Monroe: Brown's sure hands seek sure footing

[Kori Ellis]

Brown's sure hands seek sure footing
Web Posted: 12/13/2004 12:00 AM CST

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...urs.16bfe.html

Mike Monroe
San Antonio Express-News

In real-life Cinderella stories, there are times when the slipper breaks. Or, perhaps the shoe fits, but sometimes you lose your footing.

Such was the case for the Spurs' Devin Brown, whose slip Thursday led to Tracy McGrady's final dash down the court and dramatic, game-winning three-point shot for the Houston Rockets.

That, however, is life in the NBA, where the 82-game season provides regular doses of reality.

Brown has lived the hoop dream of every youngster at the playground who pretended he was suited up for the local NBA team. The leading scorer in city high school history at West Campus, Brown got his foot in the Spurs' door because he stayed in town and starred at UTSA. In need of players to fill out their training-camp roster, the Spurs invited Brown.

In three seasons, he has gone from undrafted camp invitee to a 10-game call-up from the National Basketball Development League to a spot on the roster last season and, finally, a role in the regular rotation on one of the NBA's best teams.

So reliable is his free-throw shooting that coach Gregg Popovich wanted the ball in Brown's hands in the final seconds against Houston, expecting the Rockets to foul him to stop the clock.

Consider the momentary loss of composure that led to the slip another lesson as Brown's development as a pro continues.

Brown has forced his way into Popovich's rotation because he has shot so well, especially from 3-point range. His 45.8 percent long-range shooting (11 for 24) is tops on the team; his 48.7 percent overall shooting is second only to Tim Duncan.

Brown didn't come to the Spurs with an NBA jumper but took to heart advice from Mario Elie, still on the Spurs' roster when Brown arrived in his first camp.

"Mario said if I was going to stay in the league I'd have to knock down jump shots," Brown said. "If you can't, they're either going to go under screens all the time or they're going to leave you wide open. So he said to make it in the league I'd have to knock down shots."

Once he made the roster, Brown began working on his shooting with assistant coaches Mike Budinger and Brett Brown. The emphasis last summer was on extending his range.

"Brett Brown and Coach Bud told me I had to make 500 threes a week," Brown said. "It usually started on Sunday, and we'd try to knock out 250 by Wednesday. Sometimes I'd take 500 shots a day, all 3-point shots."

Budinger said one goal of the hours spent at the club's practice facility was to convince Brown how good a shooter he could become.

"Two big points of emphasis over the summer were continuing to work on his jump shot and his range, and build confidence in it," Budinger said. "He really is a good shooter. He doesn't know how good a shooter he is and can be. He put in a lot of time and effort and, hopefully, he's building confidence and trying to continue it to where he trusts his jump shots and has extended his range out to the 3 point line."

Brown insists he now expects every 3-pointer to be successful.

"That's the kind of confidence you have to have, especially a guy like me," Brown said. "I may only get five shots a game, so I need four of them to go in."

Brown is aware he is in the final year of his contract and will be a free agent at season's end. He knows the Spurs have rewarded valued members of the roster with long-term deals.

"I think about it every day," Brown said. "You want to play well. You just want to go out there and do the things that are going to keep you in this league. That's all I think about that. I want to be in this league for four, five ... eight more years.

"I've been here and seen guys they want to go after and go get. And I've seen them keep guys on this roster they want to keep. That's all in my mind, too, and why you want to do all the little things to remain part of an organization as great as this one is."


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I would hope they fix coach Budenholzer's last name before it goes to print in the paper.

[whottt]

Got a question, does anyone know what is keeping the Spurs from signing Devin to a multi year deal right now?

The fact that we don't yet have his early bird rights because he hasn't been with the team two full seasons?

If there is any way they could sign Devin now I think they should do it. IMO he is the best SF anywhere in the Spurs system and they shouldn't screw around with letting other teams pursue him...and if he starts getting heavy minutes and maintains these numbers he will get some good offers, perhaps out of the Spurs price range.

We know this guy can shoot in the post season, even against LA, and damn it's hard find guys that can do that...regardless of what they shoot in the regular season...We don't want to have Jax part two and lose a good post season shooter. It really sets the team back when that happens and we have to go looking for new ones. It took us the better part of 3 years just to replace Jaren Jackson...even he couldn't replace himself.

Sign him up to an affordable deal and start him.

[timvp]

They can't sign him until the summer. You can only extend contracts under certain cir stances, of which none apply to Brown.

I too hope that the Spurs do everything in their power to keep him. However, if he keeps this up, I'm not sure if Holt Cat matches an offer if it reaches a $20M level.

[whottt]

Well one good thing, it does sound like he's got his heart set on staying in SA and Pop has treated him pretty well. That's the good news. He isn't even giving the standard, "I'll see what other teams have to offer" answer...he definitely wants to return to SA as much as he wanted to be here in the first place. But I'd still feel better if the Spurs didn't let him loose into FA...and I have a feeling Holt is going to be tight.

[Kori Ellis]

I have a feeling Holt is going to be tight.

That depends a lot in what happens in the new CBA this summer. If they get rid of the luxury tax, then Holt may open the purse strings to sign him. Holt has always been frugal because of the luxury tax.

[mattyc]

"Mario said if I was going to stay in the league I'd have to knock down jump shots," Brown said. "If you can't, they're either going to go under screens all the time or they're going to leave you wide open. So he said to make it in the league I'd have to knock down shots."

SuperMario - is there anything he can't do?

Brown insists he now expects every 3-pointer to be successful.

[T Park]

cant stay with a team for more than 1 season.

[Solid D]

Brown is one of the few players the Spurs have had over the years who can come down leading the fast break and pull up and knock down the 12-footer like it's a layup. There are a few in the league who can and will do that. Michael Redd & Sam Cassell to name a couple.

The great thing about Devin is his humble spirit. He's one of "us".

[Solid D]

Caption: Devin is playing like a starter and trying to get in step with the others.