Former first-overall pick, Kwame Brown, has reunited with owner Michael Jordan, signing the $1.3 million veteran minimum to play with the Charlotte Bobcats. Jordan drafted Brown with the No. 1 overall pick in 2001 when he president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards. The move comes as a surprise to many NBA minds, including myself.
Since being drafted out of high school, Brown has averaged a mere 6.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for his career. These numbers are mediocre for any nine-year NBA veteran, let alone a former No. 1 pick. The main problem with Brown was his inability to develop in the NBA. Unlike other big men who made the jump from high school like Bynum, Garnett and Howard, Brown failed to mature in the league and his performance is indicative of this. The former Georgia high school standout would have benefited from at least a few seasons at the college level to promote his progression rather than impeding his skills.
I do respect Brown's determination, however. He wanted to play in Charlotte under the regime of a tough coach like Larry Brown, and under an even tougher owner and probably the toughest competitor in Michael Jordan. Although his desire to make an impact is there, I can not foresee Brown having any role in the team's success. To be honest, Brown seems more like an insurance policy to the Bobcats more than a contributor.
Their depth at the center position is currently filled with a group of veterans in their mid-thirties, consisting of Nazr Mohammed, Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop. Injuries and conditioning over an 82-game season and possibly even playoffs seems to be a concern of both Jordan and Brown with their current center situation. The signing of Brown alleviates the stress of losing one or possibly two of those afforementioned players to hampering injuries that sometimes plague older players over the course of the season. Brown could be inserted as a body to do nothing more than lean on the other centers of the East, commit some fouls and grab some rebounds.
Don't get too excited Bobcat fans, that includes you too, Kwame.
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