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2018 NBA Draft: Top 5 shooting guard scouting reports

By Connor Harr

PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 26: Troy Brown #0 of the Oregon Ducks drives to the basket past Jordan Shepherd #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half of the game during the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational presented by State Farm at the Moda Center on November 26, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. Oklahoma won the game 90-80. Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 26: Troy Brown #0 of the Oregon Ducks drives to the basket past Jordan Shepherd #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half of the game during the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational presented by State Farm at the Moda Center on November 26, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. Oklahoma won the game 90-80. Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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PORTLAND, OR – NOVEMBER 26: Troy Brown #0 of the Oregon Ducks drives to the basket past Jordan Shepherd #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half of the game during the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational presented by State Farm at the Moda Center on November 26, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. Oklahoma won the game 90-80. Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR – NOVEMBER 26: Troy Brown #0 of the Oregon Ducks drives to the basket past Jordan Shepherd #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half of the game during the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational presented by State Farm at the Moda Center on November 26, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. Oklahoma won the game 90-80. Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

Taking a deeper dive into the top 5 shooting guards that are expected to enter the 2018 NBA Draft

The NBA has erupted into a major deficiency of quality wing players. The wing spots consist of the shooting guard and small forward positions. As the NBA transitions more to position less basketball, players are starting to get more classified by archetypes and general positions.

The shooting guard or a player that will play on the wing holds a lot of value in today’s NBA because of the lack of depth at the position. Teams in the draft will scramble, reaching for guys that probably shouldn’t be taken as high as they are because they are wing players.

Here’s a breakdown of the current top 5 shooting guard prospects in the draft according to our big board.

Troy Brown, Freshman, Oregon

Big Board Rank: 12

Strengths: Troy Brown jumps off the page with his length and perfect size for the wing position. Brown measures in at 6’6” with a solid frame and almost a 7-foot wingspan. He is a do it all wing for Oregon.

He is an incredible passer and doesn’t get enough credit for how good of a playmaking wing player he is. Brown has a tighter handle on than ball than most wings in this class and that allows him to create space, make plays for himself, and his teammates using solid speed.

He rebounds the ball very well for a guy his size. He’s an explosive leaper off two feet. That combined with his high IQ and instincts put Brown in a good position to get a rebound.

He’s a solid defender that could bring a lot of defensive versatility at the next level. Brown can be staying step for step with quicker and smaller guards. Then, he could be guarding a big man, and deny him the ball effectively.

Weaknesses: Brown struggles finishing at the rim which is surprising given his frame and athletic ability. His offensive woes continue with a poor jumpshot that needs to develop. Brown is currently shooting 28 percent from the 3-point line. His mechanics aren’t bad, and he shoots 78 percent from the free throw line. Showing he does have some natural touch.

Brown also needs to be more assertive and aggressive offensively. He tends to shy away from scoring and be extremely passive when he doesn’t start out the game well. If he demanded the ball more and become more ball dominant, he could make more plays for himself and his teammates.

Overall Outlook: Brown has all the tools to be a very good NBA player. The question with Brown is what his role is. He’s not a good enough ball handler yet to be a primary ball handler and creator at the next level. He doesn’t have a jumpshot yet to become a threat shooting to force hard closeouts that he can attack.

Brown should project rather easily as a defender. He’s probably not going to win any defensive awards at the next level, but he should be a slightly above average defender. Brown should also benefit offensively in the transition game in the NBA, and his rebounding ability could lead to a lot of grab and go’s with Brown leading the break.