Milwaukee Bucks: 5 takeaways from 2018 NBA Summer League
4. Sterling Brown was solid as usual
For the past two seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks have made upside plays in the first round, taking long and athletic bigs with the intention of developing them into impact players. In the second round, they have taken proven multi-year college veterans.
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It has been the second round players who have been the better bets thus far. Malcolm Brogdon won Rookie of the Year for his contributions in 2016-17, and Sterling Brown was a reliable rotation player in his rookie season last year. Although Brown was in the headlines for unfortunate reasons as a victim off the court, his play on the court suggested he has something significant to offer the Bucks as well.
Brown stepped into Las Vegas Summer League and kept the steady play coming. The former SMU guard led the Bucks in minutes per game, and ranked second in scoring with 16.6 points per game. Brown was active on the boards, helped to initiate the offense alongside rotating point guards, and played more defense than the average bear at Summer League.
No one, from the Bucks to Brown’s parents, are expecting him to be a star this upcoming season. What Brown is seeking to do is earn more minutes as a reliable option on the wing, take advantage of the coaching Mike Budenholzer famously provides his wing players, and prove he is a longtime NBA player. His time in Summer League only supported him on that path.