Keep Him or Trade Him: MarShon Brooks

Should the Boston Celtics keep or trade MarShon Brooks before the start of the regular season?

By KevinOConnorNBA Aug 8, 2013, 7:00pm EDT

MarShon Brooks was originally drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2011.

Just ask Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge if he anticipates any moves coming before opening night and he'll tell you that there could be. Ainge said, "We have some work to do. We have a few too many guaranteed contracts . . . We have to make some adjustments, and we're very busy trying to put the best team on the court. But there could be some changes this summer, yes."

For the next couple of weeks I am going to ask one simple question about each player that could be on the block: Should the Boston Celtics keep or trade him before the start of the regular season?

In the sixth part of the "Keep Him or Trade Him" series, we are going to take a look at MarShon Brooks. He's a 24-year-old shooting guard that was recently acquired in the massive blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets. In his two-year career, Brooks has averaged 8.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 19.8 minutes per game. Brooks is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, which is valued at a little over $1.2 million. He has a team option for next year and a qualifying offer the year after that.

Follow @Kevin__OConnor

Why Keep Brooks?

MarShon Brooks flashed the potential of a quality scorer with the New Jersey Nets during his rookie year in 2011. Even though he had an underwhelming 42.8 shooting percentage, there were nights when his shot couldn't be stopped. With a quick, high release, his shot is virtually unblockable, and he has the ability to score off the dribble or the pass. One part of Brooks' game that I think is overlooked is his ability to get to the basket and finish strong. He won't posterize his opponent but if he has space he can quickly elevate and either finish or draw a foul.

At only 24-years-old, Brooks has yet to scratch the surface of his potential. Last year with Brooklyn he had his playing time cut because there was more talent on the team, but he was able to shoot for a much higher percentage at 46.3, a sign that he improved his game. Brooks is the type of player that could be much better when he plays over 30 minutes per game, which is possible this year with the Boston Celtics.

Why Trade Brooks?

The obvious reason is that Brooks' defense is non-existent. As Avery Johnson jokes at the end of the video embedded above, "there's no ‘D' in (MarShon's) defense." From the few times I have watched Brooks with the Nets, I believe the effort is there but he has no understanding of that end of the floor. With proper coaching, maybe he can take advantage of his physical tools, but it's one reason why his playing time was slashed in half last season.

Brooks is also an inconsistent volume scorer. There are some nights when he will shoot 1-of-11, but there are others he will rack up 24-points on 10-of-15 shooting. The fact he is so inconsistent may not gel with Brad Stevens' basketball philosophy. Not to mention the fact that his style of play is exactly the same as Jordan Crawford, a player he was compared to when he went into the NBA Draft. Since Brooks has spent one less year in the NBA, it's possible he has more trade value, and the Celtics could net more in return if they decided to trade him instead of Crawford.

What Would I Do?

Well, I almost feel like I should've just quoted everything from my "Keep or Trade Jordan Crawford" article. Brooks and Crawford are so similar, though JCraw is a better ball-handler and passer. Personally I would keep MarShon Brooks because he has much higher upside than Crawford. I think keeping Brooks through this season makes a lot of sense because if he's given playing time and performs well, his value could skyrocket. Click here for a highlight of a game from last season that he started and scored 27-points on 12-of-16 shooting. Will this happen every night? No. But if it happens more frequently with the Celtics he quickly becomes your future two-guard, a sixth man, or even more trade bait.

What would you do? Vote on the poll, comment below, and tweet me @Kevin__OConnor with your thoughts.

Follow @Kevin__OConnor