Lakers First Quarter Awards: Least Valuable Player; Brook Lopez
There hasn’t really been anyone that has been dreadful for the Lakers in the early going. Many people will put Lonzo Ball here, but that is a gross overaction. Outside of his shooting numbers, Ball has been great for the Lakers. Some people would name Corey Brewer, but is a player who receives 12.3 minutes per game worth bashing?
Based solely on on-court performance, Brook Lopez has been the least valuable player for the Lakers this season. A lot of that isn’t even because of Lopez playing poorly, but instead Luke Walton’s insistence to constantly go with smaller lineups.
Lopez is playing a career-low 23.1 minutes per game. The 13.3 points are his lowest per game total since his rookie season and the 44.5 percent shooting is also a career low. The only time he averaged fewer than the 4.5 rebounds per game he is averaging this season is when he was injured in 2011-12 when he played in five games.
Lopez shooting is down across the board. After surprising everyone with his 3-point shooting improvement last season, Lopez is down to 30 percent this season. Even his free throw shooting is down.
Part of that can be the role he is playing. Lopez is on the bench for long stretches of time, which could take him out of rhythm. While his stats are down this season, Lopez still plays an important role for the Lakers. He is a veteran leader that sets a great example for the younger players and his presence has been felt.
However, despite that positive impact, Lopez isn’t producing as the Lakers had hoped he would on the field.