This is the third in a 15-part series evaluating each Timberwolves player's performance during the 2014-15 season. Find the entire series here.
I think I've heard that name before.
That was the consensus reaction around Wolvesdom when Minnesota hastily signed the reserve point guard to a 10-day contract on Jan. 27. Thanks to injuries and a steady presence when called upon, Brown parlayed it into another 10-day, then a deal that inked him for the rest of the season.
He'd spent 2013 training camp with the Timberwolves -- who had drafted him in the second round -- before being cut, landing in Philadelphia and bouncing back and forth between the 76ers and the D-League.
"I feel like I'm a little more focused, a little more skilled than I was and a little smarter than I was before," Brown said during the season. "Hopefully it'll work out this time."
Brown's a free agent again after a season that saw him earn NBA minutes out of necessity as much as merit. While skilled, the North Carolina State product tended to blend in rather than stand out in his first regular-season action for the team that selected him 52nd overall two summers ago.
Scoring: D
Averaging 4.2 points in 18.9 minutes per game (eight points per 36 minutes), Brown isn't one to come off the bench and light up the scoreboard. In 29 appearances, he scored in double figures just four times. Brown isn't particularly accurate (42.6 percent from the floor), doesn't shoot the 3 well (21.4 percent on 28 attempts) and hasn't developed a knack for creating -- or making -- his own shot (34.2 percent on pull-ups jumpers, 27.3 percent in catch-and-shoot situations). Instead, Brown was much more wont to dish off to teammates and instigate Minnesota's offense.
Distribution: B-
If Brown's been able to develop an identity in 55 NBA games, it's as a second-unit game manager. He seemed to pick up on coach and president Flip Saunders' systems -- they were vanilla with the Wolves cycling through so many players -- and took fairly good care of the ball (two turnovers per 36 minutes) this season. He's not a particularly creative playmaker, but Brown's 5.9 assists per 36 minutes actually ranked ahead of Zach LaVine (5.2), who spent more than half his season starting at point guard, and behind only Mo Williams and Ricky Rubio.
Defense: D
Just as it was hard to notice Brown on the offensive end, his defense didn't turn many heads, either. Opponents made 48.4 percent of their field-goal attempts when he was defending them, including 50.4 percent on 2-pointers. Brown isn't a turnover generator (1.8 steals per 36 minutes), nor is he long enough (6-foot-5 with a 6-7 wingspan) to alter many shots. He is, however, somewhat quick laterally; it just hasn't translated to effective NBA-level defense for him yet. And, of course, none of Minnesota's guards had much help behind them this season; the Wolves ranked last in the league in points allowed per game and opponent field-goal percentage.
Overall: D+
The infancy of Brown's professional career illustrates perfectly the gap between the D-League and the NBA. In 38 minor-league games, he's averaged 17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. But at pro hoops' highest level, he's well below those marks. What Brown does have going for him is experience -- 26 and 29 games, respectively, the past two NBA campaigns. In any case, his future with the Wolves is clouded. Rubio is expected back fully healthy, but they'll need at least one reliable point guard to back him up. It wouldn't be surprising to see Brown earn another training camp invite, especially if Saunders believes he can develop him into a viable NBA one-guard. But as of now, Brown isn't quite there.
Next: Gary Neal
Follow Phil Ervin on Twitter
