 |
| Search |
|
|
Mar 24, 2005, 15:36
Spurs Fans Debate: Devin Brown
By Andy Soucier and Manny Salgado
FullSportPress.com
|
We continue the series of Point-Counterpoint articles in which two people debate different aspects of Spurs basketball.
In this edition, FullSportPress.com writer Andy Soucier and Spurs Fan Manuel Salgado discuss whether or not the Spurs should re-sign Devin Brown this summer.
Soucier: Athletically-gifted swingmen are a dime a dozen in today's NBA. Every team has a 6-foot-6 prospect sitting at the end of the bench waiting for a chance to prove his worth. Most of these players have athletic ability but lack either the toughness or basketball smarts needed to become NBA regulars. Devin Brown has shown that he's a part of this group, and the Spurs should not offer him a contract this summer.
Brown has improved his numbers to 7.4 points and 1.4 assists per game on 42.3% shooting from the field, but couldn't any athletic swingman put up similar numbers in over 18 minutes on a championship-caliber team? The Spurs are going to need a defensive stopper to replace Bruce Bowen, and it's clear that Brown can't be that guy. He doesn't anticipate well on defense and regularly gets abused by other athletic swingmen.
Linton Johnson III needs some minutes to develop because he has the potential to become a Bowen-like defender and he is a better fit for head coach Gregg Popovich's defensive schemes. In addition, the Spurs should give another young swing player a chance. While Brown is an average bench player, he's probably not going to become much better. Other teams might offer him more than the league minimum, and if that happens, the Spurs need to let Brown go. They can get the same production out of a combination of Johnson and a minimum-salaried swingman, and they can be giving these players a chance to make a larger impact.
Salgado: Devin Brown has produced off the bench in minutes that have been inconsistent all season long. While athletically gifted swingmen are quite prevalent in the NBA, those willing to learn a defensive system and play hard-nosed defense are not.
Devin Brown’s worst enemy this season has not been any lack of intelligence, effort and most definitely not toughness. No, Brown’s worst enemy this season has been the addition of one Brent Barry. And while Brown has played very well all season long when given minutes, Barry has been given special treatment in effort to “bust out” and play well.
The Spurs have already invested two full seasons into Brown. He has proven to be a good defender, he has the ability to create his own shot and he has shown flashes of being deadly from the outside.
Brown is far from perfect. An offseason spent working on his ball handling and improving his outside shot would be time well spent. However, on a team that has Tony Parker, Beno Udrih, Manu Ginobili and Barry, ball handling is not a huge concern for the swingman position. Also, Brown has shown flashes of greatness with his outside shot this season and in last year’s playoffs. An offseason of work coupled with consistent playing time would go far to make that much more frequent.
The Spurs would be foolish to let Devin Brown go by the wayside. They’ve already invested time and money into an individual who continues to show promise. That isn’t something you take so lightly.
Soucier: Picture this: It's the 2006 playoffs. Bowen is injured. He has aged and lost a step. The Spurs are playing Houston, and Pop assigns his new stopper to Tracy McGrady. Thirty exhausted minutes later, Ginobili sits on the bench with a towel over his head. Months of being the primary swing defender have worn on him.
Brown lacks the size and anticipation to be a stopper. With a league of Lebrons, Tracys, and Kobes, the team should invest a roster spot and some playing time to developing a replacement for Bowen. Johnson can be that guy. Brown can't.
Brown struggles when he plays irregular minutes. Johnson could get significant minutes and Barry is staying. The Spurs shouldn't pay Brown millions to bring an incompatible skill set and ride the pine. Someone will offer Brown $2 million. Holt won't spend tons of money and Luis Scola needs to be signed. The choice is obvious.
Salgado: Picture this: Tim Duncan is injured. Picture this: Tony Parker is injured.
Neither of those scenarios bode well for Spurs fans, but neither provides a reason to cut either of the players mentioned. In a year when players on this team are hurt and dropping like flies, up until his recent back injury, Brown has proven to be a very durable player.
Defenders in the same class as Bowen simply are not under ever rock you turn over. Brown is already the defender put on the opponent’s best swingman when Bowen is out, so there’s no reason to believe he can’t fill the primary role in the future.
Any signing carries with it a gamble. You need look no further than Barry to see the evidence that nothing is as sure a thing as it may look in the summer. However, Brown carries experience and knowledge in addition to athleticism, and that makes him worth keeping.
If you would like to get in on the Spurs debates, visit the fan forum or send an email to Kori Ellis at KoriEllis@WOAI.com.
© Copyright ©2006 FullSportPress.com
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
