Can we label Kwame Brown a bust yet?

[Full Surface]

This kid needs a new scenery. He's just not working out for Washington. He shows some flashes where he gets 20 points and 15 rebounds. Then again, he has these games where he goes 1/12 from the field and commits 5 turnovers.

He can't play defense to save his life. He gives up easy layups. Everytime the Wizards have the ball on offense, Arenas is too willing to give the ball to Kwame in the lane. When Kwame gets it, he turns it over with a strip from the defender. It's embarassing watching his teammates wanting to get him to score when he keeps on failing.

He may turn out to be a Jermaine O'Neal gem in the making but the Wizards don't need him. They have the most effective backbourt in the league in Hughes and Arenas and one of the best trios with Jamison. Haywood is doing better than Kwame at this point.

[Andrew]

I don't think he can be called a bust just yet, but it's getting close. Give him one more season where he's healthy and getting productive minutes. If he doesn't make anything of that, I'd be willing to write him off a bust. I agree that a change of scene might jump start his career. Perhaps he could form a new twin tower combination with Emeka Okafor in Charlotte?

[Full Surface]

He needs to go

I don't care if he turns out to be the next Jermaine O'Neal but Wizards fans have been waiting too long for him to develop. Four years in fact. What a horrible decision by MJ..

As far as I know, draft picks are supposed to help your team get better. He hasn't done anything so far to be a regular contributor.

[Andrew]

Assuming for a moment that he pulls a Jermaine O'Neal, wouldn't letting him go be a worse decision?

[Full Surface]

Assuming for a moment that he pulls a Jermaine O'Neal, wouldn't letting him go be a worse decision?

Not necessarily. If we manage to resign Hughes, I think this team would become a threat next season. Each player (Arenas, Hughes, Jamison, Haywood) would mature and can help build a foundation.

The Wizards excelled past their expectations without Kwame in the beginning of the season.

[Indy]

i think he is already a bust as a number 1 pick, but as a player. no not yet.

[fgrep15]

Of all days, it would've been better on the day he went 0-8 against the weak New York inside guys, but he actually had a good game today with 9 points and I think 10 or 11 rebounds.

Kwame was a very good man to man defender last season, but the injuries and new weight [earlier on] didn't help him this season defensively, and also his fear of going after blocks which he developed after his 2nd season. He was talked to before, and he said he doesn't go after blocks because of foul trouble. Doug Collins was a big part of that because he criticized him for it, but now that he's learnt to not foul, he's too used to not going after blocks and therefore doesn't.

His defense today was very good though, I remember a play where he had to rotate extremely quickly to cut off the basleine from a guard, and he was going so fast, you wouldn't expect him to have been able to stop, but he stopped on a dime, protected the baseline and made the guard pass the ball. This was his best game of the season in terms of help defense, and rotating.

Also since actually getting healthy, he's been averaging 13 rebounds per 40 minutes. He's not had the touch offensively, but he's got to the line fairly well, and he's been getting boards, and his defense has improved every game. His small hands also hurt him a lot though, Kwame doesn't have too good hands for a big man because of the size of his hands.

The Wizards should re-sign him if it's for a reasonable amount, or look for a sign and trade, he's got good value, and many teams will be and are looking for his services if possible.

I'd like the Wizards to keep him though for a reasonable amount because Haywood has been amazing defensively, and is clearly the game changer for the Wizards defensively, and if him and Kwame can man the PF and C spots, it would be a great boost to the team defense.

[Amphatoast]

trade him while he has some value
you already have a core of arenas, jamison, hughes
anything decent in return that can produce immediately will be good. Who cares if he turns into anther Jermaine O'Neal type of player. When now before the Yao Dyansty or King James Dynasty begins!

[cklitsie]

He just had a "pretty" good game against the Lakers, 9 points and 11 rebounds.

[Fresh8]

He also played on a sore ankle...

[fgrep15]

Yea, so it's pretty impressive, I think Kwame right now is obviously a bust as a #1 pick, but as a player he's not even close to being a bust. He can still get to the level of being worth his pick, but I don't think he will. He can be a 20 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks kinda guy, but will be more of a 14 points, 10 rebounds guy, kinda like Troy Murphy numbers.

[Full Surface]

Troy Murphy is someone you can have as an option to win games or score a big bucket. That's the difference with Kwame. He isn't the type of player that can be relied upon to do such a task.

[Fresh8]

He's not confident enough...

[MVP]

He needs to be moved to a new team to have any chance of developing. He's not doing much in Washington. It might revitalize him.

[COOLmac©]

by doing another comeback?

[Fresh8]

I say move him to LA... we need a big man. lol

[fgrep15]

On the night Kwame Brown knew that his sore right foot would force him to take another unwanted break from his supposed breakout season, he got a cruel reminder of Washington Wizards fans' frustration with the player who remains an unproven commodity almost four years after he became the first high school player drafted No. 1 overall.

The Wizards have informed Brown's agent, Arn Tellem, that they plan to match any offer sheet Brown signs in the offseason. Although Brown likely won't command a maximum extension from any team -- league sources believe he won't get much more than the Wizards offered before the season

"There are two sides," one Eastern Conference general manager said. "You have a side that doesn't think much, then you have another side that thinks he can be a player. . . . Somebody is going to take a chance on him. He's going to get paid."

The Wizards (36-28) are still trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 1997, and Brown is confident that he can make a significant contribution for the remainder of the season. He has started six games this season, averaging 8.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in those contests, and he expects to return to the starting lineup tonight in Denver after missing the past two games because of the flu. Brown had season highs of 16 points and 12 rebounds against the Bobcats on March 5, posting up Emeka Okafor and Primoz Brezec and getting to the basket with limited resistance. He displayed with a confidence that hasn't been seen since last season

Source

Not sure what will happen, but Washington seems intent on re-signing him, and like we should all know, their's a fair amount of interest around the league with other GM's who feel he can produce.

[Fresh8]

Is it good/bad?

If Washington matches the offer... does he need to take it?

[Indy]

Yea, so it's pretty impressive, I think Kwame right now is obviously a bust as a #1 pick, but as a player he's not even close to being a bust.

yeah thats what i said.

definitley correct.

[air gordon]

they'd be stupid to let him walk for nothing. at the least they could pull a stromile swift and sign him for one year and he'll be unrestriced the following year

[J-Rich Fan]

Yeah, Kwame is a bust, the Wizards need to trade him and get a better PF, Kwame Brown can still develop in to an alright player tho

[Drex]

But why let him walk if he can develop into an "alright" player??

[Fresh8]

He cand evelop faster on another team. Its not working in DC... why make him stay?

[Drex]

Because he's still a decent player. Why make another team better, specially if it could be an Eastern team.

[fgrep15]

^
Exactly, unless it's going to improve the Wizards, their's no reason to trade him, and who told you it's not working in DC? In terms of what the Wizards want from him right now, it's working fairly well, they aren't looking for a 20 PPG scorer because their's already 3 of those on the team.