Thunderous Intentions
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OKC Thunder signing of Corey Brewer doesn’t move the needle

By Lawrence George

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 8: Corey Brewer #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against the OKC Thunder on February 8, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 8: Corey Brewer #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against the OKC Thunder on February 8, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OKC Thunder are on the verge of signing Corey Brewer from the buyout market. While he may not be a household name, he is an upgrade on the defensive end.

I wouldn’t be surprised if OKC Thunder fans aren’t excited with the acquisition of journeyman Corey Brewer. While the signing isn’t official, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reported Brewer will commit to OKC once he clears waivers.

The move doesn’t move the needle at all and clearly Presti is relying on the Brewer of old to return to the league. He is having a pretty poor season to date, averaging a poultry 3.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 12.9 minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is shooting a sound 45.3 percent from the field but a TERRIBLE 18.8 percent from distance. Adding another non-shooter and an average defender brings more sorrow than joy for OKC fans.

Current Rotation

Oklahoma City are currently rotating Josh Huestis, Alex Abrines and Terrance Ferguson. Huestis is a terrific shot blocker but is often found in limbo in OKC’s switch all defense. The Stanford product is a power forward in a small forwards body expected to guard shooting guards. While he has been terrific against Golden State’s Klay Thompson, he finds trouble with players who create their own shots.

Abrines shows rare flashes, but if we are honest, he’s a G-League defender. His IQ on help defense is poor, often caught out of position with his tendency to over-help. The Spaniard also loves to guard fresh air. Although his effort on defense has improved markedly, he can’t be trusted.

TFerg shows potential, but he is a rookie with a pancake body. At 184 pounds, his legs resemble toothpicks and is regularly overpowered by experienced NBA players. He regularly makes mistakes but that is expected for a first year player playing against legitimate competition for the first time.

What Brewer offers

Brewer is not an imposing player by any stretch of the imagination. While he stands 6’9 with a 6’9 wingspan, he weighs a feathery 184 pounds. Most NBA players fill out following their college stints but Brewer remains one of the skinniest beings in the association. His wingspan is hardly impressive considering his height and can’t compete if posted on the block.

However, Brewer possesses solid instincts playing the passing lanes. His speed and quickness allows him to anticipate passes and steal the ball. Averaging 1.2 steals per game over his career he will add to the Thunder’s league leading 9.0 steals per game. While he isn’t the hawk he once was, he still averaged 0.8 steals per game for the Los Angeles Lakers this season in 12.8 minutes.

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Most surprising is Brewers defensive box plus-minus rating. While this statistic is dependant on whose on court, he he posted a net +0.9 defensive box plus-minus (DPBM) for the Lakers. Los Angeles have the 11th ranked defense with a defensive rating of 105.3. To put this in perspective, the DBPM of Abrines, Ferguson and Huestis is a net -2.5. He doesn’t possess the strength or size of Huestis, the speed of TFerg or Spanish of Abrines but he shows intelligence on team defense.

However, this season he has been a sub-par individual defender. His 107.6 defensive rating is worse than Abrines’ 106.8 defensive rating. Like many, I do have reservations regarding one on one defensive assignments since Brewer will encounter the Steph Curry’s and James Harden‘s of the world.

Final Thoughts

This is hardly a world beating move. While there is a reason why Brewer has played for seven teams in 13 years, he still has found himself a home somewhere in the NBA. Since Dre went down with injury, OKC’s defense has been horrible. The Thunder are looking for a solution and although Brewer isn’t a game changer, he is certainly better than the options at hand.

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