This just keeps getting worse and worse. Probably the worst #1 pick in professional sports history. I think Kwame is a good kid, and will eventually be a good player, but I'm almost positive it will not be with the Wizards. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <b>Wizards' Brown Feels Blamed </b> <i>Says Coach Lost Confidence in Him</i> By Steve Wyche Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, March 13, 2003; Page D01 Second-year forward Kwame Brown said yesterday that he believes Coach Doug Collins has lost confidence in him and that he is being blamed for the Washington Wizards' struggles to make the playoffs. Brown, the first high school player selected No. 1 in the NBA draft, in 2001, is averaging 7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 22 minutes for the Wizards (31-33), who are a half-game behind Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards next play Friday night on the road against the Detroit Pistons. "I know I could help us get to the playoffs," said Brown, who failed to score or grab a rebound and played only eight minutes in Tuesday's crucial victory over the Orlando Magic. "I just think that I'm getting limited opportunities to do a lot of things that I'm able to do. I guess the coach has lost confidence in me. Nobody can do anything in eight or nine minutes a night. If I don't come in and do something immediately, I'm coming out. I feel like I'm to blame for everything." Collins declined to comment yesterday for this story, but he said several weeks ago that he would use only the players he has confidence in down the stretch. He often cites forwards Charles Oakley and Bryon Russell as examples of players who maximize their limited playing time. Collins also has said that he "loves" Brown and that "nobody wants to see that kid succeed more than me." Brown said yesterday he respects Collins, but he and his coach don't have a good relationship. He also pointed out that Collins is in the unenviable position of trying to get the soon-to-be-retired Michael Jordan, the man who hired him, to the playoffs while trying to groom young players. "Everybody knows he's in a tough position," Brown said. "I couldn't be Doug Collins. That's why I don't fault him. It's not fair for me to argue or contest what he does when I know he's in a tough spot." Collins took Brown out of the starting lineup after 16 games and replaced him with Christian Laettner. Brown admits he has never approached any of the coaches to ask what he needed to do to get his job back. The coaching staff felt that indicated a lack of ambition; Brown said he simply thought that Collins lost faith in him. "I felt like nothing I did was going to get my job back," Brown said. "There would be games where Christian -- and I'm not knocking him because I love him to death and he's always supported me -- would make some of the same mistakes I made but he was allowed to stay in. I make those mistakes and I'm out. "I just knew that if I came to them to get my job back, they would say prove it in practice. So I practiced hard and there would be days in practice where I would do well and not see the court that much in games. I felt they just wanted to go with the older guys." Brown said Collins needs to back off, like he did in the early part of the season, when Brown was playing his best basketball. Collins admitted then that he micromanaged Brown last season and he needed to ease back and let him grow at his own pace. Now that the playoff race has "everybody more on edge," Brown said Collins's handling of him has reverted to last season's stringent ways. "If this is not micromanaging, I need to look up the [word] again," Brown said. "M.J. told me he was tough on players like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. I don't understand the logic if it's not working. He admitted he micromanaged me, so why still do it?" Brown, who turned 21 on Monday, said that he has learned not to dwell on his relationship with Collins. "I'm at the point now where, mentally, I don't let things get to me anymore," Brown said. "Things might make me mad at the moment, like me not being in the game or not playing. I'm not going to get bent out of shape anymore. Last year I'd get mad all day. I'm not going to let it linger." Teammate Jerry Stackhouse said this season has been another step in Brown's NBA education. Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady -- other high schoolers who went straight to the NBA -- all made noticeable gains in their third seasons. "I'm going to bust my butt this summer to get stronger, faster and improve my game," Brown said. "I plan on getting out of the gate strong again." Brown thinks that with Jordan retiring, he will get another shot to compete for more playing time and be more of the team's focus. Brown said he isn't looking too far ahead because he hopes he can play a role in this season's playoff push. "I can still help," he said. Brown admits that even though he has been criticized in the media for his inconsistency and not living up to the lofty expectations of a No. 1 pick, Jordan's presence has helped deflect some of the attention. "But I'd at least like to be playing so I could be under the microscope on the floor," Brown said. "Now I'm kind of under the microscope on the bench. It could be worse, but it could be better." Brown said he thinks he and Collins can work together and that he hasn't given much thought as to whether he would like to play elsewhere next season. His name probably will surface in trade talks this summer, as it did around February's trade deadline. Could the grass be greener? "I'm not going to be concerned about that," he said.
I read only the first couple of paragraphs. Can't say I disagree with Kwame. Collins is nothing but an MJ puppet, and does not even deserve to be a head coach. Whatever happened to developing the younger talent? I thought thats what MJ came back for. To me it seems like he is being wasted for short term success. Put him on a team like the Magic and I think he would kick ass.
Collins is not a good coach. His only real success was with Grant Hill Detroit as the girlie hugger and cryer, but they tuned him out at the end too. Dude also needs to learn to stop shouting.
I think he sounds like an immature kid who needs to learn to keep his mouth shut. I'm glad Collins is not our coach, but airing your gripes to the media is not going to help you or your team. And it sure shows your maturity when you tell the Washington Post, not exactly a weekly rag, that "I'm at the point now where, mentally, I don't let things get to me anymore..." in the middle of a tirade about how much things are bothering him and going into some detail slamming Collins and Laettner. In essence he said "Laettner screws up just like me! Then why can't I play?? (sniff, sniff) Griffin has been ribbed here about never showing emotion or saying much of anything, but I would take his demeanor over Brown's any day.
I think it is a bit of a stretch to say that Collins is not a good coach. He did a decent job with the Bulls in the late eighties. Jordan cited that he hired Collins as a coach because Collins pushed him and drove him to be a better player when he was a younger player and figured that Collins could do the same with the younger players on the Wizards' roster.
I disagree. If Michael Jordan and the rest of the wizards organization can point the finger at him (in so many words) he should have a chance to speak out. He has a valid point, it's hard to do something when you're playing 10 minutes per game. Besides, its not his fault that Jordan runs the team and is only interesting in leaving the game with a sense of personal accomplishment. After all, Jordan came back so he could turn the team around right? To get the wiz to the playoffs? Well, as soon as MJ started starting, the team has gone downhill. Don't blame the kid on the bench, blame it on the 40 year old ballhog that has to get his 25-30 shots per game while playing 45 minutes a game. Stackhouse has already indicated he can't play the way the things are now, you know everyone else feels the same way, including Juan Dixon.
Totally agree, Kwame has the right to state his case. BTW, Jordan takes waay to many shots. I think hes actually hurting the team, he just jacks up shots like he was with the bulls. Those shots should be going to Stackhouse instead.
MJ will be out of Washington after this year. He won't return as their GM so he doesnt care how the future holds for that franchise. Soon they'll become the old Bullets again. Kwame Brown does have potentials, but he is just such a p***y. That may prevent him from achieving his full potential.
Suck it up Kwame. If you can't deal with the pressure, then follow Bobby Knight's lead, and return your #1 pick salary.
I think the Wiz should keep their faith in him & give him another year before making any decisions on him...
Ridiculous. If Brown is a bust (and I don't think he is yet), it's the Wizards fault he's the #1 pick. They should suffer for screwing that up. Brown didn't make any promises, he just got picked ahead of everybody else. There's no reason why he should bear any guilt in this.
Don't worry about it. Its in kidrock's blood to go opposite of everyone. Especially when the two Gods are involved.
But Kwame hasn't really stepped up, like a #1 pick should. I question his work ethic. If not for that, then I wouldn't care either way. Just play harder is all I ask. For anyone, especially a #1 pick.
Tell me where I am wrong with what I said, rather than going out of your way to be a pain in the ass. Your posts have zero relevance to basketball. I'm sorry that you are so infatuated with my posts, that you can't even respond in a normal matter. I don't know if I should be flaterred or scared at the thought of you following up every post of mine with an asinine response. Get a life.
I think Kwame is stuck in a tough position. That's how it goes sometimes. The Wizards are desperately trying to make the playoffs. And no kid is going to play in that situation. Too much is at stake. Especially with it being Jordan's last year. I don't think MJ will bail on the wizards after it's all said and done. I think he's here for the long haul. We'll see.
You're crazy if you think Jordan doesn't still have his ownership interest in the wizards tucked away under someone else's name or buried in some legal mumbo jumbo. It was already widely speculated that he could just transfer his part of the organization away for the year (so they thought) that he would come back and then still have the ownership when he came back. This was based on the rule stating no person with ownership could play. After he retires, he's going upstairs and he's gonna clean house like the other story has said. Jordan doesn't give up like that. Besides, he's already said in a recent interview he does NOT want to be a coach because its too much trouble and you take too much heat. I think it's obvious he'd rather be part-owner again... Easier job, position of power, more money. AND he can stroke his ego. Would the MJ you know leave that behind out of spite?
Well if Kwame plays anywhere near the way he started the season he is deserving of #1 pick label. The guy was a hoss on the boards and blocking shots. It is Jordan's fault that the Wiz aren't developing their youngsters, but the Washington franchise is back on the map for him playing so its kind of a catch-22. Kwame will be okay and Mike will make the playoffs, everybody wins.
Nope, the wizards don't make the playoffs this year. Bucks with Payton and Mason got the last spot. Noone will play for Jordan when he's acting like such a prick and ballhog.
