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Ronnie Brewer Resents Utah Didn't Try to Bring Him Back

LunaticWolf

LunaticWolf

Well-Known Member
https://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/10/07/ronnie-brewer-resents-utah-didnt-try-to-bring-him-back/
DALLAS -- Ronnie Brewer wanted last summer to return to Utah as a free agent and general manager Kevin O'Connor had said Jazz officials would talk to him.

In the end, though, the guard said Utah never made a serious run at him, and Brewer believes the Jazz pretty much had closed the door on him after a contract extension couldn't be reached last fall and he was traded last February to Memphis. So he ended up signing a three-year, $12.5 million deal with Chicago.

"I kept in constant conversation with my agent (Henry Thomas) every day,'' Brewer said in an interview with FanHouse before a preseason game against Dallas on Thursday, the second straight game Brewer has missed due to a sore right hamstring. "Kevin O'Connor didn't contact me or (Thomas) even though I guess he said he did. He said that he was going to get back with them and he said he was going to get back with me. And he didn't really pursue (it).''

O'Connor declined comment. Indications are O'Connor last summer did talk to Thomas, who did not immediately return a call, but no offer ever was made on Brewer. The Jazz ended up signing guard Raja Bell as the replacement for Wesley Matthews, who bolted to Portland after signing a five-year, $33.4 million offer sheet the Jazz didn't match.

Any friction between Brewer and the Jazz started after Brewer played his first three seasons with Utah from 2006-09, including averaging 13.7 points in 2008-09. He was up for a contract extension last fall that would have kicked in this season, but the sides couldn't reach an agreement.

Brewer said Utah offered a deal similar to the four-year, $15 million offer sheet Jazz swingman C.J. Miles signed with Oklahoma City in July 2008, which Utah ended up matching. At that point, Miles had played just three seasons coming out of high school and had averaged 5.0 points in 2007-08.

"I just felt what was fair was fair,'' Brewer said of negotiations last fall over a contract extension before no deal could be reached by the Nov. 2, 2009 deadline. "And what they were talking about, I don't think was actually that fair. ... We didn't even have a set number (that the Brewer camp requested). We wanted them to put a number on the table. And the number was significantly low.

"My numbers spoke that I improved every year. But it was unfortunate that we didn't get something worked out because I thought I was a pretty good fit for (the Jazz), and I was only getting better.''
- Ronnie Brewer
"They were basically going to offer C.J. Miles. I was like, 'Well, he got that off potential and he hasn't even played (big minutes) yet.' It was fair (for Miles). No disrespect to him. I thought that I worked hard and improved every year (in Utah). My numbers spoke that I improved every year. But it was unfortunate that we didn't get something worked out because I thought I was a pretty good fit for (the Jazz), and I was only getting better.''

After no deal could be reached, Brewer was dealt last February to the Grizzlies for a first-round pick. Brewer ended up playing in just five Grizzlies games before being lost for the season with a partially torn right hamstring. Memphis renounced him after the season, making him an unrestricted, rather than a restricted, free agent.

O'Connor told reporters last July he would speak with Brewer about possibly bringing him back to Utah, and indications are he did touch base with Thomas. But after it was decided not to match the offer sheet on Matthews, the Jazz signed Bell to a three-year deal worth about $10 million.

"(Thomas) asked me if Utah came along with an offer and I said, 'Yeah, I'm open to anything that is going to benefit me,''' Brewer said of being interested last summer in returning to the Jazz. "I knew the system, knew the coach and the players. I enjoy playing with (Utah star point guard Deron Williams). After that, I got a call back (from his agent saying the Jazz were) going to sign (Bell).''

Asked if he believed lingering bitterness over last fall's failed contract negotiations played a role in the Jazz not really pursuing him, Brewer said, "I think so.''

The third year of Brewer's contract is nonguaranteed, and his year-by-year salaries with the Bulls aren't that much higher than what a deal similar to Miles' would have paid. But Brewer said he's happy with his contract and being in Chicago.

"I feel like this is a good fit for me, a good young team playing my style, an up-tempo team,'' Brewer said. "I'm looking forward to getting back on the court with these guys.''

Brewer hopes that will be soon. Brewer insists his hamstring injury isn't serious and isn't related to the injury that ended up sidelining him last March for the rest of the season.

"I'm doing a lot better,'' said Brewer, who said he tweaked his hamstring Sept. 24, shortly before the Sept. 28 start of training camp. "I think it's more precautionary right now. I've been practicing right now, working out with the team. It's still early. I don't want to really push it and have an early injury.''

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau also doesn't seem overly bothered by Brewer's injury.

"Each day he's doing a little more,'' Thibodeau said. "Still, he still hasn't taken on contact yet. That will be the next step. But he's doing more and more each practice. Once he can do a full practice, he'll play.

"In September, he went pretty hard. So you're concerned when anybody is injured. But the way he's moved and the way he's moving right now, I'm encouraged with that. But until he can get out there and get through practice and get through games, we're just going to count on the people we do have right now.''

The Jazz, meanwhile, will be counting on Bell, rather than Brewer, to replace Matthews. Interestingly, Bell is slated to make his preseason Utah debut at home Thursday night against none other than Matthews and Portland.
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Why "Wow?"
I can see why Brewer would be a little bitter. He was pretty tight with Deron, Paul, etc. Remember, Deron was extremely upset when the trade happened. But Ronnie also has to understand it's a business. The Jazz offered him CJ money because, while CJ got his contract on potential, the Jazz knew EXACTLY what Brewer could do, namely, drive to the hoop and score, but not hit an outside jumper with any consistency.

And why wouldn't the negotiations from last summer play a part? KOC and Thomas weren't even close in terms of salary. If I remember correctly, KOC said he had basically the same contract and was prepared to offer it to several SG's. Raja accepted right away. Had KOC passed on Raja to go after Ronnie, there was no guarantee Thomas wouldn't pull the same garbage again, asking for MLE-type money.

While I think the trade last season weakened the Jazz: Jeffers was forced to play minutes when AK got hurt, we didn't know at the time that KOC was working on getting Jefferson. It's very clear now that Minnesota was asking for more than what the Jazz were willing to give up - namely, the NY pick. So KOC went out and got a mid-1st for Brewer and was then able to sweeten the trade offer for Jefferson. Kudos to KOC on that one. And Kudos to KOC for not overpaying for Ronnie B. He's simply not good enough to be a starter on a contender, even though he may think he is.
 
Ronnie if you could shoot I think we definitely would have tried to get him back before Bell, but a 2 guard who cant shoot isnt going to cut it.
 
It's really simple: Jazz thought Bell was better fit for the team. If Bell didn't work out, then Brewer would likely be next on the list, but that's a moot point, because Bell did work out. The team needed defense and shooting that it lost with Matthews, and Bell brought these things. Brewer has nothing to be bitter about. Jazz offered him extension worth a lot more than the deal he ended up signing. How can he, in retrospect, be bitter about the Jazz not offering him more than he turned out to be worth? And as far as not bringing him back, there was a better fit found for less money, who also was a former Jazzman (Bell). Nothing to be bitter about here.
 
I've been a Brewer booster for a long time. Was stoked when I was at the ESA for the day he was drafted. Nice to see players now complaining about not being able to play in Utah--a stark contrast to the Rony Seikaly era.

Have been entertained by his baseline sneakery and rumored pillow forts.

But Ronnie B, I have two words for you:

JUMP SHOT.
 
Someone's bitter that Utah (one of the least appealing destinations by the majority of the league) didn't offer him a deal? Ronnie's still the man!
 
Ronnie's alright, but after watching him in those two Lakers' series, it was painfully clear that he had no place in the future of our team.
 
Pretty simple. His idea of his value was higher than the Jazz idea of his value. If they had made him an offer, instead of complaining that they didn't make him an offer, he would be complaining that the offer they made still wasn't fair.

In this case, I think the Jazz were right. The fact that he didn't get the offer he considered fair from anyone else either supports their position.
 
wahmbulance.jpg
 
I love Ronnie Brewer the guy. I wish champions were determined by who had the most nice guys on the team.

But that's not how it works. Brewer was fatally exposed when playing the Lakers and I still believe you cannot have perimeter players that aren't shooting threats. If Rondo could shoot (notwithstanding the things he does well), Boston would have yet another banner.

Can we refer to the Chicago Bulls as the Utah Rejects? Because that's what they are.
 
The sad thing is Bell isn't that good of a shooter anymore. He's still better than Brewer, but he's not a huge upgrade on offense.
 
I wanted the jazz to bring back Brewer although I can see why we brought in a guy like Bell on a team that lost two perimeter threats. It just came down to cap flexibility - why we traded him in the first place... He shouldn't have been that surprised once we lost Matthews and Korver. The need for another shooter was obviously there and Brewer's shooting has gotten worse over the years.
 
Imagine the PR nightmare of giving away Brewer, replacing him with Matthews; then not matching Matthews and replacing him with Brewer.

Even The Knicks FO would snicker at that one.
 
I'm sure the injury didn't help Brewer any with the Jazz. His whole game is based upon his athleticism, I know that I wouldn't have offered him much more than a couple million a year. But hey, the Bulls came in and gave him a great contract. He should be happy.
 
Revolution 9 said:
The sad thing is Bell isn't that good of a shooter anymore. He's still better than Brewer, but he's not a huge upgrade on offense.
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Brewer supporters thought his offensive contribution was about his points when the detractors were concerned with how THE TEAM scored. Bell is a significant upgrade for TEAM offense, even if Bell doesn't rock the rim for 60% from the field. And Brewer was actually a mediocre man-to-man defender at best, was bad/lazy when screened, didn't seem to ever read the scouting report, and was very soft as a general rule. Brewer homers didn't know what the team was missing until an undersized, under-athletic, undrafted MAN out of Marquette showed up, hit his shots, fought threw screens, and actually seemed to read the scouting report and mix up his defensive style sometimes manning up, sometimes sagging off, sometimes forcing players to their weak hand, etc.

Matthews got $35 million, Brewer got $12.5 million.

And what the hell are you talking about when saying "Bell isn't that good of a shooter anymore"??? He hasn't shot under 40% from 3 since '03-'04. What in the hell are you basing your opinion on?
 
NUMBERICA said:
And what the hell are you talking about when saying "Bell isn't that good of a shooter anymore"??? He hasn't shot under 40% from 3 since '03-'04. What in the hell are you basing your opinion on?
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I personally still have faith in Raja's shot, but he admittedly did shoot one shot behind the backboard and air balled a three from the corner... not exactly inspiring shooting.

*it seems the first shot hit the rim and just looked like it went behind the hoop from my angle. Still not a good shot/pass*
 
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beantastic said:
I personally still have faith in Raja's shot, but he admittedly did shoot one shot behind the backboard and air balled a three from the corner... not exactly inspiring shooting.
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1. It's one game in the freaking pre-season for Christ's sake.
2. He hardly played last year, but the one game he played for GS and the most recent game he played, he went 3 for 3.

But yeah, missing shots isn't a good thing.
 
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