(670 The Score) As he fell out of the Wizards’ regular rotation earlier this season, wing Troy Brown Jr.’s frustration traced back to a key factor.
It wasn’t just that he wasn’t receiving the playing time he desired. It’s that he didn’t know what he needed to do in the eyes of Washington coach Scott Brooks to earn time for a struggling team.
“That was the hardest thing in Washington, was I didn’t know what would get me on the court – like if I scored, if I assisted, if I played defense,” Brown said. “It was like hard for me to figure it out.”
That’s also why Brown characterized himself as “happy” with his new professional situation. The Bulls acquired the 6-foot-6 Brown as part of a three-team deal with the Wizards and Celtics just before the trade deadline on March 25. The fresh start was what the 21-year-old Brown, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, felt like he needed, and it was his first discussion with Bulls coach Billy Donovan that gave Brown the clarity he sought.
“I feel like the first day I got here, I talked to coach Donovan and he told me, ‘Hey, I need defense right now,’" Brown said. "So for him to tell me that and actually act on it and giving me a role to play defense, it definitely gives me an opportunity. And that’s all I ask for.”
On Sunday, Brown showcased what role he could fit into well in the Bulls’ 115-107 win against the Nets at the United Center. He had six points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench, and beyond that, he defended Nets star point guard Kyrie Irving well on several occasions. Irving scored 24 points but shot just 12-of-27 from the field on an afternoon in which Bulls star guard Zach LaVine defended Irving for much of the time the starters were on the floor and then Brown checked Irving often as reserves filtered in.
“At the end of the day, my job stays the same,” said Brown, who averaged 4.3 points in 13.7 minutes in 21 games with the Wizards earlier this season. “Right now, I have to be able to come in and produce on the defensive side, just be able to bring that energy off the bench. That’s the biggest thing right now that I’m concerned with. I feel like everything else will fall into place. I felt like that’s what happened tonight. We just came out, we played with energy, we played hard. You see the talent. We have so much potential and so many guys that can score. It’s just about us figuring out the chemistry.”
Brown’s role was enhanced Sunday because wing Garrett Temple remained out with a hamstring injury and guard Coby White was out after landing in the health and safety protocols. Brown averaged 16.0 minutes in his first three games with the Bulls before being out of Chicago’s rotation in its loss at Utah on Friday, when White was healthy and Donovan explained that he wanted to rely on wing Denzel Valentine more for perimeter shooting purposes.
With his play Sunday, Brown stated his case for more playing time, and his length and defensive focus bring an ingredient the Bulls have lacked off the bench in Temple’s absence – and could use more of even when at full health.
“My game can be, I don’t have to take a lot of shots or do a lot of things (called for me) on the court,” Brown said. “I’m just going to naturally do that because of my versatility.
“I feel like everybody in the organization has done a great job of just trying to take me in and help me just learn as much (as I can).”
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.