Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Game #46, Home Game #22: LA Clippers 83, Minnesota 104
Season record: 10-36
1. Two Matchup Switches
Sebastian Telfair was in the torture chamber that is Sam Cassell's offensive bag of tricks. The first two times Cassell called his own number in Friday night's game, the 6-3 motormouth was backing the 6-foot Bassy down in the low block, then missing the makeable turnaround J's. After that, he stopped missing, hitting four of his next five shots in the period, plus three FTs that saddled Telfair with two fouls. When Randy Foye subbed in for Telfair, Cassell broke Foye's ankles with a court-length dribble-layup--consider how back you have to be on defense for ancient Sam to do that to you--then fed Cuttino Mobley for a jumper.
It was the Clips' only assist in the period. They were too busy creating their own shots off dribble penetration, as evidenced by their 55% accuracy (11-20 FG) for the period. When an opponent shoots 55% with one assist, they are either pounding one huge matchup or the entire team is breaking down. For Minnesota, it was a little of both: Cassell alone had 13 points, 5 boards and that dime, but the other Clips weren't too shabby at 6-12 FG as the Wolves were down seven at the period buzzer. Coach Randy Wittman glowered, spun, stamped his foot and hollared at his troops heading to the bench during a timeout.
But it didn't get any better in the first half of the second quarter. The Clips were 5-11 FG and coaxed 8 free throws from the too-late Minnesota D, while the Wolves themselves drew nada from the charity stripe. For a five-minute stretch, Minnesota's offense boiled down to: get the ball to McCants and get the hell out of the way. At least that's the way McCants saw it. Consigned to the bench apparently due to remnants of a flu that caused him to miss the previous game, he then saw Foye become the Wolves' first sub. You think he was a little perturbed, perhaps ready to show the world a thing or two? Here is the total sum of the Wolves' shot selection over a period of 4:17 of the second period:
11:24: McCants, layup shot missed
11:22: McCants, tip shot made
10:46: McCants, jump shot made
10:16: McCants, driving reverse layup shot made
9:37: McCants, layup shot missed
8:31: McCants, driving layup shot made
7:54: McCants, fadeaway jumper missed
7:07: McCants, 3pt shot missed
Twelve seconds later, McCants picked up his third foul of the period and headed for the bench. Those in the pro-Shaddy camp will approvingly note that he made four of those eight shots, which was a damn sight better than the 34.6% Minnesota shot in the first period. Another positive is that five of those eight shots were in the paint--four layup attempts and a tip-in. And if you were there, it was a pretty conclusive demonstration that Rashad McCants can get his own shot pretty much whenever he wants against a decent NBA defense not specifically geared to stop him. But those same people saw that McCants had eyes for nothing but the hoop--his teammates might as well have been trading high-fives with Mad Dog. The three fouls likewise were no coincidence. When Shaddy is trying to rule on the offensive end, he has a tendency to overhype his defense--faux effort, in that he's not thinking ahead anticipating his man's move and he's not moving his feet, at least not as pretty as those traipses through opponents when he's the one with the ball. Bottom line, the Wolves were down 7 when he began his shooting spree, and down 12 when he grabbed some pine.
It got as bad as 15, at 30-45 with 5:59 left to the play in the second period, when Telfair likewise picked up his third foul, joustling Cassell, naturally, and joined McCants on the bench. Then, because of two huge matchup switches, the game flipped, flipped hard, and never re-reversed itself.
The first thing that happened was that Marko Jaric was sent back into the game to replace Telfair--and guard Cassell. What Sammy soon discovered was that Jaric was too large to fit inside the torture chamber. After getting 15 points with one assists and zero turnovers in 12:56 before Jaric came in for Telfair, Cassell registered just two more points, two assists and four turnovers in 14:50 after that.
The second thing was that unheralded Josh Powell picked up his third foul trying to stop an Al Jefferson layup just 18 seconds after Marko switched in for Bassy. It was just the second bucket of the game for Jefferson, and afterward both Wittman and Jefferson said that was Jefferson's fault, that he wasn't being aggressive enough trying to get to the hole. I say they are being unfair to Powell, an undrafted kid in his second year out of North Carolina State who is already on his fourth NBA team and was busting his hump trying to deny Jefferson first the ball and then position. So with Powell's third, in comes Aaron Williams, who is 6-9 like Powell but 15 pounds lighter at 225. With Elton Brand out all season with a shoulder, Chris Kamen sidelined with the flu (ditto free throw machine Corey Maggette), and Powell on the bench in foul trouble, Aaron Williams was choice #4 to match up with Jefferson. He should have been #5. Jefferson scored 9 points over the next 2:20 and the Wolves were down only 4, 56-52, at the break.
"Run roughshod" is a good cliche for the second half. The Clips had nothing, shooting 10-34 FG and getting only 27 points in the entire 24 minutes. For the second half of the final quarter, they had a backcourt of 5-10 Brevin Knight and 6-0 Dan Dickau. Wittman called it the best 24 minutes of perimeter D he's seen this season, but I think all but the final minute--the collapse, in other words--against the Celts in the second half was better, because the opposition was a JV team. I mean, Al Thornton, that stupidly trendy pick for ROY before the season started, was 1-15 FG. Meanwhile, Craig Smith himself had 19 points in the second half, on 8-10 FG.
2. The Backcourt Jumble
So what did Jaric's stellar stopper performance on Cassell--he was plus +24, with 8 assists and but a single turnover--do to enhance his place in the crowded backcourt picture? And what about Shaddy, the Mad Bombadier? Well, the tea leaves on the second question are easier to answer than the first. After the game, I asked Wittman if McCants might have freer rein to let fly when he's a sub coming off the bench versus when he is a starter. "Yeah," the coach acknowledged, looking down at a stat line that had McCants attempting a dozen shots in 13:36. Then he added, well, how often was he in there with Al, or Gomes?
And right there you realize that if you've got a low block stud in the game alongside a sage, keep-the-ball moving teammate in the frontcourt, *and* a shoot-first point guard just returning from injury but expected to be a pillar for your future, the best place for a protean swingman who can almost always get his own shot might be coming off the bench while those previous three take a breather. Translation: Jefferson and Gomes are two-thirds of any frontcourt allignment from here on out. Sooner, rather than later, Foye will be the point guard. With those three in the game, what you need most is passing, defense, and, especially if it is Witt's smallball outfit, a little more length. That's Marko.
How well McCants takes to this is fairly predictable--not well. His demeanor and behavior have indicated thus far this season that starting matters to him. Will having the opportunity to be the gunner without a conscience compensate at all for this perceived slight?
When I naturally followed up Witt's inference by saying, so the idea will be to bring McCants off the bench for instant offense, the coach gave a "we'll see" reply. But it is hard not to see that's what he had in mind. When McCants was jacking up 8 shots in 4 minutes, the man giving him the ball and waving goodbye to the rest of the play was Foye. *That's* not going to happen too many games in a row. Lest we all had forgotten, Foye has a pretty large ego too. In his postgame comments Friday, he reminded folks that the team is 2-1 since his return, that he is indeed a point guard much more than a two-guard--"it's the way I play, the way I do things"--and that "You'll know when I'm back: I'll have a big game and play more than 24 minutes." Friday's tote: 2-5 FG, 2 assists, one turnover with a pair of steals. He had more shots and half as many assists as Telfair; only half as many shots yet just one-quarter the assists of Jaric. Stay tuned.
3. Jefferson to Brewer...
At least three times on Friday, Al Jefferson set Corey Brewer up for a perfect layup. At least two other times, Jefferson's pass provided Brewer with a wide open jumper. Brewer finished 2-9 FG, and Jefferson was credited with but two dimes, one of them to Brewer. In other words, Brewer hurried the bunnies Jefferson was pulling out of his hat for him, going too strong on a pair of layup attempts and not assembling the sort of silky flow on practically any of his jumpers that elicit confidence that the ball is going to go in. For the season, Brewer now has 95 makes in 271 attempts, or 35%. The hard part is that he's missing good shots.
Now let's look at the good news in this exchange. Jefferson's growth at finding the open man when teams collapse on him is becoming manifest. Seriously, Jefferson deserved at least five assists, in just 29:58 on Friday (he didn't play the entire fourth quarter of the blowout). On Monday, the team that gave the Wolves their worst whupping of the season--the Houston Rockets--come to Target Center. Don't be surprised if Michael Doleac gets a few Jefferson feeds for midrange jumpers when Houston comes with the double-team. And don't be surprised if Corey Brewer is on the bench.
PiPress reporting that KG will likely not play on Friday. Thank god I paid face value for tickets. And to think, this is all due to taking a shot to the package form Brewer.
"Abdominal Strain" = "We rode KG too hard at the beginning of the season and need for him to have something left in the tank come May"
Thanks for the wrap-up Britt. I was extremely pissed on Friday night as I was flipping through the channels, and discovered the game wasn't even broadcast on NBA TV. I guess I should have coughed up the $20 to scalp and sit in the fifth row.
So, can't comment on the game, but you have set up a Corey Brewer discussion. What does everyone think? Can he turn it around?
I can't help but like the kid, but I've gotta say, his ball handling and shooting are worse than I could have ever expected. Is it just nerves? And what about all of the missed layups? He just doesn't have the scoring touch that you almost take for granted at the NBA level.
In my limited viewing of Brewer in college he seemed to lack the smoothness of most NBA 2-3s. He looked like one of those guys that is very athletic, but not terribly coordinated. My initial take seems accurate.
All questions, and no answers...sorry. I just can't help but feel that if Brewer weren't such a likable, scrappy player, we'd be calling him a bust already.
Can't...dribble...the...ball...D'OH!!!
He has defensive potential but he's dangerously close to being nothing but a Super Ebi. Plus, when the Wolves take a swingman in the draft and resign Gomes, he'll have even less use. Oh, to have taken the correct Gator!!!
"Super Ebi"! Oh, snap, stop and pop!
I defenitly think he can turn things around. If you're missing layups, that's defenitly a sign that something besides skill is wrong. Every NBA player can make layup's if they focus and feel good.
I say, just give him some more time.
Alsof, if we sign Gomes I doubt we pick a swingman in the draft? Anyway, that's reading tea leaves... Gomes and brewer complement each other nicely. Gomes being slower, better shooter and strong. Brewer being faster and a better defender... It's always nice to have players with different skillsets at the same position to counter what the other team has got there.
Do we have any material on ppl that were known for their defense in college and how they made the transition to the NBA? I'm only 21 so haven't really been able to follow the NBA for more than 2-3 years. Anyone?
Also about Noah vs. Brewer. I even remember someone in the building screaming "NOOAAAH" right before Mr. Stern said "Corey Brewer". Though Noah might look better now, I'm not so sure he would work great as a center paired with Jefferson. Lets just fill that spot next.
And oh yeah almost forgot...
ALL ABOOAAARD, the t-wolves train is leaving! Nice to hear the progress!
Yes, in retrospect Noah was the better pick. Getting back to your previous posts...you are arguing for trading for Noah and Wallace. Is Noah so good that we'd take on Wallace's enormous contract and give up some decent players to boot? Couldn't we pick up a Noah equivalent with our high draft pick in the upcoming draft?
I am not sold on the idea, but it's interesting and I'd like to hear more.
"Is Noah so good that we'd take on Wallace's enormous contract and give up some decent players to boot? Couldn't we pick up a Noah equivalent with our high draft pick in the upcoming draft?"
It depends where the Wolves pick. At 9 he was a tremendous value. Can you say the same thing about Roy Hibbert at 3? Yuck. Wallace has a terrible contract and I'm sure he'd be a nuisance in the locker room. That being said, he's got 2 years left and no matter what the Wolves tell their fans, they are not--I repeat--they are not going to be players in the free agent market for another 2-3 years (to say nothing of the free agent market being an ineffective way of building a team). It is a straight up lie for anyone in the Wolves front office to say that Ratliff's expiring money gives them additional options in the free agent market. That's simply nonsense.
Taking on Wallace give the Wolves 2 consecutive years of large expiring deals; Walker ($9 mil) and then Wallace ($15 mil). Yes it will suck for 2 years but they weren't going to do anything during that time anyway. The players the Wolves would be giving away they simply don't need. Shaddy and the Rhino are not worth the following rotation:
1- Telfair/Foye
2- Jaric/Foye/Brewer
3- Gomes/(Michael Beasley/Donte Green/Danilo Gallinari)/Brewer
4- Big Al/Big Ben
5- Noah/Big Ben
Throw in 3 draft picks in 2009 and you have the makings of a team built for the long run. Noah is *exactly* the type of complimentary player that Big Al needs. I'm of the opinion that if you identify a player that works, you do everything you can to go get him and make it work. Hell, throw in the Celtic or Heat pick; offer to swap next year's top first rounders...whatever it is, Noah is a known quantity and he fits the needs of this team more than any unknown in the draft (Hibbert, Lopez, Hardin, etc). He's the perfect fit and the Wolves are pretty much the only team that can take Big Ben off the Bulls' hands. They're not going to pay $25 mil to buy out his last 2 years.
Granted, this is fantasy GM talk, but this scenario solidifies 3 positions on the team for a long time. It then allows you to split the backcourt options between the draft and free agency after the 2010-11 season.
OK, that is pretty persuasive when you look at the roster result, especially if we can add a consistent scoring threat in the draft. We'd have a nice mix of ammo (Al, Foye, pick) and glue (Noah, Brewer, Telfair, Gomes). Screw free agency in two years..we could actually be a contender in two years if things went well.
I actually think the Bulls might bite too. They'd love to dump Wallace, and could use the money to go after Okafor or another big guy.
Get Paxson on the line.
I wouldn't touch Ben Wallace with a 50 foot pole. No way, no how, and most certainly not for as paltry a prize as Joakim Noah. I just cannot see the logic in a move like that.
As to Brewer, I think he CAN turn it around, but can in no way say he WILL. The rookie struggles are well documented, so one would think at some point the game will slow down for him and he'll stop missing easy layups and start stroking in a few more jumpers, but that's never a certainty. It still seems a bit too early to reach any sort of real conclusions about the kid, so I'm just going to cross my fingers and hope he can put in enough of those shots to justify keeping him on the court for his defense, rebounding and hustle.
Britt - did you get any sense for whether Witt prefers to play Gomes at the 3 or 4? I don't mind the undersized front court against certain teams, but Gomes and Al at the 4 and 5 can't really be viewed as a long-term solution, can it? At some point, it just seems to me that the team is going to need a legit big man out there to guard the Duncan's of the league and to take advantage of the mismatches made available by the other team sticking their best post defender on Al. Thanks for the excellent analysis, as always!
Wow, lots of negativity for a team that won by 21 and has started the New Year off with a pretty good run.
Another great wrap up Britt, one thing for the other posters to keep in mind with Brewer, he is young, young YOUNG! He works very hard on defense, is a winner, and plays unselfish. Let's give it more than half his rookie year before we declare him a bust
Keith,
We've had 46 games to watch Corey Brewer. That is not an insignificant sample size to make some meaningful observations. You note his hard work, defense, and unselfish play- all true and big positives.
At the same time, the two big flaws in his game- shooting and sloppy ball handling are not improving. Not to say he can't or won't improve these areas. But, can he improve them enough to be a real contributor in this league, can he improve them enough to justify being a #7 pick and get big minutes on this team?
There are a lot of players in this league who are just as young who have mastered these critical skills.
As I said, I like Brewer, I want him to do well. But that doesn't mean we can't make an honest assessment of his play and his potential. Especially when we have several young players fighting for the same minutes at the 2/3.
Right now, my conclusion is the outlook is troubling.
The other night I watched the Trailblazers, and watched a young man named Travis Outlaw, who is currently having a break-out season in his fifth year in the league. They talked about all the reasons why everyone thought Travis would be a bust when he started with the Blazers. Lost on defense, lost on offense, could not dribble, could not shoot. Currently Travis is a very effective 6th man for the Blazers, and seems to be able to do all of the above. Now, with respect to young Mr. Brewer, he is two years younger than Outlaw, he is a rookie, and yes he went to college before he came to the NBA. However, it took until his 5th year for Travis to get to the point where the Blazers can use the young man consistently as a player in the league. Corey has a long way to go on the offensive end, but he already has 2 of the 4 things that Travis was lacking coming into the league. We are a rebuilding team, just like the Blazers have been, and the beauty of rebuilding is a team can show patience with young players, and Corey can improve both his shooting and his ball handling with time and with practice.
Excellent points.
Brewer will be a key player for the T-wolves in a few years - when we become a playoff team. He has a very high BB IQ, has excellent instincts, hustles like crazy, competes always. He has good shooting fundamentals. Needs confidence.
I am going to give him a free pass on the first missed layup. I would have bet my house that Al was going to shoot and I betting Brewer did too. He looked like he was crashing - not ready for pass and lay up. That will come with time.
Travis Outlaw = Gerald Green. I wish we were using Green better to build his confidence too.
Whoa, I don't who it was way back up in the thread that threw in ball-handling as well as shooting as Brewer's Achilles Heels, and I'm not going to look, because it's wrong. If Brewer's ball-handling is so bad, how come he has the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the team aside from the two point guards and reserve vet Greg Buckner?
Sure, Brewer's dribbling isn't a thing of beauty. But he doesn't try to thread his way through six people like Shaddy and he doesn't try as many dangerous cross-court passes as the otherwise savvy Gomes. He pushes the pace with the ball in his hands after every rebound and I think that mindset--and the ball-handling to pull it off--is one of his strengths. As I've said many times, the two things that are of concern with Brewer--his jumper and his bulk--are both pretty fixable over time.
Far be it from me to muck up a good discussion, especially on Super Bowl Sunday--seriously, thanks for coming by--but, uh, the squad has won four in a row at home, five out of seven overall, have games with quality competition such as Boston, the Gausol Lakers, San Antonio, Dallas and Utah all at home this month, most of which you'll be able to see for a song from the scalpers if you don't already have ducats. December and early January were the dregs. Enjoy this squad and consider that more than a few people must currently be doing something right.
Bret,
I am enjoying the ride - winning is far better than losing! There are many positive things going on.
But it needs to be tempered by the fact that the wins have come against small ball teams and/or teams decimated by injury illness. I eagerly await tonight's game against Houston to see how we do against a bigger, stronger team. (Is Tracy McGrady's injury a plus or a minus for us?)
I get really nervous when I read comments (today's PP) by Wittman:
"It's not going to be about getting a guy a certain amount of minutes," he said. "It's going to be about winning games."
The season has to be about determining who stays, and even more importantly, in what role, so proper draft/trade/FA decisions can be made to fill in the blanks. We don't have a lot of wiggle room with this squad. We need to keep quite a few of our current pieces - we only will be able to add a few more. We need good choices.
You are only going to find that out by playing people in a regular rotation. Past practice (see Wittman Cleveland c. 2000), of what may happen to player development while we try to win games.
But hey! I am still happy!
I’ll take the blame for calling out Brewer’s ball handling skills. I’ll give you the fact that his assist/turnover ratio ranks 4th on the team but I don’t know if that’s saying much when he’s only averaging 1.4 apg and 1.3 topg. That being said, he clearly has a good head on his shoulders and that Florida/Billy Donovan education was worth every penny, as it really speaks well of his adjustment to the NBA.
Brewer has a 9.1 hands rating with 52 turnovers because of bad passes and ball handling. The majority of his shots come of off assists and his ppr is –1.3. When he does put the ball on the floor in a 1/2 court setting, he is unable to utilize his superior athleticism to get to the rim and often dribbles into a contested jumper. He’s a smart player who can’t dribble all that well and minimizes turnovers through basketball savvy.
I agree with the point about him being able to bulk up and improve his jumper but he’s simply not a very proficient ball handler and if he’s going to make the most of his talents, he needs to improve his handle.
I was also bringing up Brewer's ball handling, and I too was addressing it more from the point of his dribbling. Based on what I have witnessed Brewer doesn't often force risky passes, but a disturbing amount of his turnovers seem to come from unforced travels or dribbling the ball out of bounds.
So while his gross turnover numbers may not be terribly high, a lot of them seem to be of the ugly, sloppy dribbling variety. This is clearly unacceptable for a perimeter player.
If you can't keep your dribble in the open court, your chances of being able to do it in traffic are not good (which SNP alludes to above).
Also, ball handling is every bit as correctable as a bad j. I think he'll get it and turn out to be a good player if they get a good roster and he can play a similar type of game as he did at Florida.
There is a difference between maximizing your quickness by being a great ball-handler and being a terrible ball-handler called out for that particular weakness in your game, and I am glad you two clarified that. Brewer is a rookie, albeit a particularly mature and developed one. If he was hitting 45% of his shots right now instead of 35%, nobody would be complaining about where he came in the draft and he'd be in the rookie game on all star weekend.
For whatever reason--and technically, I'd say lack of follow through and his ass out for leverage when he's in the air--his jumper is woefully inconsistent. Sure, if he was a better ballhandler he'd get to the rim more often, but he'd also commit many more turnovers--see McCants for evidence.
I know I keep harping on this, but defense is woefully underrated in the NBA. And what Brewer did with Paul Pierce against the Celtics is to me the equivalent of Kevin Durant going off for 35 points on 15-30 FG some night.
"I know I keep harping on this, but defense is woefully underrated in the NBA. And what Brewer did with Paul Pierce against the Celtics is to me the equivalent of Kevin Durant going off for 35 points on 15-30 FG some night."
...here, here. And his sample size for that type of performance is growing; look at what he did to Nocioni after Shaddy lasted all of 3 minutes against the big Argentinian in the 1st quarter. He's going to be a defensive monster with 15-20 more pounds. They'll just need to find a big 2 or 3 who can shoot from the perimeter and take his man off the dribble to play opposite of him and balance out the rotation. You know, like Gerald Green in an alternate universe where he gets it.
Corey is never going to be a devestating 1 on 1 player. I don't like to speak in certainties, but that fact seems about as close to one as they come. You can tweak a player's handle, but it just doesn't seem to be his nature with his awkward chest-high dribble and skinny frame. However, I'm of the opinion that 1 on 1 scoring ability is very overrated, as there are many guys out there who are very capable offensive players despite not being able to break down a defense off the dribble. I can see Brewer thriving if he (and the team) embrace the things he does well offensively and play to those strengths, namely off the ball movement and the ability to crash the offensive boards.
A player who immediately comes to mind who I'd like to see Brewer emulate offensively is Kevin Martin - a stick thin, jet quick guard who is quietly becoming one of the most effective scoring guards in the league. While his handle has improved markedly this year, Martin was able to score very efficiently even even last year despite having limited ability to create for himself off the dribble. Now, KMart is a much better shooter than Corey as of right now, but he has an awkward release and was pretty streaky outside shooter early on in his career, so I don't think it's a stretch to say that Corey could become a similar, though probably to a lesser degree, type of offensive player as Martin if he works at it.
Essentially, Martin uses his hustle quickness and nonstop motor to get himself loads of open shots by constantly moving without the ball. He's one of those guys who always seems to be in the right spot at the right time, be it to receive an opportunistic pass for a bucket (like Brewer from Big Al) or clean up an airball for a putback (also something we've seen Corey show a talent for). Corey's shown so far that he's capable of getting to the right spots on the floor and that he has a nose for the offensive boards, he just needs to continue to bulk up, adjust to the speed of the game and reign in his motor a bit (hello missed layups) and I think it will eventually come together for him. I'm not saying he'll ever be a 20+ ppg scorer like Martin, but an average somewhere in the teens is certainly not out of the picture IF he embraces his talents and plays within himself.
It's not KMart. The role model for Brewer is Detroit's Tayshaun Prince.
Same height. Defensive specialist - can guard multiple positions. Gets 5-6 rebounds per game. 13 pts per game mainly on energy type offensive plays. Not a 1-1 guy, but plays well within the flow of the offense.
What's Brewer currently missing? ~20lbs. Ability to make enough uncontested 3's so that he has to be guarded. More confidence on put backs. My guess is that in the next 2 years, Brewer will filling in these missing pieces.
Eh, I don't really like the Prince comparison offensively. Brewer is quicker, skinnier and not as long as Prince. He also lacks the post game Prince has, which, along with the open 3, makes up the bulk of his points. However, Prince is another example of a guy who is a passable offensive player without being a great ball handler, so it works in that regard.
Corey needs to focus on using his speed, nose for the ball and nonstop energy to get free for open shots, basically outsmarting and outworking his defender just like Martin. I think he's already shown some flashes of being able to get himself shots like this, he just needs to learn to knock them down, which will come with time.
Bruce Bowen, Bruce Bowen, Bruce Bowen, Bruce Bowen. Martin is a hell of a scorer and there is no way on god's green earth that Brewer will develop into a 20ppg kind of guy. Martin is a fantastic shooter and an amazingly efficient scorer (he's averaging 24 ppg on 15 shots/game). Ideally, Brewer brings the improvement of Bowen on his spot up 3 and crosses it with Manu's ability to run in the open court and slice to the rim.
I think the Prince comparison works pretty well, but Martin is a good and likely soon-to-be-elite scorer. Hell, Kevin Durrant would be lucky to turn out like Martin.
SnP, I hope I don't sound snarky, but did you read exactly what I wrote? I was pretty sure I qualified my comment by saying I wouldn't expect him to ever be the scorer Martin is. Rather, I compared him to Martin in the way Martin gets himself buckets, specifically last year before he became a focal point of his team's offense and learned how to create for himself.
Last year he scored plenty of points despite hardly ever having a play run for him just by making cuts, cleaning up putbacks and knocking down open shots. I see a similar quickness and nose for the ball in Corey, which is why I believe he needs to focus on these abilities instead of trying to be something he's not, a 1 on 1 player. Like I said, Corey may not be quite the shooter Martin is, but he should have no problem getting himself shots despite not being a great ballhandler.
Not snarky at all. The internets don't always make for clear understanding and I think this is one of those less-than-clear cases (after all, they are just a series of tubes). I guess I'm coming from the "I don't think they're even in the same ballpark" line of thinking. I get what you're saying though. Martin is an outstanding young player and he's a good player for any young athletic rookie to emulate; especially the way in which he scores. It really is surprising how much Martin depends on assists to get his shot off. He also does a lot of damage in transition (0-10 secs on the shot clock). That's a good point and I can see Brewer being a similar type of scorer. I'd just argue that even though they have a similar style of scoring, Brewer is A-ball compared to the major league Martin.
Glad we're on the same page. I should have clarified that in no way do I see Brewer becoming anywhere near the scorer Martin is. He just doesn't have that kind of 3 point gunning ability or knack for getting to the line that Martin has. However, they share a similar court sense, build and phenomenal quickness which is why I brought Martin up as a player to emulate.
I mean, c'mon, does anyone really see him improving his handle to the point where he's breaking ankles? I don't, but I don't think he'll need to if he plays it right and focuses on those types of easy buckets that Martin makes a living off of.
I do agree with you pretty much all of the previous posters: if he bulks up a bit and can become even a mediocre offensive player he'll be a very valuable guy to have on the court. I also think his offensive woes are overstated and that he'll be just fine with a little time to mature.
The Mayor needs to step out of that front office position and be a full-time shooting coach for Bassy and Brewer. Imagine the possibilities if those two could knock down shots. Bassy's J worries me more than Brewer's since he's been in the league for a few more years--most NBA guards can develop a semi-consistent J when working on it is a full-time job.