Elton Brand, Duke

Name:	Elton Brand
College:	Duke
Height:	6'8"
Weight:	260
Class:	Sophomore
Position:	Power Forward
Other Position:	Center
NBA.com profile

Stats (Provided by JazzyJ)


                  G  MIN  FG  FGA  3P 3PA  FT FTA  REB  PF AST  TO BLK STL  PTS
97-98 Duke       21  493 100  169   0   0  81 134  154  53  10  34  27  32  281
98-99 Duke       39 1141 255  411   0   0 181 256  382  97  41  67  86  49  691
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS           60 1634 355  580   0   0 262 390  536 150  51 101 113  81  972


                  MIN   FG%   3P%   FT%  RPG  APG  TPG  BPG  SPG   PPG
97-98 Duke       23.5  59.2   0.0  60.4  7.3  0.5  1.6  1.3  1.5  13.4
98-99 Duke       29.3  62.0   0.0  70.7  9.8  1.1  1.7  2.2  1.3  17.7
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS           27.2  61.2   0.0  67.2  8.9  0.9  1.7  1.9  1.4  16.2

Scouting reports

Scout: Rob Clough

Strengths: Hands, strength, surprising agility for size, ability to run the floor, power, shotblocking
Weaknesses: Questionable perimeter game and ballhandling, may be a tweener, potential weight problems, sometimes too passive, passing out of double teams

Scouting Report: Elton Brand ran away with the national player of the year awards in '99, yet his numbers were relatively modest and there was a sense that he won because of a lack of competition, not because of his overwhelming dominance. Still and all, he proved one thing: he could not be guarded one- on-one at the college level. Despite not being able to go to his left and not possessing any true go-to move, he was nearly unstoppable in the paint. This was because he was strong enough to overpower most of his opponents, and quick enough to simply go around his bigger opponents. There were times, especially when he was playing against lesser opponents, that he would play passively, especially on the boards. He didn't always react well to being played tough physically.

Early in the season, he looked especially out of shape and weak with the ball. After his celebrated benching by Coach K, he became a dominant player, earning three straight player of the week awards in the ACC. The main difference was in his rebounding and defense. He dominated the Kentucky and Maryland front lines, posting up at will and making it difficult to score. Brand's defensive presence made up for the mediocre job done by its backcourt, because he and Shane Battier could erase a lot of mistakes. Brand prospered with Will Avery at point guard because he knew Avery could penetrate and deliver the ball. He also benefitted from Trajan Langdon's shooting, because it made him harder to double-team. Elton improved at using the relocation pass to find Avery and Langdon spotting up as the season went on, but there were still times that he stubbornly went to the basket in the face of heavy opposition with no good shot available.

Brand's best individual move was using his power to back opponents in, and then either try to spin around for a layup, or turn around for a short jumper. He became very effective from two feet and in. There were times when he showed a little more range. Against Kentucky, for example, he showed off a 17' jumper when the game was on the line. Against Clemson, he popped 15' jumpers in the early going. He will need to develop this much further to succeed in the league.

Brand's best asset is his uncanny agility. Allowed to play the passing lanes, he frequently darted in front of passes and started (and sometimes finished!) breaks. His nice footwork in the post is what got him so many easy baskets, especially without a particular go-to move. Brand's hands are a literally huge asset; the number of time he snagged a one-handed rebound were numerous. I project his initial big impact in the league as a rebounder and defender.

Brand usually has no problem with huge opponents if they lack footspeed. It's the tall, rangy players like Alvin Jones who have given him some problems. Extremely physical and athletic players can give him problems, too.

I see him as top-five pick who probably won't really blossom until his third year in the league.

Scout: David Edelman [dedelman@acpub.duke.edu]

Brand is theoretically too short but perhaps not too small to play inside in the NBA; his athleticism and skill may adequately compensate for his height. Low post offense is exciting but not yet developed enough for him to be a big scorer in the NBA; he is just now learning how to deal with double-teams. He can, however, overpower slender forwards and out-quick big centers. Good rebounder, good hands. Decent low-post defense. Virtually no mid-range game yet. A terrific person and a true scholar-athlete.

Brand will either have to be extraordinarily skilled (like Charles Barkley, not as extreme) to play at his height as a low post player, or he will have to learn some perimeter skills. Either is possible given his work ethic and athletic ability. I'm not sure what Brand is going to be in the pros but I suspect he'll be a good one. Caution: except for Grant Hill, Duke players have not done particularly well in the pros. May struggle more than you'd expect early on.

Scout: Jeffrey Burgoyne [burgoyne@ultimate-sports.com]

While the PF position is usually one of the best stocked positions in every draft (and perhaps the easiest position to fill in the NBA), this draft year seems woefully short on quality PF's. Elton Brand is the lone PF in this draft that has the ability to make an impact. While some project him as a center (heck, Traylor did an OK job for the Bucks this year at the same height), Brand could turn out to be an ideal PF, and will likely be drafted by the first team in need of a PF and interior defense (if the pick isn't to high). I'm not sure if a team would spend a first or second pick on him, but a need at PF could move him up the draft list. I felt he'd be a great fit in Vancouver as they need a rebounder/banger/interior defender, but thier pick may be too high to spend on Brand. (Would they be willing to trade down?).
While a lot has been made of Brands height (6'8), it should be noted that he has an extraordinary wingspan for his height. This allows him to play as if he is a few inches taller, but with a lower center of gravity. At 260, he will be impossible to move out of the low blocks for any other PF in the league.

Brand will be a banger in the NBA, contributing a handful of garbage points every game. He's a solid interior defender who can hit his FT's and won't turn the ball over. This is the type of player that several teams with high picks would love to have. His real weakness at the PF position is the lack of any midrange game.