Lets see some of those simple or basic stats so far for Brewer in the 2 games against Dallas... 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, .5 steals, shooting .500% from the field and .571% from the 3 point line (2 made per game) in 26.5 minutes. Definitely a huge negative, would be much better off without him.
I disagree about Smith (now that he's mentally "checked in" and committed to Rockets ball, I have 0 questions about his ability), but yes yes yes. Someone, I think it was Hubie Brown, pointed out that Brewer is a guaranteed 2-3 easy fast break buckets per game. Aside from the fact that those are easy points, it's absolutely demoralizing to opponents to see a guy score so quickly, with such ease. Add to that the fact that he's no slouch on D, can come through in the clutch & shoots FT like a boss (helpful given his perpetual aggressiveness), and there's no questioning Brewer's value. Brewer's a lot like the dude from Mighty Ducks 2 that can't put the brakes on. Luis Mendoza.
Tell him you don't argue with people who are fans of teams that are whiny ass b****es. Oh and also that are down 2-0 to the Rockets.
Its in the post game thread...but here is the portion Im involved in. http://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comment..._houston_rockets_defeat_the/cqkkkq9?context=3
The Mavs fan is right that Brewer is not efficient offensively. Neither is Josh Smith. That's not the point, though. When Brewer is on the court, the Rocket's net rating (offensive rating- defensive rating) is +5.5. That's 4th best on the team behind Howard, Hardin, and Josh. When Brewer is off the court, the Rockets net rating is 1.4, which is 3rd best behind Smith and Harden. Also, keep in mind that before Brewer got here, his minutes were being played by Garcia, Kostas, Nick Johnson, and Troy Daniels. Corey Brewer is Lebron James compared to those guys.
PER is heavily influenced by offensive usage. It's terrible for gauging defense. The most relevant stat for Brewer is his +/-. It's +4.2 (from 82games), which is really solid, especially for a bench player. Shooting efficiency (e.g. TS%) can be misleading b/c players differ in the types of shots they take. For example, bigs like Howard have really high TS% but almost everything he shoots is the result of an alleyoop or putback. Brewer, on the other hand, can actually create a shot. He's not a great jump shooter, but teams need that shot generation ability or else their offense stalls. It's the same reason why a guy like Jamal Crawford, even though he shoots a mediocre FG%, still has value.
Put it this way, in my eyes he is priority number one to resign. I would love to have him back. His energy on both sides of the ball is infectious. He might not put up "STATS" but he does all the things that don't show up in the box score.
Bullard has said it over and over the last month or so that he is #1 in the league in points per possession on fast breaks. Huge positive.
Brewer is probably worth a lot more for a team like the Rockets who push the ball as much as possible and have a top three pace in the NBA. Like others have said, he is someone whose basic and simple advanced stats simply do not tell the whole story for. The eye test will tell you that in almost every game that the Rockets are languishing through the first quarter of, Brewer provides an instant spark and morale boost for our entire team when he comes into the game. It's just not quantifiable via PPG or PER. You would have to do some Morey-level stats to prove your point, like +/- in the middle of the first half (or beginning of the 4th quarter) against better opponents we play, while we are either in a close game or at an outright deficit. It's gotta be situational stats. Either way, any half-decent Rocket fan can tell you that Brewer has brought even more of a jolt to our team than Josh Smith, aka the double-edged sword, has. Ultimately the most important stat is W-L, and at 56-26 good for the third best record in franchise history with a healthy Dwight Howard present for less than half of the regular season, some of the credit has to go to guys other than James Harden at some point. Brewer is one of those deserving guys.
Number 1 in the NBA in points per possession in transition offense. He scores before the defense can get set up. That takes a lot of pressure off of the team when they can keep the scoreboard moving because they do struggle at times offensively. Anytime they can score without Harden being involved is a huge plus. Also helps the defense when the opponents have to take the ball out of the net and face the Rockets half court defense where they are very good rather than getting quick / easy shots in transition themselves.
