Because of Yao's size, Curry said following Saturday's practice that Brown would be making a rare start against Yao and the Rockets tonight.

Yao suffered a right knee injury against Indiana on Friday that kept him out of the second half.

Curry thinks the benching was more of a precautionary measure.

"I'm preparing as if Yao's going (to play)," Curry said. "That's the only thing I've thought about -- that Yao is going to play and Kwame is going to start."

Getting an opportunity to play has been rare for Brown in recent weeks.

After appearing in Detroit's first 19 games which included nine starts, Brown has not played (coaches decision) in 12 of the past 23.

Brown said he is looking forward to today's game, even if it means having to guard Yao.

"It doesn't matter how a good defense you play; he's so big," said Brown, who is 6-foot-11 and weighs 270 pounds. "He can still get the shot over the top of you."

The knock on Yao when he first came to the NBA was that he was soft, and that if you continued to be physical with him, he would wear down.

Brown said it's not quite that easy anymore.

"You have to hit him first, and be on him and hopefully wear him down," Brown said. "In years past, he used to wear down. Now, I think his conditioning is a lot better. Once you hit him, he kind of likes the contact a little more. What I'm going to try and do is hit him first, mix it up."

If Brown does a good job, it could result in more consistent minutes. If not, Brown seems content with his current role as a situation player.