The Scoop on Andre Brown

I’m guessing I wasn’t the only one who knew little or nothing about Andre Brown before the Sonics signed him yesterday. Here’s a brief bio on the newest member of the roster, the man who will turn the Sonics into a playoff contender. (Seriously, Andre, no pressure).

Spent the past couple of months with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBDL. Currently leading the league in points and second in rebounds. Fantastic field goal percentage of 66; not so fantastic FT percentage of 55.

Brown was selected as the 2nd pick in the NBDL draft in November 2006, ahead of Denham Brown, Troy Bell, Darius Washington, and a whole bunch of people even NBA geeks wouldn’t know. Still, he could’ve been picked behind those people, so he’s got that going for him.

Brown also played in Italy and the Adriatic League (where he managed to hit 7 of 23 free throws!), always having good rebounding numbers and decent scoring totals. You may not remember this, but Brown was in the Sonics’ training camp in the summer of 2005, before heading off for South Korea and the Philippines (for the Barangay Ginebra Kings!). Naturally, Brown dominated in the Philippines, inasmuch as he would have been the only person taller than 5’3” in the entire country.

Brown’s most well known experience was for DePaul, averaging close to a double-double during for his four years in school. As could be expected, he shot poorly from the line and great from the field, culminating in a 57% FG/48% FT mark his senior year. He also averaged a couple of turnovers per game, which is another knock on his game (worth noting he’s averaged 3.1 TOs per game at Sioux Falls). He also set a Conference USA record with 27 rebounds in a single game back in the day.

At 6’9” and 245 pounds, Brown isn’t going to destroy anyone inside, but he is a presence. I also doubt that he’s going to block any shots at the NBA level, since he never did in college. According to various internet sources, Brown is very fast for a big man, and has been likened to Kenyon Martin in his ability to run the break and play down low. Ironically, Brown was the second-best player at a pre-draft camp in Norfolk, VA. The best player? Desmond Farmer, the guy the Sonics just released to get Brown.

Basically, I can see Brown playing a few minutes off the bench when the Sonics need a warm body – worthwhile for the team in that it will enable the Sonics to send Sene to the NBDL where he can get some minutes. Does this mean, though, that more moves are to come, like, perhaps, a Fortson trade?

I don’t know. Unless the Sonics can get a big man in return, it doesn’t really make sense to trade Fortson, unless Bob Hill plans on starting Petro and giving up on the season (which, considering who’s available in the draft this year, may not be such a bad idea).

It’s sad, though, that what could turn out to be one of the Sonics’ final seasons in Seattle will be such a lousy year. Sad, but not entirely surprising.

Bye to Desmon, Greek, Hello to Penny Brown?

Couple of truly minor pieces of news; minor, that is, unless you happen to be related to Desmon Farmer or Andreas Glyniadakis.

Both guys were waived by Seattle on Thursday, ensuring their contracts would not be guaranteed for the remainder of the season. I for one am thankful they released Glyniadakis, simply because his skills aren't good enough to justify a last name that difficult to spell. Elsewhere, Gary Washburn reports in the PI that Penny Hardaway may make his debut for the Sonics tonight against the Knicks (Motto: "You think your team sucks? Hah! We know from suck!")

Bob Hill continues to moan for a center like an alcoholic at closing time, but none seems to be forthcoming, unless you consider the NBDL names being tossed around, which would be near-beer in my convulted metaphor.

However, there is a silver lining to the dark clouds hovering over the Pacific Northwest. That's right, the Knicks are in town, and a win tonight means the Sonics would emerge from the gloomy cellar of the NW Division into the bright lights of fourth place. I know, I know, heady stuff, but January in this part of the world requires a special amount of optimism.

UPDATE: The Sonics signed Andre "NBDL" Brown today. Hello playoffs!

How Long till Lenny?

After the Seattle Sonics 10th straight road loss last night, the Bob Hill death watch has officially begun.

Whether it's today or a week from now, Bob Hill is going to be fired. Despite repeated denials, Sonics vice-chairman (?) Lenny Wilkens (who happens to have the most wins in NBA history and coached the beloved '79 champs) is likely to replace him.

As much as I love Lenny, I will miss Hill. He's a throwback to the angry, profanity-spewing, beer-swilling coaches of old, like Doug Moe and George Karl. And those kind of coaches don't cut it in the NBA anymore.

Will Lenny the Legend make a difference? Probably not.

For better or worse, authority figures today are largely ignored or mocked by anyone under 30. And unless you're a living legend like Pat Riley, it's near impossible to motivate young players by yelling at them. That's probably a good thing, but a makes for a damn boring coach.

A new coach might light a fire under these Sleepy Sonics, and hiring Lenny or even assistant coach Jack Sikma would a be a nice touch for the 40th Anniversary, but whether it makes any difference down the road will remain to be seen.