#4 – Troy Brown Jr.
Troy Brown Jr. would probably be higher on my list if it weren’t for the fact that in a lot of ways, he’s still a pretty big mystery! I absolutely love him as a prospect, but at just 18 years old, he has a long way to go in order to reach his potential.
But the potential that he has shown thus far has been undeniably exciting. And if Utah feels that whoever they draft likely won’t find a way to crack the rotation anyway, they may be best off going with somewhat of a project player who can blossom into something really special. That could very well be a perfect way to describe Brown.
He has all the tools and measurables to be not only a prolific offensive threat but also a versatile lock-down defender. He’s shown glimpses of both in his young basketball career, which could allow him to fit exactly the kind of mold the Jazz are looking for. He reportedly performed well in his Jazz pre-draft workout, showcasing his extreme athleticism, and there have been reports that he impressed in others as well.
Because of Brown’s sky-high potential and excellent base skills, there’s a chance he could be off the board by the time Utah selects at No. 21. However, his most glaring weakness may prevent some teams from taking a risk on him. That weakness, unfortunately, is his shooting.
In his freshman year at Oregon, Brown shot a respectable 44.4 percent from the field, but just 29.1 percent from 3-point land. With the NBA trending so much towards the deep ball, that’s an area that absolutely must improve. If Utah feels he has the skills they can work with to further increase his strengths and develop his 3-point shot, then they may very well take a risk on a player that arguably has the highest upside of anyone on this list.
If he’s available when Utah is on the clock at No. 21, his potential is going to be extremely hard to pass up.