The Los Angeles Lakers loss to the Orlando Magic was tough to watch and Brook Lopez was visibly upset with the outcome.
On Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers lost 127-105 on the road against the Orlando Magic. The loss was arguably the worst loss of the season for the 19-31 Lakers.
The Lakers were coming off two days of rest while the Magic were playing the second game of a back-to-back. They were just lit up by James Harden and were going to be without Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic.
It was looking like an easy road win for the Lakers. That obviously wasn’t the case. The whole team was upset during and after the game, but no one seemed more upset than Brook Lopez.
Brook Lopez’s Hard Season Continues
Bill Oram of the Orange County Register talked about Brook Lopez looking upset during the game. The 10-year veteran only played 8:47 in the loss, which was his fewest minutes since 2014. He finished the contest with five points, four rebounds, and three fouls.
Lopez didn’t play at all in the 4th quarter after he was subbed out in the early moments of the 3rd quarter. The Magic’s lead eventually became too much and Walton decided to put in Thomas Bryant.
Oram reported that Lopez didn’t meet with the media after the game, but that’s not when he first showed his emotions. When Bryant was put into the game in the fourth quarter, Lopez grabbed a towel and covered his face. His eyes were red as he pulled his face out of the towel, possibly suggesting he was crying.
At one point, Lopez left the bench and went to the locker room. Larry Nance Jr. followed him, only to come back out and shortly be followed by Lopez. The Lakers stated that he only had to go to the bathroom, but it’s possible he just didn’t want to be on the court anymore. Nance Jr. may have run after him just to convince him to come back.
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This is all coming in the middle of Lopez’s most frustrating season of his career. The former Stanford center is averaging career lows in minutes played, field goal percentage, and points per game.
The Lakers have recently chosen to play Julius Randle more at the 5 late in competitive games, although Lopez continues to start. It’s got to be frustrating as one of the few veteran guys on the team to lose so much playing time to young, inexperienced players.
Lopez’s Future with the Lakers
The fact of the matter is that Lopez is in the final year of his contract, and it’s hard to see the Lakers signing him once the season is over. Lopez most likely knows that, so it’s got to be hard for him to feel like it’s a season wasted late in his career.
Jordan Clarkson spoke about Lopez after the Magic game and had this to say.
"“Brook (is) kind of stone-faced to me. He don’t really show much emotion most of the time when I am around, when I see him. Shoot, who knows?”"
That is definitely a troublesome quote. It’s even more worrying that the trade deadline is next week. The Lakers may try and move Lopez to a contender at the trade deadline who could use him. Who knows, they might even negotiate a buyout with the center.
It would be a good look for the Lakers if they were willing to work out that kind of deal with a visibly disgruntled player. Once gone, the Lakers could try and get Thomas Bryant more minutes.
Next: What Could The Lakers Do At The NBA Trade Deadline
Whether it’s at the end of the season or by the end of next week, don’t expect Lopez to be on the team long.