preface
'In the free agency market last summer, there were rumours that I got a lot of offers, but that wasn't the case, no team wanted to actually sign me, they didn't look favorably on me. Not long ago, the Nuggets defeated the Lakers 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals, advancing to the Finals stage for the first time in team history, and as the team's number one surprise this year, Bruce Brown spoke to the media and said the above conversation. Although in front of the camera, Brown is relaxed and indifferent, but in the past 1 year, the pressure he has been carrying is unimaginable, averaging 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, in addition to 1.1 steals, this is Brown's data sheet handed over in the playoffs, these numbers are enough to prove Brown's efforts, let's walk into Brown's world together and see how he rises step by step.
Struggling to overcome shortcomings, the second-round pick was selected by the NBA.
The players who can play in the NBA are Michael Jordan in their own stories before entering the NBA, there is absolutely no problem with this sentence, Bruce Brown in high school was also a famous local star, and when he graduated from high school, even many media selected him into the top 30 of the top 100 high school students, which is enough to prove his ability. However, Brown has a problem, that is, as a guard, he lacks three-point shooting, knowing that in this era of small-ball tactics, without long-range shooting ability, it is likely to be eliminated at any time. After entering the varsity team of the University of Miami in 2016, Brown, who played in the NCAA in his freshman season, can contribute 11.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals, his finishing ability at the basket is good, and the ball intelligence is also very high, coupled with an excellent defense, he quickly became the team's main guard and began to gradually occupy an important position on the offensive end.
However, the problem is also swept through, Brown's scoring projection has not improved in the slightest, even in his sophomore season, he can contribute 11.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.3 steals, but his three-point shooting rate is still only 15.2%, and the free throw percentage is even barely 60%, while his teammate Lonnie Walker, a freshman, has shown a good three-point ability, which is in stark contrast, but Brown with his tough style of play and keen confrontation game characteristics, It makes up for the lack of long shots. After the season, both Brown and Walker entered the NBA draft, and due to insufficient long-range shooting ability, Brown was not selected until the second round, and has since finally entered the NBA.
From the Pistons to the Nets, Brown gradually adapted to the NBA.
Brown was only drafted in the second round, largely because he didn't have NBA-level shooting ability, and he was about to turn 22 when he entered the draft, and he basically had no potential to tap, so he was very flawed, and he was lucky to be selected by the Pistons in the second round. In the '18-19 season, Brown didn't get much chance at first, and although he played 74 games, including 56 starters, he averaged only 19.6 minutes per game, contributing only 4.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists, but fortunately he followed the Pistons to the last playoff game in franchise history. After feeling the intensity of the playoffs, Brown improved in his second season, with 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4 assists, he gradually adapted to the intensity of the NBA, and his excellent ball intelligence played a big role, so after being sent to the Nets by the Pistons, he got a bigger stage.
Although Steve Nash's coaching ability needs to be improved, but in how to use Brown, Nash's way is worthy of recognition, although only 1.93 meters tall, but Brown's defensive awareness is outstanding, coupled with his open cutting ability and good foot movement, very good at finding gaps on the court, so he often plays the No. 4 and 5 position on the Nets, and is quite efficient. In the 21-22 season, he averaged 9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game, making him one of the team's rare and important rotations. In addition, in the first round of the playoffs this year, the Nets suffered a 4-0 sweep by the Celtics, but Brown's performance alone, averaging 14 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, including 42.9% three-point shooting, was enough to hold his head high.
Once no one cared, but became a nugget.
Last summer, many people thought that Brown could get a big contract, but in fact not many teams actually made offers, and in the end, Brown, considering the prospects of the Nuggets, accepted a 2-year, $13.28 million contract from Denver, with a player option for next year. Although many people are not optimistic about his prospects for the Nuggets, Brown impressed Coach Malone with his own efforts, and he once again became an important rotation in the Nuggets, and his three-point shooting has also improved significantly, averaging 35.8% per game and shooting 91 three-pointers throughout the year.
In addition, he posted a career-high 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists, and Brown was simply born for this Nuggets team. After entering the playoffs, Brown became even better, averaging 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, including shooting 53.1%, and he played well in the three sets of series, especially in the battle against the Suns, he scored 25 points, 5 rebounds, and hit the basket again and again to cause huge damage, thus helping the Nuggets to win. And now, this once unwanted, second-round show is about to enter the stage of the finals, and even has the opportunity to hold a cup, I have to say that his spirit of hard work is worth learning from everyone.