Brewer achieves weight gain, seeks gains elsewhere

MANKATO — You'd never know it by looking at those scrawny arms and calves he inherited from a father nicknamed Pee Wee, but Corey Brewer claims he has returned for his crucial second season with the Timberwolves stronger, better.

He has done so by exercising those limber limbs in the weight room and those smiley jaws in the dining room to varying degrees of success.

"I think he has gained 8 pounds," Wolves Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale said, "and for Corey, that's not easy."

Now if only a scale could measure confidence.

A two-time NCAA champion and the seventh overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, Brewer demonstrated springy athleticism and uncanny defensive ability in his rookie season. He also showed he often couldn't shoot a lick when the bright lights shone.

Wolves coach Randy Wittman kept the rookie on the floor a season ago because of a defensive acumen that allowed Brewer to guard Peja Stojakovic one night, Paul Pierce the next and because of an organizational edict to fully evaluate the team's many young players.

Now with rookie Kevin Love and veteran Mike Miller signed up to spread the floor for big Al Jefferson down low, Brewer will be asked to prove he can do what his 37.4 shooting percentage showed he could do not a year ago.

"He's going to have to make open shots, there's no getting around it," Wittman said. "Until he improves his consistency making that 15- to 18-foot jump shot, teams are going to help off him and play five against four. He's going to have to have confidence this year and not lose confidence, which was his big thing last year.

"You're going to go through hard times and good times in this league, and you can't throw away that confidence when some bad things happen."

Brewer spent all summer working on his shot and his ballhandling, logging hours in the gym with former Florida teammate Chris Richard. After the Wolves made that midnight trade with Memphis on draft night, Miller summoned Brewer and other teammates to the Target Center basement for evening shooting sessions in which Miller's routine prevents him from leaving the building until he makes a predetermined number of shots.

Miller is an eight-year NBA veteran and career 40 percent shooter from three-point range. He shrugged off Brewer's defense late last season to score 34 points in a game at Target Center. Like Brewer, he's also a former Gator.

"They're both Florida guys, so I think they might have a connection there," forward Ryan Gomes said.

Miller's shooting possesses everything that Brewer thus far lacks: textbook form, impeccable rhythm, unshakable confidence.

"Just repetition, time in the gym," Miller said when asked how a shooter finds and maintains his confidence. "You get to the point where you shoot so many in the gym, you just expect it to go in when you play games. That's how it's got to be. You've got to realize you've put in enough time to be good.

"Corey wants to be better himself. That's half the battle. It depends on how hard you work, and he works hard."

Wolves assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg has worked with Brewer on his shooting mechanics, adjusting where he releases the basketball and urging him to relax and slow down.

Confidence, now that's something Brewer must discover from within. It was fleeting even in Las Vegas Summer League play, where it both came and went liked a blessed desert July breeze.

"Summer league, that's just a different thing, not like the regular season," Brewer said. "I feel it will be a lot better playing with these guys right here. I've just got to get my confidence back. If I can do that, I'll have a much better year. Once you lose it, it's hard to get it back.

"I think I'll see a lot of open shots, especially with the guys we've got now. I'm going to have an opportunity to prove myself. I just need to relax and take it as it comes."

Brewer -- 6-9, 188 pounds and agile -- never lost faith on the defensive end, where he is the Wolves' only real shut-down defender. McHale said he remains convinced he made the correct selection two summers ago because of Brewer's defensive ability and versatility as well as his championship pedigree.

"As far as his hustle, his intangibles, his running, his defense, all those things are at or above NBA level for a 2-3 man," McHale said, referring to the small forward-big guard positions. "The two things he was lacking were his ballhandling and his shooting, and he has worked really hard on those. Better technique and more repetitions help you, but you still have to make 'em when it counts."