Former Missouri Tiger Kobe Brown was involved in a mid-season NBA trade that sent him to the Indiana Pacers. While he's only played seven games for Indiana so far, Brown is beginning to remind everyone why he was a first-round pick three years ago.
After three mostly uneventful season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Brown was shipped off to Indiana, where he's been giving plenty of opportunity, and he's making the most of it. Through seven games, Brown is averaging 9.7 points and seven rebounds per game on 46.3 percent shooting including 40 percent from deep.
Kobe Brown has finally been given an opportunity and he's making the most of it with Indiana
The Clippers had sent off Brown as an afterthought in the Pacers trade, but it seems like LA might be regretting their decision after seeing how Brown has done with Indiana. After just playing around eight minutes per game in his tenure with Los Angeles, Brown never found much footing. But with Indiana, Brown has averaged 27 minutes per game and has an impressive 12/9/2 per 36 minutes stat line for the Pacers.
While the Pacers still remain one of the worst teams in basketball, Brown could put showcasing his skills for another team who may be inclined to bring him onboard next season. Still, even if the Pacers don't start winning, Brown will be one of the few bright spots on a team that might struggle to eclipse 20 wins.
Brown was a standout at Missouri, and after averaging 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists his senior season was taken with the 30th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He's still just 26, so if he continues to improve with Indiana thanks to a sizable role, Brown could be looking at a nice career resurrection.