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Phoenix has one of the NBA’s best shooters in former Kentucky guard Devin Booker, who is now a NBA superstar. However, Suns general manager Brian Gregory knows a team can never have too many shooters and that’s why he drafted 6-foot-7 Kentucky guard Koby Brea with the 41st pick in the NBA Draft.
“The one thing is he, obviously, he’s proven during his entire career at Dayton and at Kentucky, how good he is shooting the ball,” said Gregory Thursday after picking Brea in the second round. “But every year he’s gotten better and better and added another dimension to the shooting.”
That’s one reason Brea came to Kentucky to have coach Mark Pope challenge him and improve his game.
“Where maybe early it was spot-ups, then it became off some pin downs and stagger screen actions, then it came off of actions off the dribble, then it was a little bit of the NBA, with the side-step 3’s and the step back 3’s,” Gregory said. “So that progression that we were able to evaluate and watch, was a big reason for us taking him. He is an NBA 3-point shooter.”
Brea’s athleticism and defense were questioned by several NBA draft analysts but he did get better defensively as UK’s season progressed. He also showed an ability at times to be a facilitator on offense.
Gregory said Brea had been “well coached” by Pope to prepare for the NBA.
“I think coach Pope is one of the best coaches in the country,” Gregory said.
