Things are not looking that promising for the Sacramento Kings but it appears Corey Brewer could care less. The 34-year-old has signed up to play for Kings, the last team he played for during the 2018-29 NBA season. He has yet to play a game this 2019-20 season, raising questions on his level of conditioning. Either way, he has at least eight games to show if he can help the cause of head coach Luke Walton.
Leadership is seen as the reason behind the signing, something that Kings badly need. Sacramento has multiple young and talented players but maturity is sorely lacking. Among the players that could use some guidance include De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic. While it makes sense, the Kings face a daunting task to make it to the next round.
Sacramento owns a 28-36 win-loss record and is tied with the New Orleans Pelicans. They are 3.5 games behind the eight-seeded Memphis Grizzlies, indicating that winning as many games (if not all) is a must. One loss could immediately snuff their season, meaning Brewer’s addition may be either a way to fill up roster holes or a chance for him to stay on longer. Brewer signed with the Kings recently but terms were not disclosed, NBA.com reported.
In his last stint with the Kings, he played in 32 games. He averaged 4.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.7 minutes of action. The numbers were not that significant and paled in comparison to his career-high numbers of 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
But recent developments could give Brewer more playing time. Jabari Parker and Alex Len tested positive for COVID-19, raising questions on whether they can play at the bubble games set to take place in Orlando next month. Both said they are already in quarantine and vowed they would be in Orlando next month. However, they still need to get clearance before that – a standard procedure anywhere. Sacramento will be among the 22 teams set to arrive in Orlando between July 7 to 9.
For Brewer, making a good impression is a must. At his age, he is aware that getting an NBA contract is hard to come by. If he does well, there is a chance he could return for the 2020-21 NBA wars. He could be handed a short-term deal – the best thing that players like Brewer can get at this stage of their basketball career.
