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"Brown was playing five to six league games a night"
huh?
It's not like Devin Brown was some YMCA-level player, or a delusional streetball wizard. And, it's not like he was somebody who could tell you all the things he'd have done against LeBron on a given night, while holding court with a cold one in his left hand, a remote in his right and a full complement of friends surrounding him to add their two cents -- which escalated to about a quarter when they charted their strategies for stopping Kobe and Vince Carter.
No, Brown was a lot better than a dreamer.
He was a had-done-it rather than a never-will, an NBA champion in 2004-05 who averaged 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 21.1 minutes in 67 games for the San Antonio Spurs.
Still, though, what he has done this season is pretty impressive, bordering on miraculous.
Before signing with the Hornets as a free agent on Dec. 21, Brown was on the street, unneeded and unemployed. Now, he's a starter for a team that's 26-29 and making a playoff run.
Before, like you and me, he watched games on television. Now, he plays in them, posting career highs in points (12.1), rebounds (4.9), assists (3.3) and minutes (29.7). "I can't remember a guy that has come in (off the street) and been that big of a contributor to a team," Hornets Coach Byron Scott said. "But you've got to give Devin a lot of credit for staying ready and being prepared to come in and held a team if he was called on."
With the Hornets, it was more like a distress signal.
Virtually all of the players representing the core of the team's scoring, leadership and toughness (Chris Paul, David West, Peja Stojakovic and Bobby Jackson) were on the bench, injured.
When Brown was added, he gave the Hornets a little of all those things -- scoring, defense, a scratch-and-claw player who was willing to do the dirty work and then some. Probably, he gave the team a little more than anyone had any idea it would be getting.
After winning eight of its first 15 games, including its first four, New Orleans lost seven of its first nine in December before signing Brown. It dropped four of the first six games he played, then began turning around things with a 7-8 record in January and, so far, a 7-3 mark in February. That's 10-14 without Brown, 16-15 with him; not Dallas-like, but not Memphis copycats, either.
"The thing about New Orleans, there had been some interest in the past," Brown said. "But the team had a lot of guards. Then, they had so many injuries, they decided to pull me in.
"I just came in, saw the record at the time and said, 'Do anything you can to get these guys in a situation to make the playoffs.' Now, we're in a great situation."
The Hornets, and Brown.
The Hornets because they're in position to make the playoffs despite being decimated by injury at one point, and Brown because no matter what happens the rest of this season, he should be in position to cash in on his play.
The rest-of-the-season deal he has with the Hornets should turn into a multiyear pact with someone -- probably, the Hornets, who will be able to point to Brown as one of the major reasons, if not the major reason, if they wriggle into the playoffs.
"Devin has been great for us," Paul said. "He's a guy who can shoot, pass, make all the right decisions. He has been on a world championship team, (so) he's been in more situations than I have."
Said Scott: "He gives us another ballhandler, another guy that can make shots, he plays very good defense. He gives us a better opportunity to win ballgames, and he has just done an unbelievable job."
That's an understatement.
Before he made a triumphant return to the NBA, Brown was playing five to six league games a night and hitting golf balls two to three hours per day in the Texas heat in San Antonio. Short of playing pickup ball with actual NBA players, it was as much activity as he could find.
Now, you find him in the starting lineup at shooting guard.
"It was close to three months I was out," Brown said. "It's a blessing."
One that flows both ways, the perfect melding of a team that desperately needed a player and a player who desperately needed a team.
"Brown was playing five to six league games a night"
huh?
I still wonder why we never brought him in.
back problems i heard
frickin told ya... over and over and over and over again.
its all bs.
Work ethics.but it looks like he´s change after that.
It's a bit ironic. Byron Scott soured on Stephen Jackson and the Spurs picked up his cast off and nutured him into an integral part of Spurs team.
Now Scott returns the favor and picks up one of our cast offs and he has evolved to an important part of what they are doing in New Orleans.
What goes around comes around I guess.
the other night I saw a fast break with Devin Brown passing to Linton Johnson for a dunk.... nice to know the Spurs are a farm system!
Both Linton and Devin have been absolute blessings. Linton is the backup PF on the team and playing very well. Devin is starting at the off-guard slot and also plays exceptionally. He has a knack for hitting quite a few 3's and playing solid D. With Desmond Mason likely to walk at season's end, Devin seems to be the heir apparent for his old job.
All Hail the 2008 Master Plan!
Tons of people in here on Devin when he was let go. All the haters came out saying he wasnt that good and he was just average......well, we sure could use his AVERAGE ass now. He is better than anyone we have coming off our bench right now period.
anyone here who still wants Fin over Devin is just plain crazy
two biggest mistakes last year where Fin and NVE...and the Spurs are still paying for those mistakes
bettern than Manu?
Not bad for an "unnecessary fifth swingman". You sure don't hear much out of the anti-Devin clan these days.
the other night I saw a fast break with Devin Brown passing to Linton Johnson for a dunk.... nice to know the Spurs are a farm system!
Something's wrong with this picture.
Perhaps the Spurs brass want us to believe that the roster chocked full of so much talent that these two were simply "squeezed out" in a numbers game.
Looking at the cast around the Big Three, perhaps they simply made a mistake in their evaluation on these two.
LOL, Ok you got me.......maybe not better than Manu. I still consider Manu a starter, because he plays starter minutes.
Devin was lazy when he was here. Linton Johnson had all the tools but didn't translate that into anything - even in practice.
Good for Devin. Shouldn't have slept in so much while he was here.
Sorry, I just dont buy that.....guy is leading scorer in Saytown HS history and college.......gave us alot when he was a SPUR and then all this lazy crap comes out of nowhere. NO/OKC says he does all the dirty work for the team.....that sure in the doesnt sound lazy. I think the SPURS used that as excuse as to why they let a decent player go. They have been known to do that.
Simply The SPurs FO at its greatest. (or is that worst?)
Brown=another FO´s mistake
It did not come out of no where. They talked about it all the time while he was here. In fact, the day after the Spurs signed him for the season the first year, the next day he called into practice late and said he was sick and wasn't coming. (Mind you he called after the practice had already started).Sorry, I just dont buy that.....guy is leading scorer in Saytown HS history and college.......gave us alot when he was a SPUR and then all this lazy crap comes out of nowhere. NO/OKC says he does all the dirty work for the team.....that sure in the doesnt sound lazy. I think the SPURS used that as excuse as to why they let a decent player go. They have been known to do that.
He had a rep of being late/flaky the whole time he was here in regards to practice.
i think devin might have been lazy because there were not many minutes to go around. he was buried on the bench with manu, bones, bowen, and hedo ahead of him in the rotation. I think being unempolyed may have lit a fire under his ass
A slimmer payroll was certainly worth it.
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