Detroit Pistons: 3 goals for Bruce Brown Jr.’s rookie season

1. Make impact defensively

Without a doubt, the strongest facet of Brown’s game is his defense. He can guard both backcourt positions and has the ability to guard bigger wings due to his 6’9″ wingspan. He averaged 1.7 steals per 40 minutes during his two seasons in Miami.

He continued his defensive success throughout Summer League, grabbing 10 steals and three blocks over six games. He was also dominant on the glass, averaging 7.3 rebounds per game. Detroit assistant Sean Sweeney was impressed with Brown’s defensive abilities this summer, and praised the young guard.

"“One of the things you’re always looking for in players is defensive versatility,” Pistons assistant Sean Sweeney, in charge of the Summer League team, said after the game. “We played him at the four today a little bit and I thought he did a really nice job of competing downstairs and then also guarding pick and rolls when the occasion arose.”"

One weakness in his defensive game is closing out. He has a tendency to commit to running the opponent off his shot, which opens up the lane. However, if he improves his discipline, this can be easily fixed. If he can improve offensively, Brown has the potential to develop into a lethal two-way player.