Jaylen Brown-NBA Draft: Evaluating If He Should Declare Early

Should Jaylen Brown declare early for the 2016 NBA Draft? We take a look here.

Every college basketball player alive tells the same lie.

They claim they haven’t thought about whether or not to leave college early for the NBA. They just are focused on the next game.

Yeah, right.

Not every player has the luxury of even thinking about the NBA option. In fact, most don’t. But there are a few who can seriously consider making the jump early.

Sometimes there isn’t much of a question. Usually it’s a tough decision. Campus Insiders looks at some of the college basketball stars who face just such a decision in their very near future.

Player: Jaylen Brown

School: California
Year: Freshman
Position: Forward
Height: 6-7
Weight: 225

The Skinny On Brown

The former McDonald’s All-American hasn’t gotten nearly the same attention as LSU’s Ben Simmons from the national media this season, but the NBA sure has him on their radar. And why not? With a wingspan of 6-11 on a 6-7 body, he has the length to play taller than his measured height and the athleticism to play three different positions. He has a mature body and can battle bigger, older opponents in the paint because he has strong legs and a solid core. His athleticism is special, and he has all the physical tools a guy needs to be successful at the pro level.

Why Brown Should Stay

Brown is a fantastic scorer, someone who uses his quickness and athleticism to get to the bucket or finish in transition. But he also is still an athlete playing basketball as opposed to being an athletic basketball player. He has always been faster and stronger and quicker than others, and he has yet to refine his game. Brown is inconsistent from the perimeter, and he’s a poor free-throw shooter. He’s shooting less than 65 percent from the line, which isn’t good for a guy who has made a living at the stripe this year. He can wander mentally on defense, too, and even with his long wingspan and quick hands, he isn’t quite as disruptive as he could be defensively with another year of seasoning.

Why Brown Should Go

It’s an age-old question when it comes to players who need to improve on certain areas of their game. Can a player better improve his shooting and defensive skills while working with the best coaches in the world for unlimited amounts of time or while being limited to 20 hours a week with coaches and taking breaks to study for a test or to write a term paper? The answer is easy. For a kid with the raw talent of Brown, it doesn’t make sense for him to return to school and delay his development by heading to class. It’s not what everyone wants to hear, but it’s the clear truth. College is great for developing socially and maturing while living on your own. It isn’t great for developing the skills that will get him paid for the next 10-15 years. He needs work with the best coaches to find consistency with his jumper and simply find more moves outside of purely attacking the basket.

Bottom Line On Jaylen Brown

Brown is projected to be a lottery pick, and in some mock drafts, he’s showing up as a very high pick. He has a high ceiling and has only scratched the surface of what he is capable of accomplishing. He’s a bit of a project, but Brown is young and has taken to quality coaching seamlessly. If he makes the jump, he won’t be an instant All-Star, but in the right situation, he can develop into a quality swingman who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. It makes more sense for him to go this year rather than wait, especially if he can get a promise from a high lottery team.