Lakers Draft Evaluations: Comparing Then & Now

Mar 15, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jabari Brown (15) goes up for a shot defended by Atlanta Hawks forward Elton Brand (bottom) during the first quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Jabari Brown

NBA Comparison: Bobby Phills

Strengths:

“A real good perimeter scorer first and foremost… Likes to shoot the 3 ball and does so with good efficiency and touch… Able to hit pull-up jumpers and shots off screens, and has a compact shooting motion with nice elevation… Pretty strong… Improved ball-handling was the key to his breakout season… Can drive to the rim and is strong enough to get shots up after contact… Generally takes smart shots, plays at his own pace and doesn’t really force the issue… Decent player on the glass… Has the tools to be a good instant offense piece for a team on the wing…”

Weaknesses:

“Brown is a bit of a one trick pony, being a good scoring threat with no other truly strong traits… His handle has improved but is just still OK and needs further work… Not an explosive athlete, and is not likely going to finish at the rim that often in the NBA… Slightly undersized for a SG prospect, but nothing too major… Often is seemingly too relaxed on the court, especially on defense…”

How accurate was his evaluation?

It’s hard to tell how Brown will end up as he only has been in the NBA for one year. Furthermore, he has only played 19 games as a Laker. During this small window, Brown finished with a PER of 11 has a FG% of .412, averaged just under 12 points a game. Brown still has a lot to improve, as his WS/48 was only .033 and DBPM was an atrocious -3.0. Brown is only 22, and will be a Laker for a modest price of $1.22 million.

Next: Feeling A Little Blue?