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A big mistake: L.A. Lakers must avoid Kwame Brown sequelJuly 24 08  Right now, my friend is in the bathroom releasing his lunch in the toilet. His ailment is simple: he heard Kwame Brown, the human curse, might re-sign with his beloved Los Angeles Lakers. Eight months after getting exiled to Memphis in the Pau Gasol trade, reports indicate the post could re-sign with the purple-and-gold as a free agent. Simply put, Brown wrecks careers. Drafting the seven-footer first overall in 2001 destroyed Michael Jordan’s reputation as an executive, while Mitch Kupchak only recently recovered from trading Caron Butler for Brown. Why would L.A. want him back? Coach Phil Jackson still likes Brown’s athleticism, size, and body. Always has. And Zen-Master believes he could eventually become a defensive force, a poor man’s Horace Grant minus the money goggles. Jackson is right. Brown hasn’t lost his physical gifts, but he never developed them either. He remains that raw high school senior without polish to his game. Only now -seven years later- he has issues. There was a DUI case, dropped sexual assault charges, and a bizarre cake-tossing incident outside a nightclub. On-court, Brown often looks unconfident and unsure of his role. For example, he admitted the Staples Center boos altered his confidence on the offensive end. Problem is, Brown isn’t a scorer. And he shouldn’t care about shooting. He should instead watch videos of Ben Wallace in Detroit and get points via hustle plays, tip-ins, and put-backs. Nothing more. The Lakers have a hole with Ronny Turiaf’s departure. But Brown isn’t the answer and my friend’s stomach couldn’t handle a Kwame sequel. Should the Lakers re-sign Brown? Get at us in the comment box below and come abck to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA analysis. Photo courtesy of Vaguely Artistic’s on-line portfolio.
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