NBA Salary Cap & The Nets

[MaxZaslofskyJr]

Once again, your agenda against Brook becomes apparent. It's truly amazing that despite Brook being our best & most consistent player, you still keep posting nonsense regarding Brook. Most of Brook's best play comes off the ball and quick feeds where he just catches and finishes. Yet he would somehow struggle if he doesn't dominate the ball according to you. And guess what? his season turned around post ASB and his usage rate actually went DOWN Post-ASB, not up. There aren't many better centers in the NBA when Brook is playing like this, like he has been since ASB. His play has been the biggest factor in this ATL series because Atlanta's bigs can't handle him, and that has allowed the Nets to offset their horrible jumpshooting (last game aside).

Brook's usage rate over the first 4 games in this ATL series? A staggeringly low 21% Usage Rate. A PER of 22 and a TS% of almost 60% (averages of 21.3 PPG, 11 RPG, 2.3 BPG, 1 SPG). So contrary to what you say, Brook is giving fantastic production for a usage rate that low. Joe Johnson has a higher usage rate and is playing dreadful on the other hand. Brook doesn't promote ball movement yet he has been consistently making passes lately, including a big pass off a spin to Bogdanovic for that big wide open 3. Even Hollins has noted that. Atlanta have repeatedly tried to exploit Brook Lopez on defense throughout the series, but their shooting % has been way down because Brook has mostly done a good job of defending P&R (by his standards).

His injuries are the only real concern when it comes to extending him. If he can stay healthy, he's one of the best in the league at the Center position.

Quoting this because an And 1 just wouldn't be enough.

And yet you still didn't give him an And1.

Now, how did that happen? Anyway, And1 to both of ya.

[Paradise]

Why does Brook Lopez have to be the second best player on a championship contender to earn a max deal? Contenders with star players these days are set up to have 3 max players. And with the salary cap increase in the near future, that is only going to become more common. Brook is perfectly capable of being the third best player on a great roster. He's a big who can score effortlessly with good players around him, and in a very efficient manner. There are maybe 1 or 2 other centers in the league who can match his scoring rate at that efficiency. He has improved his rebounding and defense over this season as well. It's a matter of him staying healthy that has to be the major concern. Not his actual ability as a player. And having Brook Lopez on your roster is certainly better than having nothing on the roster to lure big FAs.

Because if brook is your 3rd option he becoems very ineffective. he needs to have offensive focus for his value to be anywhere near impactful enough to get you somewhere.

Also, you are EASILY better off with enough room for 3 max guys and am empty roster then you are with lopez. guys wont want to come play with lopez and there are much better C's available then lopez who we could get. being able to team up 3 guys togehter is a draw for players today. they want to team up, not join oft injured underachieving 1 way players.

Who cares if he can score. scoring is super easy to fill in todays NBA. you dont need scoring from your center spot to win, most teams prove that these days.

and lopez play is much more a deterent then his injuries imo. he needs touches, need to be a 1a or 1b option, doesnt promote ball movement and doesnt anchor you on defense. lopez only started playing well this season when he became a high usage priomary focus

Once again, your agenda against Brook becomes apparent. It's truly amazing that despite Brook being our best & most consistent player, you still keep posting nonsense regarding Brook. Most of Brook's best play comes off the ball and quick feeds where he just catches and finishes. Yet he would somehow struggle if he doesn't dominate the ball according to you. And guess what? his season turned around post ASB and his usage rate actually went DOWN Post-ASB, not up. There aren't many better centers in the NBA when Brook is playing like this, like he has been since ASB. His play has been the biggest factor in this ATL series because Atlanta's bigs can't handle him, and that has allowed the Nets to offset their horrible jumpshooting (last game aside).

Brook's usage rate over the first 4 games in this ATL series? A staggeringly low 21% Usage Rate. A PER of 22 and a TS% of almost 60% (averages of 21.3 PPG, 11 RPG, 2.3 BPG, 1 SPG). So contrary to what you say, Brook is giving fantastic production for a usage rate that low. Joe Johnson has a higher usage rate and is playing dreadful on the other hand. Brook doesn't promote ball movement yet he has been consistently making passes lately, including a big pass off a spin to Bogdanovic for that big wide open 3. Even Hollins has noted that. Atlanta have repeatedly tried to exploit Brook Lopez on defense throughout the series, but their shooting % has been way down because Brook has mostly done a good job of defending P&R (by his standards).

His injuries are the only real concern when it comes to extending him. If he can stay healthy, he's one of the best in the league at the Center position.

And to add to this

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/592090530470895616[/tweet]

You aren't going to get anything better from a big man not named Gasol, Davis, Duncan, Jordan.

[Prokorov]

The bottom line is, you simply are not going to contend with lopez as one of your 2 best players, or with a center who is not a defensive anchor. disagree with me all you want, but i believe those 2 things to both be true and i dont think that I am alone there,

What player are you putting next to dwill (22.2M in 16-17 if he is maxed in the offseason) and dwill (21M) that is going to make us a contending team? if you stretch dwill that gives us enough room for 1 max and another player at a few million under the max. who are the guys you are putting around brook to contend?

Conley - rookie - bogs - love - lopez

does that contend or are you locking yourself into the same kind of disappontment we have now?

assuming we miss out on durant in either scenario (as getting him heals all wounds regardless) the only way i see us being a contender is to bring in a defensive anchor big and surround him with max talent at the gaurd and wing positions.

Extending lopez is a shortsighted plan based off knee jerk reaction to an 8 week period.

[Prokorov]

Also, regarding Horford/Defense. Having a shot blocker isnt nearly as important as protecting the rim. and horford and the hawks do that extremely well. the best way to rim protect isnt to challenge shots but to not allow shots at the rim to begin with. they do an outstanding job preventing bigs from catching close to the rim and a great job trapping and rotating.

they were 5th in the NBA in defense in PPG allowed and 6th in the NBA indefense in PPP/Drtg.

They have a ton more points in the paint this series then we do as well.