within the course of a play. If a team like the Bulls can put the ball in his hands more frequently, they could expedite his development.

Heading into this year’s draft, Chicago only has Justin Holiday and Denzel Valentine locked in on the wing. If they could walk away with Brown and (spoiler alert) Mikal Bridges, they would bring significantly more versatility into next season within their wing rotation.

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