On The Court
By Jesse Blanchard
Foot injuries threatened to derail
the promising career of one of the
few giants capable of adapting to,
and impacting, the modern NBA;
and Brook Lopez’s front office has
conspired to do everything else
in their power to make his career
otherwise irrelevant.
In Lopez, the Brooklyn Nets
have one of the most productive,
varied scoring big men in the
NBA—averaging 17.2 points and 7.4
rebounds per game last season in
29.2 minutes. Lopez has the ability to
work inside with the ball, combining
deft footwork, soft touch, and a large
body to create space around the
rim; as well as step out for midrange
jumpers and soft floaters off pick and
pops and short rolls.
On defense, Lopez has figured
out a way to utilize his size to be a
deterrent in the paint, averaging 1.8
blocks per game while dropping back
in coverage and using his massive
body to take up space. Given the
right set of circumstances, Lopez can
furnish a franchise with most of what
it needs from its center position, save
for rebounding.
There’s little overpowering
or spectacular to Lopez, but his
consistent, all-around game provides
the sort of flexibility and reliability
needed to serve as a hub for smart
organizations to plug into creative
schemes and lineups—giving
scoring, gravity, and acceptable
defense, provided a team can supply
the playmaking, rebounding, and
shooting to take advantage.
Unfortunately, imagination has
been severely lacking among the
Nets’ brain trust, from the plain
uniform and logo schemes adopted
during their move to Brooklyn to
acquisitions and schemes used in
their brief tenure there. The threat of
massive tax bills forced the Nets to
finally offload salary, and for all the
warts Deron Williams had, he was
still solid enough to supply an offense
with the structure necessary for
Lopez to work.
Should Lopez fall susceptible to
injuries again this season, there aren’t
too many other avenues through
which to find consistent offensive
production. Jarrett Jack is capable of
hitting tough shots, but can derail
entire offensive schemes when left
to his own devices. And while Joe
Johnson still remains a solid player,
at this point in his career his body
and game would likely be too taxed
serving as the primary option for
extended stretches.
In order to keep the Nets afloat in
the mediocre lifestyle they’ve grown
accustomed to, Lopez will have to
expand his game a little more to
accommodate what his team’s lost.
The foundations are crumbling in
Brooklyn, and Lopez’s unsteady legs
are all that’s propping it up.
BBALLBREAKDOWN.COM | 15