Mikel Brown Scouting Report

Picture this. You are backpedaling down the court, playing defense for your team, desperately trying to contain a 6 ‘5 guard who is on the mother of all heaters. The opposing guard comes down the court, hits you with an in-and-out dribble that flows into a between-the-legs combination, trying to get you to lean into the pick being set for him. The strategy works, as you step back just enough to give the guard a head start into his shot. However, you recover quickly, arm fully extended towards his field of vision as he attempts a look at a three-ball from 28 feet away. Good defense, right?

Wrong. Instead, it’s cash money from way beyond the arc.

Who is this mystery guard? Stephen Curry? Not a chance, but the move did seem reminiscent of the hall of fame Warrior legend. Damian Lillard? Also no, although with how clean the shot was, you couldn’t have been blamed for having had your clock set on Dame Time.

No, you are a North Carolina defender, and the guard who knocked down that shot (and would go on to hit nine other deep ones just like that en route to 45 points on the day) is Mikel Brown Jr.

Mikel Brown Jr. is a 6 ‘5 (6’ 3.5 “ barefoot, but NBA players play with shoes) 190 pound guard with a 7 ‘5 wingspan, coming into the NBA after a solo season in Louisville. Brown enters the draft as one of the best-if not the best-guard prospects, blending electric offense with serviceable defense and solid positional size to go along with his tantalizing overall potential.

On offense, Brown is a smooth, shifty ball handler with size to go along with a reliably strong handle that he uses to manipulate the floor to his liking and get to whatever spots he wants to. Brown can mix speeds with the ball, and does a good job of using hesitations to get defenders guessing and on their back heels, which is all the invitation he needs to pull out his most dangerous weapon, his outside shooting. Brown only shot a rather pedestrian 34% from the great beyond on nearly eight attempts per game, but there is some noise in those numbers.

Firstly, Brown struggled with a back injury for a sizable chunk of his collegiate season, which hampered, among other things, his shooting numbers, where he was actually sub 30% until getting back to more normal levels later on in the year. Secondly (and less positively) Mikel Brown is a shooter that hasn’t seen a shot he doesn’t like, because he will take every kind of shot there. Most times, that works out just fine. Sometimes…it doesn’t, but regardless of the difficulty of the shot that he chooses, Brown’s mechanics are pure, he is just as comfortable shooting off the catch as he is shooting contested off the dribble, and he is reliable when it comes to knocking down free throws.

On the passing front Brown can get a bit crazy with the ball at times, attempting passes that aren’t there and forcing the issue instead of letting the game flow more naturally, but that is less of the rule than you might think, as he is a great passer who is capable of making the steady heads up play, but is also well equipped to make more advanced reads to his teammates, and to do so with an ease that is unlike many of his peers.
More concerning for him on the offensive end is his lack of explosion when attacking the basket, where right now he can be charitably described as a player who mostly finishes below the rim, and can struggle with contact. However, it is important to note that some of his issues regarding playing through physicality may have been due to his ailing back, so there is potential hope for upside there after a full recovery.

Defensively, Mikel Brown is best described as…fine. With his wingspan and overall frame, the potential is there for him to be at the very least a serviceable defender, with a ceiling of a very solid guard defender, capable of covering at least three positions. However, that back injury we discussed earlier rears its ugly head again, as it portends that he might have to get a bit stronger to fill out his frame better to hold up against some of the more physical guards in the association.

At this stage of the game, Brown has all of the tools to be a successful, dare I say star, in the NBA. The deep shooting. The high feel. The electric handles. The size and upside to defend. There are also the weaknesses to shore up: the decision making (in both shooting and playmaking). The relative lack of ability to consistently finish through contact, and the frame and injury questions that have been hard pressed to fade away over these last few years. With that being said though, right now Mikel Brown is a sure bet to hear his name called in the top 10 of this draft class, and whichever team acquires him should really only be asking one question: What can Brown do for you?