He is only 23 years old, but like the biggest NBA stars, Tyrese Haliburton has decided to take care of the recruitment of the Pacers! It was he who called Bruce Brown to convince him to leave Denver for Indiana. It must be said that with a large check of 45 million dollars over two seasons, it was not very complicated.
“I called him and started my little pitch” says Tyrese Haliburton. “He interrupted me in the middle of my speech and said, ‘You don’t have to do this, I know exactly how to fit in there. It would be really great to play with you, and I want the deal to happen, so let’s find a solution. That’s all there was to it, I said, ‘OK, count on it!’ “.
A meeting with the Knicks
In the Indy Star, we learn that Bruce Brown had only met the Pacers and Knicks on July 1, and after listening to Indiana leaders, he asked his agents to cancel all subsequent appointments. Including the one planned with the Nuggets, who could only offer him eight million dollars a year. His teammates in Denver obviously understood his choice.
“There was one thing we said to each other: we play as a team, we win as a team, and then everyone can benefit from it” explains the 2023 NBA champion. “I knew everything would come naturally as I had played well this season, and I didn’t think too much about free agency”.
Already used on all positions in the NBA
On the side of the Pacers, we were therefore ready to quadruple his salary, and for Rick Carlisle, a player like Bruce Brown is rare in the current NBA. That’s why he was so valuable to the Nuggets.
“One of the qualities of Bruce’s game is that he is very versatile”appreciates the coach. “He evolves in several positions, and we have seen him from positions 1 to 4 since his arrival in the NBA. He had unusual situations like in Brooklyn alongside three mega stars, then he played in Denver with (Nikola) Jokic. What I like about him, and this is the most important thing for a team that needs to improve in defense, is that he will take care of the best opposing outside team every night. He will rise to the challenge and he loves these challenges. »
A mission he confirms: “I am a defender. That’s how I got to the NBA, and that’s how I stayed. Just trying to help defend against the best attacker. »
| Bruce Brown, Jr. | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2018-19 | TED | 74 | 20 | 39.8 | 25.8 | 75.0 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 4.3 |
| 2019-20 | TED | 58 | 28 | 44.3 | 34.4 | 73.9 | 1.1 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 8.9 |
| 2020-21 | BRK | 65 | 22 | 55.6 | 28.8 | 73.5 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 8.8 |
| 2021-22 | BRK | 72 | 25 | 50.6 | 40.4 | 75.8 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 9.0 |
| 2022-23 | DEN | 80 | 29 | 48.3 | 35.8 | 75.8 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 11.5 |
| Total | 349 | 25 | 48.2 | 34.1 | 74.9 | 1.1 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 8.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
