Tag: TROY BROWN JR.
Wizards’ Brooks: ‘We have to see what we have at a lot of different positions’
The effort was there; the energy was there, but unfortunately, the talent is not there for the Washington Wizards. On Monday, Washington cut a 22-point 4th quarter deficit to seven but would lose to the Pacers 111-100. With the loss, the Wizards(24-43) fall to 0-3 in Orlando.
Fresh off a 53-point performance against the 76ers on Saturday, T.J. Warren had another strong game for Indiana. Warren had a game-high 34 points, and 11 rebounds, and Malcolm Brogdon added 20 points. For Washington, Thomas Bryant poured in 20 points and 11 rebounds. After Washington cut Indiana’s lead to two in the third quarter, the Pacers went on a 22-2 run to close the quarter and take complete control of the game.
At this point, it’s about developing players for the Wizards, and for a good part of the fourth quarter, we saw Troy Brown Jr. at point guard, a position he played in high school. Brown had some nice moments at the point, including a great pass to Thomas Bryant that led to a dunk.
TB x TB Special! pic.twitter.com/4T7OOLmuBU
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) August 3, 2020
“For me, it felt natural,” Brown, who finished with 10 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, said after the game about getting time at point guard. “Today, I had more turnovers than I wanted to, but at the end of the day, I feel comfortable calling the offenses, bringing the ball up, and just initiating the offense and kind of getting us into a flow.”
After the game, Wizards head coach Scott Brooks hinted at the 21-year-old Brown getting more minutes at the point guard position.
“We have to see what we have at a lot of different positions,” Brooks said. “These are great minutes. We’re not just giving minutes to give them. Players gotta earn them, and if you’re not playing well, we’re going to throw other guys in there. That’s why we are here.
“We are here to get better; we’re here to improve, and there might be another game where Troy(Brown) maybe starts at the point. You never know; we just have to be ready. We want to continue to build him as a multiple position player. If you want to call him a positionless player, that’s even better, but I think he has to be ready to play all spots.”
The next five games should interesting for the Wizards in terms of development. This is now the time to start experimenting. Brown at the point is a good start, and if he flourishes at that spot, maybe he’ll get some backup point guard minutes next season, or at times, Brown could get minutes at the point, which could free up John Wall.
Young players grow by playing, and the Wizards will continue to have that opportunity the rest of the way.
Notes:
-After struggling earlier in the game with his shot, Washington’s Jerome Robinson got hot in the fourth quarter. Robinson scored 16 of his 17 points in the quarter, which got the Wizards back into the game.
-The Wizards are 7.5 games behind the Nets for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Washington must be within four games of the 8th-seeded team to force a play-in game.
-Rui Hachimura did not have a big scoring game( 9 points) on Monday, but he did have seven rebounds and a career-high six assists, and his coach was happy with his performance
Brooks on Hachimura:
“I thought he had a great game. He rebounded, he passed.”
-Washington returns to action on Wednesday against Philadelphia.
Wizards’ Brooks impressed with the play of Hachimura against Nuggets
On Wednesday, the Washington Wizards got their first taste of life without Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans, and while they would fall to the Denver Nuggets 89-82, in the team’s first scrimmage, there were some bright spots.
Rookie Rui Hachimura played very well for Washington. He was able to get anywhere he wanted on the floor. Hachimura was 6-14 from the field and scored 18 points, along with nine rebounds. The 14 field goal attempts were a team-high.
Hachimura shined, and Wizards head coach Scott Brooks was happy about what he saw from him against Denver.
“I thought he was good,” Brooks said about Hachimura after the game. “He was obviously aggressive. He got good shots. He gets to his spot. I love this about his game. He gets to his spots, and he gets on balance, and he takes the shot. Those are very high percentage shots. He just needs to keep doing that. There’s going to be games where he doesn’t have the high in shots.
“I like the way he played tonight. I was really pleased how he came back. You can just see that he just has a good feel for the game for being a young player in the league.”
Hachimura is going to get a lot of touches in Orlando. He is the team’s best weapon, and without Beal and Bertans, Hachimura knows he and others have to do more on the offensive end for Washington to be successful.
“John(Wall) is not here, Brad(Beal) is not here, and DB(Bertains) is not here,” Hachimura said after the game. “So, me, Ish(Smith), and TB(Troy Brown) gotta be the ones that gotta score a lot.”
Notes:
Troy Brown Jr. had a solid game against the Nuggets. He did it all for Washington as he scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out five assists. Ish Smith added 10 points off the bench for the Wizards.
Washington’s next scrimmage is Saturday against the Clippers.
Bol Bol:
Nuggets rookie Bol Bol made his NBA debut on Wednesday. The 7-foot-2 Bol, who missed most of the season due to a foot injury, was impressive against the Wizards. The son of former NBA player Manute Bol had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Bol also added six blocks.
The Nuggets had only eight players available against Washington on Wednesday, and because of that, C Nikola Jokic started at point guard.
Watch Bol highlights below:
Let this serve as a warning, @NBA. @BolBol has arrived. #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/o49Bt1UzGP
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 22, 2020
Wizards’ Bryant: ‘I feel like we are going to be fine from an offensive standpoint’
Washington Wizards center Thomas Bryant is back with the team after he tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago. Fortunately for Bryant and the Wizards, he is healthy.
Bryant, like the rest of his teammates, has a great opportunity in Orlando. No Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans mean guys will have chances to show what they got.
The first test for this unit will be on Wednesday in a scrimmage against the Denver Nuggets.
“We have so many unselfish guys that make plays that people really haven’t seen make plays before until now,”Bryant said on Sunday. “You’re gonna see those guys make plays; you’re going to see me make plays. Obviously, Rui(Hachimura) making plays more often as well. Guys have more of an open opportunity they have to capitalize on. So, I feel like we’re going to be fine from an offensive standpoint.”
Washington will have to make up 45 points a game without Beal(30.5 ppg) and Bertans(15.4 ppg). Beal had the ball in his hands quite often this season, and not only was he a volume scorer, but he also got other involved, as he averaged 6.1 assists per game.
How Wizards head coach Scott Brooks manufactures points should be interesting. Bryant(12.1 ppg) is going to get his touches. Rookie Rui Hachimura(13.4 ppg) will be counted on heavily, and many have been impressed by what they have seen out of him in practice. Ish Smith, Shabazz Napier, and Troy Brown Jr. will have an opportunity to have the ball in their hands a lot in Orlando and will have to try to pick up the slack. Washington played fast throughout the season and scored many points(115.6 ppg), and without Beal and Bertans, this team must continue to play fast and try to get as many easy buckets as possible.
On paper, it appears the Wizards will struggle in Orlando, but even if that happens, the important part is growth from their young players, which will put this team in a good position when Beal and John Wall return next season.
Photo/courtesy: Washington Wizards
Wizards’ Brown on Orlando: ‘This is a big opportunity for me’
The goal for the Washington Wizards in Orlando is to try to make playoffs. However, the players who will try to make that happen have changed.
In the NBA, it’s next man up, and with Bradley Beal(injury) and Davis Bertans out, one of the next men up is Troy Brown Jr. The second-year player has a lot of versatility. He can play multiple positions, and at almost 25 minutes a contest, the 20-year-old Brown is averaging 9.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Without Beal and Bertans, Brown will have more opportunities to have the ball in his hands, and more of a chance to showcase his talents.
“For me, I feel like it’s a big opportunity,” Brown said about playing in Orlando on Friday. “I’m fully trying to lock in for the minimal six weeks we have, so this is a big opportunity for me, and I want to take advantage of this, especially having this time, especially getting those three to four months off to focus on my body, and focus on things and get right, and get an opportunity to come back and make a statement, so I feel like this is a huge opportunity for me..
“You know how the NBA works. I’m sad for Brad’s(Beal) injury. It just sucks that he is not here with us, but at the end of the day, we have to go out and do our job. Brad is a big part for us, so it’s one of those things where we have a lot of guys through the age of 20 to 23. It’s a lot of opportunities here. With him(Beal) and DB(Bertans) being gone, we have to find people that can fill that role of scoring, so I definitely feel like it’s going to be a huge opportunity for a lot of us.”
The former 15th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, will get minutes, touches, and every opportunity to help get the Wizards to the playoffs. Brown has the ability and can get into the lane and finish around the basket. He still needs to improve from three-point range, which could develop in time. But in the end, the time is now for Brown to make his mark in Orlando.