Troy Brown Jr. may continue to get opportunities running the point for the Washington Wizards moving forward. General manager Tommy Sheppard said Brown could be a backup point guard next season, according to Fred Katz of the Athletic.
Brown got an extended look as both a primary and secondary ball-handler during the NBA restart in Orlando. With Bradley Beal sitting out the restart due to a shoulder injury, head coach Scott Brooks ran sets through Brown with the ball in his hands. Brown started two games at point guard as well.
Brown showed he is able to create shots for himself and others. He twice topped eight assists during the eight-game seeding schedule. He averaged five assists in the final seven games. Additionally, he created offense for himself, averaging 15.3 points compared to the 9.7 points he averaged in 61 games this season before the restart.
Brown didn’t have the same opportunity playing alongside the ball-dominant Beal. With John Wall returning from a torn Achilles along with Beal, Brown’s opportunities at the point could be rarer. Yet, it appears Washington has a plan to carve out some chances for Brown.
Slotting behind Wall and Beal with the second unit, will give him a chance to showcase his point guard skills.
The only questions that remain is where would that leave Ish Smith, who has one more year remaining on his contract with Washington? Could this mean soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Shabazz Napier is no longer in Washington’s plans?
Sheppard also mentioned there could be times the Wizards roll with three-guard lineups. That will allow him to be a point forward and create shots within the offense, which could take some of the burden off Wall and Beal.
