Last night’s Lakers/Suns game was marked by the awful performance of one Kwame Brown. After putting up a 10-point, 10-rebound stat line against my Sonics earlier in the week, Kwame’s second game as L.A.’s temp fill-in for Andrew Bynum was a disaster.
From the L.A. Daily News:
Kwame Brown, serving as Bynum’s replacement for the second game, was an easy target of the fans’ ire. He was booed each time he touched the ball in the second half, when the Lakers struggled to find a consistent rhythm.
After the game, Jackson said he had never heard such a reaction to one of his players by a home crowd. Several of Brown’s teammates were stunned by it.
“I wanted him to work out of it,” Jackson said of keeping Brown in the game for as long as he did. “His teammates wanted to help him work it out.”
I’ll admit, I’ve always been something of a Kwame Brown apologist. As bad as he’s been on the court — and last night’s seven-turnover outing was one of his worst pieces of work to date — I’ve usually stood up for a guy who I feel never got a fair chance to succeed in the NBA. If anything, Kwame was set up to fail.
One reason I think fans in L.A. and D.C. have turned on Kwame is that they, like me, see that he could have been a good NBA player. When I was recently putting together my 2001 NBA Draft Do-Over, I pored through mock drafts from that year, and the reviews/previews on Kwame were glowing. One writer said that Kwame could “change the forward position” in the NBA. A little over the top? Yeah, but the point is that Michael Jordan wasn’t the only person who saw big things in store for the kid. And had he been taken with the 2nd pick that year, or had he not gone to Washington, I truly think Kwame’s career would have been much better off.
For one, the teenager had to deal with not only the pressure of being the #1 pick, but also the first-ever #1 pick to come straight from high school. And had he gone to a team comfortable in its rebuilding mode, that would have been fine. But once MJ decided to come back, the Wizards suddenly became a win-now operation. Kwame’s leash grew shorter with the ultra-competitive Jordan now on the court instead of in the office, and as author Michael Leahy captured in When Nothing Else Matters (2004), Kwame went from pet project to whipping boy pretty quickly. And had we been talking about someone like Tim Duncan or Emeka Okafor — a season college guy — maybe all of that still wouldn’t matter. But here you had a kid in Kwame Brown who was in over his head; if anything, he is the NBA’s best argument for imposing the age limit.
Even after leaving Washington and getting shipped to L.A., Kwame hasn’t been put in ideal situations. For one, the player he was traded for (Caron Butler) has become an All-Star. Second, playing with the Lakers and being on national TV so often allows your flaws to be magnified. (No one would have remembered Slava Medvedenko if he’d played for the Bucks.) Third, Kwame is playing with another uber-competitor in Kobe Bryant; while no books have come out yet, I’d feel safe betting money that not only Kobe, but mind-game master Phil Jackson have done a thing or two behind closed Laker doors to negatively affect Kwame’s confidence.
Does any of this excuse Kwame for being a flat-out bad basketball player? No. The fact that he gets paid a lot of money is irrelevant — a lot of people who are bad at their jobs still get paid lots of money (Kevin McHale) — but it’s more about effort and desire to improve. As a professional ballplayer, Kwame shouldn’t have too many things standing in his way of at least trying to get better. As Dime’s own Pat Cassidy wrote me in an e-mail last night, “How has Kwame been in the League for years and still has no post moves?”
So what upset me the most while watching Kwame last night wasn’t that he missed a dunk. (Dwight Howard does that sometimes.) It wasn’t that he missed a layup. (Duncan’s done that.) And it wasn’t that he kept turning the ball over. (Have you seen Allen Iverson play?)
What upset me was that Kwame eventually seemed to stop trying. And that’s why I think the Lakers fans were booing him so loudly. Mark Madsen wasn’t a good player, and the L.A. fans loved him. I grew up watching Sonics fans cheer wildly for Steve Scheffler, who wasn’t exactly Hakeem Olajuwon on the court. When you pay good money for tickets to an NBA game (and food, and parking, and everything else), you can’t expect your team to win every game and for every player to be an All-Star. But you should expect effort.
And on that principle, I can’t really defend what I saw from Kwame Brown last night.
January 18th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
GEE ...give Kobe his Nutella job back! says:
The real question is hwo is he still on the roster. Why haven’t the Lakers shipped the guy to D-League or something. I mean I don’t know all the do’s and don’ts as far as rules go for shipping players and I don’t know his contract situation.
Still why keep a dude who’s doing horrible. Let him D-Leauge it or no Leauge it. He clearly needs to get his skill and hustle game up so put him in a situation where he can thrive and learn more.
Getting booed everytime he touches the ball is going to destroy that dude.
Then even the D-Leauge won’t help him.
January 18th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
All Kwame Brown “apologists” need to realize this one thing: DUDE CANNOT CATCH THE MOTHA %$#$%# BASKETBALL!!
He’s got possibly the worst hands EVER in the HISTORY OF THE FREAKIN’ NBA, and it’s not because he wasn’t given a chance, or had too much pressure or ANYTHING. I can’t imagine he aquired this after being drafted. Cats KNEW he couldn’t catch the ball, but they were, as MJ recently said, “fooled by his body”. They thought he could get past that deficiency based on his physical presence alone, and were forced to realize how bad it really was after the fact. Dude sucks, and never deserved to be such a high pick in the first place.
January 18th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Jay says:
Kwame may have come in with expectations that he could never have met, but it didn’t help that he never really seemed motivated enough to try. He’s been in the league for 7 years now and he has yet to gain very much improvement. Some of his deficiencies aren’t things that cannot be improved upon; poor footwork, rock-like hands, weak jumping. There’s no doubt that if Kwame had even the motivation to improve as a player, he would have been a very talented guy, seeing as he does have many of the physical tools to do so.
January 18th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
“rock-like hands”….lol…funny but DUMB true!
January 18th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Kobeef says:
Not that this is an excuse but Kwame is out of shape right now. he was injured and then not playing much before suddenly becoming a starter.
Maybe in a couple of weeks he can work that off and at least give the 10 and 10 regularly. Really that is about all the lakers need to hold down the fort until Bynum gets back (hopefully he won’t be out of shape when he gets back also).
January 18th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Carl says:
I agree with both the point about trying and the point about his hands. They go together this way. Theo Ratliff also has ball-repellent hands. However, he became a top NBA center (until his knees got shot) by hustling, defending, blocking shots, and scoring garbage buckets in the flow of the offense. So why isn’t Kwame at least that?
Kwame’s hustle and hands problems both start in his head. After all these years the NBA game still hasn’t slowed down for him. He’s hassled and confused, with no feel or real sense of what he’s supposed to be doing. He knows there’s a bunch of stuff he’s supposed to do after catching the ball but he doesn’t know what, so he drops it. He stops trying because he honestly doesn’t know what to try.
I’m not saying he’s stupid. He could be the next freakin Einstein, tragically derailed by a misguided sports career, for all I know. I’m saying he’s fundamentally basketball stupid. He just does not get the game. I’m the same way, by the way, but with somewhat lesser physical gifts. So I can sympathize. I’m fine up to three on three, but once there are ten guys that’s about four variables too many and my brain locks up.
He was indeed cursed with Jordan and then Jackson, two guys for whom the mental game came easy and who have little patience for guys who don’t/can’t get it. Kwame might still come to something, but it would have to be in system that emphasized his athleticism rather than expecting him to think his way around the court.
January 18th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
BETCATS says:
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! thats the only term used to describe Kwame brown last night. Hugest waste of talent since Tim Thomas or Dime Magizine
January 18th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Austin Burton says:
So you’re saying we have talent? That’s a huge admission for you. Enjoy the “Magizine.”
I agree with the point about Ratliff. If he can’t be an effective offensive player, Kwame could at least focus his efforts on defense and rebounding. Last night he stopped trying on defense, too. I remember a play where instead of trying to challenge Amare he just pushed him in the back.
January 18th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
WOW…well played, Carl! Seriously, that’s the best explanation I’ve heard, especially the part about Jordan/Jackson requiring more of the mental game than the physical one…
January 18th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Myrie says:
Kwame Brown.
Where does one begin with this guy. First off, he’s tall for nothing. Like we used to call the tallest kid in school who couldn’t play any sports. “You’re tall for no reason”…
Kwame is 6′11 and can’t do jack sh*t. We already knowhe can’t catch the ball, so I ain’t gonna talk about his hands. But the guy has no defense and doesn’t know how to use his body. And his offense…is well….offensive!
Kwame wasn’t even really known coming out of high school. Most people just wanted a different big man to know other than Curry and Chandler. And out of attention desperation, people (scouts?) started projected Kwame Brown. But it wasn’t based on any merit.
Fast foward to the NBA. Doesn’t it really matter if they dude was the #1 pick or 29th pick? His career body of work speaks for itself. There is pressure to perform and win no matter what your draft position. Either your mentally tough enough to handle it or your not.
What has NBA coaching done for this guy? I think Doug Collins was his first head coach. But Doug Collins don’t know nothing about bigs. He just wanna be the coach on a team that has a star wing player. But Kwame is in LA with Clemons and Bach to go along wiht Phil Jax. And they have failed him; but not like Kwame has failed himself.
January 18th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Brown says:
Gee, Kwame can’t be sent to the D-League because he’s been in the league too long. I’m not sure of all the ins and outs of NBADL rules, but I think it’s only players in the first 2 years of their careers who can be sent down, and even then, there’s a limit on the number of times they can be sent down.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
BETCATS says:
Austin dont get ahead of yourself. if you just were orginaler and wrote your own colloms then i could like you more than you just parapharse ESPN and steal ideas
January 18th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Patrick Cassidy says:
BETCATS -
appreciate you checking out everything on the site. when we see stories on other sites that we think our readers might enjoy we link to them. that’s it. not trying to steal anything. just the opposite. in general we’re shining a light on good work around the web.
plus, all of our sites are full of original content from the Dime editorial team.
- PC
January 18th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
Darvin Ham’s in the D-League now…I don’t know about that 2-year rule
January 18th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Austin Burton says:
An NBA team can only assign you to the D-League in your first 2 years and keep you under contract. For example, the Suns can assign DJ Strawberry or Alando Tucker to the D-League this year and next year and still keep them on the big-league roster. Now if you’re someone who’s been out of the League — like Darvin Ham or DerMarr Johnson — you can go to the D-League on your own no matter how old you are.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
GEE ...give Kobe his Nutella job back! says:
DIME don’t give play to the ignorant. Let others deal with them. I must say Austin you got him/her or it with that comment.
BETCATS is prolly one the “Tall for Nothing” kids (see post 10) and probably hates people who love the game because he can’t play the game.
He is probably responding between his Dungeons and Dragons games. Then you have his whole STD situation,(remember BETCATS it cannot be cured only contained). He’s going through a lot right now, flatulence seepage, he has to use medicated deodorant, and the list goes on.
I won’t even go into his gender situation (anyone remember Pat from SNL) so he is really struggling. Life won’t always be this hard BETCATS you do have prayers.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
GEE ...give Kobe his Nutella job back! says:
Well first off preshate all answering the D-Leauge question. Since it seems like Kwame can’t go, then put him in a package deal with cash, a pick and another player and trade out.
The possible potential of another player is better than what he is currently giving now.
Seriously Phil can’t be giving dude to much pt, cause that is just gone damage his mental even more with him being booed all the time.
Either trade or bench him and work him out in practice and let him come in on clean up games….just don’t put him in.
Fo real it’s better to go with a small line up and just play race rather then trying to run the tri. with Kawme.
You can’t fit a square object in a circle hole.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
I say get Webber on board just so that we can get by for a little while…then package Kwame and get something solid.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
But hold on….not to go off subject TOO much, but do you guys think it’s about time to let the whole triangle offense go? Seems to be a little dated, with quick styles of Phoenix, Golden State, Portland on the rise these days…
January 18th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
I’m a little torn…I think the triangle is pure GENIUS, but it just seems a little antiquated…
January 18th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
MJax says:
Let us all remember when Kwame got to D.C. he is the same guy who used to toss his Armani or Armani like suits in the corner of his room like it was practice gear. He was also known for taking salad dressing in one of the aforementioned suit pockets to restuarants, in case they didn’t have the salad dressing of his liking. Once I learned of that, I no longer could fault M.J. and Doug Collins for breaking this kid. He had no clue what he was doing and apparently had a great camp showing and superior 1 on 1 workouts. This guy is fastly approaching Chris Washburn status!
January 18th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
doc says:
I dont think yall seen Webber play for the last couple of years. Maybe its me and he had a leg implant i dont know about but when that mofo played in Philly he had one fuckin leg.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Sacto J says:
Basketball is 90% mental, and I think Kwame is perhaps a little handicapped in that area. Maybe he’s not quite special ed material, but he definitely seems about a nugget shy of a full six piece. While you can’t coach height, it seems you also can’t coach Kwame…..
January 18th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
GEE ...give Kobe his Nutella job back! says:
Bust Jlaze
I agree on it’s pure genius, I feel that it has sometimes limited Kobe, then again in the same token Kobe has come and had 81 and 60 something points.
I feel Phil trys to force the tri. with players that can’t run it. In that way I feel he should switch the style up.
50 said go ahead and switch the style up….couldn’t resist.
Anyway I would say keep it when you have the pieces to run it, like once they get Web in. When you have players in that can’t run it though you got to go to another water hole!
January 18th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Bust Jlaze says:
yeah, maybe that’s it…run it when you’ve got the squad on the floor, but don’t FORCE it. And I think Kobe sometimes gets mad buckets when he just goes “EFF the triangle!”
January 18th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Mike C says:
It’s Phil Jackson’s fault.
Kwame’s a good defensive player who has enough power to body up seven-footers down on the block and quick feet to draw charges against the opponent’s slashers.
That being said, he is NOT a scorer.
He failed so miserably in yesterday’s game because Phil Jackson tried to use him as a scorer by keep calling plays for him to post up Amare.
If running your offense through Kwame was what Jackson had in mind when he ripped Kobe for taking 44 shots against Seattle, then I just don’t know..
I mean he never tried to force-feed Luc Longley or Will Purdue when he was with the Bulls right?? why’s he trying that now??
I’m just saying, if you got Kobe on your team, make HIM score for you! Not the scrubs!
Do not make anymore sarcastic remarks about the number of shots he takes after he CARRIES the team to a victory.
That’s gotta be f**king frustrating for Kobe..
January 18th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Vertman says:
They better pick up Webber! But IT DOESN’T MATTER CAUSE THE SUNS WILL KICK THIER BUTT REST OF THE WAY! Hahahhahahaha! They’re going down to the bottom of that division fast, IF they don’t sign somebody. C-Webb is the best choice.
January 18th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Brown says:
LOL, BETCATS can’t even spell! What kind of word is “originaler”? Or “colloms”. You gotta laugh when people get on this site and haven’t the first clue about the game of basketball, and can’t spell to boot.
Like I always say, leave the basketball talk to the big boys there cat.
January 19th, 2008 at 11:03 am
QQ says:
Wow, Austin, this article as gold. I totally agree with the effort argument. That is the thing with players like Bo Outlaw and Brian Scalabrine. While there’s no way I’ll pick them in a fantasy game, I could clearly see their desire to compete and put their heart in the game. And that’s reason enough for me to root for them.
That’s why I never root for you, Kwame.
January 20th, 2008 at 3:03 am
jumpman23 says:
they just need to draft some cat from the d-fenders, say eff the triangle for 8 weeks and play like it’s an intense pickup game till bynum returns and try to win at least half they upcoming games(which are bloody rough). and THEN massacare the league when he returns.On the cool, eff Kwame !!
January 21st, 2008 at 12:24 pm
BobInDC says:
How about trading Kwame and something young ( Farmar, Ariza, or 2010 1st round pick?) for Eddie Curry?
January 21st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Desrat says:
You can not take this group of lakers and succesfully coach them to play two diffrent kinds of offense. They need to stay consistant, and stay with the triangle. It will make the team ready for Bynum when he gets back.
Dime, you guys are full of original content good writting and interesting stories. BetCats must be one of those dudes that comes up with the dirty campeign tricks in the elections, maybe ESPN hired him. Spelling is less important than content folks, that is why the copy editors make min. wage and the content editors go to parties in $2K suits. BETCATS has no content, plus no grammer skills = not much of a reader. That is probably why he thinks that Dime is shallow, but your pics are also original, so maybe he is just a NASCAR fan. That explains the lack of grammer…
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:27 am
gdon says:
I’m usually not one to point out spelling/grammar mistakes - online, no less - but if you’re going to ridicule others for it, it’s probably wise to proofread your own post being doing so. With that said, the word is “grammar”.
April 10th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Jeffrey says:
Jordan really screwed up with this pick.