It’s not very often that you find star-level talent in the second round of the NBA Draft, but there are a few exceptions. San Antonio Spurs’ legend Manu Ginobili stands out, as do Draymond Green and Nikola Jokic.
Of course, for every Hall of Famer, there are several players who never even see the floor. Every year, 30 players are picked in the second round, and 30 front offices hope that they were the ones who found a diamond in the rough.
The Spurs have an elite track record of finding high-value players later in the draft, and Maliq Brown, picked 44th overall out of Duke, has the markings of a solid NBA player.
Maliq Brown Projects To Be the Next Herb Jones
Is this wishful thinking? Perhaps!
In his final season with the Blue Devils, Brown averaged just 4.9 points and 5.2 rebounds, all while shooting only 16.7 percent from 3-point range on limited attempts.
That doesn’t sound like a future star, espclaiiy since he soent four seasons in the NCAA.
But no one saw Herb Jones’ rise coming, either.
Over the last three seasons, Jones has posted 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and shot 35.8 percent from downtown. He made one All-Defensive First Team, and would have made more. Injuries kept him off the court, falling short of the 65-game criteria.
In college, Jones was the best defender in the SEC, although he was increaidbly limited on offense. Last season, Brown was the ACC’s Sixth Man and Defensive Player of the Year, impacting winning for Duke even with limted minutes.
While Jones did start to put his offense together by the time his college career was over, he was far from a finished player. In his junior season, he made only seven percent of his 3-pointers.
Jones and Brown have similar frames and playstyles, with Brown taking pride in his defensive abilities.
“Defense is always where I hang my hat,” said Brown after being drafted. “But just always paying attention to the Spurs’ culture and the way they play basketball. Just knowing they’re a very gritty team, get up and down with it on the defensive end, I definitely can fill in with that. “
The Spurs, around Victor Wembanyama, are building a defensive juggernaut. They have been linked to Herb Jones in the past, although Maliq Brown, if given the proper runway, could have a similar career arc.
Speciality lineups could have Wemby, Brown, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, and Jayden Quaintance all on the floor. Who’s scoring on that?
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