Brewer takes on a new role
When Corey Brewer was dealt from the Rockets to the Los Angeles Lakers last month, he went from a team fighting for playoff positioning to the last-place team in the Western Conference determined to play its young prospects.
That changed Brewer’s role considerably, but it gave him a job to provide an upbeat veteran influence.
“He just has a great energy about him,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “He makes the locker room a more enjoyable place to be. He’s been very pleasant to have around since the trade. It’s a fine line because when you’re losing, you don’t want to be happy, don’t want to be OK with it, but you still have to be enjoying your work if you’re going to put in the time it takes at this level. I think Corey does a great job of balancing enjoying himself, but also being very serious about what he’s doing.
“Pointing stuff out in film sessions to young guys, just being a solid vet as far as helping teach young guys. … As coaches, we’re looked at like parents or teachers. We send the message, but when it comes from a teammate, a lot of times it hits home quicker.”
While the Lakers have moved to play their young players, Brewer has continued to play, using the leadership lessons he learned as a young player with the similarly rebuilding Minnesota Timberwolves.
“It’s totally the opposite of what I was doing over here,” said the nine-year veteran. “I get an opportunity to play with these guys. They have a lot of talent. They’re just young.
“I came in the league when I was young. I was on a bad team when I was in Minnesota. You have to stay upbeat, keep them positive. Things are going to get better. You just had to wait through the bad first.”
Clinching spot ‘anticlimactic’
When the Rockets arrived in Toyota Center on Wednesday, they were a playoff team. They had thought of themselves that way long before they clinched their spot with Portland’s loss in New Orleans on Tuesday. Now they can consider the first goal of the season checked off their to-do list.
“We’re trying to get in the top four,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “That was our bigger goal. It’s kind of anticlimactic. We kind of knew we were going to make the playoffs back in November. We knew the team we had. We shifted our sights somewhere else, but it’s still good.”
Still, there’s something symbolic about clinching a playoff spot one month before they begin.
“Last year, I think it was the last game before we clinched,” guard James Harden said. “We still have 15 games left. Ever since I’ve been here, we’ve been in the playoffs. It’s been a blessing. Honestly this year, it feels like we deserve it. … This is the beginning. We still have a long way to go, a long way to improve.”
If the standings remain unchanged, the thirdplace Rockets would open the playoffs against Oklahoma City.
“It feels good to clinch a spot, get recognized for the work we’ve put in this year,” Rockets forward Sam Dekker said. “It almost gives you a sense to refocus up. These last 15 games are very important to get us ready. … You know in the West how tough it is just to get out of the first round. We want to be playing good basketball at the right time.”
Smooth transition on Harden’s team
With James Harden’s longtime agent Rob Pelinka becoming the Lakers’ general manager, Harden said he would make Diana Day, who handled his marketing and public relations with Pelinka’s firm, his agent.
Pelinka turned the agency over to employees Brandon Rosenthal, Erika Williams and Day.
Asked if Day is taking the steps to become certified as an agent with the players association, Harden said, “That’s the plan.”
Harden said he was happy for Pelinka and praised his work with him in his eight NBA seasons.
“I know it’s an opportunity of a lifetime that he’ll be really, really great at,” Harden said.