And as I’ve written in this space before, in basketball circles the co-sign is often just as important as the skills a player possesses. Or to put it in more familiar terms, it’s not always what you know, but who you know.
Kwame Brown has been able to build a 10-year NBA resume thanks in part to gaining the co-sign of none other than Michael Jordan. It was Jordan who made Kwame the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, who gave him another chance to salvage his floundering career by green-lighting Kwame being signed in free agency by the Charlotte Bobcats, and now it’s Jordan who is pushing the idea within the organization that Kwame should be a full-time starter.
According to Bobcats beat writer Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, before Jordan fired ex-coach Larry Brown in December, he’d been suggesting LB insert KB into the starting lineup — where Jordan felt Kwame’s defense fit better with that unit, while incumbent starter Nazr Mohammed‘s offense better suits the second string
Kwame is averaging 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in just over 19 minutes per game this season, and was impressive during stretches of last night’s win over Chicago, where he finished with 10 points and 5 boards. He isn’t as much a shot-blocker as he is a position defender, and has typically done well defensively throughout his career. The 28-year-old’s Achilles heel has always been on the other end of the floor, specifically his struggles catching the ball and keeping his composure within the offensive system.
The Bobcats rank 28th in the NBA in team scoring (93.3 ppg), and 11th in team defense (96.8 ppg).
Would you start Kwame over Nazr?
