IF this is the new Lopez.....

[Trader_Joe]

Where would you rank him among Cs?
Also...do you think this IS the new Lopez or closer to a hot streak against bad teams.

May be an opportunistic time to ask, but I think its fair to ask.


Cousins
M.Gasol
Howard
Jordan
Horford
Noah
Vucevic
Gobert
Duncan
Jefferson
Hibbert
Drummond

A few C's that some could make the case are as good or better.

[Shook Jones]

I have such mixed feelings with Lopez. Offensively he is a beast but I hate that he doesnt force his game into the post and settles for jumpers too often. However I love the fact that he can be on the floor late in games due to his jumper. He has gotten better defensively but still cant guard a P&R.

I rank him top 5. Definitely cant let him walk for nothing if he's playing like this.

[Prokorov]

Where would you rank him among Cs?
Also...do you think this IS the new Lopez or closer to a hot streak against bad teams.

May be an opportunistic time to ask, but I think its fair to ask.


Cousins
M.Gasol
Howard
Jordan
Horford
Noah
Vucevic
Gobert
Duncan
Jefferson
Hibbert
Drummond

A few C's that some could make the case are as good or better.

im assuming you mean the march lopez... 21/9 lopez.... id put him here:

Cousins
Howard
M.Gasol
Horford
Noah
Jordan
Lopez
Drummond
Gobert
Duncan
Jefferson
Hibbert
Vucevic


I dont think this is the "new lopez". but i also think he is better then the 15/6 guy he was the first 4 months of the year. somewhere in between. i think hollins has him working harder on the glass. i think he is probably a 19/8 guy.

his next step is to improve his shot selection further. no push shots. no one legged dirk fades from 15 feet. he does that and he will easily be a 22+ ppg scorer

[Paradise]

I would only take Cousins and Gasol over him. Cousins due to age, potential and court vision. Gasol due to defense and court vision. Aside from that, this new Brook can easily be argued to be better than everyone else especially due to the fact he's only 26. I mean, He had some incredible games eariler in the season against the Spurs, Bulls, Wizards and Raptors but followed it with lazy preformances. I'm seeing a new sense of urgency, focus and leadership from him which is something I haven't seen in him ever.

I'll gladly admit I was wrong to want him traded for Reggie Jackson. It still remains to be seen if he can continue to keep this up but he's playing at a superstar level. I'd like to believe his inconsiscy this season was due to him getting back to being comfortable on his foot. I think Hollins continously pushing his buttons to rebound and defend better has gotten him to this point because the fact is no other coach has ever benched him for a backup center for 2 months even during his good games. The mental aspect of that to me let Brook know that even if he has a good game it doesn't mean anything if he doesn't do it on a nightly basis.

I think the biggest reason why Brook is dominating is due to the fact we actually run Pick n Rolls more than once a week. He's getting alot more easy baskets instead of just dumping the ball to him in the post. He gets atleast 10 points off pick and rolls with Deron. We even run screen and rolls with Joe now with Brook as the roll man alot more now which is also why Joe's assist numbers have been so high lately. I really hope he can do this in the playoffs but it remains to be seen. Either way, Brook is easily the best player in the East since All-star Break. I really hope he opts in this summer.

[kerry kittles]

Horford is still clearly better than him.

anywhere from 4-6: Noah and Howard depending on health.

I still wouldn't offer Brook anything more than 3 years guaranteed. Team options extending past that.

Edit: and add Bogut depending on health

[MaxZaslofskyJr]

I like Lopez. Hope he sticks around. But to answer the question, I'd have to look up the best career months for all of these guys and then decide.

[MrDollarBills]

Beast Lopez is only behind Cousins, Gasol, and Horford to me. if Lopez played like this against Noah in game 7 two years ago we would have blown the Bulls off the floor.

He is playing like the guy we all thought he could become after his first two seasons. I hope he realizes now that he can do this against any opponent, we are an entirely different team with him playing aggressive and cleaning the boards.

I love seeing him play like this. It's a shame that it took until March for the light to go off in his head.

[Prokorov]

Beast Lopez is only behind Cousins, Gasol, and Horford to me. if Lopez played like this against Noah in game 7 two years ago we would have blown the Bulls off the floor.

He is playing like the guy we all thought he could become after his first two seasons. I hope he realizes now that he can do this against any opponent, we are an entirely different team with him playing aggressive and cleaning the boards.

I love seeing him play like this. It's a shame that it took until March for the light to go off in his head.

must win vs a pacer team that looke great last night with a center who can match his size. hoping brook goes off vs them again and we can have our first 4 game win streak of the season

[jeff1624]

Where would you rank him among Cs?
Also...do you think this IS the new Lopez or closer to a hot streak against bad teams.

May be an opportunistic time to ask, but I think its fair to ask.


Cousins
M.Gasol
Howard
Jordan
Horford
Noah
Vucevic
Gobert
Duncan
Jefferson
Hibbert
Drummond

A few C's that some could make the case are as good or better.

Cousins, Gasol, Howard and Duncan would be the only players I'd say are better all around.

Horford is a PF in my mind. Vucevic is one of the worst defenders at the position. Gobert is still too raw offensively. Hibbert is terrible at everything aside from rim protection. Jordan is a rich mans Mason Plumlee. And Drummond has the stats, but you'd think he'd have more of an effect on that terrible pistons team. Noah is in the Tyson Chandler mold where I think he's more of a versatile top pf the line role player than he is all star.

Brook isn't a player that can average 29 a game. so this stretch isn't sustainable, but he should have always been taking 18-19 shots a game. He's one of the few bigmen that can average 20+ a game. I'm glad the team is recognizing that and making him the #1 option.

[Zachbretton]

Beast Lopez is only behind Cousins, Gasol, and Horford to me. if Lopez played like this against Noah in game 7 two years ago we would have blown the Bulls off the floor.

He is playing like the guy we all thought he could become after his first two seasons. I hope he realizes now that he can do this against any opponent, we are an entirely different team with him playing aggressive and cleaning the boards.

I love seeing him play like this. It's a shame that it took until March for the light to go off in his head.

must win vs a pacer team that looke great last night with a center who can match his size. hoping brook goes off vs them again and we can have our first 4 game win streak of the season

If ever a time for a win streak... It's now, and it should extend as far as we can make it. Obviously we're going to lose some down the stretch but we need to make sure we win the ones we can.

Love Brook being at the center of this because his refined play is just so conducive to winning. He's playing offense and defense. He's passing out of doubles. He's making steps to the rim for dunks and layups. He's got a flow going that makes it easier on our wing players to get involved


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[Keith Van Horn]

I'm praying to god that this is the new and final version of Lopez. He has been killing it, looks way more aggressive, and is going after rebounds. The fact that he wants to be a Net for the long term too makes me like him even more.

Once Joe is gone and we can bring in some more consistent players I'll be much happier too.

I think out of that list he's probably somewhere middle of the pack. I would still take Horford, Gasol, Cousins, Howard, Noah over him.

[kerry kittles]

Where would you rank him among Cs?
Also...do you think this IS the new Lopez or closer to a hot streak against bad teams.

May be an opportunistic time to ask, but I think its fair to ask.


Cousins
M.Gasol
Howard
Jordan
Horford
Noah
Vucevic
Gobert
Duncan
Jefferson
Hibbert
Drummond

A few C's that some could make the case are as good or better.

Cousins, Gasol, Howard and Duncan would be the only players I'd say are better all around.

Horford is a PF in my mind. Vucevic is one of the worst defenders at the position. Gobert is still too raw offensively. Hibbert is terrible at everything aside from rim protection. Jordan is a rich mans Mason Plumlee. And Drummond has the stats, but you'd think he'd have more of an effect on that terrible pistons team. Noah is in the Tyson Chandler mold where I think he's more of a versatile top pf the line role player than he is all star.

Brook isn't a player that can average 29 a game. so this stretch isn't sustainable, but he should have always been taking 18-19 shots a game. He's one of the few bigmen that can average 20+ a game. I'm glad the team is recognizing that and making him the #1 option.

Bogut should be on TJ's list and think you can make a compelling case as he's elite defensively, a great passing big man, and does many little things that don't necessarily show up in the stat sheet. He does struggle to stay healthy, but I'd say he has a bigger impact when on the court and they are very different players.

[jeff1624]

Where would you rank him among Cs?
Also...do you think this IS the new Lopez or closer to a hot streak against bad teams.

May be an opportunistic time to ask, but I think its fair to ask.


Cousins
M.Gasol
Howard
Jordan
Horford
Noah
Vucevic
Gobert
Duncan
Jefferson
Hibbert
Drummond

A few C's that some could make the case are as good or better.

Cousins, Gasol, Howard and Duncan would be the only players I'd say are better all around.

Horford is a PF in my mind. Vucevic is one of the worst defenders at the position. Gobert is still too raw offensively. Hibbert is terrible at everything aside from rim protection. Jordan is a rich mans Mason Plumlee. And Drummond has the stats, but you'd think he'd have more of an effect on that terrible pistons team. Noah is in the Tyson Chandler mold where I think he's more of a versatile top pf the line role player than he is all star.

Brook isn't a player that can average 29 a game. so this stretch isn't sustainable, but he should have always been taking 18-19 shots a game. He's one of the few bigmen that can average 20+ a game. I'm glad the team is recognizing that and making him the #1 option.

Bogut should be on TJ's list and think you can make a compelling case as he's elite defensively, a great passing big man, and does many little things that don't necessarily show up in the stat sheet. He does struggle to stay healthy, but I'd say he has a bigger impact when on the court and they are very different players.

He's elite defensively, but he's still averaging 6 and 8 in 23 minutes a night. Not to mention that he's good to miss 20 games every season.

[kerry kittles]

Cousins, Gasol, Howard and Duncan would be the only players I'd say are better all around.

Horford is a PF in my mind. Vucevic is one of the worst defenders at the position. Gobert is still too raw offensively. Hibbert is terrible at everything aside from rim protection. Jordan is a rich mans Mason Plumlee. And Drummond has the stats, but you'd think he'd have more of an effect on that terrible pistons team. Noah is in the Tyson Chandler mold where I think he's more of a versatile top pf the line role player than he is all star.

Brook isn't a player that can average 29 a game. so this stretch isn't sustainable, but he should have always been taking 18-19 shots a game. He's one of the few bigmen that can average 20+ a game. I'm glad the team is recognizing that and making him the #1 option.

Bogut should be on TJ's list and think you can make a compelling case as he's elite defensively, a great passing big man, and does many little things that don't necessarily show up in the stat sheet. He does struggle to stay healthy, but I'd say he has a bigger impact when on the court and they are very different players.

He's elite defensively, but he's still averaging 6 and 8 in 23 minutes a night. Not to mention that he's good to miss 20 games every season.

He's played just 4 games less than Brook this season and Brook certainly has his injury concerns as well. Bogut could play more, but when you're the best team in the league, have the #1 seed locked up, why play a guy with injury concerns like Bogut more than 23 minutes. I fully believe he play more than that in the playoffs.

That 8 rebounds in 23 minutes is more than Brook in 28 minutes - so don't think that should adversely affect him. Obviously he doesn't score much, but that's not his role on the team that has the best backcourt in the league. He's anchoring the best defense in the league.

Edit: and it depends largely on how the team is built too. Do you think for a second Budenholzer or Kerr would swap Lopez for Horford or Bogut? No way. They fit so much better with what they're trying to do. It's tough to make these comparisons in general as different players fit different systems better than others.

[Lamak]

Cousins
M.Gasol
Jordan
Howard
Horford
Noah
Drummond
Vucevic
Gobert
Duncan
Lopez
Jefferson
Hibbert

Hm, I got him as my 11th best Center currently I guess.

[Swav718]

Lopez is the player of the week, much deserved. Now we just need him to be the player of the month for april and I see us making the playoffs

[MrDollarBills]

The old-school coach Hollins and scoring center Lopez struggled to mesh early in the season, as the two tried to figure out the other’s style. Hollins said his "epiphany" moment came before the team’s February 6th win over the New York Knicks. "For me, I understood that he wasn’t going to be a dominant post-up player, and that we had to play differently with him to be effective," Hollins said. Lopez scored 22 points on 11-18 shooting that night, adding nine rebounds and six blocks off the bench. "I just told him, ‘I’m not going to try to make you somebody you’re not, just be who you are.’"

Lopez remembers the conversation, though "not extremely vividly," adding the two came to an agreement of sorts. "I think it was just really realizing what we expected of each other, and finding the situation that worked out best for the player I am and what he wants to do with the entire team here," Lopez said.

Hollins also believes the team’s improved play as a whole, as well as the acquisition of Thaddeus Young at the trade deadline, has helped Lopez open his offensive game.

"I think the way we’re running offense, and he’s around the basket a lot more. He’s not taking as many jump shots as he used to, and either we’re running a four man (power forward) in the pick-and-roll and he’s down low — we’re not spreading him anymore — and when he’s in the pick-and-roll he’s in the paint. So if somebody else shoots, he’s nearer the glass, and that’s key to getting offensive rebounds, being around the glass."

[Lakersteve20]

Will Brook Lopez opt out this summer?

[Prokorov]

Will Brook Lopez opt out this summer?

depends if his agents think he can get a 4 year deal in the 4/44+ area. if not he probably opts in takes the 17M and looks for a 3-4 year deal after

[Zachbretton]

If Lopez opts out what are some contracts you'd be willing to offer? I feel in many ways, I wouldn't be completely mad offering him a reasonable contract under this CBA. Because come 2016 it will mean very little. Obviously this is predicated on moving Joe or Dwill this summer to reduce cap space.

But I think Lopez would take a sub max deal from us now, and stay a Net if he knows we plan to use him as a code player moving forward. It would allow us a friendly contract (assuming he stays healthy) and a high quality player people would want to play with (assuming he doesn't regress).

Thoughts?


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