Bruce Brown, Detroit Pistons
Why he’ll have a breakout year
Bruce Brown is the only second-round pick to make the list, but he earned it with his play as a rookie. Brown is strong and has the potential to be a truly elite defender in the NBA which is hard to find. He got some great experience this year too. Per Basketball-Reference, Brown played in 74 games this year and started 56 of them for a team that made it to the playoffs. It can take several years before a lot of guys get that kind of experience, especially as a second-round pick.
Playing well in the NBA Summer League isn’t always a good indicator, but if you put any stock in it then it’s hard to not be at least a little excited about Brown. The Pistons let him operate as the team’s point guard this summer and he thrived in the role, showing great improvement as an overall playmaker by creating shots for himself and others, even notching a triple-double against the 76ers.
If Brown can carry over some of that playmaking ability in addition to his already great defense, he’ll surely be able to carve out an even bigger role next season.
Why he might not have a breakout year:
Pretty simple, the guy can’t shoot. As much as I love his defense and improvement as a playmaker, if he can’t show improvement as a shooter (25.8% from 3 last year) then he’ll be tough to keep on the floor at the end of games. With an already crowded backcourt of Derrick Rose, Reggie Jackson, and Luke Kennard, it would be easy to see coach Dwane Casey opting for one of those guys over Brown if he can’t force the defense to guard him away from the ball.