Marshon Brooks Leaping into NBA's First Round

He was hardly a heralded prospect coming out of Tucker High School, even after leading the boys basketball team to a state title. After a dominant senior season for the Big East’s Providence Friars, finishing second in the nation in scoring, Marshon Brooks was not considered an NBA first-round pick. 

Talent evaluators have continued to have reservations about his talents. So did the player himself. Yet with the draft coming later this week, the days of underestimating the 6-5 wing may be coming to an end. 

Despite averaging 24.6 points per game during his final season with the Friars, Brooks, a Stone Mountain native, was initially projected as a second-round pick for the June 23 draft. The crafty scorer began to turn the perception around about his game in May at the NBA Combine, where he flashed his all-court talents and impressive athleticism. 

Suddenly his name was being listed on mock drafts as a first-round selection and his game was being compared to his idol Kobe Bryant. 

“It was always my goal, but there were times that I doubted it,” Brooks said about being on the verge of joining an NBA team. “I just kept working. That was it for me. I always felt like I had the talent.” 

Weeks of working out on his own and then directly for teams, as he did for the Washington Wizards earlier this month, has only fueled his draft board ascension which now forecasts to be in the middle of round one. ESPN’s Chad Ford projects Brooks to the New York Knicks, owners of the 17th pick. 

Playing on a very young team that required copious amounts of scoring and leadership, Brooks delivered even if the Friars losing record failed to reflect his efforts. He averaged nearly as many points last season as he had in his two previous two campaigns with the Friars combined. 

His rise in production came despite playing in the rugged Big East, a conference that sent a record 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament, including the eventual National Champion. “When you matched me up against guys that were projected to go in the first round, I always fared well," Brooks said. “That was a confidence booster.”

With the ability to score from all angles, Brooks reached double figure scoring in all 32 games, generating 43 and 52 points against Big East powers Georgetown and Notre Dame respectively. 

Producing points was not his only power. Brooks leapt and positioned his way to 7.1 rebounds, eighth in the conference, plus averaged 1.5 steals, 1.2 blocks. He also shot 48.3 percent from the field despite being asked, nay forced to shoot early and often if the Friars were to have a winning chance.

Not content to rest on his then-current offensive repertoire, Brooks took the time afforded to him by the Friars season ending in March to hone his outside shooting, something he’ll need on the next level. 

“Our season ended prematurely in the Big East Tournament so I had a lot of time to work on the NBA three,” Brooks said. “That’s been my main focus because my shooting is kind of inconsistent at times.” Improved touch from distance, combined with his physical attributes – like a 7-1 wingspan and a 38.5-inch vertical leap – helped move him up in the eyes of scouts at the combine.

It also led to the some mentioning the similarities in Brooks’ game to that of the Lakers star. Don’t worry; the kid isn’t buying into such talk. Practically speaking, he sees his own game in that of one of the Atlanta Hawks. 

“It’s kind of crazy to me,” Brooks said. “I don’t think anybody that hasn’t scored a point yet in the NBA should be compared to Kobe. I guess on my jump shot I fade away a little bit. I watch him a lot so I guess it rubs off. In my eyes, I play more like a Jamal Crawford.” 

Brooks has continued to criss-cross the country in the days leading up to the draft. He's scheduled to work out for a second time with the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Oh, the Bucks currently pick 10th in round one.

There is no time to slow down, lofty talk be damned. Brooks didn’t rest on his scoring laurels once his season ended. No point in doing so now. Besides, not that long ago he was working hard just to get noticed. “I try to block that stuff out, go as hard as possible,” Brooks said. “I’m working out for everybody. Before the combine, I was projected to be a second round pick. I’m working out for second round teams. I’m just trying to get work in.”