Menu
Jon Brockman profile
Drafted #38 in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Kings
RCSI: 19 (2005)
Height: 6'8" (203 cm)
Weight: 252 lbs (114 kg)
Position: PF
High School: Snohomish High School (Washington)
Hometown: Snohomish, WA
College: Washington
Current Team: Ludwigsburg
Win - Loss: 15 - 9

Articles

Portsmouth Invitational Tournament: All-First Team

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Apr 14, 2009, 04:18 pm
The former McDonald’s All-American set the tone for the week with a 21 rebound performance in his first game in Portsmouth. Despite his team dropping their game in the consolation bracket, few players performed as well as Brockman. Though his height hurts his upside, he was easily one of the most interesting prospects from an NBA perspective at this year’s edition of the PIT.

Only measuring in at 6-7 without shoes, with a very underwhelming 6-7 ¾ wingspan, Brockman is clearly undersized for the power forward position, and he doesn’t make up for it with elite athleticism. His 252-pound frame is his biggest asset from a purely physical perspective. Built like a tank, the former Husky loves to throw his weight around on the block, playing with great toughness and a high motor. Though he’s not a great athlete, Brockman shows decent leaping ability for his size on the move, and could become an even better physical specimen if he continues to work on his athleticism. His size will always be one of the biggest knocks against him, making it that much more important that he maximize the other parts of his game.

Possessing an ideal frame to handle the rigors of the post in the NCAA, Brockman’s collegiate numbers reflected his aggressive interior mentality as well as a shift in his role. After coming into his own during a sophomore season that saw him assume a major role in Lorenzo Romar’s offense, Brockman was one of the top scorers and rebounders in the PAC-10 as a junior. The emergence of freshman Isaiah Thomas limited his touches last season, but Brockman maintained his efficiency and actually improved his rebounding rate. His constant hustle has landed him amongst the top rebounders in the nation, and the sacrifices he made as a senior ultimately helped his team win the Pac-10, and advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Brockman’s willingness to shift his role to help his team is a good sign for the bruising forward moving ahead, and it showed during the PIT. After getting almost half of his touches in the post during his last two seasons in Seattle, Brockman will need to earn his touches by working without the ball –something he did very effectively all week. Using his great lower body strength to get leverage and gain position on the inside, he did a terrific job bullying his way into the lane. Finishing the week averaging 9 offensive rebounds per game, Brockman did most of his damage with flash cuts, duck-ins, and put-backs. Since his size will limit his back to the basket game on the next level, it was good to see him produce so effectively without the ball in his hands.

While Brockman’s ability to create touches for himself was impressive, he didn’t finish all that well at the rim, as he lacks the length and explosiveness to be very effective here. He needs to continue to diversify his offensive game to avoid being a liability, since his problems around the basket is very much an indication of the issues he’ll face against more athletic defensive players in the NBA. Brockman did attempt a couple of jumpers, but displayed the same flat mechanics that made him an inconsistent shooter during his days as a Husky. It will be important for him to develop his jump-shot to account for the decline in efficiency he’s sure to endure in the paint.

Defensively, Brockman did a good job using his physicality to harass his man, getting away with more than he did during his days at Washington when he ranked amongst the most foul prone players in the NCAA. He gave up no ground in the post, showed average lateral quickness defending the perimeter, and effectively hedged the pick and roll on a couple of occasions. Not as dominant on the defensive glass as he was as an offensive rebounder, Brockman did a good job boxing out this week, and though he isn’t the type of elite athlete that is going to explode across the lane to pull down rebounds, he’s a very good defensive rebounder. He displays great hands and pulls down tough boards in traffic, which is important considering he doesn’t provide much of a presence as a help side defender or create many turnovers.

Overall, this was a great week for Jon Brockman. He may have slowed down as the week went on, but he was easily one of the most productive players here. Making his ability to impact the game as a hustle player incredibly apparent to all the many NBA talent evaluators in attendance, Brockman likely helped his cause considerably, and may now have a chance to be drafted somewhere in the second round. Even if he doesn’t hear his name called on draft night, he’s the type of player who could easily endear himself to a coaching staff and make a roster in training camp. If not, there will be plenty of six-figure offers thrown his way from Europe.

Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Day Two

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Apr 10, 2009, 02:38 pm
Jon Brockman had one of the more dominant performances we’ve seen thus far at Portsmouth, showing off his outstanding rebounding abilities to pull in an amazing 21 rebounds in 30 minutes. Brockman threw his body around all game, showing no hesitation to bang with Ahmad Nivins and Russell Hicks. Brockman’s combination of excellent timing, hands, and mobility to pursue in combination with his ridiculously high motor played a big role in his performance.

Other than rebounding, Brockman was a force scoring in the paint as well, often on putbacks, but also on catch-and-finishes and a few occasional post moves. He shows good touch in the post and a solid base of moves, but he struggled getting separation from his opponent on his moves, not having much range. While Brockman occasionally shows good vertical explosiveness when he has time to gather himself or gets momentum going on the run, he isn’t able to power up from other positions, not being a very good overall athlete, something that will hold him back if he doesn’t improve.

NCAA Tournament Performers, 3/25/09- Part One

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan
Mar 25, 2009, 02:59 am
When we last took a look at Jon Brockman (before the season started), he was a somewhat under the radar player putting up fantastic numbers on a mediocre team. With his collegiate career having come to an end on Saturday at the hands of Purdue, he is now the best player on the regular season Pac-10 champs, which is quite an accomplishment. Brockman had an excellent NCAA Tournament showing, posting double-doubles in each of Washington’s two games against solid frontcourt competition. While his scoring numbers have taken a dip this season, due to a smaller role in part brought on by the arrival of freshman Isaiah Thomas, Brockman has continued to be a solid presence inside.

As has been the case in his previous three seasons, Brockman does his scoring almost exclusively within eight feet of the basket, most of the time even closer than that. His massively thick 260-pound frame allows him to get position pretty much whenever he wants on the block. He has great hands, able to catch almost anything thrown his way and once he has the ball he goes to work with a fairly polished post game. Brockman has good footwork and shows surprisingly nimble feet when making moves with his back to the basket. The senior primarily goes to one of two moves, either dribbling to the middle and drop stepping towards the baseline to pin his man, or when facing up he likes to go to a quick spin move that he executes pretty well. Brockman has a very soft touch around the rim, finishing at a high rate thanks to his fantastic use of his body. Despite usually giving up several inches to defenders and having a poor vertical leap, the undersized big man is still able to score effectively at the college level. His ability to finish with contact and draw fouls at a high rate reminds somewhat of Tyler Hansbrough, although he’s not quite as skilled or prolific. Unfortunately for Brockman, his lack of size and athleticism makes it a bit difficult to see his post-game translating to the NBA level.

The biggest downfall for Brockman offensively is his inability to be effective when stepping away from the basket. While he will knock down the occasional mid-range jumper if left open, by no means is he a consistent threat outside the immediate vicinity of the basket. His shot is very flat and his form involves an awkward hitch motion that results in an inconsistent release point. The senior’s only saving grace here is his soft touch that gets some otherwise ugly shots to bounce his way. Brockman attempts very few shots from this spot on the floor, but given the examples we have seen coupled with the fact that he is a 64 percent free throw shooter (a big upgrade from last season’s 52% actually), it is safe to say he has a long way to go in developing this part of his game.

One thing that can’t be denied about Brockman, and this has been the case for his entire career, is his ever constant hustle. As we said in our write up of him before the season started, the senior goes all out on nearly every single possession at both ends of the floor. The fact that he is able to haul down under 14 rebounds per 40 minutes pace adjusted with his undersized frame and below average athleticism is a testament to his hard work. Brockman is the classic example of a workhorse, making up for his lack of physical gifts by outworking other players.

It’s been said in the past and continues to ring true still; Brockman leaves a bit to be desired as a defensive player. He does a fine job of holding his ground when being posted up; few players at this level are capable of pushing him around. With that said though, most players can easily elevate over him for good looks at the rim. For a post player who averages over 30 minutes a game, the fact that Brockman recorded just 4 blocked shots all season says volumes about his inability to be a game changer at the other end of the floor. While he shows good speed in the open floor, his lateral quickness is subpar and leaves him susceptible to quicker post players. During Washington’s first round match up with Mississippi State, Jarvis Varnado was able to step through and score a few times against Brockman, who was slow to respond. On the few occasions when he is forced away from the basket, he looks out of place on the perimeter, often lunging at would be shooters. He would absolutely have to get quicker in order to cover the pick and roll at the next level.

In all likelihood, despite being a stellar college player, Brockman is not lock to hear his name called on draft night. The senior is likely too undersized and not athletic enough to be project as an NBA caliber rotation player. While he is able to use his strength to get shots off at the collegiate level, bigger more athletic players in the NBA would be a much tougher task for Brockman to handle. In addition, he would struggle defensively against better athletes as well. That should not diminish what has been a great college career for him, though, as he has been one of the top post players in the country each of the last two seasons. He’s certainly a hard guy to rule out considering his toughness and productivity.

Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Pac-10 (Part Three: #11-15)

Rodger Bohn
Rodger Bohn
Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Kyle Nelson
Kyle Nelson
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan
Oct 01, 2008, 08:45 pm
You’d be hard pressed to find many more productive big man in college basketball. The top returning rebounder in the NCAA (14.2 per-40 minutes pace adjusted) and 17th best returning scorer (21.8 per-40P.A.), Brockman quietly put up huge numbers all season long, to little fan fare. The fact that his team finished just 8th in the loaded Pac-10 (16-16 overall) did not help his cause obviously, so it will be imperative for Washington to make the NCAA tournament this season to give Brockman the type of exposure he needs in his senior campaign to help his NBA chances.

Severely undersized at 6-7, and not freakishly athletic to compensate for his physical shortcomings, Brockman is the type of player that finds a way to make his presence felt without any outstanding natural tools. His energy level is extremely high in every moment he’s on the court, playing a physical, scrappy style of basketball that renders him extremely effective at the collegiate level. Showing superb timing, hands and instincts crashing the glass, Brockman never gives up on a play and seems to relish throwing his body around and outworking opposing players inside the paint. This is largely the reason he was able to average over 14 rebounds per game per-40 minutes pace adjusted last season, and 12.6 the year before as a sophomore playing alongside eventual top-10 pick 7-footer Spencer Hawes.

Most of Brockman’s touches in UW’s offense come through the work he does with back to the basket at the center position. Strong and aggressive, but just not big or quick enough to always establish deep enough position inside, Brockman sees average results despite possessing nice touch and the ability to finish with either hand. He has a tendency to force the issue and heave up tough shots from difficult angles, clearly not being the greatest passer you’ll find around. Posting up and trying to overpower players around the basket is obviously not going to work very well in the NBA, but considering his college team’s severe lack of offensive talent, it was one of their best options last season.

Operating off the ball is where Brockman looks much more comfortable. He runs the floor extremely hard, regularly beating opposing big man down the court. He’s also extremely intelligent finding creases in the defense and moving to the right spot to catch and quickly finish around the rim, showing terrific hands and plenty of craftiness using the rim to shield his defender on the reverse lay-up. Brockman finishes 64% of his shot-attempts around the basket, which is impressive considering his average size and leaping ability. He gets to the free throw line at a great clip, seven times per-40 minutes pace adjusted, but only converts a mediocre 52% of his attempts.

Very much related to his stroke from the free throw line, Brockman does not possess much range on his medium range jump-shot, which is something he’ll have to work extremely hard on if he’s to convince NBA personnel that he can compensate for his poor physical tools and translate his college production to a much higher level of play. His shooting mechanics sport a long and deliberate hitch that makes his release slow and fairly inconsistent. Even though he’ll never be looked at as much of an offensive option, having the ability to space the floor and punish defenses who double-team his big man will make it much more difficult for them to play off him. Think Udonis Haslem. Similarly, Brockman would be well suited to develop his ball-handling skills to the point that he would be comfortable beating slower-footed opposing defenders off the dribble from the high post.

Defensively, Brockman isn’t quite as useful as you might hope considering his other shortcomings. His lack of size renders him fairly ineffective going up against taller big men in the post who are able to easily shoot over the top of him, and his average lateral quickness on the perimeter causes him to struggle here too. Brockman is relied upon so heavily to stay on the floor for Washington that he often is forced not to risk getting in foul trouble, which brings down his intensity level a notch. Still, he’s going to have to show scouts much better technique and effort to convince them that he’s not going to be a liability on this end of the floor at the next level. Those things are obviously not question marks when it comes to his ability to clean the glass, as already mentioned.

All in all, Brockman certainly isn’t what you would consider a great NBA prospect due to his very obvious shortcomings. Still, he has some nice qualities that some teams may find appealing (particularly his rebounding ability), and there is no doubt that he’ll be a fixture throughout the pre-draft process competing in private workouts and settings like Portsmouth and Orlando, so he will surely get his chance to show teams what he can do. It’s not out of the question that he ends up on someone’s roster when it’s all said and done, but there is a distinct possibility that he may have to ply his trade in Europe, where he would probably be considered a very hot commodity.

Latest results

03/15/2024 86 - 82 vs Braunschweig Braunschweig
03/12/2024 91 - 93 at Galatasaray Galatasaray
03/09/2024 87 - 92 vs Bamberg Bamberg
03/06/2024 71 - 59 vs Dijon Dijon

Tweets

DraftExpress Shop