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The Kwame Situation

Authored by Scott Essman - December 24, 2005 - 1:35 pm

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When he debuted with the Washington Wizards in 2001, center Kwame Brown had enormous potential. The Wizards took the 6'11" prodigy as the first pick in the draft even though he had just turned 19 a few months earlier and had no college experience (see Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady Kobe Bryant, etc.). But Brown's tenure on the Wizards had soured by last
season, landing him in LA in a trade for Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins, both acquired by the Lakers in the trade with the Miami Heat for Shaquille O'Neal.

Over four seasons on the Wizards, Brown averaged roughly seven points-per-game and five rebounds-per-games in 22 minutes-per-game. During those years, he bulked up to a post-presence weight of 248. The Lakers had high hopes for Brown being a replacement for O'Neal.

What does the report card say, here at the height of the Laker resurgence? After 15 games with Los Angeles (Brown missed several weeks with injuries), Brown has had flashes of excellence, but his numbers haven't wavered: he averages 6.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg in just over 25 minutes per game.

What does one make of Brown? Certainly, the man knows how to play at 23 and is no longer a spring chicken. But expectations have dogged him since Washington and seem to be following him in LA. In the Lakers December 23 win at Orlando, Brown played 18 minutes, made only two of seven field goal attempts, missed two free throws, and finished with four points. He did, however, lead the team in those limited minutes with nine rebounds.

Thus, the Lakers do have hope for Brown becoming an integral part of the team, but he has yet to show that he can play at a high level for an entire game. Instead, coach Phil Jackson has been relying on Chris Mihm to play center; on December 23, Mihm played 24 minutes and scored 20.

Certainly, Brown can substantially improve his game - his free-throw shooting and ballhandling abilities are noticeably lacking at junctures - and become a more well-rounded Laker. Just how much Jackson inserts him into key game situations seems to be up to Brown himself. As the Lakers move into mid-season, Brown's ability - as a substitute center or perhaps as a starter - will undoubtedly be a factor in the Lakers' team success on a consistent basis.