Brown gets defensive

Charlotte guard hones his game

Charlotte Bobcats guard Shannon Brown had a simple, yet stark, question for one of his coaches a couple of weeks ago: Why don't you like me?

Brown now says he was joking, but assistant Dave Hanners had a serious reply. He liked Brown just fine, It was Brown's game Hanners didn't like.

"I said Coach [Larry Brown] is asking you to do certain things, and you're not doing them," Hanners recalled. "Most guys are misguided about how to do well. They think, 'If I score 15 or 18 points, Coach has to play me!'

"We have Jason Richardson and Adam Morrison and a whole lot of guys who can make shots. We need Shannon to do something else to help."

Apparently that registered, explaining how Brown slipped into the rotation Saturday. He played 13 minutes of solid defense, mostly on Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade (5-of-15 from the field), in the Bobcats' first victory this season.

So it figures that Brown will get more chances tonight at home against the Detroit Pistons.

There was a time in training camp when Brown looked in danger of being cut despite a guaranteed contract.

The best thing in his favor was the boss' faith; managing partner Michael Jordan likes Brown's potential.

Yet he was blowing this chance, playing out of control with quick shots and risky passes.

"When you see something you want that bad," Brown said, "you can push too hard, and sometimes I've just got to slow down."

For Brown to play, he needs to demonstrate enough playmaking skills and judgment to fill in as the Bobcats' third point guard.

So Hanners saw a breakthrough in a decision Brown made against the Heat. His teammates were running, looking for a fast-break advantage, but Brown recognized they didn't have a numbers advantage. So he backed off and called a set play.

"Two weeks ago," Hanners said, "he would have done something to get himself a shot."

Jordan was all smiles Saturday, in part because his faith in Brown seemed justified.

Brown is a regular in the summer at Attack Athletics, the private gym in Chicago run by Tim Grover, Jordan's longtime trainer. Brown says anywhere from 10 to 40 NBA players are at that gym each summer day.

Jordan still plays in some of those games and noticed Brown's potential.

Asked what Brown needs to succeed, Jordan said, "Confidence. People believing in him."