Detroit Pistons: Midseason team awards for 2018-19

Rookie of the Year: Bruce Brown Jr.

Expectations were not very high for Bruce Brown Jr. going into his first pro season.

Popular opinion among Pistons followers was that the 42nd overall draft pick out of Miami might get a little bit of playing time here and there, but he’d probably spend the bulk of his time with the G League’s Grand Rapids Drive.

Brown was widely considered the second-best of Detroit’s rookies — behind fellow shooting guard and Creighton product Khyri Thomas, the 38th pick — and with talk of the Pistons wanting to convert Brown into a point guard, it seemed to make sense that he’d need time on the minor-league level to develop.

Brown, however, has played himself into a regular spot in Casey’s rotation on the major-league roster.

Brown has been in the starting lineup in 16 of his 33 games through Thursday’s schedule, playing 19.9 minutes per game. He’s averaging 5.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists, but his biggest contribution has been on the defensive end.

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Brown has carved out a role for himself as something of a perimeter defensive stopper. It has led to the rookie being on the court during crunch time of many close games, when the Pistons need someone to guard the opponent’s best ball-handlers.