After getting traded to the Indiana Pacers last week, former Tiger Kobe Brown has settled in nicely. He's played in just two games but is already making an impact, and has now found a spot in the starting lineup.
In his first game, Brown put up eight points and six rebounds in 19 minutes. Last night against the Brooklyn Nets, he was slotted into the starting rotation and played 28 minutes, notching four points, seven rebounds and three assists while putting up plus-11 efficiency rating. After two games, Brown is averaging six points, 6.5 rebounds and two assists.
While the intial returns are just a small sample, it seems that Brown has carved out a nice role with the Pacers.
Former Tiger Kobe Brown is finally getting his opportunity in Indiana
Before the trade, Brown was buried on the Los Angeles Clippers bench, averaging just 2.9 points in eight minutes per game. Now it looks like he's found a nice home, at least for now, in Indiana, where the dead last Pacers are in need of some talented youth. After his first game, head coach Rick Carlisle had some high-praise for the former Tiger.
"He played great," head coach Rick Carlisle said about Brown. "He was the biggest plus on the team. He's an interesting player. This is the first time I've really studied him playing. He does a lot of good things. He's a basketball player...This is a great opportunity for him coming to us at this particular point in time."
At Missouri, Brown was a multi-year starter, and averaged 10.8 points and six rebounds during his time in Columbia. He was taken with the 30th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and has played in L.A. for the first two and a half years of his NBA journey.