Jul 10, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Lorenzo Brown (7) shoots the ball during an NBA Summer League game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Thomas & Mack Center. Minnesota won the game 81-68. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Lorenzo Brown
Brown was drafted by the Timberwolves in the second-round of the 2013 NBA Draft and was part of the final cut-down at the conclusion of training camp. He was picked up by the Philadelphia 76ers and played very well across 20 games in the D-League and was fairly mediocre in 28 contests with the Sixers as a rookie.
After being cut last fall by the Detroit Pistons, Brown played another 18 games in the D-League before the Wolves picked him up in the spring after a rash of injuries. In his first three games with the Wolves, Brown played 24, 23 and 48 minutes (actually 47 minutes and 55 seconds). In the next three, he played one minute, zero minutes, and zero minutes.
Once mid-March came around and the Wolves shutdown Ricky Rubio for the season, Brown began to play consistent minutes and performed decently enough. Moving into the summer, Brown is on a non-guaranteed contract for the 2015-16 season, meaning that the Wolves have some flexibility with that roster spot but he’s still their player for the time being.
In Las Vegas Summer League, Brown played in all five games, starting three. He averaged 14.2 points while shooting 52.1% from the field. For a player who’s Achilles’ heel has always been his shooting, that’s an encouraging mark no matter how small the sample size. He also averaged 3.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game and 1.6 steals while only turning the ball over 2.4 times per contest.
All things considered, he was the best and most consistent player on the roster over the five-game slate and made a legitimate case for making the Wolves’ roster as the third point guard when the regular season begins.
Next: A Payneful Wait for Development