The Portland Trail Blazers didn’t have a draft pick on Thursday night, but that has never stopped GM Neil Olshey. Olshey known for his second round picks (Will Barton, Gary Trent Jr, Pat Connaughton, etc) couldn’t help himself and traded a future 2nd rnd pick and cash considerations to the New Orleans Pelicans for the 43rd pick in the draft. With it the Blazers selected Greg Brown III out of Texas. Brown was an elite recruit out of high school and was said to be considered a 1st rnd pick a month ago, but a lack of NBA readiness pushed him down the boards.
Brown is a freak athlete with moments of explosiveness especially on the defensive end where he can guard multiple positions. He is a high energy player who can block a shot at moments notice or go for a loose ball like nobodies business. While he is fearless in the paint and can rebound and throw it down with the best of them, he has great lengths to go on the offensive end of the floor. He has a lot of work to do on his shot and it is unclear how his game will translate to the NBA. He’s going to take some time but could develop into something special. He is a very raw version of Derrick Jones Jr. His ceiling could be higher still. Its another no risk, possibly high reward move for Olshey.
Brown played one season for Texas averaging 9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1 block per game.
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