IN BREWER’S DEFENSE

Quick, tell me the shooting guard/small forward who had the best field goal percentage in the league last season.  Did you guess Ronnie Brewer?  If you did, then you would be wrong.  It was Grant Hill.  But Ronnie Brewer was second.  But which wing player shot the best field goal percentage the year before that.  It was Josh Childress, but Ronnie Brewer was second.  The truth is that Ronnie Brewer isn’t a great shooter.  But he is probably the best at his position in making baskets.  And if you are the best at something in the NBA, then you are pretty good.  I don’t care what anyone else says.

What other people say is that Ronnie Brewer isn’t very valuable to the Jazz because he can’t hit an open jumper, making him an offensive liability.  But a lack of a jumpshot doesn’t make Ronnie Brewer a bad offensive player.  It just means that he isn’t the best offensive player he can be, which is frustrating.  But what Ronnie Brewer can do is average 14 points a game on nothing but cutting to the basket without the ball and dunking the ball after getting a nifty pass.  Ronnie Brewer is THE BEST player in the NBA at cutting to the basket without the ball.  And in a Jazz/Jerry Sloan offense, Ronnie Brewer is a fantastic offensive player.

So why haven’t the Jazz extended Ronnie Brewer if he is so great for the team?  Because right now the Jazz are in absolute financial mode.  They are in trouble financially and have to make the best decisions about their money that they can.  They are going to try to get him for the best price they can and if that means allowing him to become a free agent, then they may take that route.  But mark my words, the Jazz will retain Ronnie Brewer.  The Jazz know how valuable he is to the team.

Does he need to improve his man to man defense?  Yes.  Along with his free throw shooting and jumper.  But even if he doesn’t improve those things, Ronnie Brewer still belongs in the NBA.  And he belongs with the Jazz.  Deron Williams, Paul Millsap, CJ Miles and Ronnie Brewer.  That is your core for the Jazz.  And that is the list of players who will ultimately receive extensions from the Jazz.