Name: Brook Lopez
Height/weight (per Basketball-Reference.com): 7-0, 260 pounds
Career stats: 414 G, .511 FG%/.792 FT%, 17.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 111 offensive rating, 108 defensive rating
2014-15 stats: 72 G, 29.2 MPG, .513 FG%/.814 FT%, 17.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 112 o-rating, 105 d-rating
How he was acquired: 10th overall pick of the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Nets
2014-15 season recap: Lopez, who has struggled through foot injuries for much of his career, hasn’t played a full 82 games since the 2010-11 season, which was when the Nets were still in New Jersey. However, he played 72 games last year and was very good for the most part, as he played like the franchise center the Nets envisioned him being when they drafted him out of Stanford seven years ago.
After a slow start to the season, Brook rounded into form by March and April, in which he averaged over 20 points and nine rebounds per game–plus a few blocks per contest–on roughly 54 percent shooting from the field. He was able to score both efficiently and in sheer volume as he led the Nets to sneak into the postseason.
His strong play continued into the playoffs, in which he posted similar numbers to those he put up in the last two months of the regular season. He, however, wasn’t able to garner the Nets a series win, but without him playing so well, they arguably would have gotten swept instead of forcing a Game 6 as they did.
Expected role: As the best player on the Nets–as well as the anchor of the frontcourt–how Brook plays mostly determines how the Nets play. In wins last season, Brook posted an offensive rating of 119 and defensive rating of 100 with averages of over 20 points and eight rebounds. In losses, he had an o-rating of only 104 and d-rating of 111. His plus/minus splits between wins and losses also signify a major dropoff, with a difference of 28.1 (+16.9 in wins and -11.2 in losses).
The statistics show just how vital he is to this team, but it goes beyond that for Lopez this year. With Deron Williams now in Dallas and Kevin Garnett in Minneapolis, Brook will have to not only be a leader on the court for Lionel Hollins’ team, but also off the court in the locker room. As the longest-tenured Net, he’ll have to be the face of a franchise that hasn’t had much–if any–stability over the past half-decade or so. Where he goes, the Nets go.
Best-case scenario: If Brook can stay healthy and play more than 70 or so games in the 2015-16 campaign–which he should be able to do, after his impressive 2014-15 season–there’s no reason he can’t come close to posting a 20-point, 10-rebound and two-block statline over the course of an entire season. Should he be able to do that, the Nets would have a good chance at being a playoff team in the relatively weak Eastern Conference.
Worst-case scenario: With Brook, the negatives are mostly owing to his troubled injury history. It just takes one bad step for his season to come to an end and be a complete wash-out. Even if he gets hurt and is still able to play, it’s unlikely a 7-footer playing on one foot would be effective. If he misses a significant chunk of time, the Nets would be in a world of trouble.
General thoughts: After a top-to-bottom impressive season, Brook is primed to officially become one of the NBA’s top centers, which is what he should able to do, if he stays healthy. There may not be much buzz about the Nets right now, but with Lopez playing as well as he undoubtedly could play, they could be a surprise team this year. It all starts, and ends, with the 27-year-old, and his feet.
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