Two Georgia natives heard their names called in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft.
Former Wheeler forward Jaylen Brown and former St. Francis guard Malik Beasley were selected by the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets, respectively. Brown started the night early for Peach State products, as he was selected with the third overall pick.
“I’m happy to be a part of the family,” Brown said. “Boston is a great city full of culture, full of life, education, things that mean a lot to me. I cannot wait to get there and get everything started.”
Brown made the most of his lone season at California, averaging 14.6 points per game and 5.4 rebounds. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Brown was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year as well as the first-team All-Pac-12 squad.
Cal coach Cuonzo Martin offered a pair of comparisons with the size of Boston’s new big man.
“With Jaylon, he’d have more of a LeBron James (comparison) because of his size, but I’m not saying he’s at that level yet,” Martin said. “(He’s in) the mold like LeBron and Dominique Wilkins because of his athleticism and because of his explosiveness.”
The success in Cobb County and Berkeley leads Brown to a Boston team that won 48 games for the second consecutive season. Now paired with coach Brad Stevens, Brown sounded confident about his future with the Celtics’ organization.
“I know it’s a playoff team,” Brown said. “I can’t wait to win.”
Beasley, meanwhile, watched his name come off the board 16 picks later with the Nuggets’ second pick of the first round.
“It’s been an amazing day,” Beasley said. “I’m thankful to be here and thank you to Denver to giving me the opportunity.”
Beasley heads to Denver after spending one year at Florida State. Beasley made the most of his lone season in Tallahassee, scoring 15.6 points per game in 34 games for the Seminoles. His play, coupled with that of fellow freshman Dwayne Bacon, led Florida State to a 69-62 upset victory over then-No. 13 Virginia on Jan. 17.
Beasley brought home ACC Rookie of the Week three times over the course of the 2015-16 season. When the season ended, Beasley was named to the All-ACC Freshman team. He became the first player in Florida State history to enter the draft after only one season with the squad.
Beasley underwent stress fracture surgery on his right leg in early June and was unable to do team workouts from that point.
“He was a kid that wanted to get in the gym at 7 a.m. before school started,” St. Francis coach Drew Catlett said. “During the season, he told an assistant, ‘I need to make 300 3-pointers before school starts.’ His confidence and belief in a work ethic is paying off for him.”
Beasley joins former Kentucky guard Jamal Murray as the Nuggets’ newest additions. With the challenge of matching the seventh overall pick coming soon, Beasley explained the duo will push each other in the coming months.
“I’m going to work hard (and) compete against him,” Beasley said. “We’re friends, and we’re going to work hard together to get Denver back on again.”
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