FanSided Network 2018 NBA Mock Draft

If there’s one thing the absences of Andre Iguodala and Patrick McCaw have made clear these past couple months, it’s that the Golden State Warriors are in serious need of depth at the wing. Should a potential lottery pick like Troy Brown Jr. fall onto their lap, then it’s no question he’s the guy they should take at No. 28.

The 6-foot-7, 18-year-old freshman out of Oregon proved extremely versatile over the course of 35 starts for the Ducks, averaging 14.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.0 steals per 40 minutes. With a solid handle on the ball and excellent floor vision, Brown is more than capable of running an offense as a secondary playmaker. As a matter of fact, the former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American actually grew up playing primarily as a point guard in Las Vegas before a growth spurt significantly enhanced his size. In addition to his increased height, his growth spurt resulted in a 6-foot-10 wingspan, giving him the ideal reach for a player in Golden State’s positionless, switch-heavy defense.

Although he may not have a reputation as a lockdown on-ball stopper, many experts have him pegged as a quality team defender due to his instincts, discipline and vocalness on that end of the floor. Additionally, he’s more than willing to do the dirty work on the glass, which could possibly help alleviate some of Golden State’s rebounding issues against bigger teams. Unfortunately, he’s not much of a floor spacer, having shot just 29.1 percent on 110 attempts.

Thanks to his crafty slashing ability, he did end up shooting 52.4 percent from everywhere inside the arc, and he’s extraordinarily comfortable with finishing through contact. He’ll have to continue to work on being much more accurate from the free throw line (74.3 percent), and his lack of explosiveness off the dribble certainly leaves something to be desired athletically. Shooting woes aside, the Warriors would no doubt consider themselves lucky to have a gifted playmaker like Brown fall this late into the first round.

— Angelo Mendoza

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