Commitment Analysis: Joel Brown
The latest player to commit to Cal is 2019 3-star point guard Joel Brown out of Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. In this piece, we take a closer look at what type of player Brown is and what he brings to the Cal program.
When watching Brown, the first thing that stands out about him is his speed. He is extremely fast, especially in the open floor. Wyking Jones wants to run a system that really pushes the ball and creates a lot of easy opportunities in the fast break. In order to run such a system, you need a point guard who is capable of pushing the ball and getting down the floor fast, making Brown a solid fit.
In addition to being fast, Brown has excellent ball handling and court vision. He has a lot of moves that keeps defenders guessing, making it hard for them to stay in front of him. While a lot of players struggle to dribble with their off-hand, Brown can go both right and left consistently. As for his court vision, Brown does a good job of probing inside the defense, creating open looks for others, whether he’s kicking the ball out to an open shooter or finding an open man cutting to the basket, and he's been a solid passer.
Due to his quickness with the basketball, Brown gives himself a lot of easy scoring opportunities around the basket. He finishes well around the rim with both hands and knows how to score in a variety of ways, using floaters, runners, and layups that go high off the glass. He is extremely crafty and can contort his body to score around and over bigger defenders. As crafty as he is, Brown isn’t afraid of contact. He absorbs contact and attacks the rim with no fear.
Brown’s overall IQ on offense is really good. He has a really good feel for the game. He knows when to score and when to pass the ball off to open teammates. On top of that, he does a good job following his shot and rebounding his own misses. He’s very active on the boards for a guard, creating second chance scoring opportunities.
On the defensive end of the floor, Brown brings great energy and a high motor. He does an excellent job of staying in front of his man and should have no problem hanging with small, quick guards. He’s a tenacious and active defender, capable of forcing turnovers and creating fast break opportunities.
In terms of what areas he most needs to work on, Brown really needs to improve his shooting. Almost all of his scoring comes right around the rim, greatly limiting his scoring potential. If he can develop a reliable mid-range and three-point jump shot, the sky is truly the limit to what he can accomplish. While he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, Brown can sometimes be a bit too flashy and a little out of control. He needs to learn how to scale things back a bit and let the game come to him as opposed to forcing things and taking a shot that is harder than necessary.
Also, at 6’2”, 180 pounds Brown isn’t the biggest guard out there. His size is probably more of a concern for the NBA level, but he’ll still have to go up against guards that are bigger than him while possessing a similar level of quickness. He’ll have to learn how to hold his own against all guards, regardless of their size, strength, and quickness. As an extension of that, the way Brown plays is very physical in terms of how often he attacks the rim. He’ll have to learn to manage the hits he takes in the paint to not get worn down over the course of a full college season.
When looking at Joel Brown, it’s clear that he has a lot to offer Cal. He’s quick, knows how to make plays, and is tenacious on defense. If he can improve his jump shot, stay in control of his body, and not allow his size to get in his way, he can have a successful career in Berkeley.