MarShon Brooks: Player Profile

MarShon Brooks: Player Profile

Name: MarShon Brooks

Position: SG

Date of Birth: January 26, 1989

Hometown: Tucker, GA

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 200

Experience: R

Drafted: 1st round, 25th overall by the New Jersey Nets in 2011

College: Providence

2011-12 salary: $1,110,120 (approximate)

No NBA Stats

  • Offense: MarShon Brooks predicated his stellar senior season on his multifaceted offensive game, one that scoring-sapped Providence rode night in and night out. Brooks scored in double figures in each game of his senior year, and scored over 32% of his team’s total point output. Brooks confidence on the offensive end is palpable — at Providence, he played as if he could make any shot, any time.

    Brooks’s offensive game is as smooth as they come, as he’s comfortable scoring in a variety of ways. He can attack the basket from either side, pull up for jumpers, and create his own shot when offensive looks break down. His shooting form is technically sound when he’s not rushing shots, and he’s able to score at the rim with either hand. He’s able to square himself to the basket from seemingly impossible angles. He attacked the basket well at Providence, averaging nearly seven free throws per game, though he’ll have issues scoring against stronger interior defenses in the NBA.

    Opposing defenses planned their entire defensive attack against Providence around stopping Brooks from scoring. On the rare occasions they left him open, Brooks made them pay, shooting 59% on open jumpers with a staggering 85.2% true shooting percentage.

    Outside of scoring, Brooks is a smart offensive player when it comes to his own opportunities — he’ll often make smart cuts to the basket to deceive the defense and put himself in a position to score. He’s not a particularly adept passer (though to be fair, Providence’s offense didn’t give him much to pass to), and it’ll likely take him some time to understand the nuances of spacing in the NBA. He did average two offensive rebounds per game at Providence despite taking a lion’s share of the team’s shots, so that’s a number to keep an eye on in the future.

  • Defense: As I wrote earlier in the offseason, Brooks’s defensive mantra equates to “do as little as possible, and as much as necessary.” Brooks is often a step behind fighting through screens, and his body language indicates a lack of attention on defense, though he snaps immediately to attention once the ball enters his immediate area. Brooks was a bit of a late bloomer and is still rail-thin, which causes him to have issues checking larger shooting guards.

    Brooks is as long as they come, which helps his rebounding acumen (Brooks actually led Providence in total defensive rebounds, though much of that came from his playing time) and has all the tools to be a good defender — it’s just a matter of commitment and practice.

  • 2011-12 Outlook: Brooks will start the season off the bench, providing a scoring punch in the second unit behind Anthony Morrow. Reports from practice indicate that Brooks and Morrow have gone toe-to-toe with marked intensity over that starting spot. To overtake Morrow for the starting spot, Brooks would have to show marked improvement in his three-point shooting, his defensive mentality, and put on some additional muscle, particularly on his wiry lower body.

    Like most rookies, he’ll likely have an up-and-down season; some games he’ll score 20 points in ways that you can’t believe, and others he’ll look completely lost as the game happens around him. As the 25th pick in a generally weak draft (and make no mistake, he plays with a chip on his shoulder because of that), Brooks isn’t expected to destroy the league right out of the gate, but he’ll definitely have at least 10-15 minutes per game to make his mark.

  • Facts of life: Physically, Brooks is an athletic freak. Per DraftExpress’s database, Brooks’s wingspan of 7’1″ measured longer than any player his height (6’5.25″ in shoes) or shorter in the history of the NBA combine, and his “hand area” of 94.5 inches is bigger than both big men the Nets considered drafting in the 2010 NBA Draft, DeMarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors.

    He’s also, as Net Income of NetsDaily notes, got a great grasp of social media.

  • Twitter: @Marshon2
  • Relevant Jay-Z Lyric:


    So they made light of, my type of, dreams seem dumb,
    They said “wise up,
    How many guys you see making it from here,
    The world don’t like us, is that not clear,”
    Alright, but I’m different,
    I can’t base what I’m gonna be off of what everybody isn’t,
    They don’t listen, just whispering behind my back,
    No vision, lack of ambition,
    So wack!

    -So Ambitious