The Boston Celtics will be taking a second look at potential first round pick Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown, a Boston native and 2018 NBA Draft prospect, will get a second chance to workout for the Boston Celtics according to RealGM’s Keith Smith. He is entering the draft after playing two seasons at the University of Miami.
Brown was a standout guard for the Hurricanes his freshman season ranking No. 5 in steals an assists in the ACC as well as No. 6 in minutes played. Instead of entering the 2017 draft as an early first round selection, Brown opted to play his sophomore season at Miami, in which he suffered a season-ending foot injury.
Now, he will most likely be selected towards the end of the first round, where the Celtics hold the 27th pick.
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Brown fits the mold of a player Celtics’ President of Basketball Operation, Danny Ainge, likes to pick. Brown is a physically strong, defensive-minded guard that has shown flashes of offensive potential. At 6’5″ and 190 pounds, Marcus Smart would be the most similar comparison on the Celtics roster.
At Brown’s size, he can defend multiple positions and attack the rim without getting bodied by bigger defenders. The former being a trait the Celtics clearly desire as it is a trait that belongs to most players on their roster.
Again, like Smart, Brown is streaky shooter. His freshman year at Miami, his field goal percentage was 45.9% and his three point percentage was 34.7%. He’ll need to prove in the NBA he is a shooting threat in order to create space to attack the rim.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Celtics do have a connection with Miami basketball. Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga is the father of Celtics assistant coach Jay Larranaga. I bet that is not lost on the Celtics organization.
Celtics guard Shane Larkin is a Miami basketball product who seems to be flourishing in his back-up point guard role. Lastly, I have to believe the Celtics have a more open line of communication with Miami basketball given the Larranaga connection.
Next: Boston Celtocs looking overseas again
Before attending Miami, Brown was a star at Wakefield High School before transferring to Vermont Academy where he received national attention. Brown was ranked 26th in the ESPN Top 100 recruits. He received multiple offers from major division 1 programs including from the University of Michigan.