SenorSpur
07-10-2007, 03:35 PM
I read this and couldn't resist sharing. This should have all us Spurs fans salivating. Take note of his approach to the game and you'll know why he would have been an absolute dream for Pop to coach and for us as fans to watch. An impossible dream - but it's nice to wonder anyway. If only...... :sleep
http://www.startribune.com/wolves/story/1293398.html
First-round pick Brewer proves to be quick learner
In his first taste of professional basketball, Corey Brewer impressed Wolves coaches and teammates in Las Vegas.
By Kent Youngblood, Star Tribune
Last update: July 09, 2007 – 11:16 PM
LAS VEGAS — Only a few minutes into Corey Brewer's second practice with the Timberwolves, the action stopped. Brewer is a quick, determined defender, with long arms to clog up passing lanes and instincts that often point him to where the ball is going to be.
But like any rookie, there is a learning curve.
So action stopped and the Timberwolves coaches talked. Here's how you can deny the ball, they said. And here's how to do it without getting beat on the backside. Moments later, Wolves guard Randy Foye tried to work the ball inside, only to have Brewer -- the team's first-round pick in last month's NBA draft -- flash around his defender, steal the ball and start a fast break the other way.
Perhaps the most impressive burst of speed Brewer has shown so far at the NBA's Las Vegas summer league is the quickness with which he learns. Foye, last year's top pick, still was shaking his head at the memory of that steal.
"My biggest thing is the way he picks up on things," Foye said. "Coach explains it, and five minutes later he's out there performing it."
Monday night at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus, Brewer performed in a Wolves uniform for the first time as the team opened summer play with a 85-83 overtime victory over the New Orleans Hornets.
Brewer showed his sense of timing, scoring seven of his 16 points in the final minute of regulation and in OT. It was his drive with 13 seconds left that iced the game for the Wolves.
Overall, it was a steady debut. Brewer, the No. 7 overall pick out of Florida, had anticipated being nervous, but it didn't show.
After his first shot was partially blocked, Brewer scored on his next attempt, a nice drive down the lane, finishing with his left hand. Minutes later, he faked his man into the air and drove the baseline for a score.
But there was more. He played his trademark defense, getting his first steal only 3½ minutes into the game -- though it never wound up in the boxscore -- when he swiped an entry pass. After New Orleans' Marcus Vinicius scored his team's first seven points over the smaller Craig Smith, Brewer was switched to defend him, and Vinicius scored only two points over the rest of the first half.
Versatility? After guard Chris Hill hit consecutive three-pointers, Brewer guarded Hill -- successfully -- on consecutive positions.
Brewer ended up making only five of 13 shots, adding eight rebounds in 32 minutes. But he played big when it mattered.
"I love crunch time," he said after the game. "That's when you have to make a play."
But then, filling up the points column isn't what Brewer's game is all about. It's about defense, steals, denials, rebounds. The little things that helped Florida to two national titles while he was there.
"I make hustle plays," Brewer said. "The little things that help the team, get us extra possessions. It's all about winning to me. It's not about going out and getting 30 [points]. It's about winning."
That's a mantra people in the Twin Cities have heard since Brewer came to Target Center for a predraft workout. He was there with some other collegiate stars and was matched up in a game of 2-on-2. That's not where Brewer is going to shine.
"My game fits a 5-on-5 situation much better," Brewer said.
That's where diving to save a ball matters, even if it doesn't appear in the boxscore. Or where a switch on defense can defuse an opponent's possession, even if no steal is involved.
In just a few days, Brewer has proved that to both the coaches and his teammates.
"He gets his hands on so many balls," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. "He's deceiving. On offense, he's not what you'd call a shooter, but you look up and all of a sudden he's making plays on the offensive end.
"But it's the steals. He's always coming up with steals. You kind of say to yourself, 'How the heck did he get that?' "
It was by no means a perfect debut. Brewer got a little too aggressive a couple times, with two offensive fouls to show for it. He had three turnovers.
But the Wolves won their first of five games in the desert. Before the game, Brewer was asked what his goal was for the summer league. Many rookies might talk about points, steals or rebounds. Brewer talked about victories.
"My goal is to go 5-0," Brewer said.
Kent Youngblood • [email protected]
http://www.startribune.com/wolves/story/1293398.html
First-round pick Brewer proves to be quick learner
In his first taste of professional basketball, Corey Brewer impressed Wolves coaches and teammates in Las Vegas.
By Kent Youngblood, Star Tribune
Last update: July 09, 2007 – 11:16 PM
LAS VEGAS — Only a few minutes into Corey Brewer's second practice with the Timberwolves, the action stopped. Brewer is a quick, determined defender, with long arms to clog up passing lanes and instincts that often point him to where the ball is going to be.
But like any rookie, there is a learning curve.
So action stopped and the Timberwolves coaches talked. Here's how you can deny the ball, they said. And here's how to do it without getting beat on the backside. Moments later, Wolves guard Randy Foye tried to work the ball inside, only to have Brewer -- the team's first-round pick in last month's NBA draft -- flash around his defender, steal the ball and start a fast break the other way.
Perhaps the most impressive burst of speed Brewer has shown so far at the NBA's Las Vegas summer league is the quickness with which he learns. Foye, last year's top pick, still was shaking his head at the memory of that steal.
"My biggest thing is the way he picks up on things," Foye said. "Coach explains it, and five minutes later he's out there performing it."
Monday night at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus, Brewer performed in a Wolves uniform for the first time as the team opened summer play with a 85-83 overtime victory over the New Orleans Hornets.
Brewer showed his sense of timing, scoring seven of his 16 points in the final minute of regulation and in OT. It was his drive with 13 seconds left that iced the game for the Wolves.
Overall, it was a steady debut. Brewer, the No. 7 overall pick out of Florida, had anticipated being nervous, but it didn't show.
After his first shot was partially blocked, Brewer scored on his next attempt, a nice drive down the lane, finishing with his left hand. Minutes later, he faked his man into the air and drove the baseline for a score.
But there was more. He played his trademark defense, getting his first steal only 3½ minutes into the game -- though it never wound up in the boxscore -- when he swiped an entry pass. After New Orleans' Marcus Vinicius scored his team's first seven points over the smaller Craig Smith, Brewer was switched to defend him, and Vinicius scored only two points over the rest of the first half.
Versatility? After guard Chris Hill hit consecutive three-pointers, Brewer guarded Hill -- successfully -- on consecutive positions.
Brewer ended up making only five of 13 shots, adding eight rebounds in 32 minutes. But he played big when it mattered.
"I love crunch time," he said after the game. "That's when you have to make a play."
But then, filling up the points column isn't what Brewer's game is all about. It's about defense, steals, denials, rebounds. The little things that helped Florida to two national titles while he was there.
"I make hustle plays," Brewer said. "The little things that help the team, get us extra possessions. It's all about winning to me. It's not about going out and getting 30 [points]. It's about winning."
That's a mantra people in the Twin Cities have heard since Brewer came to Target Center for a predraft workout. He was there with some other collegiate stars and was matched up in a game of 2-on-2. That's not where Brewer is going to shine.
"My game fits a 5-on-5 situation much better," Brewer said.
That's where diving to save a ball matters, even if it doesn't appear in the boxscore. Or where a switch on defense can defuse an opponent's possession, even if no steal is involved.
In just a few days, Brewer has proved that to both the coaches and his teammates.
"He gets his hands on so many balls," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. "He's deceiving. On offense, he's not what you'd call a shooter, but you look up and all of a sudden he's making plays on the offensive end.
"But it's the steals. He's always coming up with steals. You kind of say to yourself, 'How the heck did he get that?' "
It was by no means a perfect debut. Brewer got a little too aggressive a couple times, with two offensive fouls to show for it. He had three turnovers.
But the Wolves won their first of five games in the desert. Before the game, Brewer was asked what his goal was for the summer league. Many rookies might talk about points, steals or rebounds. Brewer talked about victories.
"My goal is to go 5-0," Brewer said.
Kent Youngblood • [email protected]