[highflyer0Participant]

 I want to make it clear that this post is not intended to be an indictment of Jaylen’s personality since I have never even met the guy.  However, I would like to hear what your opinions of him are, based on what we do know about him as a person and a player.

I don’t know about you guys but something about him seems a bit off to me.  On the one hand there are many articles about how incredibly intelligent he is, about how he is a "renaissance man."  In interviews he is one of the articulate prospects I have ever heard.  In fact, he is more articulate than most college students his age, let alone college athletes.  However I do find it a bit odd that some teams are apparently worried that he is "too smart."  I have read that they fear his intelligence because they are unsure if he will buy into the team’s philosophy.  But I wonder if this "fear" of him being too smart is just another way of saying he’s a bit of a jerk.

I would like to reiterate that I am not trying to say that he is a jerk who will never get along with teammates but I do think his personality is worth looking into more, considering that it, at least on this site, seems to be viewed as such a positive quality.  I admit that I am a bit obsessed with psychology so I may be looking a bit too deep into this but, regardless, there are a few things about him that worry me.  In his predraft interview he talked about how Westbrook plays as if "he hasn’t had a meal in two weeks."  I thought this was clever but then he followed up by saying it was like "he lived in section 8 housing."  I know it’s nitpicky, but considering the well documented, rough backgrounds of other top prospects like Kris Dunn and Buddy Hield, as well as countless other players around the league, I found this comment pretty disturbing.  Brown also talked about how he was willing to do whatever it took to be as great as Kobe Bryant, even going as far as to say he was mimicking Kobe’s early morning workouts.  However, Jaylen’s inconsisent effort on defense at Cal, along with unimpressive rebounding, steals, and blocks rate contradicts his claim that he is such a relentless worker.

In the latest article that this site posted about him, one that intended to portray Jaylen in a positive light, there was a lot of focus on his desire to be involved in business and his many interests outside of basketball.  This is all well and good but I wonder how much he really loves the game.  He is obviously a really, really smart guy.  But I think we may be incorrectly establishing a direct correlation between intelligence and being a great teammate/hardworker, when that is not necessarily the case.  Sorry I don’t have direct links but I remember there was article that quoted scouts as saying Brown came off as very arrogant in interviews and hurt himself a lot.  Being a college aged student myself, I can’t help but think about the fact that Brown reminds me of the annoying ASB president that all the high school teachers loved but all of his peers thought was a stuckup brat. I think we all have to remember that, being as smart as he is, it’s not all that difficult for him to say exactly what he knows everyone wants to hear during this process.  Again, this is me kind of just going with my gut reaction to the articles about him and his interviews, but I would not be surprised if he becomes a guy who is a bit of a problem in the lockerroom and always seems to underachieve.  I think if he falls a few spots on draft day, it will be because team execs didn’t like what they heard in interviews.  This is why I have such a hard time predicting where he will go.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

   

[OhCanada-Participant]

 I think the fear of him being to smart means they are; afraid of him awnsering all thier concerns correctly while not actually coming through when actions are expected like a politician, may fail to fit into a team environment and communicate with his teammates without coming across as a smart ass instead of a smart teammate.

[OhCanada-Participant]

 I think the fear of him being to smart means they are; afraid of him awnsering all thier concerns correctly while not actually coming through when actions are expected like a politician, may fail to fit into a team environment and communicate with his teammates without coming across as a smart ass instead of a smart teammate.

[CU.LIONSParticipant]

I can’t really offer an opinion on Brown’s personality since I also don’t know much about that side of him. But I am willing to bet any NBA team willing to invest a high lottery pick has or will do their due diligence on JB. All in all every player has a certain risk and reward factor. I think someone may end up with a steal if JB drops out of the top 5 and certainly out of the top 10.

[highflyer0Participant]

 I definitely agree that every player has a certain risk and reward factor.  I just think Jaylen is especially interesting because I’ve never quite seen a prospect whose risk seems to stem from his high level of intelligence.  

[highflyer0Participant]

 I definitely agree that every player has a certain risk and reward factor.  I just think Jaylen is especially interesting because I’ve never quite seen a prospect whose risk seems to stem from his high level of intelligence.  

[CU.LIONSParticipant]

I can’t really offer an opinion on Brown’s personality since I also don’t know much about that side of him. But I am willing to bet any NBA team willing to invest a high lottery pick has or will do their due diligence on JB. All in all every player has a certain risk and reward factor. I think someone may end up with a steal if JB drops out of the top 5 and certainly out of the top 10.

[akhan786Participant]

You can always tell intelligence by the eyes. It’s pretty clear that this kid is very smart and more importantly is aware of and used to being very smart.

I can see how this could intimidate a front office. I know people are tired of always bringing up race, but I think there is a little extra intimidation that this is a 19 year old black young man who is very confident in his mental capabilities and in some ways is used to being bored with people who are at a lower level mentally than him. That shows on his face in what I call "resting I’m smarter than you face".

I could however see a negative in that someone of such high intellect may get bored with what is required of a person bouncing a rubber ball up and down professionally day in and day out.

 

[akhan786Participant]

You can always tell intelligence by the eyes. It’s pretty clear that this kid is very smart and more importantly is aware of and used to being very smart.

I can see how this could intimidate a front office. I know people are tired of always bringing up race, but I think there is a little extra intimidation that this is a 19 year old black young man who is very confident in his mental capabilities and in some ways is used to being bored with people who are at a lower level mentally than him. That shows on his face in what I call "resting I’m smarter than you face".

I could however see a negative in that someone of such high intellect may get bored with what is required of a person bouncing a rubber ball up and down professionally day in and day out.

 

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 I’m less concerned with him being a problem in the locker room and more concerned with his production on the court. And I’m very concerned there do to shooting and lack of handles and play making. Hope my Suns pass on him at 4.

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 I’m less concerned with him being a problem in the locker room and more concerned with his production on the court. And I’m very concerned there do to shooting and lack of handles and play making. Hope my Suns pass on him at 4.

[kobyzParticipant]

 Can he challenge the current leader of smartest player in the league Festus Ezeli???

[kobyzParticipant]

 Can he challenge the current leader of smartest player in the league Festus Ezeli???

[theballerwayParticipant]

Hes not a yes man/dumb jock. BBall IQ is great but thats where the need stops as  far as coaches are concerned. Its kinda embarrasing at a professional level. I think he is going to be big time in a few years and nmaybe better than expected out the gate also. Its not like hes Harrison barnses going on and on about his Brand but hey..

[theballerwayParticipant]

Hes not a yes man/dumb jock. BBall IQ is great but thats where the need stops as  far as coaches are concerned. Its kinda embarrasing at a professional level. I think he is going to be big time in a few years and nmaybe better than expected out the gate also. Its not like hes Harrison barnses going on and on about his Brand but hey..

[MopgrassParticipant]

College is about looking at everything “experts” have said and taking apart every aspect of what was said so that you can come to your own conclusion. That IS college. When someone who already questioned experts enters, it may reinforce the idea: don’t listen to the experts. You begin to listen to every idea with cynicism. That cynicism about other people’s ideas worries the heck out of coaches.

Teams really want a player that says, “Yes, sir” to everything. It makes things run smoothly. Jaylen is not that employee. He decided not to hire an agent because he believes he, himself, knows best. He said in an interview that he would listen to what a coach wanted and decide if that worked. One GM said Jaylen’s combine interview was the worst one of the whole combine.

I get Jaylen because I have the same problem. I have driven some bosses nuts because I wanted to hear why I should do something before I went out and did it. But I’ve been lucky enough to find jobs where my bosses appreciate my contributions and have been allowed to have my ideas aired. That’s all Jaylen needs: the right situation. Because some coaches will cherish what he brings and others will want to throw rocks at him.

[MopgrassParticipant]

College is about looking at everything “experts” have said and taking apart every aspect of what was said so that you can come to your own conclusion. That IS college. When someone who already questioned experts enters, it may reinforce the idea: don’t listen to the experts. You begin to listen to every idea with cynicism. That cynicism about other people’s ideas worries the heck out of coaches.

Teams really want a player that says, “Yes, sir” to everything. It makes things run smoothly. Jaylen is not that employee. He decided not to hire an agent because he believes he, himself, knows best. He said in an interview that he would listen to what a coach wanted and decide if that worked. One GM said Jaylen’s combine interview was the worst one of the whole combine.

I get Jaylen because I have the same problem. I have driven some bosses nuts because I wanted to hear why I should do something before I went out and did it. But I’ve been lucky enough to find jobs where my bosses appreciate my contributions and have been allowed to have my ideas aired. That’s all Jaylen needs: the right situation. Because some coaches will cherish what he brings and others will want to throw rocks at him.

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 Brown is one of the hardest players for me pin down as far as what he will be. Part of me thinks the guy could be an absolute star in the league. His natural athletic gifts are probably as good as any player in this draft and by all accounts he has a tremendous work ethic. When you combine those 2 attributes, it almost always equates to NBA stardom. I look at where Andrew Wiggins was coming into the league a few years ago and think to myself, is brown really that far off from Wiggins in terms of potential.

On the other hand, part of me feels like he could be a colossal bust. Scouts rave about his intelligence level off the court, but it doesn’t seem to translate on the court at all. His bball iq and feel for the game just appear to be extremely low and those are things that are very hard to teach. To me, he could be the biggest wild card in this draft.

 

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 Brown is one of the hardest players for me pin down as far as what he will be. Part of me thinks the guy could be an absolute star in the league. His natural athletic gifts are probably as good as any player in this draft and by all accounts he has a tremendous work ethic. When you combine those 2 attributes, it almost always equates to NBA stardom. I look at where Andrew Wiggins was coming into the league a few years ago and think to myself, is brown really that far off from Wiggins in terms of potential.

On the other hand, part of me feels like he could be a colossal bust. Scouts rave about his intelligence level off the court, but it doesn’t seem to translate on the court at all. His bball iq and feel for the game just appear to be extremely low and those are things that are very hard to teach. To me, he could be the biggest wild card in this draft.

 

[jmac1Participant]

 Smart black man scares rich white males, AGAIN! End of story.

[jmac1Participant]

 Smart black man scares rich white males, AGAIN! End of story.

[zcnumerounoParticipant]

Yeah, let’s not throw the race card around with no evidence. This isn’t Tumblr.

[jmac1Participant]

 Mark Fuhrman. The video tape didn’t help Rodney King. If you need evidence, there is non availble to suit what you need to see.

[jmac1Participant]

 Mark Fuhrman. The video tape didn’t help Rodney King. If you need evidence, there is non availble to suit what you need to see.

[zcnumerounoParticipant]

Yeah, let’s not throw the race card around with no evidence. This isn’t Tumblr.

[Untouchable JParticipant]

Sounds like a Shane Battier type. Thats not a good thing.

In any sport i’d steer away from a guy who doesnt feel like his sport is the end all be all, who feels its ‘just a game’

[Untouchable JParticipant]

Sounds like a Shane Battier type. Thats not a good thing.

In any sport i’d steer away from a guy who doesnt feel like his sport is the end all be all, who feels its ‘just a game’

[llperez]

I don’t think there is any correlation between intelligence and work ethic. Guys be smart and lazy or smart and bust their tail. A smart person would defenitely have an edge in telling gm’s what they want to hear and selling themselves. But if a fm is worth a damn, he will look into the reality behind a players work ethic and get the real scoop. I don’t care if a guy is smart if he wirks hard

[llperez]

I don’t think there is any correlation between intelligence and work ethic. Guys be smart and lazy or smart and bust their tail. A smart person would defenitely have an edge in telling gm’s what they want to hear and selling themselves. But if a fm is worth a damn, he will look into the reality behind a players work ethic and get the real scoop. I don’t care if a guy is smart if he wirks hard

[Author]

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