The idea of Bruce Brown probably works better on teams that aren’t the Pistons. A point guard with elite (yeah, I went there) defense who can pass a bit and doesn’t really want to (or, in some cases, simply can’t) score? If you’ve got a superstar wing or something, Brown probably seems like a good fit next to him.
The Pistons, though, really would prefer that their point guards be able to score. Or, barring that, be able to be elite ball-handlers and distributors. Because offense is at a premium right now in Detroit, and Brown’s shortcomings on that end have an outsized affect on team success.
Heck, here’s a trade idea that I just thought of that might be really stupid but might also be genius: Brown for Rajon Rondo and a first round pick. Boom. Did I just blow everyone’s minds or what? The Lakers get Mr. PG-Defense and they don’t need him to even pretend to try and score, and the Pistons get a guy who really sucks now but at least can set up Andre Drummond 15 times a game or something. The Pistons are tanking, right? Rondo is the perfect tank commander.
In the meantime, we can just be happy for the occasions where Brown hits a few shots and looks like a reasonable approximation of a good NBA scorer. Like tonight!