2016 NBA Draft: Who Are The Top Incoming Freshman?
By Ezra Siegel
Jaylen Brown, Forward — California
High School: Wheeler High School (Marietta, Ga.)
Brown ranks No. 4 in the ESPN 100, but his natural talent makes him an early favorite to be a top-5 pick.
At 6’6”, 222-pounds, Brown fits the mold of an NBA wing. He’s not as polished as Simmons, but his size, athleticism and raw skills will be tough to pass up next June.
At this point, Brown’s best skill is driving to the rim and finishing in the lane. He’s a classic high flyer and showed lethal potential with massive dunks in transition, like below.
While it’s not his go-to offense, Brown is a capable jump shooter. He will earn his money in the NBA taking the ball to the rack, but his versatility makes him that much more difficult to guard.
He will need some polish, but the incoming Cal freshman is seemingly the complete package. With excellent physical tools, Brown projects to be a capable defender and rebounder, which are essential traits for today’s wings.
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At the Nike Hoops Summit, Brown put up just eight points, but he showed his potential during practices with a number of athletic plays and dunks.
Brown committed to play for the Golden Bears in the Pac 12 with fellow top-10 recruit Ivan Rabb in search of a deep NCAA run. In fact, he recently said that he believes Cal has the chance to win it all with such a talented roster.
While he’ll be joining an experienced core, Brown will likely end up being a top scoring option for the Golden Bears as a freshman as he looks to improve his already stout NBA stock. If he becomes the alpha dog, it will go a long way towards achieving his optimistic goal.
All eyes will be on Brown as he and the Golden Bears look to make noise and boost his NBA Draft stock in the Pac 12 this fall.
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