Ronnie Brewer: A Solid Pickup for the New York Knicks

Some of the drama dealing with the New York Knicks this off-season was Jeremy Lin. The theatrics that enveloped why the Knicks front office let Lin go without an ounce of return was the nucleus of the Knicks brand. However, the franchise did make some solid, underrated moves and one of those moves was signing former Chicago Bull Ronnie Brewer. Brewer was a notable bench player when he played with the Bulls, a versatile ballhandler with the emphasis being on his defense. During his first year with Chicago, he averaged 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals and started in one game, but last season, he started in 43 games and averaged 6.9 points and 3.5 rebounds. However, what makes Brewer such a solid pickup for New York is the fact he is a great wing defender that can slash to the basket. Even better, the New York Knicks were able to snag Ronnie Brewer at a steal, and is a necessity, as he will fill in for Iman Shumpert who is still recovering from a torn ACL, and logically won’t return before February.  It will allow — to the sanity of New York Knicks fans everywhere –  Coach Woodson to use J.R Smith in his proper role as a sixth man. Smith is instant offense from the bench and Smith has been very efficient — off the bench — this season. Through five games, Smith is averaging 18.2 points on 49.3% from the field, 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and shooting a remarkable 77.2% from downtown. Through five games, Brewer is averaging 9 points on 45.9% shooting, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1 steal. Brewer won’t give you 15 a night, but he won’t jack up 30 shots to get those 15 either. What Brewer is giving the Knicks is solid defense. Woodson won’t be using Brewer for long-distance shots — although Brewer has been pretty efficient from deep with 7-for-14 three-pointers over 5 games — what he will be used for is that ‘D’ and the occasional fast-break layup or back-door cut. Not only is Brewer dedicated to defense, but the New York Knicks have been dedicated as well — with the exception of the first two quarters of the Orlando Magic game from Tuesday. They are ranked #1 in defense with a defensive rating of 96.2 and are only allowing 87.8 points per game (using Basketball Reference; NBA dot com will show a different number). In summary, Brewer is useful in rotating, closes out, defends the perimeter, moves without the basketball, and will not allow his man to score. He’s the very definition of a defender and has been perfect for Head Coach Mike Woodson. Brewer is in the same starting lineup as Defensive Player of the Year, Tyson Chandler, and they now have a cohesive and staunch defensive that matches their electric offense.