Detroit Pistons season preview: Rookie guard Bruce Brown

After an impressive summer for rookie Bruce Brown, will he make an impact in the regular season for the Detroit Pistons? He joins a very crowded back court.

The Detroit Pistons selected Bruce Brown with the 42nd pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The 6-5 guard out of Miami (FL) is an intriguing player.

His last collegiate season was cut short due to a left-foot injury. Some had him pegged as a potential first-round talent before the injury.

That made him a legitimate steal candidate for the Pistons.

Detroit will have a crowded back court this year. However, Brown’s combination of play-making and defensive potential should stand out on Dwane Casey’s depth chart.

Performance so far

After averaging 11.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in his last year at Miami, Brown has largely impressed in the summer league and preseason.

Brown was by far the best player on the Pistons’ Summer League team. That team featured both third-year player Henry Ellenson and fellow rookie Khyri Thomas.

He stuffed the stat sheet nightly with averages of 12 points, 7.3 rebounds, and three assists per game. However, the biggest concern with Brown is his shooting. That is evident to this point.

He shot 29 percent overall and 25 percent from three-point range in the summer league. His jumper is not broken but it is something that will need to be ironed out for him to take the next step as a player.

His preseason performance with the Detroit Pistons has been up and down. His shot has not been there, shooting 1-7 through four games.

He has shown off his defensive ability. Brown hounded D’Angelo Russell in the final seconds of regulation to force the game into overtime against the Brooklyn Nets. He didn’t play much in two of the Pistons’ four preseason games but played extensively down the stretch against the Nets.

He started at point guard against the Spurs. The theme in the preseason was very much the same as in college and the summer league. He showed that he’s a play-making wing who locks down defensively but is still very raw on offense.

Season Outlook

All of the hype around Bruce Brown since he graduated has been his future at point guard.

The Detroit Pistons have firmly entrenched Reggie Jackson, Ish Smith, and Jose Calderon ahead of him at point guard to start the season. The only chance Brown has at being a primary ball handler with the Pistons this season is if Reggie Jackson is forced to miss time.

Brown would also have to beat out Jose Calderon for a rotation spot. For the sake of the Pistons, lets hope Jackson stays healthy.

But if the injury bug turns up again for Reggie Jackson, we could see Brown beat out the 37 year old Calderon for some playing time at point guard.

The other opportunity for Bruce Brown to get some playing time is at shooting guard or small forward. These wing spots are equally as crowded and there may be even less opportunity than at point guard.

Firmly ahead of Brown on the wing is Luke Kennard, Reggie Bullock, Stanley Johnson and Glenn Robinson III. Langston Galloway is another shooting guard who could be in that group as well, based on some hot shooting in the preseason.

I believe Brown has outplayed Khyri Thomas to this point, who was drafted four spots ahead of him. Barring a rough start to the season for any of these players or some unfortunate injuries, it is tough to see Brown getting a permanent spot in the wing rotation this season.

The most likely place for Bruce Brown to play this season will be with the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons G League affiliate.

With the Drive, Brown will get plenty of chances to work as the point guard and mature a bit offensively. The goal this season for Brown should be play well and improve with the Drive, make spot appearances for the Detroit Pistons, and convince Dwane Casey and the Pistons front office to let Ish Smith walk after this season.

If he can look the part of point guard of the future this season, the Pistons will have no choice but to promote him in the 2019 season.