Is Corey Brewer the Leandro Barbosa of this year’s Rockets?

When Mike D'Antoni was announced as the next head coach of the Houston Rockets, daydreams and fairy tales of reviving the Seven Seconds or Less offense filled the heads of everyone from management to players to fans.

The easiest parallel a person could make between the old Phoenix Suns offense and the Rockets was the way James Harden would become Steve Nash 2.0.

Another parallel between the two teams are speedsters off the bench: Corey Brewer and Leandro Barbosa. The role won't be as critical as Harden playing Nash, but if Brewer can become the second coming of Barbosa it will go a long way in making the Rockets a serious contender.

"Different games," Mike D'Antoni said when asked if he can see Barbosa's game in Brewer. "But the energy and just the fallout throttle all the time, yeah. I'm looking to having his energy on the floor every night."

Barbosa was an all-out blur, during those years with the Suns — heck, his nickname is the Brazilian Blur — he could be seen streaking toward his rim after a rebound, and finishing off the play with a layup before the defense even knew what hit them.

Brewer can do a lot of the same things; he may not have the same handles or the same propensity at the three-point line, but he's not a bad comparison.

"That'd be nice," Brewer said when asked about the parallel. "Barbosa was playing really well, he would be a guy I could try and play, like just ‘cause he's so fast and the way he did things."

Both Barbosa's and Brewer's career year came during the 2006 season. Only one was able to 18 points a game coming off the bench while the scored 13 points a game as a starter.

Brewer has studied the old Suns' offenses, no doubt. He knows what could be waiting for him if he's able to become the Rockets’ Barbosa.