As Corey Brewer prepares for his second NBA season there are just as many, if not more, questions about him than there were his rookie season.
After being drafted to play alongside KG, the jovial swingman became part of the new, young core when Garnett was traded. He showed flashes of his high skillset in a few games last year:
- In a five-game stretch in December, Brewer averaged 9.8 boards with a high of 18 against Atlanta.
- He averaged 22.8 minutes over 79 games, a testament to his conditioning and energy.
- Averaged a steal per game (1.5 per 36 minutes) and had multiple steals in 22 games.
And he also showed some terrible holes in his game:
- He shot 37.4% from the field, and looked shaky to the naked eye on everything from corner threes to dunks (in fact I recall one game where Corey was stuffed by the rim... ouch).
- Although he was able to get into passing lanes for steals, he was often out-muscled by bigger swingmen.
To top it all off, his positions (shooting guard and small forward) have become even more crowded than they were last year:
- Guys not named Corey Brewer who will log minutes at shooting guard: Randy Foye, Rashad McCants, Mike Miller, Rodney Carney
- " small forward: Mike Miller, Ryan Gomes, Rodney Carney
Corey's been working out at the Target Center for part of the summer and no doubt working on his bulk and shot. But last year's performance coupled with the number of players he'll have to compete with means that the former lottery pick will have his work cut out for him.
I'd like Corey to succeed; he's a hard-worker, has a good attitude, and possesses a skillset that could be very helpful to a team that will likely struggle defensively this year. It's certainly too early to make a final decision on Brewer's role with the team, but after being touted as an NBA prospect he needs to prove that he deserves serious minutes sooner rather than later.