Ronnie Brewer is the X-Factor on this New York Knicks Squad

Ronnie Brewer, yeah I said it Ronnie Brewer, a defensive guru in the flesh is becoming the New York Knicks secret weapon so far in the 2012-13 season. How can I make such a bold statement? Like Jay-Z eloquently put it, “men lie, women lie, numbers don’t”. Let’s take this time to examine stats Brewer put up in the first three games of the regular season. In a little under 27-minutes a game, Brewer has posted 9.7-points per game and garnered 6.7-rebounds. Sorry if those numbers don’t jump out at you, but for this six-year veteran those are career highs. Brewer is showing signs he is greatly benefitting from a strong defensive system, with viable scoring options on the other end. This allows Brewer to stay in his element and when it comes to it, knock down open corner three-pointers, which he has. It is still early in the season, but Brewer has knocked down 55% of his attempts from long range. This is a guy who averages a meager 25% for his career. There is no denying that compared to Jared Jeffries, the Knicks last defensive minded small forward, Brewer is an upgrade. LeBron James was unable to establish a rhythm with Brewer guarding him, and to add insult to injury Brewer knocked down shots when defenders strayed away from him. Brewer has always taken good shots in his career, as he hovers around 50% when it comes to shooting from the field. Adding the three-ball to his repertoire forces defenses to stay home against him. If teams continue to leave players like Brewer and Jason Kidd open, the 43 3-point field goals the Knicks accumulated in the last three games will balloon. Head coach Mike Woodson wanted Brewer here for his defensive prowess, but being around so many offensive players must be affecting Brewer in a positive way. His last location, Chicago, put Brewer amidst a strong defensive system, but lacked consistency on the offensive end. Carmelo Anthony is in orange and blue, so if you don’t know you better ask somebody. Anthony is raved as a ball hog, but also a top tier player in this league, solely because of his offensive capabilities. “My teammates having confidence in me and me shooting with confidence. I’ve been working on it a lot.” Is what Brewer had to say following the Knicks trouncing of the Sixers, Monday night.Brewer also recorded a double-double in the contest. What is this team going to do when Iman Shumpert returns from a knee injury? They just have too many wing players who are capable of playing defense and putting points on the board. Brewer and his teammates are showing this is an unselfish bunch, which can’t bode well in a NBA climate that focuses on the paycheck. Finding minutes when everyone is healthy is sure to keep Mike Woodson from sleeping at night. If you ask me those are good problems for the Knicks to have. I don’t know how much of an American Idol, Ronnie Brewer would be, but he’s that x-factor the Knicks need. Follow Me On Twitter