What can brown do for you?
What can brown do for you?
The “do for you” slogan is not only applicable as the calling card of the United Parcel Service but can also lend credence to the work this year of Kwame Brown, who is playing the best ball of his still young life for the Charlotte Bobcats.
Ten years after Michael Jordan selected Brown as a number 1 pick for the Washington Wizards, the maturation process seems to have come full circle.
Jordan, the majority owner of the Bobcats, pushed his people to pick up Brown in the off-season for a veteran’s minimum contract and the acquisition is paying huge dividends.
Before the Bobcats fired Larry Brown, Kwame got very few minutes and sometimes did not play at all. New Coach Paul Silas had a different vision and once Silas gave him the starting nod, Charlotte went on an 8 for 13 streak, which included a 13-point 18-rebound performance against the Sacramento Kings in California.
After that game, Brown got a fist pound from Jordan after the game and a little ribbing to boot. Jordan: “About damn time you redeemed that draft pick.”
Everybody in the room cracked up, including Brown.
The inner story of Brown’s success is not just because of Silas. Along with Boris Diaw, Silas discovered something in Brown that even Brown gave up on long ago.
Scoring.
The truth of the matter is that Kwame, after poor years for the Los Angeles Lakers became a laughing stock along with the poor decision of Jordan.
He is you yet the double/double machine likes Kevin Love, but look at it this way.
In his two previous seasons he had only two double/doubles on his resume but in one 4-game stretch this season, Brown averaged 13 points, nearly 15 rebounds and shot 17 of 30 from the floor.
Kwame is quick to give much success of this turn around to former Jordan teammate and assistant coach Charles Oakley, who was an absolute beast on the block back in the day.
Oakley instructed Brown to go back to basics and keep it simple. He told him the major job was rebounding, protecting the paint and the boards and then finish when you get the rock.
When betting the Bobcats, know that they held their own against the spread at home and were a plus 3 ATS on the road after 31 away games.
Charlotte has a strong finish to their season with 7 of their last 11 games at home and against some weak teams.
They catch Cleveland twice, Washington, Milwaukee, Detroit and Atlanta so the opportunity will be there for them to finish up the season like gangbusters.
Brown also should be fresh for the money run as the Bobcats recently picked up center Joel Przybilla, who will give Kwame the rest he needs to go full bore in the last several weeks of the season.
If Stephen Jackson, D.J. Augustin and Shawn Livingston continue to play at a high level, Brown may get that last laugh with post-season success.
