If we only gona use him as a 3pt threat might as well just resign frye if we do manage the 2 max. I don't know if that's what Lopez wants to do or being forced to but only shooting 3s isnt a good look for a 7fter.
By far the worst rebounding 7 footer imaginable. Hart and Lonzo can't be grabbing every rebound in the paint.
It’s cause I know Brook sucks. The reason I harp on Randle SL much is because he has so much damn potential, but always does something to screw it up.
Brook has been great for two months now in his role. He's blocking 1.1 shots in just 20.3 minutes (2 blocks per 36 minutes would put him 4th in the league in BPM) He's also shooting much better from outside. He shot 40.4% in February and has shot 37% since the start of the new calendar year. His 3P% is up to 33.5% which is only one percentage point different from last season with Brooklyn. His FG% has suffered, but he's taking over 40% of his shots from outside, so it's about what you'd expect to see. Everyone hates him, but he's done everything asked of him and he's done it to the best of his ability. He's also better than Mozgov and better than Hibbert and better than Jordan Hill by such a wide, insane margin that I'm shocked at how much hate he gets. He's the best 7 footer we've had in a long time.
Eye test And Brook, could you maybe box out and go get a rebound that doesn’t just fall in your hands? Cause
I just wanted to point out that "He's the best center we've had in a long time" does not equal he's good. He's playing his role decent, but after the historical production of that position in LA, of course we expect more. And then there is the matter of salary vs production and limitations. It's not a Mozgovesque contract, but it's not great either. I doubt he'd be willing to resign for what we'd be willing to offer, but you never know. He seems like he's probably a saver.
I think you're right with the "saver" observation. TMZ put this up a couple weeks ago of the front room in his condo. Yikes.
I never said it does equal he's good. I just have been providing actual statistical evidence of his competence all season long. But sure... he's slow. I understand fans don't like him, as long as everyone is on the same page that they dislike him because of personal reasons and not because of his production because his production has been just fine and he's done everything we've asked of him.
I’ll never be excited about a big who is outrebounded by both guards on his team, and has a perm, and is soft as Charmin. The slow thing is whatever, but he has contested shots well, and he’s hitting a decent percentage on 3’s. Doesn’t change the fact we wouldn’t pay him the same salary to stick around. IMHO people judge him on lack of rebounding for a big, and production relative to pay. Comparisons to centers in Laker Land all time greats never happens because he doesn’t qualify.
I just have to much fun with this back and forth to stop, I hope you never take me very seriously. Khmrp is absolutely right too, could be so much worse. He’s not Hibbert, he’s not Kaman. At least he’s a total pro, a locker room leader, can hit the 3, is skilled in the post, and blocks/changes shots.
Nah, I'm just picking fights with @sirronstuff now. Bring it Sirron! I never asked anyone to be excited about him (well not since I realized the Lakers have/had no intentions of actually using him as an offensive focal point). All I asked is that he not get abject hate for no real reason, especially since he's been playing well lately. I agree with this. His shooting and rim protection have been fantastic since January. He's been really useful. Also his slowness is overstated. Despite how slow he is, he regularly beats a Center off the dribble with those giant steps of his and gets a layup or dunk probably once a game that way. Of course not! I'm trying to pay him 4 million this summer which is a 83% salary decrease. I'm not worried about what he's getting paid now because a) we didn't give him that paycheck and b) his salary at 22.6 million is what we're getting instead of Mozgov. We're already making money hand over fist with that exchange. I agree with the reasons people judge him, but he's rarely given credit for doing his job and what Luke/the Lakers are asking for. That's all I've tried to do all year is give the guy some props instead of letting him be a punching bag. I haven't compared him to the All-Time great Centers for the Lakers. Why would I? All I said was that he's better than any Center we've had since Pau left. That's not saying much, I know, but it's still something and the guy deserves credit for what he's doing for us.
I think Lopez has been a great addition to the team. Sure, he shoots from the outside too much, but he alters a lot of shots. Something we haven't had in years. He's not a perfect fit, but it works. Who are the lakers gonna get at C this summer that will be any better?
It all depends. Lopez has length and alters shots, he is even a good shot blocker. But he cannot rebound to save his life and is very slow. You have to also take price into consideration. For 5m per year, Lopez makes great sense. For 15m per year, he doesn't. There must be hope that Zubac can replace him to some degree. At some point Zubac and later down the road probably T. Bryant need to show that they deserve minutes. Lopez is also on the wrong side of the fence (30) and as time goes by, will rather get worse than improve.
I like Lopez. Is he as slow as sap running down a Georgia pine tree? Yes. Does he rebound like Mugsy Bogues? Yes. But, he’s a consummate professional, great locker room presence and teammate. He also stretches the floor, has high basketball IQ and protects the rim well above average. Is he a max guy? Of course not. But I’d love to keep him for the hometown discount.
He's solid, and in our system, that's perfect. If he's willing to work with us on price, he's definitely a threat worth keeping around. With low minutes, he could really extend his career into his late 30's and stay healthy. I guess it really depends what he's looking for at this point in his career. I agree with @therealdeal that in general, he gets a lot of crap from fans on his shortcomings. I think it has everything to do with performance vs pay, but he is solid. I like how our team is rounding out actually as they are coming down the home stretch. I have a lot of respect for guys like Lopez and Pope that are playing their arses off within the team concept when there is no guarantee of them coming back, and they could be stat hunting to improve their offseason odds. I really think they like what they see here. IT seemingly rounding into form and becoming healthy is an interesting wrinkle that wasn't expected, but you can see how nice it is to have a penetrating guard that can create for himself and others. I also appreciate when I see IT working hard on D. He's overmatched on nearly every matchup, so effort is all you can ask for. His shot selection can use some more discipline, but he could be an invaluable piece on the right team and in the right role. Magic and Rob have some great problems to work through this offseason. Wow! What a difference an offseason can make.
