Wolves second-round pick Lorenzo Brown motivated to silence doubters
MINNEAPOLIS -- Out of his hands, baby.
No written word can fully characterize the unmistakable diction during a moment that excites Dick Vitale. But the college basketball color icon's words after NC State's Lorenzo Brown drilled an 80-foot, halftime buzzer-beater last year against in-state nemesis North Carolina offer credence to his chances as an NBA contributor.
Drafted 52nd overall in the second round by the Minnesota Timberwolves last week, Brown's not likely going to be making many long shots -- certainly not attempts the breadth of his ¾-court heave that banked home as time expired in the first half of a blowout defeat to the Tar Heels. The shot required video replay confirmation that the ball had indeed left his hands before the clock struck all zeroes, prompting Vitale's short outburst.
Brown's abilities as a passer and a defender, however, were enough for Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders to insert him into a backlog of point guards and declare him possibly NBA-ready.
"He's a first-round talent," Saunders said of the 6-foot-5, 189-pound point man. "He was, by far, a very value pick."
Had he not stayed in Raleigh, N.C., an extra year, there's a good chance Brown would've vindicated Saunders' praise.
After switching from shooting guard to point guard between his freshman and sophomore seasons, Brown burst onto the national scene, scoring 12.7 points per game and tying for second in NCAA Division I with 6.4 assists per game. His expected trajectory had him working his way into a first-round-caliber prospect.
But, in the eyes of NBA general managers, his talent leveled off instead of climbing. He still tallied 7.2 assists per game via his adept open-court passing skills but also showed scouts an inability to score unless he gets to the rim. He misfired on 72 percent of his jump shots, according to Draft Express, and made just 26.3 percent of his 3s.
The Wolfpack also struggled at times and bowed out of the NCAA tournament in a second-round loss to Temple.
Brown declared for the draft not long after and spent the entire workout and interview process labeled as a low-second-round or rookie free-agent prospect.
NC State coach Mark Gottfried had said Brown was good enough to go in the first round. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski called him the best transition guard in the country after he tallied all 13 of his team's assists in a win against the Blue Devils.
"Sometimes, when a guy goes on a slide," Saunders said, "it's tough to find someone to catch him."
Minnesota, however, may be the perfect parachute for a pass-first, shoot-only-in-close point guard. They've already got one named Ricky Rubio.
There will be no direct comparisons between the Timberwolves' star point man and Brown found here, but Saunders likes Brown, his length and his distribution abilities enough to turn him lose this summer and see what he can offer. He can defend, too, having finished second in the ACC in steals this past season with two per game.
Rubio wouldn't be a bad guy to develop behind.
"We'll have to see," Saunders said. "One, he comes in, we work him out, we see what happens in summer league and see where he's at -- whether he's here, or whether or not he wants to give it a go with the team and see if he can make the team or see if he makes another decision. I just thought a guy that has that type of talent, as a first-round talent you bring him in."
Brown and first-round draft picks Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng will suit up for Minnesota's Las Vegas Summer League team, Saunders said.
At its current construction, the Timberwolves roster contains four point guards, including Brown, and another guard who ran Minnesota's offense for much of last season due to injuries. That man, Luke Ridnour, along with J.J. Barea, are reportedly being shopped on the trade market as Saunders seeks to fill out the roster for next season.
And while he might not ever put up copious amounts of points, Brown's presence on the roster certainly makes dealing one or both of those guards feel a bit more comfortable. He might even see some time at the two, provided that jump shot gets some work.
"Even though there's a log jam (at point guard)," Saunders said, "he can play together with Ricky. Because of his size, being 6-5 and strong and being able to do some things."
How quickly he can accelerate, well, that's in Brown's hands.
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