Third year forward Stromile Swift was one of the few bright spots before coach Sidney Lowe?s departure.

He was one of the few bright spots the first six games Hubie Brown coached.  But now he?s spending more time on the bench, and he?s wondering why.

Memphis Commercial Appeal reporter Ron Tillery says Brown has used six-game sets to evaluate line-up combinations.  In the first set, Swift looked good while Pau Gasol struggled.

But in the second set, Gasol and Lorenzen Wright were given the starting opportunity.  Both players stepped up to the challenge.

Meanwhile, Swift?s response to the change has been to let up.  He lost mental toughness. His response to coming off the bench has been lackluster practices and a routine loss of focus in games.

In other words, Swift shot himself in the foot and then handed the coaching staff more ammunition.

Brown?s observation is, ?That's unfortunate for Swift. But let's see him meet the challenge now. That's what professional sports are all about. You have to show your worth with your unit. Not give less with the unit because you feel you're not getting enough time.?

With the team still having a logjam at power forward (Gasol, Swift, Drew Gooden), the buzz about Swift being on the block is returning.

In the meantime, the Stro Show says he intends to request a meeting with Brown in the coming days.  ?I just want to be more important to the team. Right now, I don't feel I'm that important because I'm not playing that much.?