Houston Rockets: Corey Brewer Finds A Home

Corey Brewer may be finally settling into a permanent home in Houston with the Rockets franchise. Now in his 8th season with the National Basketball Association, the 28 year old journeyman has played for five different franchises.

Ironically, it was the Timberwolves who drafted Brewer in 2007 and they have brought him back on three different occasions.

One of those stops included the current 2014 season, as Brewer played for the Wolves just before being traded to the Rockets in December of 2014.

Makes you wonder if the man with the head band keeps a home on deck in Minnesota, given the off chance he may return for yet another stint with the Wolves.

Role Players like Brewer tend to bounce around as they can be a valuable asset to any franchise. It is uncertain if Brewer enjoys relocating so often. You can’t help but to picture Brewer with a long stick slung across his shoulder with the red handkerchief on the end.

The Rockets got a first hand look at statistically the shooting guards best game as a professional back in April of 2014. The former first round pick torched Houston for 51 points and 6 steals.

As indicated by Bleacher Report, Brewer’s performance allowed him to join the likes of Michael Jordan in the exclusive club of players who scored 50 points or more and recorded six steals in the same game. Brewer became just the 6th player in NBA history to accomplish this feat.

His handy work showcased solid offensive play and the type of defense that helped him to score a portion of those 51 points. His defense continually proves that hard work pays off. Brewer’s individual hustle provided him with additional opportunities as the video below demonstrates:

On the court Brewer gives you a little bit of everything. The fact he isn’t a consistent dynamic scorer, doesn’t mean he isn’t a solid basketball player. In fact, his contributions are rather invaluable. His defense definitely sets him apart from the rest of the crowd. Many players today get lost in the allure of flashy dribbling and step back jump shots, falling in love with scoring and three point shooting. Most often, the little things in the game of basketball go unnoticed and tend to be under appreciated. To that end, these are the things that Brewer does well, the things that make him a great teammate and the perfect addition to the Rockets’ bench.

When it comes to defensive ratings, the Rockets are currently sitting third, bolstering an impressive 99.8 rating as per NBA.com. The Rockets are also holding opposing teams to 31.6% from the 3 point line. To Houston’s credit the teams stout perimeter defense is resulting in this achievement, which Brewer is a key contributor to. In fact, since coming over in December Brewer has definitely been a factor in helping the Rockets maintain their place as one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.

Brewer’s active hands are a weapon. He has continued to pull them out of his tool box since day one in the league. As far as pick pockets go, he is good for 1.7 steals a game which is slightly ahead of his 1.4 steals per game career average. In fact Houston leads the league registering 9.8 steals per game with James Harden ranking third, Trevor Ariza fourth and Brewer tied for eleventh. Corey Brewer isn’t an all-star, but he is a guy that puts in work wherever he resides.

Brewer’s Recent run

The 6’9″ swing man has averaged 11.3 points per game, 2.5 assists, 3.5 boards, while posting a PER of 14.4 on the year (with Houston his PER is 15.1 up from 13.7 with Minnesota). On a whole his average has seen a scoring increase of +2 points per game since coming over to the Rockets, bumping him up to 12 points per game with his new team. His field goal percentage has improved, but it is the 3 point percentage that has seen the biggest margin of increase. As a member of the Wolves in 2014 he was shooting a dismal .195 from beyond the arc, but is now converting on a much improved .307 percentage. Not bad for a guy that plays 24 minutes a night. (all stats via basketball reference)

Brewer’s been a player that has stepped up for the team in the absence of Dwight Howard. His recent string of solid play began before Dwight’s injury on January 23rd. He broke out of a mini slump in a win over the Pacers on January 19th and hasn’t looked back. Over the course of the last 15 games Brewer has scored ten or more points in thirteen of those contests. Posting 20 points or better three times during this stretch, including his outing versus Toronto where he registered 26 points, 10 board, and 5 steals.

As you can see Mr. Brewer is settling in quite nicely. Finding a home with a team that really suits his style of play. Head coach Kevin McHale’s game plan seems to be complimenting Brewer’s skill set. The Portland Native is free to play his game, allowing him to be effective on both ends.

With an expiring contract on the horizon, Brewer is set to be an unrestricted free agent going into 2016. He is earning his 4.9 million dollar paycheck as an effective role player that plays defense. This means he may draw interest from contenders next year, but could opt to resign with the Rockets.

For now, Brewer can enjoy playing with a West Coast powerhouse, hoping to provide help for the Rockets in the post season where they have ultimately fallen short. McHale and the Rockets landed the kind of player they were missing. A defensive minded shooting guard/small forward that also provides help on the offensive end.

Everyone loves an NBA player that doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. Right now Corey Brewer is on one.