2022 NBA Draft: Indiana Pacers select Kendall Brown, Baylor small forward, after trade with Minnesota Timberwolves

Baylor small forward Kendall Brown is off the board in the 2022 NBA Draft. With the No. 48 pick in the second round, Brown was selected by the Indiana Pacers, who acquired the pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A four-star recruit in the Class of 2021, Kendall Brown helped Baylor become Big 12 regular-season co-champions. Following that remarkable regular season, Baylor tripped up in the Big 12 Tournament against Oklahoma. They then lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to North Carolina.

His highest scoring output came against Central Arkansas when he had 19 points. He gave the Bears solid minutes throughout his single season in Waco. That helped him earn Big-12 All-Freshman Team honors.

On the season, Kendall Brown averaged 9.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. He also shot 58.4% from the field and 34.1% from three-point range. He did that while playing about 27 minutes per game.

There was a lot of pre-draft debate surrounding Kendall Brown. A mock draft from CBS Sports had him going 21st overall. Meanwhile, ESPN didn’t expect him to go 42nd. It goes to show how many questions there were about this high-upside prospect in the draft process.

Kendall Brown is an incredibly athletic player. He does a great job creating space for himself while he has the ball in his hands. He’s also incredibly instinctual on the offensive end, especially when passing the ball. Add in a pretty jump shot that looks like he has the potential to get better in the NBA.

If there is a knock on Brown, it’s that he’s not a consistent enough player. In particular, his defense doesn’t match up to his offensive ability.

Assuming that Kendall Brown can improve on the defensive side of the ball, he remains a high-upside prospect. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.