Kobe Brown is the exact type of player that the NBA churns through at a horrifying rate. He currently sits on a two-way deal, but little protects him from the abyss that is being unsigned as a young player without the allure of being deserving of a contract.
That's what makes his showing in the Indiana Pacers' preseason game so disappointing. Maybe disappointing isn't the right word for it. Truthfully, it's just unfair.
Brown had a strong game against the Rival Oklahoma City Thunder, scoring 10 points on 50% shooting and adding five rebounds in 30 minutes. The statistical impact of his play can't be summed up in these numbers because Brown showed his willingness and ability to be a cog in this team.
But none of that matters. All anyone will remember – the taste that no one can get out of their mouths – will be his missed free throw in the closing seconds of Regulation. After earning an and-one opportunity, he bricked the shot from the charity stripe, letting the game go into overtime, where the Pacers would fall heartbreakingly close.
It's the preseason, and this stuff shouldn't hit as hard as it does, but it'll be hard to give Brown increased run if he can't be relied on.
How did we even get here?
It feels like no one ever talks about the fact that Kobe Brown was a part of the Ivica Zubac trade. Everyone will harp on about the 2025 first-round pick that became Keaton Wagler, or even the 2029 pick that the Los Angeles Clippers were forced to abandon after they were found guilty of circumnavigating the cap. Even the second-round pick still remaining to be conveyed has gotten more buzz than Brown.
Hell, the former Missouri Tiger isn't even making seven figures, which sounds like a lot to us mortals, but is a significant barrier to relevance in the NBA.
Arriving from the Clippers, Brown played 25 minutes per game across 27 games, shooting 50/43/79 from the relevant spots on the court and contributing a little bit of extra playmaking and scoring for a Pacers team that needed everything.
He won't get the same opportunity on this Pacers team, but now it's worth asking if he will get any opportunity at all. In a stacked roster, Brown's best shot was to move up into the fourth forward spot behind Kelly Oubre Jr., Aaron Nesmith, and Andrew Nembhard. That race is tightly contested and has at least four other players in the running for it.
It doesn't matter how good you are, though. If trust is lost, it is rarely regained in the NBA. A missed free throw in a preseason game won't end Brown's career, but it could certainly be a roadblock to future chances.
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