For stretches of the 2022-23 season, Troy Brown Jr. was an unsung hero in the Los Angeles Lakers’ rotation after signing a minimum contract last offseason.
Brown stepped up when LeBron James missed time in the second half of the season, upping his scoring and overall play. However, once James returned and the rotation sorted itself out, Brown started to see fewer minutes.
With the season now over, Brown reflected on the year and said he would be focused on improving his offensive game in the summer.
“It was a really long year,” Brown admitted. “We basically had two different teams, so just me trying to figure out my role in different spots. Early on in the year, I was playing more of the four. Kind of more in that dunker area, so definitely added some of that to my game. But just being able to stretch the floor and be a defender.
“I think one thing I want to work on this summer is just being more aggressive offensively and being a playmaker. Even if it’s not me shooting the ball every time I’m touching it, just getting downhill and being able to make plays for my teammates. I definitely felt like it was a good year though and I felt like nobody thought we’d be in the Western Conference Finals so it’s definitely something just to look back on.”
The forward was pigeonholed into a traditional 3-and-D role with the Chicago Bulls, so he was appreciative of being able to show more of his game with the Lakers.
“Yeah, for sure. I felt like Darvin and Rob let me play a little bit more. Definitely got to show more of my passing side of things and even then letting initiate on plays and just bring the ball up the court and just show that side or like rebound and bring the ball up for fastbreaks and stuff. Definitely feel like that was shown but I still want to capitalize on that a little more this summer.”
Like several of his teammates, Brown will be a free agent and his future in Los Angeles remains uncertain. However, he showed enough throughout the year that he could be a viable depth piece at a reasonable cost.
Troy Brown Jr. had progressive conversation with Darvin Ham and Rob Pelinka
Following the end of the playoffs, Brown met with Darvin Ham and Rob Pelinka and he said they had a productive conversation about the year and what he could do to improve.
“We had a good conversation. We just talked over the season and basically summarized everything. Just talk about things that they want me to work on this summer and just talked about overall how the year went. It was a really long year and I definitely had my moments and definitely sometimes where I wasn’t there. And just talking about where I can pick up on and where I can be better at. It definitely was a good conversation and I felt good going out of it so it was very progressive.”
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