It’s safe to say that while Robert “Big Game Bobby” Braswell became a fan-favorite with his glimpses of greatness, he is a very replaceable asset. Benny Williams will likely command the ball and may never leave the floor. Now with Cole Swider and Jimmy Boeheim, the shooting is not an issue either. So it makes sense that Braswell left, but why Charlotte?
First of all, he’ll only be about an hour away from his home in Blythewood, South Carolina. But it also makes sense from a basketball standpoint. The 49ers’ three leading scorers last year were listed guards. They will likely be looking for opportunities to get the ball to a different type of scorer.
That’s something else Braswell might get from Charlotte. For as long as the wing was on the Hill, Syracuse had shot creators, which left Braswell to stand in the corner waiting for a three-pointer look. Now, he will likely get some free-reign off the dribble. With his athleticism, if he’s healthy, that might be the best way to use him on the offensive end.
Then there’s the issue of defense. Braswell was the perfect plug-and-play wing in the 2-3 Zone, but how will he fare in a man-to-man system? There will likely be an adjustment period, but the 6-foot-7 frame that was so effective in the Zone, should be tough toe-to-toe as well.
It’s no secret that Charlotte is a much smaller program with much smaller aspirations. The 49ers have one double digit win over the past four years. Above all else, Braswell can hit the restart button on his career that never really had much of a chance to take off at Syracuse.
