Oregon’s Troy Brown Jr. will add versatility to lineup

DALLAS— Whenthe time came for the Washington Wizards to make their firstround selection in the NBA draft, team executives focused not only on roster needs but league trends. In the modern NBA, players operate in a fluid positional game that caters to length and versatility. The Wizards already have such players who cannot be easily identified with traditional labels like “shooting guard” and “small forward,” and yet the team still coveted more flexibility.

On Thursday with their No. 15 pick, the Wizards selected Troy Brown Jr., boosting the roster’s depth of wings with a 6-foot-7, 215-pound player they hope can defend multiple positions.

“This is a guy that we’ve been targeting,” coach Scott Brooks said. “This is a guy that I liked.”

During his only year at Oregon, Brown averaged 11.3 points on 44 percent shooting as well as 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. After making the pick, team president Ernie Grunfeld raved about Brown’s intangibles (his ability to make plays at his size) as well as his character. Brown, the son of Nevada correctional officers, comes from a long line of athletes.

His father, Troy Sr., played collegiate basketball at Texas A&M-Kingsville where his mother, Lynn, ran track. The two went on to become State of Nevada correctional officers and raise three Division-I bound athletes.

Brown’s own athleticism sold the Wizards to use their highest pick since 2015 on another wing.

“There’s going to be an adjustment period but he has nice size, good wing- span, a nice body and he has to get a little stronger like all rookies and work on all aspects of his game but his feel for the game is really what impressed us,” Grunfeld said. “We just felt like long term he was a good fit for our organization and the kinds of things that he brings to the table is very valuable.”

While addressing reporters, Grunfeld was reminded about the handful of wings already on the roster and quipped: “Now we have one more.”

Brown out for Washington on June 11 and enthralled team officials with lanky body as well as his mind for the game.

During the workout that also featured Zhaire Smith, who was drafted one spot behind Brown by the Phoenix Suns, the Wizards asked the prospects to draw up a last-second play. With the clipboard in his hand, Brown, who will celebrated his 19th birthday on July 28,

“It sounds easy to throw a board at somebody in front of a big group and say, ‘Okay, draw a play.’ I’ve seen many plays drawn and I’ve seen it where there’s not five players on the floor… but he really understands the game and I think for a kid that’s 18 years old, that’s rare. He just has a good feel. I love his length. I love the fact that he can guard ones, twos and threes and maybe some fours depending on who he’s playing against.”

Brown comes to Washington after rising up draft boards. Following his July11 workout, Brown addressed his ascension among other players like Smith, Lonnie Walker IV and Robert Williams.

“Going into the workouts, I don’t think a lot of people expected a lot out of me just because of the season I had,” Brown said.