| The Re-Education Of Kwame Brown Authored by Scott Essman - March 27, 2006 - 2:01 am
Could Kwame Brown be resurrecting his career of late on the Lakers? As the team makes for a playoff push - wavering above .500 with signs of greatness - Brown has gotten his game off of the floor and towards the rim.
Though guard Kobe Bryant and forward Lamar Odom lead the team in all major offensive and defensive categories, the recently 24-year-old Brown has scored 11, 21 and 16 in the teams' last three games, respectively, leading up to Sunday night's game with New Orleans. This from a player who has averaged 6.5 points overall this season. He has also grabbed nine, 12 and nine rebounds in those same previous three games.
Moreover, Brown has also become more of a fan favorite at Staples Center, even earning a standing ovation from the crowd in the late fourth quarter as he exited with an injury after playing aggressively and scoring 17 points.
Obviously, since Shaquille O'Neal's departure after the 2003-2004 season, the Lakers have needed a reliable big man. With starting center Chris Mihm going down with a bad foot sprain, leading to a seat on the disabled list through most of March and likely deep into April at least, the Lakers are going to look more regularly to Brown for scoring and rebounding. If the last several games are a future indication of Brown's apparent improvement, the Lakers may be in the driver's seat come playoffs. |
