Detroit Pistons: 5 takeaways from the 2018-19 NBA season

5. Bruce Brown Jr. can become the next Patrick Beverley

He may never be a knockdown marksman from the outside or an elite scorer, but Bruce Brown Jr. will be in this league for a long time if his defensive instincts continue to improve. As a rookie, Brown started the majority of the team’s games this season (56 of his 74 appearances), and he did so as one of the better guard defenders. Among NBA shooting guards, he finished 10th in the NBA in Defensive Real Plus-Minus.

Brown looks like a perfect pairing to play next to shooting guard Luke Kennard for the next decade. Kennard can space the floor on the offensive end while Brown slashes to the basket, and Brown can handle the tougher guard assignment on the other end of the floor. A defensive enforcer has the power to ignite a fire under his team with intense play, and that’s the potential that Brown has.

He actually finished with more counting stats per 36 minutes than the aforementioned Patrick Beverley. He averaged 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per 36, while Beverley was at 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks. The tools are there for Brown to be successful. He just has to focus on growing and getting better every year moving forward.