The Los Angeles Lakers made a conspicuous move in the offseason, trading for Brook Lopez. The purple and gold sent D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets, a move most saw as preparation for the selection of rookie Lonzo Ball.
For the Nets, dealing Lopez gave them a reprieve in terms of salary budget. Lopez carried a hefty P22 million per Spotrac, one that will end after this 2017-18 NBA season. Getting him into the fold is a gamble for the Lakers, an experiment that may or may not pay off.
Through the years, the Lakers have been known to work well with talented big men.
The list includes Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O’Neal. As mentioned in a previous post, Lopez could join that list if he proves to be effective, but doing so will require the right chemistry with his young teammates.
From Brook-Lin to Brook-Zo
Lopez has had the privilege to tandem with talented point guards. Since entering the league in 2008, he had the chance to work with the likes of Deron Williams and Jeremy Lin. He seemed to work well with both and expects the same with rookie Lonzo Ball. In fact, Lopez revealed how Ball has impressed him by offering something new each day. The 29-year-old center is looking forward to working with the rookie and hopes to develop a special bond to help the Lakers in their upcoming campaign.
Lopez made those revelations during a "Popcorn Machine" podcast.
So far, Lopez has not been frequently mentioned in headlines involving the Lakers. Aside from Ball, attention has been on the other young guns, including fellow rookie Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr. and Ivica Zubac.
A lot of that stems from the fact that the Lakers are rebuilding. Vets like Luol Deng, Corey Brewer, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are around but they were brought in primarily for their experience. Being in the league for almost eight years now, the same is expected from the 10th overall pick of the 2008 NBA draft.
Can Lopez stay healthy?
A cause for concern for Lopez is his ability to stay healthy. He has struggled with foot problems, something that has shrouded his NBA career. So far, he has been holding up and hopefully that will be the case in his stint with the Lakers. With Lopez, the Lakers have a certified rim-protector. He holds career averages of 1.7 blocks per game, something that may ignite the run-and-gun game expected to be employed by head coach Luke Walton. On offense, Lopez has a low-post game that the Lakers can turn to. With career averages of 18.6 points per game, half-court sets should become more flexible with a big man who can operate inside.
