WP article on Kwame

[gbear]

Brown Improving A Foot at a Time
Wizards' Big Man Cautiously Optimistic

By Michael Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 3, 2004; Page D10

Kwame Brown is by no means delusional as he prepares to play his second game of the season tonight in Atlanta. After scoring six points with two rebounds in his 14-minute season debut Wednesday against the New Jersey Nets, Brown realizes that because of his surgically repaired right foot, he is a half-step slow, his vertical leap is just a skip and that he is still trying to figure out where he fits in with the Washington Wizards.

Estimating that he is about "50 to 55 percent," Brown said he has a ways to go before he is back to being the player he once was, let alone the player he wants to be. Brown wouldn't even accept a compliment for his dribble drive around New Jersey's Alonzo Mourning in the third quarter. "Don't give me too much credit," Brown said, chuckling. "Zo is a little slower than I am. With a younger guy, I'm not sure I can get that layup."

Plus, Brown surmises, if he were at full strength, that drive would have been capped with a rim-rocking dunk, not a scoop layup. "It's more the explosion for me," said Brown, who had surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot in August. "I get by people, but after I do it, I don't have the explosion that I had before. I've got to get that back.

"I'm just trying to get that pop back in my leg. It's still in a little bit of pain," Brown said of his foot. "It's expected to be like that. If it gets worse, I'll have to shut it down, but it seems like it's getting stronger." He's also trying to get his weight down and improve his conditioning.

The good news about Brown's arrival is that the Wizards (8-5) didn't expect the former overall No. 1 pick to be a dominant force right away -- and they don't him need to be, with the team off to its best start in 20 years. "It's not like I had to come back to help us win, it's just to make the win easier," Brown said.

"Obviously, having not played for 2½ to three months now, it'll set him back a little bit," Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld said. "It's going to take him time to get his rhythm back and his timing back, but he's a willing worker. What we're looking for is more improvement and more consistency and doing whatever this team needs him to do to help us win."

Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan said Brown is "weeks away" and will bring Brown along slowly. Jordan said he will monitor Brown's minutes, limiting the fourth-year forward-center to four to six minute "spurts" as a reserve. "We listen to our medical staff a lot and we listen to Kwame a lot," Jordan said. "I want to make sure that he's comfortable. You know how players are, 'I can keep going, coach!' But if I see a drop in little stuff, I might bring him out and give him a little rest."

Jordan plans to use Brown at power forward -- where Brown is most comfortable -- and at center -- where he is most needed, given his height (7 feet), bulk (270 pounds) and the Wizards' limited depth at the position. Brown has been asked to help the Wizards with interior defense and rebounding as he regains his footing and confidence in other areas.

With Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes picking up the offensive load for the Wizards, Brown realizes that the team won't need him to score much. Brown said that he will pick his spots. "Teams are going to have to start doubling [them] and that's where I have to get my open shots," said Brown, who averaged 10.9 points and 7.4 rebounds last season. "I've got to earn their trust -- they know my leg is a little gimpy -- but it's going to happen."

Wizards Note: Jordan has a problem with his players already beginning to use the "p" word, as in playoffs. Jordan, who claims that he is the "last guy to get carried away," has tried to change that thinking among his players. "I give them the 'c' word -- championship," he said. "In this league, it's talent, toughness and experience. I think we've got all three. The experience factor comes in where we've matured. And we're trying to do things the right way.

"I want our guys to feel special," he said. "I see how the Eastern Conference is shaping up and I see what we've done without two of our big guys [Brown and Etan Thomas]. Once we get them back in the fold, I think we can shoot for more than just playoffs."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30051-2004Dec2.html

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I see the last part, and I think about Mora "Playoffs? Playoffs? are you kidding me?" Seriously, I'll believe playoffs when we're assured we've got a spot. Championship? well, somebodies got to dream. For right now, I'm happy just beating the teams we should beat.

[milliondollarslim]

despite Kwame ups and downs he is on a similar trajectory in terms of performance to that of other 'successful' high school players who have thrived in the NBA. i'm not saying we have a superstar in the making (Garnett for ex.) but perhaps a very good player who can help us be an upper tier contender. the injury has set him back and was unfortunate in its timing.
the thing i like about him is that he is no punk. he comes from a somewhat hard background and has a mean streak that the 'zards' need. one thing that the team is still in need of is establishing a rep for toughness. that is not easy and it doesn't mean fighting or getting thrown out of games. it means being physical and unafraid of a physical type game.
also, Jamison is a godsend for the wiz as well as for Kwame which i think is also true of Eddie Jordan. I think Jordan is much better at handling young players and knows that Brown will mature faster with less pressure.

[Funkyalligator]

Everything that I have seen from the wizards this year impresses me.....we have a great young coach who the players connect with...also we have an extremely competent GM as evidence by his trade in the off season of Stackhouse, Laettner and the pick for Jameson....that was freaking incredible trade..ridding our selves of some bad salaries and players that were very selfish(just stackhouse.....)

[jbooma]

Brown has come a long way and the fact this organization cares about him shows that he will a wizard for a long time. Jordan is not going to be stupid about and risk his health and Kwame undertands, but dam Kwame is 270 now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is going to dominate when he is 100%

[fixer26er]

I can't wait until KB gets that explosive first step back. That combined with the improved jumpshot should make him a force.

I also love the confidence Eddie Jordan is instilling in this team. He knows this team has talent and wants them to strive for more than just making the playoffs. Let's hope they don't get overconfident.

[Gamebreaker]

I have to admit, I was a little worried when he said he was only 50-55 percent at this point. Should he even be on the court yet?

[DonMagicJuan]

i love that man....i just hope and pray he makes the all star game next year for us!!

[hands11]

Interesting how a little winning has made so many believers.

Seems the days of slamming Kwame, etc are at least at rest. People are being a more patient and seeing the glass half full not half empty. This team is just scratching the surfuse on what they may have.

Maybe now I will get a little more latitude on my possitive projections.

Antwain in probably the only player 100% developed.
Hughes is at about 80-90%. He still has something to prove.
Gil is at about 60%. Hes so young still.

Everyone else is at 50% or less. We have a lot of upside with these guys. You think they are good now, just wait.

Kwame being hurt is a blessing. This team, having less healthy plays at start of season, has had time to gel. This is Anthwan's team, and he got a chance to show it.

Hughes has had time to return to the form he showed last year when Gil and Stak were hurt.

Most important may be Gilberts ability to except he is not the 2 guard. He is the 3rd leader and doing well.

Now Kwame has something to plug into. This will be great for him. We are a playoff team becuase of Antwain, we may be a great team if Kwame can step it up this year. I think he will.

So the team can score, but with Kwame and Etan, we will be tough and better defensively. With Kwame and Etan, I think we can bet Miami. The 2 of them can shut down Shaq.

Honestly, there is no ceiling on how good this group can be this year in the regular season.

It would be amazing if they were to go deep in the playoffs. Newly developing teams dont usually go deep in the playoffs the first year. We dont have playoff experience as a team. We will need that experience. It's a different game. It's faster and tougher. There is just no room to learn on the fly. Buy the time you understand what you need to do, your down 2 games and out of the series. One thing that may help us some is simply, we are looking so good so early in the season. They have a lot of time to work on getting to the next level. If they can keep this up, Jordon will start to raise the bar on them and start getting them ready for something bigger then just being an ok or good team. This is the wild card. Anything better then winning the first series of the playoffs would just be way overachieving.

I would expect us to loose in the second round of the playoffs this year and come back next year with more experience.

If they keep these guys together, they can be a great team for a long time. They are so young. IF we keep our GM, the pain of the past may finally be behind us. We should trade away our draft picks for a few years and accumulate them. Let these guys stay together and gel. We need to resign 2 of the stars. That will be interesting. Kwame and Hughes are Free agents.