Houston Rockets Acquire Corey Brewer

The Houston Rockets acquired Corey Brewer and Ronny Turiaf for Troy Daniels, a pair of second round picks, and part of the 8.4 million dollar TPE created in the Jeremy Lin to Los Angeles deal. Ronny Turiaf is out for the year due to injury and pushes the Rockets roster total to 16. Brewer holds a contract worth 4.7 million dollars this year and 4.9 million dollars next year on a player option. Houston will have to cut a player or find a taker for Turiaf.

Brewer was the Rockets rumored target for quite some time and he will back up the shooting guard and small forward position. Brewer is a 6’9” offensively challenged swingman in his seventh year in the NBA known for his defensive prowess and energy play.

Oct 10, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer (13) dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter at Target Center. The Timberwolves win 116-110. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Really, his skill set is ideal if you’re looking for a bench player. Statistically, Brewer’s defensive rating (Career, 108), rebounding rate (7.9%), and other advanced metrics don’t leap off the page at you. He excels, however, in his steal rate (4%). He’s a high-energy player who gambles on the ball and, by in large comes away with it. That sort of ball-hawking is critical because Brewer’s 48% true shooting percentage and 20% three point percentage will need to be offset with a specialist skill set and effort.

As a backup player, Brewer is going to be asked to stabilize the defensive effort of the second unit. Houston is very clearly solidifying a team with an identity that screams defense, transition, and execution. Brewer excels in transition where his play can be a bit reckless but it can also goad opposing defenses into fouling which, for this team, is better than the points themselves. Brewer’s calling card is to leak out in transition as an alarmingly effective outlet target with enough athleticism to finish strong at the basket.

The outgoing Troy Daniels will take with him a reliable three-point shot but his size restricted him to a point guard and shooting guard back up. Houston was in desperate need of a reliable back up at the 2 and 3 (Small-ball 4, even) and this frees up Brewer to spell Ariza more often than he will Harden (Backed up by Kostas Papanikoloau). At 6’9” and 185 pounds Brewer isn’t your ideal small-ball 4 but Ariza has fit the bill, at times, at 6’8” and 200 pounds.

From a stability point the Rockets bench lost an inconsistent bench scorer (Who, by the way, has seen his three point shot drop 18%) averaging 6 minutes per game. They gained a 30-minute a night player (if need be) to continue applying defensive pressure in the mold of Trevor Ariza. Brewer’s integration will create some questions about spacing and offensive flow, but McHale has proven to be able to integrate talent regardless of roster turnover.

Hot Take Analysis: Houston Rockets Acquire Corey Brewer

By Brandon Davis | Dec 19, 2014