Sterling Brown: OKC Thunder NBA Draft prospect series

SMU senior Sterling Brown is the next athlete Thunderous Intentions examines in TI’s NBA Draft Prospect Preview.

Sterling Brown is the much younger brother of former NBA player Shannon Brown who married singer Monica. Although listed as a shooting guard he has the size to guard several positions and figures to be ready for the pros with his strength and NBA ready body.

Ideally he’ll become a 3 and D role player if he finds his way onto the proper club and system. Sam Presti won’t likely want to consider reaching into the mid second round for Brown. That said, if the club is already sure of their future with Andre Roberson then perhaps OKC could take another look at this prospect who is bound to be a reliable, consistent role player.

Specifics:

Height: 6’6″

Weight: 230 lbs

Wingspan: 6’9.5 ”

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 22 years, 3 months

Statline: 13.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 44.9 percent from perimeter

College: SMU (senior)

Home Town: Maywood, Illinois

Current rankings:

Note, rankings are updated on day of writing, and are subject to change.

DraftExpress: 43rd

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor: 41st

CBS Sports: 75th

Basketball Insiders:45th

Skills:

Despite not being the flashiest player in the class Brown is still a solid contributor on both ends. Offensively he’s versatile with size to score in the paint and a fundamentally smooth shooting stroke which translated into 54.6 percent from the field and 44.9 percent from the perimeter.

He’s also adept at scoring either via catch and shoot or powering into the paint to score off the dribble.

Yet as consistent and efficient as he is as a shooter his true strength may lie in his defense. He is always dialed in and his NBA ready body offers him the ability to defend multiple positions. Although he’s not fleet of foot he remains engaged and showcases a grittiness and tenacity.

His physical attributes also include a wingspan just under 7′ and a vertical of 8’7 and 1/2″. Standing 6’6″ these assets can catch opponents by surprise in situations where Brown gets beaten by his opponent only to recover and use his great length to alter the shot regardless. His stick-to-it-a-tive-ness and activity on defense also translated into 1.4 steals per game.

Weaknesses:

With positives on both ends of the court, the reality is Brown won’t likely ever be a player who moves into a starting role or becomes a star. He’ll offer the desirable offense (especially that 3-point shot), but he’s more of a glue guy.

Where he needs work is his foot speed, ball handling and playmaking. His handle is underdeveloped which he’ll need to work on if he wants to gain valuable minutes at the pro level especially if he remains in the shooting guard role primarily.

As per Draft Express:

"Brown, more powerful than explosive, does have some limitations as a slasher, however, and isn’t a very natural scorer overall – career 12.7 points per 40 minutes. He’s primarily a straight line driver who has an average first step, a basic handle, limited wiggle, and plays below the rim as a finisher (49.3% at the rim). He lacks pop in the paint and doesn’t quite have the footwork or finesse to make up for it when faced with NBA size and length. Brown also converted only 46.5% of his two point attempts as a senior, speaking to some of his limitations as a slasher."

Honors and awards:

American, All-Conference 2nd Team, 2017

Pro Comparison:

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided a ceiling comparison for each of his prospects. O’Connor’s list pegs Collins ceiling as Arron Afflalo, Wesley Matthews, Solomon Hill

The fit:

While Brown’s 3 and D potential is enticing Brown isn’t a player who’ll figure to be more than a role player. Couple that with his poor playmaking and ball handling and it doesn’t make sense for Presti to earmark him as the player OKC needs.