Debrief: How much can the Pacers believe in Kobe Brown's out of nowhere ascent?

INDIANAPOLIS – Kobe Brown came out of nowhere, both on the boards and in general.

On the court, he comes out of nowhere as he barrels down the lane and snags a rebound he has no business getting. Brown did that almost five times per game for the Pacers down the stretch of the season and ranked ahead of both Micah Potter and Jay Huff – yes, two centers – in offensive rebounds per minute. Brown crashed the boards hard, and with success.

And in general, he came out of nowhere with the Pacers in that he looked like a struggling, inexperienced throw-in when being traded to the Circle City. He ended the season effectively, useful, and everywhere.

It was an impressive turnaround. His scoring and rebounding climbed, and so did his efficiency. With role players, efficiency and usage sometimes have an inverse relationship. Not for Brown with the Pacers.

"Every game I feel like I take steps forward in some aspect when it comes to the Pacer way of basketball. Pace after all the randomness" Brown said at his exit interview of his improving fit. "As we went on... It really just started to click. I'm really getting comfortable settling into it."

His jumper was a key part of that. He knocked down 43.3% of his triples with the Pacers. 39 of his 72 career made threes with the franchise. Yes, wildly, over half of Brown's makes from deep since becoming a pro in 2023 happened during his 27 games with Indiana.

He earned the minutes he got and has earned the free agency coverage he's gotten since. Follow that link to read my thoughts on his offseason and how the Pacers might handle it. But that Brown could be a consideration for the blue and gold, or any team, says so much about his ascent.

It's always good when a player improves, even more so under the watch of a franchise trying to develop in a 19-win season. But the question to be asked is simple: Just how real is all of this? Not that it's impossible Brown is good. Au contraire. Rather, history tells a cautionary tale.

Speaking of things that tell a tale, so do these three games:
-Pacers at Spurs, March 21. Pacers play all of their best healthy guys (Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker, and Jay Huff all played). Brown played the fewest minutes of anyone who suited up and was the last player off the bench to check in.
-Pacers at Magic, March 23. The very next game. This was the start of the final stretch of the year in which the Pacers really went for it. They actually beat Orlando. Brown, for the first time since joining the team, didn't play at all.
-Pacers vs Lakers, March 25. Third game in a row. Brown plays just eight minutes.

In that three-game stretch, Brown played for just 21 total minutes. It was the fewest number of minutes he played in any three-game span for Indiana, and it may have continued if not for an injury to Walker in the next outing. In short: During the Pacers final significant push with their core players, Brown was far less involved.

That is not a knock on Brown, or meant to say he couldn't have been helpful in those games. Rather, it showed the Pacers thinking in some way. He was prioritized less than others in those outings.

Remember Jordan Nwora? Again, not meant as a knock on any player but more as precedent. He was traded to the Pacers in the middle of a down season. They went 35-47 that year, including a 10-16 finish post trade deadline.

Nwora was acquired at said deadline. And he had the best stretch of his career after that deal, averaging 13.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game across 24 appearances for the Pacers that season. And Nwora, unlike Brown, was under contract for another year.

The Pacers still pivoted away. In the offseason, they acquired Toppin and drafted Walker. Six months later, in came Siakam. Nwora was moved in that deal. His flash with the Pacers was just that: A flash. Then, he was replaced.

That's not meant to diminish what Brown did. He played well and earned the minutes he did get. The praise that he's gotten is warranted. If the Pacers retained him as a depth piece, it would make good sense. But also, short flashes in a down season can sometimes be just that and nothing more.

Sometimes, though, it's Jalen Smith. He got traded to the Pacers in a down year, played well, battled through a weird contract reality, stayed in Indiana, and had a role for a Conference Finalist. He's still in an NBA rotation today, though the Pacers weren't trying to be contenders back then.

How the Pacers should feel about Brown is impossible to say, and history points in multiple directions. But Brown's out-of-nowhere growth makes this conversation a must. His rebounding and shooting and stocky defense were meaningful. Those are important skills. He plays a coveted position and has a great spirit to him.

"Being able to be on the floor and just be involved, it was really great. I don't take it for granted," Brown said of his playing time.

A still-developing wing that has skills to get on the court is a fine player to have on a roster. The Pacers won't have much to explain if they re-sign Brown. But they'll have to live with any chance of a falloff, even with his past successes and fit. How much they're willing to live with that chance depends on how much they believe in the improvements he showed in the final 27 games of the season.

Thank you for reading. Tomorrow, the Pascal Siakam debrief and this series is over. The draft is tomorrow, too! Sign up for many stories about many things.