If MarShon Brooks scores 34 points in an NBA Summer League game, does he make a sound? 
That depends on who’s listening.
The casual basketball fan would say no, it’s freaking Summer League.
But coaches, GMs and observant fans understand that Brooks, like a teenager who ran out of ProActiv, is on the verge of a breakout.
The 6-5 guard has been a gifted scorer his entire life. He once put up 57 points in a 16-and-under AAU game and stunned the college basketball world by hanging a ridiculous 52 points on Notre Dame and 43 on Georgetown in 2011.
Brooks finished second in the nation in scoring that season, behind some guy named Jimmer Fredette.
But Brooks has remained under the radar, mostly because he’s played for teams that have been generally irrelevant – Providence College and the New Jersey Nets.
Now, as the Nets prepare to begin their run in Brooklyn, Brooks’ play may become impossible to ignore.
Brooks had a solid rookie season, finishing third in scoring among first-year players at 12.6 points per game and being named to the All-Rookie Second Team. He struggled to stay on the court at times, mostly because coach Avery Johnson was less than impressed with his defense.
But when he finally put it all together, Brooks was a revelation, playing well enough to be mentioned alongside Brook Lopez as one of Orlando’s must-have return pieces if a potential Dwight Howard trade.
With Howard now in Los Angeles, the Nets envision a future with Brooks filling it up alongside star guards Joe Johnson and Deron Williams.
Brooks will almost definitely come off the bench for Brooklyn this season. He has already stated that his goal is to win the Sixth Man Award.
“I think I can be a sparkplug for this team,” he said.
Despite the fact that he and Johnson possess admittedly similar skills on offense, Brooks believes he will be in position to knock down a few more spot-up jumpers and create when necessary.
This summer, Brooks followed his record-tying explosion by scoring 91 points in two games at the Dru Joyce summer league in Cleveland. Granted, it is easier to look like an All-Star in August than it is in February, but Brooks’ summer scoring binge has Nets fans thinking big.
He has been compared to scorers around the league, but the most appropriate may be Kobe Bryant (OK, Kobe Lite), simply because his moves perfectly mimic the man he grew up idolizing.
Watch Brooks go to work and you won’t have any trouble understanding the comparison. Every head fake, fadeaway jumper and jab-step drive to the hole seems Bryant-like.
Still, Brooks doesn’t put much stock in such comparisons.
“I don’t like to compare myself to Kobe, with all he’s done. I’m not nearly established enough in the game,” he said.
So why do others make that evaluation? “I don’t know,” Brooks said. “Maybe it’s the afro.”
If he has to be compared to someone, the 6-5 Brooks likes Jamal Crawford, a former Sixth Man Award winner.
Aside from lighting everyone up, Brooks spent his summer getting stronger – adding seven pounds of muscle to his slender 195-pound frame – and working on his defense. Agent Seth Cohen said his client is scheduled to tour Russia in September as part of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program.
“People around the NBA know his reputation as a great guy,” said Cohen, who runs Original Creative Representation. “That’s why they wanted him for this opportunity.”
It seems opportunities will be coming fast and furious for Brooks, who just might help transform Brooklyn into one of the league’s most exciting teams to watch.
“It’s going to be crazy. I’m very excited, I think the city is very excited as well,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of buzz in that arena, and I think we’re all looking forward to it.”
Kels Dayton is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Slam Magazine. You can read more of his writing at roundballdaily.com. You can follow him on Twitter.
looks more athletic than he did last season and appears more capable than before of being a full-time small forward. If he can continue to display this type of penetrating ability, Minnesota will flourish having him next to Kevin Love.
natural pick-and-roll player who has no difficulty understanding angles and making quick decisions. He may struggle a bit with man-to-man defense, but his instincts in the passing lanes will give him some value as a team defender. Many viewed Fournier as a Eurostash candidate, but he has rapidly shown that his feel for the game may be at a level that already may warrant some backup minutes as a rookie.
with his low-post scoring, ability to take you off the dribble and effectiveness on defensive switches. Add his mental toughness and you have a guy who clearly can be an NBA rotation player right away. Yes, 34 guys were picked ahead of him on draft night. Only a handful will contribute more than Green throughout their careers.
ORLANDO — For one week in July, a small portion of the basketball universe converges upon central Florida to watch and participate in the Summer League. The Orlando event is always outshined by its Las Vegas counterpart, partly because there is no strip and partly because only eight NBA teams participate.
Kyle O’Quinn – The second-round pick of the Orlando Magic looked polished and played like a veteran this week. O’Quinn’s signature moment may have been the absolute dismantling of Pistons’ lottery pick Andre Drummond, who O’Quinn outworked and out-psyched. During their matchup Pistons PG Brandon Knight was constantly talking to Drummond, trying to keep his confidence up. Drummond became so frustrated that he and O’Quinn were both warned by officials, and Drummond even swung a low blow towards O’Quinn that didn’t connect. O’Quinn looked like a “player” and should help out right away at the 4 or 5.
Kyle Singler – Singler was almost unrecognizable after spending the season in Spain, but the 2011 second-round pick of Detroit looked like arguably the best player in the entire summer league. Singler is not a star, but should be a quality rotation player for a long time in the NBA. In Orlando, Singler showed the ability to knock down shots from all over the court, a quick release, and the ability to create his own shot. One Western Conference executive told me that in his mind Singler “demonstrated the ability to be a Shane Battier or Mike Miller type.”
Miles Plumlee – The Duke big man was a surprise first-round pick but certainly showed on the court why the Pacers had faith in selecting him over Perry Jones, Arnett Moultrie, and others. Plumlee moved extremely well, was very active around the glass and explosive. Plumlee’s signature performance came against Jared Sullinger and the Celtics when he had 18 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Jared Sullinger – The Ohio State big appeared motivated to prove his naysayers wrong and certainly looked healthy, averaging nearly 14 points and 8.3 rebounds. Sullinger’s post game is very polished and he showed the ability to be a very good rebounder against longer and more athletic bigs. Sullinger always seems to be smiling on the court, and one scout I spoke to said that Sullinger is going to be the next DaJuan Blair — but with a better offensive game.
Alec Burks – Burks was absolutely brilliant against Philadelphia early this week when he scored 31 points on 10-of-14 shooting and was 10-for-11 from the free throw line. Burks should be in line for a lot more playing time in his second season and is a potential breakout candidate.
Reggie Jackson – In 2011, Jackson was given a draft promise by the Thunder, though the Thunder continue to deny this assertion — even though Jackson only worked out for OKC. On a championship caliber team most rookies won’t seem much playing time, but one OKC official told me that Jackson is going to “wow” people, adding “he has the perfect blend of size, athleticism, and scoring prowess to be a spark off the bench.” In Orlando, Jackson has been solid.
Adam Morrison – It’s sad to see how far Morrison has fallen. While playing for Brooklyn, Morrison is averaging 6 ppg on 36% shooting. Neither of those stats will endear you to NBA GMs. While Morrison’s best skill is knocking down open looks, it is hard to see him making a NBA roster this year.
Andre Drummond – As previously mentioned Drummond, looked overwhelmed and one Detroit official told me that he was shocked at how little basketball IQ Drummond had after playing one season at UConn. Drummond is averaging 8 ppg and 6.5 rpg and is shooting 52% from the field while flashing an occasional wow moment to everyone in the audience. However, Drummond is shooting 25% from the free throw line and had one of the ugliest misses I have ever seen, short and to the left. One Italian coach said “Whoever works with him on his free throws must be fired.”
MarShon Brooks – Perhaps Brooks was struggling because of the rampant trade speculation about him or maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to be in the Summer League but either way Brooks looks bad shooting 32% from the field and averaging on 11 ppg. For a player that is seen as a big trade chip Brooks must do more against the competition.
Orlando Johnson – Johnson’s shot selection looks awful as he is shooting 23% from the field, 20% from 3, and 60% from the FT line. Johnson’s poor summer league was highlighted (lowlighted?) by an 0-for-10 performance from the field against the Thunder earlier this week.
Tornike Shengelia – Shengelia looks great out there banging down low, crashing the glass, and moves well off screens. Seems like a guy who could be a very good rotation player in Brooklyn, whenever he ends up in the NBA.
Justin Holiday – Holiday has been great in Orlando and secured a roster spot in Vegas with the Cavs. Jrue’s older brother is longer and a bit of a swiss army knife on the court. There is no denying he can offer NBA teams something, but is he talented enough to stick?
