Philadelphia 76ers: Breaking down Corey Brewer’s role

Corey Brewer joined the Philadelphia 76ers last week on a 10-day contract and has made a good case for a contract extension with his defense and scoring.

Philadelphia 76ers fans have acknowledged the team’s need for depth since the beginning of the season, and their newest addition to the bench made waves in Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets for his defense on James Harden. As a result, it looks like he will earn himself a deal until the end of the season.

Corey Brewer, a 6-foot-9 wing, played a big role in holding James Harden to a “modest” 37 points on 26 shots along with three assists, six turnovers, and a plus/minus of -23. He annoyed Harden to no end with unique defensive strategies.

The Sixers’ lack of athletic wing defenders served as arguably the biggest hole in the roster. Many thought then-interim General Manager and coach Brett Brown filled that need in the draft when he selected Zhaire Smith, but 76ers lottery picks never have smooth rookie years.

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So the journeyman wing, who has averaged a defensive box plus/minus over one just three times in his career, has that mark up to 2.6 in his two games and 41 minutes with the Sixers. Obviously, the sample size is lacking, but the immediate impact he had in one of the team’s biggest tests of the season made a huge difference.

The Sixers beat Houston 121-93 at the Wells Fargo Center and Brewer got the start thanks to Jimmy Butler‘s wrist injury. In addition to his great defense, he contributed 11 points, three boards, two steals, and two blocks with a +17 plus/minus in 32 minutes.

The former University of Florida standout who won two NCAA National Championships has not replicated his collegiate success in the NBA, but he has the ability to make a difference in the Sixers’ trajectory as the playoffs crawl closer. He averages 8.9 points for his career and shoots just 28.3 percent from deep, but the Rockets’ defense respected him on the perimeter and did not sag off of him to make things harder for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in the paint.

The Sixers need as many players with that presence as possible, especially if they defend with the energy and courage of Brewer. He will not do the spectacular, but he slashes into the paint with success on offense. Philly just needs an athletic defender to support Jimmy Butler and Simmons as the team’s good perimeter defenders.

Brewer has played power forward for more than 10 percent of his playing time just once in his career when he played for the Rockets in 2015-16. The Sixers could use him at the four in a small-ball lineup for more flexibility, but he will play the wing, for the most part, trying to frustrate the opponent as much as possible on defense.

The 12-year veteran will not reinvigorate the Philadelphia 76ers’ bench with a stellar offensive skill set, but he provides a more than able scoring and defensive presence to relieve the Sixers’ starters. That presence will make things much easier for the likes of Butler and Simmons and he will diminish the impacts weaker defenders like J.J. Redick, Landry Shamet, and T.J. McConnell allow and his addition could prove crucial come playoff time.