The Minnesota Timberwolves still have a lot to figure out with their rotation before the season starts. They made savvy depth acquisitions, though. And have the benefit of relying on younger players who experienced development last year within the organization. That’s the case with Minnesota’s forwards. Tim Connelly and Co. brought in Troy Brown Jr.’s talents to join forces with veteran Kyle Anderson. But second-year forward Josh Minott and rookie Leonard Miller flashed their talent at Summer League and could eventually push Brown and Anderson for spots.
That mix of roster timelines creates a tricky situation for Brown. How he can find his fit? Although the Wolves will likely give him an optimal start to the season by creating a spot for him in the rotation, the youth will be working for a roster spot underneath him.
If that is the case, how can they optimize TBJ properly? And what does he bring to the table that would give him a consistent spot in the rotation?
Brown, 24, had an inconsistent start to his career after. The Washington Wizards took him 15th overall in 2018 after one year at Oregon. The Wolves will be Brown’s fourth team in five years. Brown signed a 2-year 8 Million dollar contract which is end of the bench money. However, his traits and archetype have led teams to believe Brown can be an impact player.
He is settled into a strange position of youth and experience, meaning he can carve out a long-term role for himself in the league or fall out of it within a year. The Wolves see Brown’s potential, though. They signed him shortly after releasing Taurean Prince, who then signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.
Most people who have followed Brown’s career consider him a 6’7” Point-Forward, but master of no specific trait. He can give help one pass away to the primary ball handler, but Brown can also bring the ball up the floor in transition off outlet pass rebounds offering more flexibility to lineups.
The issue arises as players with Brown’s skill set must be able to play off the ball. Bench players do not get as frequent on-ball reps as others, and it’s where Troy’s player development stalled. He was a slightly below-average three-point shooter in his first four NBA seasons, shooting only 33.7% from deep. This downfall in development and production lead him to be traded away from Washington in his 4th season to Chicago and then let go by Chicago in the off-season. All of this leading to a league-minimum contract the next season with the Lakers. While he may have been able to earn more from other teams last year, he settled in to play alongside LeBron James, a unique opportunity for a young player.
Brown built on his shooting deficiencies last year. He had his best season from beyond the arc, shooting 38.1%, four points higher than his previous career high. Most importantly, it was his best shooting season as a catch-and-shoot threat. He shot 39% on a career-high 3.3 attempts a game and made 117 of his 277 attempts coming from the corner, where he shot 40%. That was an important development for Troy. He was more impactful away from the ball. And although he was still streaky, Brown made himself a better overall option than in years prior.
Defensively, Brown is similar to Prince, the player he is replacing. Chris Finch will likely place Brown away from the ball as a secondary shooting option because Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will handle the more prominent threats. Similar to TP, Brown can use his length to his advantage to beat others to the spot and affect smaller players’ shots.
Nothing about TBJ’s game will be game-changing. He’s a simple player who will offer balance and simplicity to the lineup. That may be his most vital skill, though. The Wolves will inevitably go through some growing pains if they work Leonard Miller or Josh Minott into the lineup. Miller and Minott are much more limited as shooters than TBJ and bring more to the table in their play style.
The Brown signing didn’t make headlines. Still, having more talent and NBA experience at one of the most important and sought-out positional groups in the NBA never hurt a roster. Brown can very easily be a bridge player, allowing the youth to take over later in the season. He only has one year left on his roster. It may take the entire season to decipher who will be in the final rotation and potential playoff lineup. But having more options to work with and pair with other longer-term players will only give Minnesota more lineup flexibility.
