I just don't get it. This dude showed up at the start of the year and produced, was efficient and cut to the rim well. What the hell happened? I'm not trying to beat a dead horse here but we've just let this go without little protest. I was just watching back some highlights from his play and this guy has a lot going for him. He can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, good free throw shooter and rebounder. He has actually shown the ability to pull up in the mid range too and make something happen. He runs the break perfectly, up tempo guy. His defense has been inconsistent but there's high upside there and at worst he's a great weakside shot blocker. Had a nice thing going with Harden on the lobs. The fact that Ariza has laid brick after brick and we are still riding with headless ass Brewer when we have this guy sitting there EVERY single night is beyond moronic. I really feel for the guy. What a pointless trade he has been, we've never given him an actual shot. If we aren't going to play him (he 100% deserves all of Brewer's minutes and should back up Ariza) then we should do the right thing and ship him somewhere where he will play. As for the posters who will say he can't shoot. Brewer can't shoot, Ariza is shooting something so abysmal over the last 15 games I don't want to write it down here. McDaniels mechanics are actually pretty good. When he gets his feet set his shot is smooth and he has a nice set point. There's absolutely no way he couldn't make 34% of his open looks. Just think about how many open threes Brewer bricks every single game. Seriously... Brewer over this guy?
Yeah TL;DR But to answer your thread title, he was out since his GF/fiancée/ sugarbaby/ whatever was giving birth to his child.
I think you missed the overall point - where's he been since the first Atlanta game? Just yanked for eternity.
HOW DO YOU KNOW??Every time he has been given a chance to play, he has produced! His last game , vs. Atl, he scored 13 pts. which is more than Brewer has given us at any point this yr.
He just doesn't look the same. Pretty sure he's mentally broken/dead. He's lost almost all his motivation to play good in garbage time.
The more and more I see the highlights from the Atl game it PISS me off that MDA or Morey is holding this kid back! I'm Baffled
When Gordon's hurt, and he still doesn't play, that confirms to me his benching isn't just about getting Brewer minutes. D'Antoni had him in the rotation, then he moved him out. I'm gonna go ahead and trust the guy that sees a lot more than we do. If D'Antoni has him glued to the bench, there's a reason. And FWIW, he's now played 212 minutes, and he's had 4 assists. That's right, 4. Every time he gets out on the floor he plays like a jackass. You have to earn time in this league, clearly he's not doing it, in game or in practice.
I can't make a strong argument for Brewer over KJ (or anyone else in the world, for that matter) but KJ doesn't impress when he's given time. I have to wonder if he's a great practice player. Plus I believe Codman sort of hinted at someone (and people suspected KJ) had a bit of an attitude/ego problem. That could have hurt his minutes too if true.
I mean, do you blame him? Seeing Corey Brewer play ahead of you, a player which you are better at in basically every facet of the game.
I mean he used to impress when he was given time and when did he was still glued to the bench. (Last year)
I just don't think he has the skillset to produce CONSISTENTLY in this offense. A decent game every now and then is not going to cut it. He hasn't been a lock down defender either when I have seen him play. He is athletic, but you have to bring more than that to get in MDAs rotation. Maybe Morey gives him his freedom at the trade deadline, doesn't seem to be working out for him here.
I should add, 3 coaches have had the reigns in the last 2+ years, none of them thought he deserved minutes. Morey traded for him hoping he had valuable asset potential (still doesn't play). Philly didn't exactly ask for the moon either to part with him. A lot of people have had closer eyes on him than us, none of them seem to have been particularly impressed. The physical tools are clearly there, he's got a contract, all signs point to a guy the franchise would want to give the benefit of the doubt, yet he's still not playing. At a certain point, you have to realize there's a reason for that.
This is a clear case of bias on behave of MDA. You can not clearly say Brewer has a better skillset than KJ. When was Brewer's last productive game? And as far as Low BB IQ, Javale McGee is known not to be the sharpest tool in the shed and he is flourishing with GS.
I feel like this is unfair. I mean, he clearly has rubbed the coaching staffs the wrong way. But every time he has played with the starters (very limited data) he looks a bit shy but hungry and willing to settle down...but when thrust into the 1-3 min of garbage time, like has been since he arrived here, it appears to me that he is trying desperately to "showcase himself" to other teams.
Whoa, I never said the guy has low Bball IQ. I just said, when I have seen him play, he still has trouble creating his own shot and is not playing lock down defense. If he is not doing that, it will be hard to get playing time. Brewer is a vet and plays with a lot of energy. I am not a fan of his so don't get me wrong, both of them should be moved for something better if we can. I just see people starting threads on KJ and I ask why? It's not like he has shown all of this great skill out there. He struggled in summer league. Dekker came in and stole the show with his skills on display. Jus sayin...
