May 16, 2007

Devin Brown provided an early indication of how beneficial his free-agent signing would be for the Hornets on Dec. 29, when he registered 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. The overtime victory over Denver was just his fifth game in a Hornets uniform.

Hornets.com continues its look back at 2006-07 with player-by-player analysis of the team:

Devin Brown
NBA experience: Five seasons (one with Nuggets, two-plus with Spurs, one with Jazz, one with Hornets).
Age: 28.
Games played (starts): 58 (49).
Key statistical averages: 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists.
What we expected: Brown wasn’t on any Hornets fan’s radar, or even on an NBA roster, until general manager Jeff Bower signed him to a free-agent contract on Dec. 22. With the Hornets down to only 10 healthy players, expectations were modest for Brown, as they would be for any “street” free agent added to a club midway through the season. Most observers were hopeful that the Texas-San Antonio product could provide an offensive spark off the bench, perhaps play 10 to 15 minutes a game and hold down the fort until some of the team’s big names returned from injury.

What went right: Brown quickly surpassed everyone’s projections in terms of the kind of impact he’d make on the Hornets. After struggling to find his shot over his first four games – not a surprising development considering he sat out the first month-plus of the NBA season – he threatened a triple-double vs. Denver on Dec. 29, logging 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Other than Tyson Chandler’s vast improvement, the Texas-San Antonio product’s performance may have been the most positive development of the Hornets’ 2006-07 campaign. Brown was one of the shorthanded team’s most consistent players in January, tallying double-figure scoring in 14 straight games. Even though he’d rarely played point guard in his pro career, he handled the position adeptly in spells when starter Chris Paul and backup Bobby Jackson were out due to injury. He later closed the regular season with a strong five-game stretch in April, averaging 17.2 and 6.6 rebounds, while shooting 52 percent from the field. Lastly, Brown was often the team’s most consistent three-point threat, finishing with 81 treys in 58 games.

What went wrong: One of the few blemishes in an otherwise rewarding season for the 6-foot-5 shooting guard came in late March, when he went through a rough nine-game stretch offensively. From March 16-31, he shot 23-for-62 (37 percent) from the field and averaged just 7.2 points. That span was capped by a March 31 home victory vs. New York in which Brown logged just 15 minutes, the least amount of playing time he’d gotten as a Hornet since his debut, a 10-minute stint on Dec. 22. One possible explanation for his temporary dip may have been fatigue – Brown averaged 28.7 minutes this season, far more than he’d ever played in the NBA. He nearly clocked as many minutes in 2006-07 as he did in 2005-06 with Utah, despite appearing in 23 fewer games.

The future: Brown is one of the Hornets’ four unrestricted free agents (Marc Jackson, Linton Johnson, Desmond Mason are the others; Jannero Pargo has a player option for 2007-08 and can also become unrestricted if he chooses). Hornets general manager Jeff Bower and coach Byron Scott have expressed their gratitude to Brown for his contributions in 2006-07, as well as their intention to attempt to re-sign him this summer. Negotiations with free agents can begin July 1. Ideally, if Brown returns next season, he’ll join Rasual Butler as a key reserve at the wing positions.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
Here’s what Hornets.com heard about Brown in 2006-07:
ESPN analyst Tim Legler:
“I’m a big fan of his. I know Devin pretty well, as well as his agent. I know the struggles that he’s been through and the road that he’s traveled. I’m very familiar with that from my own career. It’s difficult, and it takes a lot of mental toughness to continue to believe in yourself, when a lot of people are closing doors on you. You just have to get the right opportunity, find the right niche and be in the right system. The same thing happened to me in Washington, where I finally got my break. I finally got to a place where they appreciate what you bring to the table. It allows you to get your confidence and be a consistent player. Once you do that, you can play in the league for a long time. That’s what happened to Devin Brown this season.”

ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Mark Jones:

“I think Devin Brown has really seized a nice opportunity. With some of the injuries, he’s done a great job of coming in and playing well. He’s got a championship pedigree, going back to his days with the San Antonio Spurs, and he’s really a self-made player. He’s a guy I’ve enjoyed watching personally, coming up through the NBDL. He’s done really well for himself. I think he’s one of the more inspirational stories right now.”