Goal #2: Figure Out Your Role
The real question that needs to be answered next season is, “What is Troy Brown Jr.’s ideal role for this Washington Wizards team?” Scott Brooks has to put him in better positions to succeed and that starts by maximizing his strengths. Brown does a lot of things well, so it’s up to Washington to figure out how to utilize him on the floor. It seems they may have had a revelation during their time in the bubble in Orlando. The Wizards were only able to ink out one victory in eight games, but Scott Brooks may have been on to something when he gave TBJ extended mins at the point guard position.
There was a huge jump in Troy Brown Jr.’s numbers when he was the starting guard rather than the starting forward. In 8 games as the starting guard, he averaged 15.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 4.5 APG while attempting almost 15 shots a game. In 14 games as the starting forward, he only averaged 6.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.9 APG, and attempted about eight shots a game. Looking at those numbers, it’s pretty obvious where TBJ is most comfortable.
Troy Brown Jr.’s ability to box-out and secure rebounds at his size is probably the most underrated facet of his game. He finished fourth on the team in rebounding behind Thomas Bryant, Rui Hachimura, and Ian Mahinmi. He averaged more rebounds than Moritz Wagner, Davis Bertans, and Bradley Beal, which is somewhat surprising. Couple his rebounding ability with his vision and playmaking, and Brown becomes truly dangerous in the open floor. It’s time for Washington to put the ball in TBJ’s hands more and see what he can really do.