Breaking News: Markel Brown out 4-6 weeks with right hand fracture

The Brooklyn Nets have announced that rookie guard Markel Brown has a non-displaced fracture of the fourth metacarpal in his right hand and will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. Brown suffered the injury while working out in Las Vegas, where he has been preparing for his rookie campaign.

It's a bad break for Brown, literally and figuratively, as NBA training camps are set to get underway in the near future. As a rookie, training camp is an extremely important exercise in garnering respect from veteran players and the coaching staff and, for second round picks like Brown, it is usually when they are able to fully earn their spot on the roster.

Brooklyn traded up to get Brown with the 44th overall pick on draft night and all signs within the organization point to Brown being a worthwhile young project to have on the bench, so this isn't likely to have any impact on his job security, but Brown may have been able to make a push for playing time with a strong showing during camp. That said, there's still an outside shot at Brown finding his way onto the floor as a rookie due to his impressive athleticism and versatility on both ends.

It helps that Brown made a good first impression on the organization during his time at the Orlando Summer League. Brown averaged 26 minutes per game for the Nets after five outings in Orlando, scoring 10 points per contest while shooting 53% from the field and 38% from three. His best game came against the 76ers when he scored 17 points, pulled down seven boards and got to the line eight times.

While this is certainly a poor way for his professional journey to begin, in all likelihood, this will be nothing more than a minor setback for Brown.