The Los Angeles Lakers have made a lot of improvements this season and Brook Lopez believes they are in great shape moving forward.
Even though the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t make playoffs this season, they made a lot of improvements compared to last season. With a great young core, the Lakers certainly have a bright future.
One of the players that have been a big part success for the Lakers this season has been center Brook Lopez. This past offseason, the Lakers acquired Lopez in the deal with the Brooklyn Nets that sent D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn.
On the Nets, Lopez was an All-Star caliber player as one of the best offensive centers in the NBA. To start the season, Lopez appeared to have some troubles adjusting to the Lakers. Even though he has been a very good player for most of his career, Lopez looked a bit lost with the Lakers early on, especially on the offensive end.
Before the All-Star break, Lopez’s numbers were rather unimpressive at just 11.8 points per game. Since the All-Star break, Lopez has been playing like the guy we saw with the Nets, as he is now averaging 17.1 points per game.
As an upcoming free agent, Lopez doesn’t know what his future will be with the Lakers. However, he believes that the team is in a great position moving forward with or without him. Here’s what Lopez had to say via Harrison Faigen of LakersNation.com.
"“I’ve enjoyed playing with the guys on this team,” Lopez said. “They’re a great group and whether I’m here or not next year I think they’ll be in a great situation.”"
Recently, we have seen Lopez being more balanced on the offensive end of the court. Last season, we saw Lopez be able to shoot 3-pointers, and he might have fallen too much in love with that shot.
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As a post player, Lopez is one of the best in the league on the low block. Since he has been working in the post a little bit more, his play has greatly improved. With only eight games to play, Lopez will surely be looking to continue his good play as he heads toward free agency. Considering how he has played in the second half of the season, Lopez could certainly be in the future plans for the Lakers if their quest to land two max free agents fails.