Kwame Brown needs to get use to the jokes about sharing a first name with Detroit's controversial Mayor Kilpatrick now, because according to sources, he just signed a two-year deal at $4 million a season to be Detroit's backup center—or possibly even the starter.
This likely means the departure/retirement of center Theo Ratliff, whom the Pistons were rumored to be interested in retaining.
Brown brings more than former number-one draft pick bust status to the Pistons. At 26, he is still fairly young and has some upside left. He provides size and athleticism at 7'0" and 270 lbs. While his work ethic has been questioned in times past, his natural gifts have not.
New Pistons coach Michael Curry will not allow players to take plays off, which Brown has been criticized for in times past. In the right environment, Brown could still develop into a more than serviceable role player, which Joe Dumars no doubt is rolling the dice on.
It is not the first time the Pistons have taken a chance on a talent others have given up on, and in the past such moves have usually paid off. If this one does not, it's not like the Pistons lose much. Like many other players the Pistons have brought aboard, Kwame Brown has something to prove, and this might be his last and best chance.
Tony Wichowski is a writer for the Bleacher Report and the host of "That's Real Sports Talk" on the Godly Network.
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