Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: The man in the middle for Cleveland Cavaliers west
By Ronald Agers
I was talking about Robin Lopez, not his brother Brook!
Sure, I’ll let you keep reading about how the Lakers need to resign Brook Lopez for his 3-point shooting. After playing well for the Milwaukee Bucks last year, do you really think that other teams won’t give him a nice paycheck? How about if he stays in Milwaukee to make a run for the championship next year?
Most fans forget that Brook Lopez has some history with Lionel Hollins from their time in Brooklyn. Hollins actually benched Lopez for Mason Plumlee (Yep, it’s true!) just before the bottom fell out for the franchise.
If the Lakers land a star in free agency, the Lakers have a strict budget and Robin Lopez is the guy to represent the family. He may not shoot from distance like his brother, but he will provide energy and rebounding when he is on the floor. He also will be the muscle to protect Anthony Davis.
When Chicago started to play the younger guys on the roster, Lopez was put on the backburner for a part of the season. When he got more minutes on the tail end, he played okay.
Before you start rolling your eyes at this scenario, understand this. Somebody on the 15 man roster is not going to play as much. Somebody has to play hard in practice, push the stars and watch the effects on the bench during games. How many players do you know can fit that bill all while not complaining? All for the price of the veteran’s minimum?
Oh, I’ll wait!