#and again in season five where he utilizes the individual talents of his team to win the training match

[prettyboykatsuki]

fang i couldn't find ur meta blog but i wanted to ask ur opinion/analysis of bakugou's "what part of her was frail" from season one against ochako if u have any <3

@fangs-animereview thought i havent posted anything on it in ages.. rip all my half-baked hxh meta posts about shounen trope subversions

i dont know if i have any particular analysis of that but i do think that scene highlights an interesting element of bkgs character which is that he is decidedly not very shallow

i think often his arrogance or projected arrogance makes his fandom image a guy who is shallowly obsessed with appearances. but i think for him to say what part of her was frail kind of speaks to the fact that the opposite is true. that bkg doesn't see people as their appearance but measures them by what they're capable of

[junker-town]

Pascal Siakam can be a star or trade chip for the Raptors. Which will it be?

Siakam is the biggest piece in the Raptors rebuild.

Siakam is full of possibility, in Toronto or elsewhere.

Where the Toronto Raptors go from here is one of the most thought-provoking questions filtering through the NBA right now. It neatly dovetails with another: What, exactly, is Pascal Siakam?

During the Finals I wrote a column about Siakam’s postseason struggle and how it may inform his future. This was before the Raptors won a title, Kawhi Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, and their roster for the 2019-20 season was pieced together. As of this writing, Siakam is eligible for a contract extension — worth up to $170 million — but no agreement has been made, presumably because his $7 million cap hold lets Toronto keep him and still have enough space to afford two max players (either via a trade or free agency) next summer.

The Raptors obviously value Siakam. They’ve kept him out of trade talks and allegedly refused to part in what could’ve been a blockbuster deal involving Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Leonard. Now, Siakam is the key for a title defender that isn’t positioned to defend their title; a franchise that has one of the most unpredictable short and long-term futures in an increasingly unpredictable league.

I initially wanted to write a column about Siakam as low-key the NBA’s juiciest trade chip. A small part of me still believes moving him may be Toronto’s wisest long-term option — more on that later — but an isolated argument for it ignores how exceptional, fascinating, and attractive Siakam can still be on his own. It also seems a little ridiculous. (If Michael Jordan walked away from the Chicago Bulls after their first title, would they turn around and trade Scottie Pippen?)

As we steer into a season in which an abnormal number of teams think they can win it all — a belief ironically inspired by Toronto’s own run — hawking Siakam as a missing piece to the highest bidder may either pay dividends or be a colossal embarrassment. He combines the air of accomplishment with untapped potential. That’s rare enough to make moving on from him a non-starter. It also means there are teams out there that should be willing to pay the farm to get him. But before we explore what lies ahead, let’s glance back at the past.

Siakam’s third season was a 104-game recreation of the chest-buster scene from Alien. While not altogether unexpected, as it was happening you still could not believe what your eyes were telling you. He ran away with Most Improved Player on a roster loaded with multiple All-Stars, complicated egos, and grand expectations. None of it stopped him from excelling in areas that burgeoning stars either can’t or don’t. He blocked corner threes. He filled lanes. He spotted up in the corner. On both ends, he lined the paint’s edges with the instincts of a predator, and managed to stay within the confines of his own ability while also showing a willingness to stretch out and see what exactly those limitations were. Toronto would not have worked if he didn’t do what it needed him to, but it also wouldn’t be what it became if he didn’t pile more and more food on his plate.

In the playoffs, Siakam finished second on the Raptors in PER and usage percentage. The crowning moment was a 32-point waterfall (on 17 shots!) in Game 1 of the NBA Finals NBA Finals (The NBA Finals!).

All wasn’t gravy, though. Postseason opponents had no trouble figuring Siakam out, and his best moments came when the other team loaded up to slow down more established names like Leonard and Kyle Lowry. Meanwhile his individual matchups were particularly arduous: Jonathan Isaac, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Draymond Green might be the most challenging gauntlet ... ever? Siakam’s points per shot plummeted — missing a bunch of open threes will do that — but the playoffs are all about struggle when tasted for the first time. Though it may not be fair to expect him to have a reliable Plan B, Siakam’s Plan A was flummoxed too easily in games that actually matter.

Siakam is the key for a title defender that isn’t positioned to defend their title.

Green aspects of his game make it tempting to indict Siakam for Leonard’s decision: If he made Leonard’s life 10 percent easier in the playoffs would free agency have gone another way? In an alternate universe Siakam fulfills a cleaner basketball destiny as Leonard’s sidekick for the next five years, growing in a role tailor made for his game’s strengths and weaknesses. Instead, we may soon see Siakam lead his own team.

Heading into Year Four, he’s an evolving, ideal chess piece built for a multi-positional future; still better utilized in some situations than others, he can comfortably blend into just about any style, beside any personnel grouping, without disrupting either. That’s wonderful news for a team that will explore razing its aging championship core in favor of a fresh start. At the same time, with Leonard in L.A., the Raptors either need Siakam to immediately assume fresh, difficult responsibilities he’s never handled before, or let him progress at his own speed and hope they can somehow acquire another star sooner than later.

Based on how quickly Siakam has progressed since he first picked up a basketball, both paths may be the same thing. Either way, he’ll have the ball in his hands more often than he did last year — when he ranked fourth in front-court touches — and be asked to attempt and assist more shots in a role that’s more congruent with that of a traditional star. Pick-and-rolls haven’t been in his job description, but they may be going forward.

Siakam can amplify a team’s confidence. It’s a mystery whether he can supply it single handedly. What we do know is that Siakam was self-reliant last season. He scored efficiently in isolation and in the post. Just under half of his 519 baskets were unassisted — at a slightly higher percentage than Jimmy Butler and slightly lower one than Jayson Tatum.

Those numbers suggest Siakam will be able to adapt his game to a larger role, but they ignore the fact that he also took advantage of so much attention drawn by his talented teammates. Be it during this season or the one after, Kyle Lowry will either play for a different team or not be Kyle Lowry. He turns 34 in March. Same deal for Marc Gasol, who turns 35 in January. Leonard, who had five pairs of eyeballs glued to his body whenever he put the ball on the floor, is already gone. What will Siakam look like as his offense’s focal point, night after night?

Life as an imposing, self-sufficient scorer is one thing, but having teammates depend on you, directly and indirectly, is another.

Watch every one of Siakam’s assists as a cog in last year’s framework and the first thing that pops out is how quick his mind works. So often he’d catch a pass and then immediately whip the ball along to a teammate he somehow knew would be open. At full speed it’s a poetic connection, the type of play that can make Gregg Popovich’s eyes well with pride.

He was so comfortable in the chaos of transition — a subtle and encouraging indication that the game was slowing down for him — but very few of his assists were set up by his own action. Siakam’s assist and pass percentage was low among all players who averaged at least seven drives per game. Hopeful glimpses shone through here and there:

(He racked up 66 assists in the playoffs. Nearly a third of them were to Leonard.)

But more often than not Siakam’s most impressive playmaking was a byproduct of his teammates’ heavy lifting.

Of course, just because he didn’t initiate offense last season doesn’t necessarily mean he never will, or can’t already. For an optimistic view of how Siakam can look as the sole spearhead of an offensive attack, imagine him as Greek Freak cosplay. Both players have a moon-landing stride and inescapable wingspan, but instead of turning defenders into puffs of dryer lint with brute strength and violence, Siakam glides through the other team like a goldfish who can’t be caught with bare hands. Any general manager could do a lot worse than surrounding him with three-point shooters and smart defenders. That team is fun, and if Antetokounmpo leaves the Eastern Conference and the ostensible holes in Siakam’s game fill out, they may be able to achieve even more.

But those are tough bets to make with so much on the line, and more star power is inevitably required if the Raptors want to have a run like the one they just had. To get there, do they keep Siakam, hope he blossoms into a regular All-Star while other assets (OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, Chris Boucher, their draft picks) become enticing enough for a seismic trade? Or, do they get scared off by the possibility of wasting Siakam’s prime on a string of 45-win teams that flame out in the playoffs, ever conscious that they exist in a city that’s consistently rejected by the NBA’s top tier?

It’s here where Masai Ujiri may see the writing on the wall. If so, the list of buyers won’t be short. Siakam’s market value will never be higher than it is right now. Every contender (again, there may be more of them than normal) will be interested, as will the rung below that wants to take a dramatic and immediate step forward. For example what if it’s January, the Raptors are fighting just to get into the playoffs, and the New Orleans Pelicans throw Lonzo Ball, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaxson Hayes, and more than a couple future Los Angeles Lakers picks at them?

Siakam makes sense everywhere, and even on a max contract he’s young enough not to push any timelines ahead of schedule. What if the Thunder exceed expectations and start day-dreaming about Siakam and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a tangible duo that’s more attractive to their fanbase than all the draft picks they currently own? The Atlanta Hawks could be a very aggressive suitor, too.

Toronto’s whole situation is bittersweet, and dark parallels to the 2011 Dallas Mavericks are impossible to ignore, from the decision to surround one Hall of Famer with hungry, intelligent veterans familiar with playoff pain, to the depressing come down of an unfeasible title defense. The Mavericks haven’t won a playoff series since. Toronto doesn’t have to battle in the Western Conference, but that doesn’t preclude them from organizational lethargy.

Do they offer Lowry, Gasol, and/or Serge Ibaka new contracts, hold what they have together for as long as possible, grind around the margins, and then hold their breath until someone like Stanley Johnson has an epiphany? Do they cash out before this year’s trade deadline and set their sights on a genuine rebuild? Do they balance in-between in some sort of happy purgatory and operate with the type of patience only a championship can afford?

Whatever their course, Siakam, as one of the NBA’s 20 most important players, will be at the center of it all.

[footballghana]

FEATURE | Jordan Ayew: A spectacular season in review

A turn, drop of the shoulder and woof, a brilliant goal. Such finishes would have the fans chanting your name and opposition scrambling for jerseys at fulltime, but CoViD. Andre Ayew had seemingly set Swansea on promotion path, and for the first time in his career, he was battling to emerge from his brother, Jordan’s shadow.

Sons to the great Abedi Pele Ayew, Andre and Jordan Ayew have shone brighter than most. Their family is considered footballing royalty in African football circles.

Africa's Number 1 Football Family? 👀

Abedi Pele Ayew (33Goals in 73apps) AFCON Silver

Ibrahim Ayew (7apps) AFCON Silver, WC2010

Andre Dede Ayew (15goals in 88apps), AFCON Silver x2, WC2010, 14

Jordan Ayew (17Gls in 61apps), AFCON Silver, WC2014

The Black Star. 🇬🇭✨🌟 pic.twitter.com/KG3biPyHax

— African Football HQ (@AfricanFtblHQ) May 6, 2020

Since Andre broke out for the national team at the 2008 AFCON, and subsequently winning the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup as captain, he’s been the one. He’s Ghana’s current captain too. His talent undisputed. The debate had always been whether Jordan measured up. The talent been there, but the effort perhaps not matching it.

Since breaking out at Marseille in the 2009/10 season, he has achieved a double-digit campaign once, at Lorient in 2014-15 when he scored 12 goals. It was enough to earn him a move across the Seine to Aston Villa. He was 23. It was definitely upwards.

He arrived at Villa Park with a chip on his shoulder and scored seven times in 30 appearances. In all the games he scored, Villa picked up a paltry two points, both equalizers against West Ham and Newcastle, losing the remaining five games. The Villains were ultimately relegated, consigning him to six months in the Championship.

He’d rack up two goals and four assists in the dreaded division before heading to the AFCON with Ghana in 2017. It earned him a return to the Premier League and unification with his brother at Swansea, charged with turning around a season heading for the rocks.

Jordan helped the Swans achieve safety. However, they didn’t heed the warning signs and twelve months later, they would head down, with Jordan Ayew recording seven goals and two assists. His nine goal contributions accounted for 32% of the goals Swansea scored that season. Utilized often in a duo alongside Tammy Abraham or as a left winger, Ayew found life hard.

There were positives; in contrast to the cursed goals at Villa Park, Swansea never lost when he scored. He bagged equalizers against Everton, Watford, Newcastle and future employers Palace, while game changing goals against Arsenal, Wolves and West Ham were ticked off. He had won them six points, enough to convince Crystal Palace to initially pick him on loan as Swansea adjusted their budgets to Championship size.

Jordan Ayew toiled at Selhurst Park in 2018/19 as he tried to adjust to Roy Hodgson’s route one style. He was in the shadows of Christian Benteke, Wilf Zaha and Andros Townsend. He scored his first and only goal of the season against Wolves in January 2019. Somewhat, Hodgson kept him, and he signed permanently for $3.5million.

It seemed to be the assurance he needed, repaying the favor at Old Trafford, where he took down Jeffery Schlupp’s knock on before firing calmly past David de Gea. A week later, he pulled a rabbit out of the hat, the wicked right foot again, leaving Tyrone Mings and Jack Grealish for statues before curling past Tom Heaton, the only goal of a tight contest. It was swiftly followed by a VAR awarded goal, borne of instinct as he sprung West Ham’s offside trap to poke home.

A far post header beyond Bernd Leno marked seven points won for Palace as he escaped David Luiz’s sights. However, the summary of his season’s brilliance came on Boxing Day against West Ham with an “Ayew Gonna Dance” moment, clearing their doubts as to why the winner in the first leg wasn’t a fluke, time ticking, he received the ball from Connor Wickham on the right, drove at the box, turned, and feinted two players, like a dancer to the tune of the drummer’s beat, clean on goal, he dinked the ball stylishly over a hapless Roberto.

*Pretends to be shocked*

Jordan Ayew's winner vs. West Ham has been nominated for the @PremierLeague Goal of the Month!

Vote now 👉 https://t.co/y3ufffuIby #CPFC pic.twitter.com/Fn9IGR7qAt

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) January 3, 2020

He had driven the dagger into the hearts of Hammers fans, twice. He would make it four London Derby goals when his deflected shot looped beyond the reach of Bernd Leno. Arsenal undone by Kibi Brilliance.

His final London Derby Goal would come against Watford, a beauty within its rights, he curled in to the right corner from the edge of the box as the Hornets closed Palace down in sheer numbers. It was sheer brilliance.

It was sandwiched by two classic poacher goals against Brighton and Bournemouth, where he’d converted passes with one touch, the ball making a swoosh sound as it left his boots as though assured it was going in.

His last act of the season was an assist against Tottenham, albeit a failed attempt at the spectacular which fell to Jeffrey Schlupp, it had become a sort of norm in the London Derbies. He didn’t need it. His goals had accounted for 17 points for the Eagles, the fourth highest in the league for an individual.

His goal contributions were a whooping 35.5% of Palace’s 31 goals, the second least in the division. He ranked second for big chances created (4) and successful dribbles per game (2.0) at 62%, as well as being the highest ranked forward with tackles. It’s no surprise he’s swept home Crystal Palace’s Season ending awards.

While Andre Ayew failed to miraculously fire Swansea into the Premier League, his perofromances have attracted interest from Premier League clubs, as well as PSG! A first Ayew Derby since 2015/16 could be on the cards. There is no better time to be an Ayew.

source: africanfootballhq.com

source: https://footballghana.com/

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Bubble Keeper Week Cap League; Heiskanen and Honka; Iginla; Zucker – July 27

  Bubble Keeper Week is continuing here at Dobber Hockey and I’ve been very heartened to see the Dobber community come out and talk fantasy hockey. This is typically a time of year where most people have football, baseball, and barbecues on the mind, and it goes to show the passion you, as a community, has for the game we all love.

A couple days ago I mentioned one keeper league I have that follows a cap structure. We keep 18 and the scoring is as follows for skaters: goals, assists, shots, special-teams points, hits, blocks, takeaways, face-off wins. We start three centres, three of each wing, four defencemen, three utility, and two goalies. We haven’t had our rookie draft yet.

This is my roster (missing are goalies Jonathan Quick, Aaron Dell, and Darcy Kuemper) and they are last year’s salaries, which means someone’s contract information like Boone Jenner’s is incorrect:

    These are the guys I know I’m keeping for sure: Nico Hischier, Jake Guentzel, Chris Kreider, Yanni Gourde, Ivan Provorov, Shea Theodore, Nazem Kadri, Brett Ritchie, Brad Marchand, Boone Jenner, Vladimir Tarasenko, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jonathan Quick, and Aaron Dell. That makes 14.

A couple guys I’m waiting on are Josh Morrissey and to an extent Ondrej Kase. Both are RFAs without their new contracts as of yet.  

Some guys I’m unsure of: Pavel Zacha, Evgenii Dadonov, and Justin Faulk.

I have always been a fan of Zacha and think he’s due to breakout this year so, considering his cheap salary, I will probably keep him.

Dadonov I really don’t know what to do with. He provides little in peripherals and could lose his power-play spot to Mike Hoffman. If he’s basically a nothing in half the categories, is he worth $4-million in this league setup? 

Finally, I thought Faulk would be in a new destination by now. The addition of Dougie Hamilton is going to ruin hopes of a bounce back for Faulk in a Carolina uniform. It’s a matter of whether we get 2016-17 Faulk or 2017-18 Faulk. I just don’t know yet.

What does the Dobber community think on each of Zacha, Dadonov, and Faulk in this format?

*

We are down to a one-handed number of days as the 2018-19 Dobber Hockey fantasy guide is set to release in five days. Be sure to grab your copy early so you can absorb all the fantasy goodness contained within and take advantage of the updates that will occur as we progress to the end of the off season. Just head to the Dobber Shop and pre-order yours now!

*

Sean Shapiro of The Athletic had an interview recently with new Stars head coach Jim Montgomery. I encourage those with subscriptions to read it but there were a few interesting takeaways:

It sounds like we can expect the trio of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alex Radulov to skate together infrequently at five-on-five. I assume Radulov is the guy moved down. Reading between the lines, does that mean Valeri Nichushkin gets a shot on the top line?

Montgomery specifically talks about wanting to play a “puck-possession game” which probably bodes well for their skill players.

Montgomery also specifically gushes over Miro Heiskanen’s ability to generate offence from the defensive zone, so maybe they let him make mistakes while trying to create offence through the neutral zone.

The new coach also discusses Julius Honka’s ability to create clean entries, which is something he will be emphasizing. Those who’ve waited for Honka to finally be a staple of this blue line, it looks like it may happen.

There is a lot more to the interview, specifically talking about Stephen Johns, Radek Faksa, Devin Shore, and Jason Spezza. I really do encourage people to read it. This interview is more enlightening than the vast majority of interviews from coaches.

*

Something I’ve just been thinking about for this year is Jeff Carter’s value. He lost two-thirds of his 2017-18 due to injury but still managed 13 goals and 22 points in 27 games. That’s pretty good.

My big issue is that he’s going into his age-34 season. The list of centres with 25-goal, 30-assist seasons at the age or older over the last five seasons is as follows: Pavel Datysuk (2014-15). That’s it. That’s the whole list. In fact, Datsyuk is the only centre in the last decade to have a season with at least 25 goals and 30 assists at the age of 34 or older. We know of aging curves in hockey. We know that shots and shooting percentage fall off in the late 20s and get worse. There was also an article recently from Ryan Stimson at The Athletic showing that playmaking skills can sustain themselves much more than shooting later into a career. Carter is a shooter.

He’ll still get 17-18 minutes a night centering the second line and on the top power-play unit. With Ilya Kovalchuk in town, do some of his shots on the PP disappear?

This will largely be a question of ADP. He was often drafted inside the top-75 last year. Even if he’s still just inside the top-100, it might be worth passing on him. Once I finish projections, I’ll have a better idea of where to grab him. This might be a situation where I’d rather be a year early jumping off the boat than a year late.

*

A couple days ago, the Calgary Flames announced that Jarome Iginla would be having a retirement ceremony in Calgary at the end of the month. So ends a career that began as a draft pick of the Dallas Stars and ends as one of the most prolific wingers to step on NHL ice.

In the history of the NHL, there have been 17 players to manage both 600 goals and 600 assists in their career. Only two aren’t Hall of Famers and those two are Iginla and Jaromir Jagr. That’s why I had to laugh when I saw some people on social media, just after the announcement was made, ask whether Iginla was a Hall of Famer. I know they’re just trying to spark some sort of discussion (need those engagement numbers) but the thought to the contrary is an absurd one.

Let’s dig a little more into Iginla’s career (all from Hockey Reference’s Play Index):

From 1998-1999 through 2014-15, a span of 16 seasons, Iginla managed 25 goals in 15 of those seasons, only missing in the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign. Marian Hossa had the next-most 25-goal seasons with 12.

In the 10 seasons from 2001-02 through 2011-12, the prime production years of his career, he had 806 points in 800 games. Only Joe Thornton had more points in those seasons (899).

Since the turn of the century, Iginla has 12 seasons with at least 30 goals and 30 assists. No one else has more than eight.

No matter how it’s cut or sliced, Iginla is one of the top wingers to skate in the modern era of the NHL. That doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of his impact on the game when you consider his impact on others:

Jarome Iginla is the reason I even picked up a stick in the first place. At a young age there weren’t too many players with a similar background to me. I’ve idolized him my entire life and wish I could have stepped on the ice with him. Best of luck Iggy!

— Tyrell Goulbourne (@Tgillz12) July 25, 2018

When someone leaves the game of hockey, be it retirement from the playing or management side, there are always platitudes that are offered. Every single person is the Classiest Person Ever in hockey. Every single person is a Hall Of Fame Individual. Et cetera. Et cetera. These aren’t platitudes when it comes to Iginla. From fellow players, to fans, to coaches, to just regular people on the street, he treated everyone with respect, and assumed the role of a true leader.

We will see another player like Iginla; there are too many talented players across the world for it not to happen. I’m not sure we’ll see another player with his on- and off-ice qualities again, though.

*

I have gotten a couple questions on Jason Zucker – which is kind of surprising given I’ve probably written more about him than any other player over the last few months – so I wanted to go through his breakout season piece by piece.

Zucker’s 2017-18 was a career year, cracking 60 points for the first time. In fact, he cracked 50 points for the first time, finishing with 33 goals and 31 assists. He also played a full 82-game season for the first time, while averaging 16:58 TOI per game, also a career-best.

We may look at his 14.9 percent shooting and just assume, considering he shot 12.1 percent over the previous five seasons, that it’ll come down. Here’s the thing: his 11.5 percent shooting at five-on-five in 2017-18 was actually lower than both his 2016-17 season (12.6 percent) and his 2014-15 season (15.3 percent). His aggregate shooting percentage from 2012-2016 at five-on-five was 11.4 percent, right in line with his 2017-18 season. He scored 20 goals at five-on-five, as he did the year before. In other words, he didn’t get lucky at five-on-five.

The difference came on the power play. For his career, Zucker had three PP goals in 248 games before last season. He was finally given regular minutes and popped seven. Minnesota split their time between two units so it’s not as if he had monster top-unit minutes like guys in Washington, Boston, or San Jose. Even though he was given regular power-play minutes, looking in a league-wide context, he still had fewer minutes on the man advantage than guys like Alex Tuch, Alex Kerfoot, Max Domi, Nick Schmaltz, and Adam Henrique.

Zucker shot 21.9 percent on the power play, which explains his bump in overall shooting percentage. That may seem high, and it’s certainly above average, but among forwards with 170-plus minutes on the man advantage last year, that mark wasn’t even inside the top-20.

The one concern is that this was the third straight season with a declining shot attempt rate at five-on-five. Though his actual shot on goal rate went up, his shot attempt rate went down. That’s probably an aberration and if he doesn’t start shooting more, his overall shot totals will decline unless he sees more ice time. If his ice time and shot rates don’t change, don’t be surprised if he drops 20 or so shots off his totals, which would result in a few fewer goals.

His individual points percentage last year was 68.8 percent, a three-year high, but not far off his 2016-17 season (65.3 percent) and lower than his 2014-15 season (74.3 percent). Again, it just seems about normal for him.

All told, despite it being the best production season of his career, not too much of his 2017-18 season was out of line with what he had done in his career, and most of the changes can be explained in a change in usage. Maybe he doesn’t improve next year, or even declines a little, but barring a really unlucky year, there should be too much of a change. He can still push for 30 goals and 60 points.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-bubble-keeper-week-cap-league-heiskanen-and-honka-iginla-zucker-july-27/

[flauntpage]

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez

It's unusual when the best player in any trade is ignored like Brook Lopez has been since the Brooklyn Nets dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers back in June. We'll cover the understandable reasons why this particular situation is an outlier, but Lopez's short-term impact in Los Angeles still doesn't deserve to be universally overlooked.

For a team that won't be very good next season, Lopez is talented enough to simplify life for his new teammates while putting up impressive numbers that have the potential to recalibrate his own future as a valuable puzzle piece. Only 29 years old, with serious foot problems that stigmatized earlier parts of his career conceivably in the rearview mirror, Lopez is entering an upgraded version of what he endured in Brooklyn the last couple seasons.

The Lakers are bad but gifted, with a rising off guard who can defend multiple positions (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), a prodigious pass-always rookie (Lonzo Ball), a budding blue-chipper on the wing (Brandon Ingram), limited flotsam that's flashed usefulness here and there (Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle) up and down the roster, and once-crafty veterans who may no longer have any use in a winning environment (Luol Deng, Corey Brewer).

It's fair to brush Lopez off, focus on cap space, the shinier toys L.A. has to play with, and an ostensibly bright future that overshadows the present day. Stuck in the same boat as Caldwell-Pope, Randle, and a few others on this year's team, Lopez's expiring contract all but ensures this season will be his one and only at Staples Center. In order to take on multiple max contracts next summer, the Lakers need to renounce all cap holds and shed excess salary that exists elsewhere on the books (Deng, Clarkson, etc.).

This includes Lopez, who has a massive $34 million cap hold come July. But how the one-time All-Star fits on this roster is an intriguing circumstance worth exploring. In all likelihood, he's their best player and, if Los Angeles' goal is to win, he'll lead the team in scoring, usage rate, and myriad other statistical categories.

On the surface this seems problematic. Instead of reinforcing youngsters who need touches, shots, and opportunity, feeding a low-post behemoth who won't be around beyond this season feels like a mistake. But Lopez is no sinkhole. His presence will make life easier on both ends of the floor for most of L.A.'s tentpole prospects, and without a first-round pick in this year's draft, fostering favorable habits inside a positive atmosphere should be the ultimate goal.

The Lakers must show they can be competitive if they want to attract some of the league's brightest individual stars next summer; Lopez's skill-set complements their youth movement in so many different ways. Let's begin with a look at the offense. The Lakers finished 24th in offensive rating, 19th in three-point rate, and 28th in the percentage of their threes that were assisted last season.

Photo by Brad Penner - USA TODAY Sports

A major reason for the dilemma was a frontcourt that couldn't shoot. Timofey Mozgov, Tarik Black, Thomas Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Nance Jr., and Randle combined to make 28 threes. Randle was the only one who even attempted at least 50 shots beyond the arc. This is a debilitating flaw in today's NBA, where bigs who can space the floor, create their own shot, and provide some type of plus presence on the defensive end are increasingly precious.

Meanwhile, by himself, Lopez launched 387 threes, making just over half from the corner and about a third from above-the-break. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked in the 62nd percentile as a pick-and-pop weapon. Be it hoisting up open set shots or attacking a closeout on his way to the rim, Lopez had the type of direct gravitational pull no Laker big has matched in years.

The ripple effect will do wonders for every one of L.A.'s ball-handlers, from Clarkson and Ball to KCP and Ingram. Even Randle will be able to take advantage if Luke Walton implements tricky 4-5 pick-and-rolls into the offense. Unless they aren't afraid to forfeit an open three, defenses have little margin for error executing their scheme, whether they switch, drop back, or hedge a high screen.

There will be plenty of instances where he'll simply stand in the corner, force the opposing team's most intimidating rim protector to cover more ground than he's used to, and pry open lanes that didn't exist a season ago. The Nets scored 103.4 points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the court last year, which, coincidentally, is the exact same number L.A. averaged as a team. But whenever he sat, Brooklyn's offense plummeted to a team-low 99.9 points per 100 possessions, which sinks below the 30th ranked Philadelphia 76ers.

On the perimeter he's a major plus. But that's not where a majority of Lopez's skills are utilized. He's one of the more reliable post scorers in basketball, and arguably the most confident scorer in the game from the non-restricted area of the paint. His push shot from just inside the free-throw line turns the ball into a butterfly, and stopping him with one defender is damn near impossible.

Yes, this methodology is antiquated and plays into why Lopez—reputed as a plodding seven footer—is never mentioned as a notable member of next summer's free agent class. But there's a safety net effect to what he provides, a relatively efficient "dump it down low and get out of the way" last resort that can be found in almost every legitimate offensive structure. Lopez's action down low forces help defenders to react. That matters.

Only four players drew more hard double teams in the post last year, per Synergy Sports: Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and Enes Kanter. That level of attention can open up opportunities on the perimeter, while also allowing Ingram, Ball, Randle, Clarkson, and everyone else to put pressure on a rotating defense with well-timed cuts to the basket. (His assist rate crept up to a career-high 14.8 percent last year.)

Lopez isn't the ideal pillar of a modern offense, but his various skills allow Walton to exhale. He's smart, talented, and stands as a humongous and reliable moving target everyone else on the team can seek out when in trouble.

On the other end, Lopez's syrupy foot speed disrupts Walton's desire to fulfill a switch-happy scheme popularized by the Golden State Warriors. That's awkward against some teams, but having a giant man the middle and protect the paint has its own advantages against others (i.e. teams that can't shoot). Among all players who defended at least six shots at the rim per game last year, Lopez's 47 percent ranked fifth behind Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis.

Again, he isn't flexible, but when challenged straight on Lopez transforms into an unscalable mountain. (Most of the time.) There are superior defenders at the center position, but when plopped beside Randle—who allowed the highest field goal percentage among players who defended at least five shots at the rim last season—Lopez's size becomes particularly helpful.

In the end, it makes perfect sense for people to question Lopez's place in a league that's eradicating his kind. But last season, eclipsed by the fact he was the most competent option on the NBA's worst team, Lopez quietly adapted to the league's most pressing trend. He'll never be quick enough to switch out on the perimeter and capably defend someone like Steph Curry or James Harden on an island, but Lopez has a great opportunity to boost his stock on a Lakers team that should, at the very least, give people reason to tune in.

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[amtushinfosolutionspage]

Let’s Not Sleep on Brook Lopez

It’s unusual when the best player in any trade is ignored like Brook Lopez has been since the Brooklyn Nets dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers back in June. We’ll cover the understandable reasons why this particular situation is an outlier, but Lopez’s short-term impact in Los Angeles still doesn’t deserve to be universally overlooked.

For a team that won’t be very good next season, Lopez is talented enough to simplify life for his new teammates while putting up impressive numbers that have the potential to recalibrate his own future as a valuable puzzle piece. Only 29 years old, with serious foot problems that stigmatized earlier parts of his career conceivably in the rearview mirror, Lopez is entering an upgraded version of what he endured in Brooklyn the last couple seasons.

The Lakers are bad but gifted, with a rising off guard who can defend multiple positions (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), a prodigious pass-always rookie (Lonzo Ball), a budding blue-chipper on the wing (Brandon Ingram), limited flotsam that’s flashed usefulness here and there (Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle) up and down the roster, and once-crafty veterans who may no longer have any use in a winning environment (Luol Deng, Corey Brewer).

It’s fair to brush Lopez off, focus on cap space, the shinier toys L.A. has to play with, and an ostensibly bright future that overshadows the present day. Stuck in the same boat as Caldwell-Pope, Randle, and a few others on this year’s team, Lopez’s expiring contract all but ensures this season will be his one and only at Staples Center. In order to take on multiple max contracts next summer, the Lakers need to renounce all cap holds and shed excess salary that exists elsewhere on the books (Deng, Clarkson, etc.).

This includes Lopez, who has a massive $34 million cap hold come July. But how the one-time All-Star fits on this roster is an intriguing circumstance worth exploring. In all likelihood, he’s their best player and, if Los Angeles’ goal is to win, he’ll lead the team in scoring, usage rate, and myriad other statistical categories.

On the surface this seems problematic. Instead of reinforcing youngsters who need touches, shots, and opportunity, feeding a low-post behemoth who won’t be around beyond this season feels like a mistake. But Lopez is no sinkhole. His presence will make life easier on both ends of the floor for most of L.A.’s tentpole prospects, and without a first-round pick in this year’s draft, fostering favorable habits inside a positive atmosphere should be the ultimate goal.

The Lakers must show they can be competitive if they want to attract some of the league’s brightest individual stars next summer; Lopez’s skill-set complements their youth movement in so many different ways. Let’s begin with a look at the offense. The Lakers finished 24th in offensive rating, 19th in three-point rate, and 28th in the percentage of their threes that were assisted last season.

Photo by Brad Penner – USA TODAY Sports

A major reason for the dilemma was a frontcourt that couldn’t shoot. Timofey Mozgov, Tarik Black, Thomas Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Nance Jr., and Randle combined to make 28 threes. Randle was the only one who even attempted at least 50 shots beyond the arc. This is a debilitating flaw in today’s NBA, where bigs who can space the floor, create their own shot, and provide some type of plus presence on the defensive end are increasingly precious.

Meanwhile, by himself, Lopez launched 387 threes, making just over half from the corner and about a third from above-the-break. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked in the 62nd percentile as a pick-and-pop weapon. Be it hoisting up open set shots or attacking a closeout on his way to the rim, Lopez had the type of direct gravitational pull no Laker big has matched in years.

The ripple effect will do wonders for every one of L.A.’s ball-handlers, from Clarkson and Ball to KCP and Ingram. Even Randle will be able to take advantage if Luke Walton implements tricky 4-5 pick-and-rolls into the offense. Unless they aren’t afraid to forfeit an open three, defenses have little margin for error executing their scheme, whether they switch, drop back, or hedge a high screen.

There will be plenty of instances where he’ll simply stand in the corner, force the opposing team’s most intimidating rim protector to cover more ground than he’s used to, and pry open lanes that didn’t exist a season ago. The Nets scored 103.4 points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the court last year, which, coincidentally, is the exact same number L.A. averaged as a team. But whenever he sat, Brooklyn’s offense plummeted to a team-low 99.9 points per 100 possessions, which sinks below the 30th ranked Philadelphia 76ers.

On the perimeter he’s a major plus. But that’s not where a majority of Lopez’s skills are utilized. He’s one of the more reliable post scorers in basketball, and arguably the most confident scorer in the game from the non-restricted area of the paint. His push shot from just inside the free-throw line turns the ball into a butterfly, and stopping him with one defender is damn near impossible.

Yes, this methodology is antiquated and plays into why Lopez—reputed as a plodding seven footer—is never mentioned as a notable member of next summer’s free agent class. But there’s a safety net effect to what he provides, a relatively efficient “dump it down low and get out of the way” last resort that can be found in almost every legitimate offensive structure. Lopez’s action down low forces help defenders to react. That matters.

Only four players drew more hard double teams in the post last year, per Synergy Sports: Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and Enes Kanter. That level of attention can open up opportunities on the perimeter, while also allowing Ingram, Ball, Randle, Clarkson, and everyone else to put pressure on a rotating defense with well-timed cuts to the basket. (His assist rate crept up to a career-high 14.8 percent last year.)

Lopez isn’t the ideal pillar of a modern offense, but his various skills allow Walton to exhale. He’s smart, talented, and stands as a humongous and reliable moving target everyone else on the team can seek out when in trouble.

On the other end, Lopez’s syrupy foot speed disrupts Walton’s desire to fulfill a switch-happy scheme popularized by the Golden State Warriors. That’s awkward against some teams, but having a giant man the middle and protect the paint has its own advantages against others (i.e. teams that can’t shoot). Among all players who defended at least six shots at the rim per game last year, Lopez’s 47 percent ranked fifth behind Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis.

Again, he isn’t flexible, but when challenged straight on Lopez transforms into an unscalable mountain. (Most of the time.) There are superior defenders at the center position, but when plopped beside Randle—who allowed the highest field goal percentage among players who defended at least five shots at the rim last season—Lopez’s size becomes particularly helpful.

In the end, it makes perfect sense for people to question Lopez’s place in a league that’s eradicating his kind. But last season, eclipsed by the fact he was the most competent option on the NBA’s worst team, Lopez quietly adapted to the league’s most pressing trend. He’ll never be quick enough to switch out on the perimeter and capably defend someone like Steph Curry or James Harden on an island, but Lopez has a great opportunity to boost his stock on a Lakers team that should, at the very least, give people reason to tune in.

Let’s Not Sleep on Brook Lopez syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

[giselepham95-blog]

FIFA 18 Release Date, Features, Wishlist, System Requirements

I feel that any younger low rated player that's developing well enough to make even the shortest of substitute appearances deserves a slight upgrade. The connection between Hazard and Mourinho is a sophisticated one and was usually used as an excuse for Hazards common 15/16 season. Conte needed to "rebuild" Hazard. There was little doubt in anyone’s mind about just how good Hazard was and he rapidly returned to kind. FIFA 18 will in all probability bring the highest rated base card Hazard has ever had in FIFA. Ought to he handle to get various IF’s and eventually a TOTS, you’re probably taking a look at a ninety nine Rated Blue Hazard. Musonda is only 20 year previous so there’s a lot to come back from him but. After his promising first season at Actual Betis on loan, his 2nd one was minimize quick after only eight woeful performances. He’ll most likely be loaned out during this summer window too. He’s just another talent on the Chelsea mortgage merry go round. A: Not very often. Q: The FIFA 18 Internet App isn’t working. How do I repair it? A: This is probably going as a result of FIFA 18 servers or FUT maintenance. Nonetheless, sometimes it may be your browser/account or an unidentified drawback that EA needs to fix. You need to try clearing your cache inside your chosen browser or trying by way of another browser or gadget. Q: I can entry to the FUT Web App however the market is unavailable. A: Should you haven’t performed FUT 17 within the console the place you plan to play FUT 18, the Apps will not make accessible the market’s earlier entry. It is advisable to validate your FIFA 18 account in the brand new console to unlock the market. Q: Why is there a FIFA 18 Web App login verification? A: It is a safety measure to help guarantee other gamers can not login to your account. You may be required to verify the code that’s sent to your e mail handle or phone quantity. Q: What information do I want for the FIFA 18 Internet App login? A: You'll need your EA account e mail handle, password and reply to your secret query. It's possible you'll also be required to enter a verification code that’s despatched to your phone quantity or e mail handle. Q: Why I can’t buy FIFA Points in the web App? A: FIFA Factors are solely out there earlier than the game release date in the early entry of EA & Origin Access subscribers.

FIFA on Might 18 held a Council, said after the FIFA Secretary Basic Walker After discussion, it was in the following three important issues to achieve a consensus. First, FIFA may voluntarily apply for trial on all continents 5 referees. Nevertheless, there are additional provisions of this resolution, irrespective of which of events to take five referees strategy must be adopted throughout from begin to complete, not a number of, in a race with five judges generally and typically not. The second is to develop the scope of the fourth official duties. I've nice curiosity in wholesale china items such as wholesale jerseys, wholesale cell phones, wholesale jerseys and wholesale golf clubs. As a well-known wholesaler, I've engaged on this line for greater than 10 years. I'm glad to share experiences of china wholesale with you. So extra data please come to our store: genuine jerseys supply. Log in or Create Account to submit a comment. Publisher: Gianni Truvianni An article about the numerous fouls Maradona had to endure towards Brazil until his brilliance finally got here by means of with one of many greats passes ever delivered in a world cup. This being the one which lifted Argentina in to the quarterfinals while demonstrating to all that Maradona was capable of arising with the massive play even beneath probably the most tough of circumstances. Writer: Francisco Gaines Each single lady ought to be concerned together with her food plan program all by means of the course of her lifetime however particularly when expecting. Why do ladies love sneakers and hand baggage so much? How to save lots of Cash On-line through the use of Coupon Codes 2. Fashion For Girls On the Age Of 30 three. Tips for the best Instyler Hair 4. Why Is It That You desire to Led Lighting? The idea Behind On-line Buying!

There are too much of recent features and ideas that we need to see in FIFA 18. If you have any type of inquiries concerning where and how you can utilize fifa 18 wiki - i thought about this,, you could contact us at the site. Right now, we discuss all of the most important wishlists for FIFA 18. What do you want to see in the following FIFA? In the past, now we have seen EA work off a public demand listing from the internet. So, there is an precise probability that EA will look at our wishlist. Don’t neglect to depart your wishlist within the comment part. Sure, we discuss this wishlist every year but that’s because we are nonetheless not satisfied. The new AI system is definitely the very best amongst all the previous ones but there are nonetheless too many issues that EA has so as to add with a purpose to make it look like taking part in like an actual opposition. It's kind of a setback for EA Sports activities that they cannot get rights for the Champions League for their FIFA collection. Every crew has various numbers of interest and totally different targets as a way to obtain. Do you know some FIFA 18 Xbox can assist your youngsters be taught? For apparent reasons try to keep away from lots of violence on this title. The websites worked i bought my coins (after 2 three days of ready) the costs wernt nearly as good as my prime 2 the customer service wasn reside chat on any of them. There are specific button sequences for lofted passes or via balls as before but with the additions of "Pass with purpose" and a wider range of pass fakes and dribble choices to allow cannier players to breeze towards aim.. To foster your probabilities of creating wealth you must bid spherical the participant numerous instances. Storms knock out power twister reported in Pa. I've been attempting to make a FIFA Ultimate Team app in order that the user can log in using the type and the stats get displayed. Since this is your first violation your account has been marked and we have withdrawn all your FUT coins. Does the sport have some sort of lottery where it offers you a random item? People can store probably the most MMORPG,IOS and Android games coins from this online retailer. They will actually have an effect on their psyche. So especially if two folks happen to put in writing in about the same subject there may be quite a hole between once we use a characteristic so we sorry about that. Additionally take breaks when you get tired or get cramps. Another factor ought to mentioned right here is the limitation function that can restrict the amount of token you'll be able to generate on every run.

You may anticipate to have all the most important leagues and groups playable in FIFA 18, together with the Premier League and La Liga, along with likenesses for all the players. PES alternatively has at all times struggled with licenses, which can or is probably not a dealbreaker for you. From the PES 2018 teaser trailer we are able to see that once again it'll give attention to Barcelona so anticipate to see the Nou Camp together with gamers like Neymar, Messi and Suarez recreated nearly photorealistically. PES 2018 may even doubtless profit from having the exclusive license to the UEFA Champions and Europa League. The most important new mode we noticed in FIFA 2017 was the addition of a single-participant campaign, something unheard of in a football game. The Journey, which focused on up-and-coming wonderkid Alex Hunter, was successful and it’s no shock to see it making a return this year. The Journey: Hunter’s Return adds in a spread of customisability options, a deeper story with extra reliance on your selections and the flexibility to depart England and play for a variety of teams.

The Xbox 360 has been around for a number of years now and there are several hundred games which have been printed for it. If you're shopping for a new Xbox 360 and want to know what games it is best to get for it, this list will be a very good place to start. Additionally, if you already own a 360 and have been enjoying games for awhile, you may need to take a close look too. You just would possibly discover a sport on this this that you haven't performed but, and with this being the list of the perfect Xbox 360 games ever, it is best to positively give all of those games a strive. These are my selections for the 25 greatest 360 games ever and all of those games should be here. Every single one of those games has performed something amazing or revolutionary. Whether there greatness was achieved in sport mechanics, degree design, artwork, or story, or gross sales numbers, these games are laborious to out rank. I put Name of Responsibility 4: Fashionable Warfare in the primary spot because its single player mode is essentially the most partaking first individual shooter on the market.

[frankfallon-blog]

#6 Footballs fortunes

We are about to embark on the start of the new football season. Pre season games have come and gone. Football banter has started again, whether Arsenal can make it back in to their 4th spot, whether Jose will give us a smile, can Daniel Sturridge remain injury free and so on. Sky Sports have released the new, stylish looking Premiership channel and, more importantly, knocked the price down so we can all stop streaming live football, maybe! Side note - I just watched the emirate cup on a freeview channel. Twas exactly the same as watching it on Sky... I love football. When I was 8 I got a blue dinosaur teddy and a red one. Nothing to do with the Arsenal colours and Mam has no idea about the 8ft Gunnersaurus being the Arsenal mascot since 1994. In today's world of sponsored football stadia, you wonder if Peter Lovell would have another opportunity to enter a competition to name the club mascot! My brother, 4 years older than I, and I both supported Arsenal but he didn't care too much for footy and told me one day that he supported Man. U. He didn't. It wasn't even a test but it tested me and I stayed true. He embarked on a journey dabbling in Nirvana and roller blades and I watched Ian Wright at any opportunity! Even then we couldn't afford Sky Sports, so it was FA Cup games and watching at friends houses. I played a bit. Ashley Young was one of the regular starters for Barclay sixth form team. I didn't play a bit. I ran the line a couple of times and supported from the sidelines but if it wasn't for the 3 or 4 better players in front of me we would have regularly played together. He's a lovely bloke. He was down to earth. He's on £110,000 (this was £70,000 only a few season ago) a week now playing at Manchester United FC. Ashley, as I believe the story goes, was at Watford until 16 and then they let him go for having a smaller frame. Quick, but no strength. So old (young) Youngy went back for a year, for free, with Watford and trained and eventually broke in to the first team where he lit up the flank and went to Villa for £10 million pound. Now he's mixing it up with some proper wonga and regularly plays, gracing our TV screens with his natural ability and the talent that he put so much effort in when he was released as a 16 year old! The hard work paid off, there is a story of talent that was so close to being let go, as so many others around, that ends with a young individual making a real story. Where did we pluck £10 million pound from though? My Dad likes to wind me up occasionally and says I'm a 'Commy'! That I believe everyone should get an opportunity to earn the same and, like Marx, wealth should be distributed fairly. "Some people work harder." "Some people achieve more!" Lots of useful counter arguments that I like to take in (wondering how some of our characteristics and views are so similar, and some can be so opposite?) and some I can completely agree with and comprehend. I don't praise people with equal measure for food they've cooked if one is not as nice as the other. If someone works out how to fly whilst I procure equipment from one end of the country to the other, I'm not suggesting we should earn the same. Neymar. Brazilian bloke. 25 years old. He's a quality footballer! Scores goals, looks average sometimes playing alongside Suarez and Messi but in most teams he would play and do well! Arguably one of the worlds greatest but some people still believe Ali is better Ozil and some people believe Chelsea are where they deserve to be. The matter of opinion on whether this 25 year old, Brazilian geezer, is worth a reported (Evening Standard) €222 million! Well! That's not really anyone's matter of opinion, surely?! I read some social media statements - a funny one about Manchester City spending more on their defence than some countries such as Colombia and Honduras! People were posting smiley face emojis at the thought of the Saudi royals over at the Ethiad swanning about talking about their defence in the same money bracket as a country! I don't agree with that nonsense either! I've worked in countries where poverty is rife, education isn't readily available and we've spent money on 'defending' countries from Imminent attacks. Well... if any nation attached France, Neymar (an attacking forward) should be able to defend a whole country (smiley face, wink face, laughing emoji)! For what's it worth I understand this is a complex issue. However surely it's simple in the terms that someone, somewhere has whacked a ridiculously high value on something with no actual factual reasoning? Ashley Young trained with Watford for x number of years, he had coaches supporting him being paid x amount and he played x number of times, journeys to and from, stadium utility bills for every time he was there and maybe in several years of training they feel that £10million was a worthy sum. Did they do that though? I work in a job where we put figures on a young person, starting on a course, how much it costs to accommodate them and feed them and provide resources and equipment to use, providing them with new skills... We then request a certain amount per young person. Every successful young person gets funds back upon completion of the programme. Standard business plan. Supply and demand. If fruit is demanded all year round we ship it from climates that grow it, so when the UK can't grow it, people can still eat it! It's a multiplex issue because that in itself is problematic but at least we have cause. People need to eat. I'm a fan of football but, and how hypocritical is it that Sanchez was £35 million, Ozil £40 million and Lacezette £53 million, but Pogba - a French geezer was 'worth' £93 million and I still watched. £200 million for a bloke that does something well, really well, I don't know if I can support that. I try to eat less meat and sometimes I fail and I know that if we didn't eat meat the world would, arguably, all be able to eat using the grain that the meat eats! I like meat and I like football. In a perfect world I would eat meat a couple of times a fortnight and I would pay a couple of quid to watch a local team play. You all probably have faith in the armed forces, you probably support one of the big five (except you Bailey, up the Gills!) and you probably eat meat everyday. Well, continue but I can't sit back and feel comfortable that Neymar is swanning about getting £650,000 tax free a week!! Without feeling hard done by being priced out of watching that team I chose to follow as an 8 year old. We should be watching it. We should be bantering on whether Super Sol won more trophies at the Spurs or Arsenal, whether Champs league is bigger than the Europa, we should all have been able to watch Liverpool and Gerard's, literal, slip on the race for the Premier League title. We should also have the right to pay an acceptable amount of money to do so and if wages and transfers were capped that amount would trickle down. Everything would be cheaper. Flat prices in London are higher than anywhere else, food prices and rent don't match inflation but that is a separate issue. I can't watch another premier league season where this money being spent continues to grow and only the fortunate reap the reward. Call me a Commy. Tell me Ashley Young and many others like him deserve the amount they're paid because of the work they put in. But don't tell me that the warden looking after my Nan, or the nurses that were looking after my Grandparents can't afford to watch the likes of Neymar because they are priced out of a ticket. With all the things wrong in the world we can choose certain rights. Recycle. Grow veg. Sack off Neymar and Pogba because they are not worth anything like the sickening amount that's been thrown around from one rich bloke to another rich bloke, with a rich bloke in the middle getting paid too just for holding a phone and buying the coffee. Frank Full by Frank Fallon

[flauntpage]

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez

It's unusual when the best player in any trade is ignored like Brook Lopez has been since the Brooklyn Nets dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers back in June. We'll cover the understandable reasons why this particular situation is an outlier, but Lopez's short-term impact in Los Angeles still doesn't deserve to be universally overlooked.

For a team that won't be very good next season, Lopez is talented enough to simplify life for his new teammates while putting up impressive numbers that have the potential to recalibrate his own future as a valuable puzzle piece. Only 29 years old, with serious foot problems that stigmatized earlier parts of his career conceivably in the rearview mirror, Lopez is entering an upgraded version of what he endured in Brooklyn the last couple seasons.

The Lakers are bad but gifted, with a rising off guard who can defend multiple positions (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), a prodigious pass-always rookie (Lonzo Ball), a budding blue-chipper on the wing (Brandon Ingram), limited flotsam that's flashed usefulness here and there (Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle) up and down the roster, and once-crafty veterans who may no longer have any use in a winning environment (Luol Deng, Corey Brewer).

It's fair to brush Lopez off, focus on cap space, the shinier toys L.A. has to play with, and an ostensibly bright future that overshadows the present day. Stuck in the same boat as Caldwell-Pope, Randle, and a few others on this year's team, Lopez's expiring contract all but ensures this season will be his one and only at Staples Center. In order to take on multiple max contracts next summer, the Lakers need to renounce all cap holds and shed excess salary that exists elsewhere on the books (Deng, Clarkson, etc.).

This includes Lopez, who has a massive $34 million cap hold come July. But how the one-time All-Star fits on this roster is an intriguing circumstance worth exploring. In all likelihood, he's their best player and, if Los Angeles' goal is to win, he'll lead the team in scoring, usage rate, and myriad other statistical categories.

On the surface this seems problematic. Instead of reinforcing youngsters who need touches, shots, and opportunity, feeding a low-post behemoth who won't be around beyond this season feels like a mistake. But Lopez is no sinkhole. His presence will make life easier on both ends of the floor for most of L.A.'s tentpole prospects, and without a first-round pick in this year's draft, fostering favorable habits inside a positive atmosphere should be the ultimate goal.

The Lakers must show they can be competitive if they want to attract some of the league's brightest individual stars next summer; Lopez's skill-set complements their youth movement in so many different ways. Let's begin with a look at the offense. The Lakers finished 24th in offensive rating, 19th in three-point rate, and 28th in the percentage of their threes that were assisted last season.

Photo by Brad Penner - USA TODAY Sports

A major reason for the dilemma was a frontcourt that couldn't shoot. Timofey Mozgov, Tarik Black, Thomas Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Nance Jr., and Randle combined to make 28 threes. Randle was the only one who even attempted at least 50 shots beyond the arc. This is a debilitating flaw in today's NBA, where bigs who can space the floor, create their own shot, and provide some type of plus presence on the defensive end are increasingly precious.

Meanwhile, by himself, Lopez launched 387 threes, making just over half from the corner and about a third from above-the-break. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked in the 62nd percentile as a pick-and-pop weapon. Be it hoisting up open set shots or attacking a closeout on his way to the rim, Lopez had the type of direct gravitational pull no Laker big has matched in years.

The ripple effect will do wonders for every one of L.A.'s ball-handlers, from Clarkson and Ball to KCP and Ingram. Even Randle will be able to take advantage if Luke Walton implements tricky 4-5 pick-and-rolls into the offense. Unless they aren't afraid to forfeit an open three, defenses have little margin for error executing their scheme, whether they switch, drop back, or hedge a high screen.

There will be plenty of instances where he'll simply stand in the corner, force the opposing team's most intimidating rim protector to cover more ground than he's used to, and pry open lanes that didn't exist a season ago. The Nets scored 103.4 points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the court last year, which, coincidentally, is the exact same number L.A. averaged as a team. But whenever he sat, Brooklyn's offense plummeted to a team-low 99.9 points per 100 possessions, which sinks below the 30th ranked Philadelphia 76ers.

On the perimeter he's a major plus. But that's not where a majority of Lopez's skills are utilized. He's one of the more reliable post scorers in basketball, and arguably the most confident scorer in the game from the non-restricted area of the paint. His push shot from just inside the free-throw line turns the ball into a butterfly, and stopping him with one defender is damn near impossible.

Yes, this methodology is antiquated and plays into why Lopez—reputed as a plodding seven footer—is never mentioned as a notable member of next summer's free agent class. But there's a safety net effect to what he provides, a relatively efficient "dump it down low and get out of the way" last resort that can be found in almost every legitimate offensive structure. Lopez's action down low forces help defenders to react. That matters.

Only four players drew more hard double teams in the post last year, per Synergy Sports: Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and Enes Kanter. That level of attention can open up opportunities on the perimeter, while also allowing Ingram, Ball, Randle, Clarkson, and everyone else to put pressure on a rotating defense with well-timed cuts to the basket. (His assist rate crept up to a career-high 14.8 percent last year.)

Lopez isn't the ideal pillar of a modern offense, but his various skills allow Walton to exhale. He's smart, talented, and stands as a humongous and reliable moving target everyone else on the team can seek out when in trouble.

On the other end, Lopez's syrupy foot speed disrupts Walton's desire to fulfill a switch-happy scheme popularized by the Golden State Warriors. That's awkward against some teams, but having a giant man the middle and protect the paint has its own advantages against others (i.e. teams that can't shoot). Among all players who defended at least six shots at the rim per game last year, Lopez's 47 percent ranked fifth behind Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis.

Again, he isn't flexible, but when challenged straight on Lopez transforms into an unscalable mountain. (Most of the time.) There are superior defenders at the center position, but when plopped beside Randle—who allowed the highest field goal percentage among players who defended at least five shots at the rim last season—Lopez's size becomes particularly helpful.

In the end, it makes perfect sense for people to question Lopez's place in a league that's eradicating his kind. But last season, eclipsed by the fact he was the most competent option on the NBA's worst team, Lopez quietly adapted to the league's most pressing trend. He'll never be quick enough to switch out on the perimeter and capably defend someone like Steph Curry or James Harden on an island, but Lopez has a great opportunity to boost his stock on a Lakers team that should, at the very least, give people reason to tune in.

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[flauntpage]

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez

It's unusual when the best player in any trade is ignored like Brook Lopez has been since the Brooklyn Nets dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers back in June. We'll cover the understandable reasons why this particular situation is an outlier, but Lopez's short-term impact in Los Angeles still doesn't deserve to be universally overlooked.

For a team that won't be very good next season, Lopez is talented enough to simplify life for his new teammates while putting up impressive numbers that have the potential to recalibrate his own future as a valuable puzzle piece. Only 29 years old, with serious foot problems that stigmatized earlier parts of his career conceivably in the rearview mirror, Lopez is entering an upgraded version of what he endured in Brooklyn the last couple seasons.

The Lakers are bad but gifted, with a rising off guard who can defend multiple positions (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), a prodigious pass-always rookie (Lonzo Ball), a budding blue-chipper on the wing (Brandon Ingram), limited flotsam that's flashed usefulness here and there (Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle) up and down the roster, and once-crafty veterans who may no longer have any use in a winning environment (Luol Deng, Corey Brewer).

It's fair to brush Lopez off, focus on cap space, the shinier toys L.A. has to play with, and an ostensibly bright future that overshadows the present day. Stuck in the same boat as Caldwell-Pope, Randle, and a few others on this year's team, Lopez's expiring contract all but ensures this season will be his one and only at Staples Center. In order to take on multiple max contracts next summer, the Lakers need to renounce all cap holds and shed excess salary that exists elsewhere on the books (Deng, Clarkson, etc.).

This includes Lopez, who has a massive $34 million cap hold come July. But how the one-time All-Star fits on this roster is an intriguing circumstance worth exploring. In all likelihood, he's their best player and, if Los Angeles' goal is to win, he'll lead the team in scoring, usage rate, and myriad other statistical categories.

On the surface this seems problematic. Instead of reinforcing youngsters who need touches, shots, and opportunity, feeding a low-post behemoth who won't be around beyond this season feels like a mistake. But Lopez is no sinkhole. His presence will make life easier on both ends of the floor for most of L.A.'s tentpole prospects, and without a first-round pick in this year's draft, fostering favorable habits inside a positive atmosphere should be the ultimate goal.

The Lakers must show they can be competitive if they want to attract some of the league's brightest individual stars next summer; Lopez's skill-set complements their youth movement in so many different ways. Let's begin with a look at the offense. The Lakers finished 24th in offensive rating, 19th in three-point rate, and 28th in the percentage of their threes that were assisted last season.

Photo by Brad Penner - USA TODAY Sports

A major reason for the dilemma was a frontcourt that couldn't shoot. Timofey Mozgov, Tarik Black, Thomas Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Nance Jr., and Randle combined to make 28 threes. Randle was the only one who even attempted at least 50 shots beyond the arc. This is a debilitating flaw in today's NBA, where bigs who can space the floor, create their own shot, and provide some type of plus presence on the defensive end are increasingly precious.

Meanwhile, by himself, Lopez launched 387 threes, making just over half from the corner and about a third from above-the-break. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked in the 62nd percentile as a pick-and-pop weapon. Be it hoisting up open set shots or attacking a closeout on his way to the rim, Lopez had the type of direct gravitational pull no Laker big has matched in years.

The ripple effect will do wonders for every one of L.A.'s ball-handlers, from Clarkson and Ball to KCP and Ingram. Even Randle will be able to take advantage if Luke Walton implements tricky 4-5 pick-and-rolls into the offense. Unless they aren't afraid to forfeit an open three, defenses have little margin for error executing their scheme, whether they switch, drop back, or hedge a high screen.

There will be plenty of instances where he'll simply stand in the corner, force the opposing team's most intimidating rim protector to cover more ground than he's used to, and pry open lanes that didn't exist a season ago. The Nets scored 103.4 points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the court last year, which, coincidentally, is the exact same number L.A. averaged as a team. But whenever he sat, Brooklyn's offense plummeted to a team-low 99.9 points per 100 possessions, which sinks below the 30th ranked Philadelphia 76ers.

On the perimeter he's a major plus. But that's not where a majority of Lopez's skills are utilized. He's one of the more reliable post scorers in basketball, and arguably the most confident scorer in the game from the non-restricted area of the paint. His push shot from just inside the free-throw line turns the ball into a butterfly, and stopping him with one defender is damn near impossible.

Yes, this methodology is antiquated and plays into why Lopez—reputed as a plodding seven footer—is never mentioned as a notable member of next summer's free agent class. But there's a safety net effect to what he provides, a relatively efficient "dump it down low and get out of the way" last resort that can be found in almost every legitimate offensive structure. Lopez's action down low forces help defenders to react. That matters.

Only four players drew more hard double teams in the post last year, per Synergy Sports: Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and Enes Kanter. That level of attention can open up opportunities on the perimeter, while also allowing Ingram, Ball, Randle, Clarkson, and everyone else to put pressure on a rotating defense with well-timed cuts to the basket. (His assist rate crept up to a career-high 14.8 percent last year.)

Lopez isn't the ideal pillar of a modern offense, but his various skills allow Walton to exhale. He's smart, talented, and stands as a humongous and reliable moving target everyone else on the team can seek out when in trouble.

On the other end, Lopez's syrupy foot speed disrupts Walton's desire to fulfill a switch-happy scheme popularized by the Golden State Warriors. That's awkward against some teams, but having a giant man the middle and protect the paint has its own advantages against others (i.e. teams that can't shoot). Among all players who defended at least six shots at the rim per game last year, Lopez's 47 percent ranked fifth behind Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis.

Again, he isn't flexible, but when challenged straight on Lopez transforms into an unscalable mountain. (Most of the time.) There are superior defenders at the center position, but when plopped beside Randle—who allowed the highest field goal percentage among players who defended at least five shots at the rim last season—Lopez's size becomes particularly helpful.

In the end, it makes perfect sense for people to question Lopez's place in a league that's eradicating his kind. But last season, eclipsed by the fact he was the most competent option on the NBA's worst team, Lopez quietly adapted to the league's most pressing trend. He'll never be quick enough to switch out on the perimeter and capably defend someone like Steph Curry or James Harden on an island, but Lopez has a great opportunity to boost his stock on a Lakers team that should, at the very least, give people reason to tune in.

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[flauntpage]

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez

It's unusual when the best player in any trade is ignored like Brook Lopez has been since the Brooklyn Nets dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers back in June. We'll cover the understandable reasons why this particular situation is an outlier, but Lopez's short-term impact in Los Angeles still doesn't deserve to be universally overlooked.

For a team that won't be very good next season, Lopez is talented enough to simplify life for his new teammates while putting up impressive numbers that have the potential to recalibrate his own future as a valuable puzzle piece. Only 29 years old, with serious foot problems that stigmatized earlier parts of his career conceivably in the rearview mirror, Lopez is entering an upgraded version of what he endured in Brooklyn the last couple seasons.

The Lakers are bad but gifted, with a rising off guard who can defend multiple positions (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), a prodigious pass-always rookie (Lonzo Ball), a budding blue-chipper on the wing (Brandon Ingram), limited flotsam that's flashed usefulness here and there (Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle) up and down the roster, and once-crafty veterans who may no longer have any use in a winning environment (Luol Deng, Corey Brewer).

It's fair to brush Lopez off, focus on cap space, the shinier toys L.A. has to play with, and an ostensibly bright future that overshadows the present day. Stuck in the same boat as Caldwell-Pope, Randle, and a few others on this year's team, Lopez's expiring contract all but ensures this season will be his one and only at Staples Center. In order to take on multiple max contracts next summer, the Lakers need to renounce all cap holds and shed excess salary that exists elsewhere on the books (Deng, Clarkson, etc.).

This includes Lopez, who has a massive $34 million cap hold come July. But how the one-time All-Star fits on this roster is an intriguing circumstance worth exploring. In all likelihood, he's their best player and, if Los Angeles' goal is to win, he'll lead the team in scoring, usage rate, and myriad other statistical categories.

On the surface this seems problematic. Instead of reinforcing youngsters who need touches, shots, and opportunity, feeding a low-post behemoth who won't be around beyond this season feels like a mistake. But Lopez is no sinkhole. His presence will make life easier on both ends of the floor for most of L.A.'s tentpole prospects, and without a first-round pick in this year's draft, fostering favorable habits inside a positive atmosphere should be the ultimate goal.

The Lakers must show they can be competitive if they want to attract some of the league's brightest individual stars next summer; Lopez's skill-set complements their youth movement in so many different ways. Let's begin with a look at the offense. The Lakers finished 24th in offensive rating, 19th in three-point rate, and 28th in the percentage of their threes that were assisted last season.

Photo by Brad Penner - USA TODAY Sports

A major reason for the dilemma was a frontcourt that couldn't shoot. Timofey Mozgov, Tarik Black, Thomas Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Nance Jr., and Randle combined to make 28 threes. Randle was the only one who even attempted at least 50 shots beyond the arc. This is a debilitating flaw in today's NBA, where bigs who can space the floor, create their own shot, and provide some type of plus presence on the defensive end are increasingly precious.

Meanwhile, by himself, Lopez launched 387 threes, making just over half from the corner and about a third from above-the-break. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked in the 62nd percentile as a pick-and-pop weapon. Be it hoisting up open set shots or attacking a closeout on his way to the rim, Lopez had the type of direct gravitational pull no Laker big has matched in years.

The ripple effect will do wonders for every one of L.A.'s ball-handlers, from Clarkson and Ball to KCP and Ingram. Even Randle will be able to take advantage if Luke Walton implements tricky 4-5 pick-and-rolls into the offense. Unless they aren't afraid to forfeit an open three, defenses have little margin for error executing their scheme, whether they switch, drop back, or hedge a high screen.

There will be plenty of instances where he'll simply stand in the corner, force the opposing team's most intimidating rim protector to cover more ground than he's used to, and pry open lanes that didn't exist a season ago. The Nets scored 103.4 points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the court last year, which, coincidentally, is the exact same number L.A. averaged as a team. But whenever he sat, Brooklyn's offense plummeted to a team-low 99.9 points per 100 possessions, which sinks below the 30th ranked Philadelphia 76ers.

On the perimeter he's a major plus. But that's not where a majority of Lopez's skills are utilized. He's one of the more reliable post scorers in basketball, and arguably the most confident scorer in the game from the non-restricted area of the paint. His push shot from just inside the free-throw line turns the ball into a butterfly, and stopping him with one defender is damn near impossible.

Yes, this methodology is antiquated and plays into why Lopez—reputed as a plodding seven footer—is never mentioned as a notable member of next summer's free agent class. But there's a safety net effect to what he provides, a relatively efficient "dump it down low and get out of the way" last resort that can be found in almost every legitimate offensive structure. Lopez's action down low forces help defenders to react. That matters.

Only four players drew more hard double teams in the post last year, per Synergy Sports: Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and Enes Kanter. That level of attention can open up opportunities on the perimeter, while also allowing Ingram, Ball, Randle, Clarkson, and everyone else to put pressure on a rotating defense with well-timed cuts to the basket. (His assist rate crept up to a career-high 14.8 percent last year.)

Lopez isn't the ideal pillar of a modern offense, but his various skills allow Walton to exhale. He's smart, talented, and stands as a humongous and reliable moving target everyone else on the team can seek out when in trouble.

On the other end, Lopez's syrupy foot speed disrupts Walton's desire to fulfill a switch-happy scheme popularized by the Golden State Warriors. That's awkward against some teams, but having a giant man the middle and protect the paint has its own advantages against others (i.e. teams that can't shoot). Among all players who defended at least six shots at the rim per game last year, Lopez's 47 percent ranked fifth behind Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis.

Again, he isn't flexible, but when challenged straight on Lopez transforms into an unscalable mountain. (Most of the time.) There are superior defenders at the center position, but when plopped beside Randle—who allowed the highest field goal percentage among players who defended at least five shots at the rim last season—Lopez's size becomes particularly helpful.

In the end, it makes perfect sense for people to question Lopez's place in a league that's eradicating his kind. But last season, eclipsed by the fact he was the most competent option on the NBA's worst team, Lopez quietly adapted to the league's most pressing trend. He'll never be quick enough to switch out on the perimeter and capably defend someone like Steph Curry or James Harden on an island, but Lopez has a great opportunity to boost his stock on a Lakers team that should, at the very least, give people reason to tune in.

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[flauntpage]

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez

It's unusual when the best player in any trade is ignored like Brook Lopez has been since the Brooklyn Nets dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers back in June. We'll cover the understandable reasons why this particular situation is an outlier, but Lopez's short-term impact in Los Angeles still doesn't deserve to be universally overlooked.

For a team that won't be very good next season, Lopez is talented enough to simplify life for his new teammates while putting up impressive numbers that have the potential to recalibrate his own future as a valuable puzzle piece. Only 29 years old, with serious foot problems that stigmatized earlier parts of his career conceivably in the rearview mirror, Lopez is entering an upgraded version of what he endured in Brooklyn the last couple seasons.

The Lakers are bad but gifted, with a rising off guard who can defend multiple positions (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), a prodigious pass-always rookie (Lonzo Ball), a budding blue-chipper on the wing (Brandon Ingram), limited flotsam that's flashed usefulness here and there (Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle) up and down the roster, and once-crafty veterans who may no longer have any use in a winning environment (Luol Deng, Corey Brewer).

It's fair to brush Lopez off, focus on cap space, the shinier toys L.A. has to play with, and an ostensibly bright future that overshadows the present day. Stuck in the same boat as Caldwell-Pope, Randle, and a few others on this year's team, Lopez's expiring contract all but ensures this season will be his one and only at Staples Center. In order to take on multiple max contracts next summer, the Lakers need to renounce all cap holds and shed excess salary that exists elsewhere on the books (Deng, Clarkson, etc.).

This includes Lopez, who has a massive $34 million cap hold come July. But how the one-time All-Star fits on this roster is an intriguing circumstance worth exploring. In all likelihood, he's their best player and, if Los Angeles' goal is to win, he'll lead the team in scoring, usage rate, and myriad other statistical categories.

On the surface this seems problematic. Instead of reinforcing youngsters who need touches, shots, and opportunity, feeding a low-post behemoth who won't be around beyond this season feels like a mistake. But Lopez is no sinkhole. His presence will make life easier on both ends of the floor for most of L.A.'s tentpole prospects, and without a first-round pick in this year's draft, fostering favorable habits inside a positive atmosphere should be the ultimate goal.

The Lakers must show they can be competitive if they want to attract some of the league's brightest individual stars next summer; Lopez's skill-set complements their youth movement in so many different ways. Let's begin with a look at the offense. The Lakers finished 24th in offensive rating, 19th in three-point rate, and 28th in the percentage of their threes that were assisted last season.

Photo by Brad Penner - USA TODAY Sports

A major reason for the dilemma was a frontcourt that couldn't shoot. Timofey Mozgov, Tarik Black, Thomas Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Nance Jr., and Randle combined to make 28 threes. Randle was the only one who even attempted at least 50 shots beyond the arc. This is a debilitating flaw in today's NBA, where bigs who can space the floor, create their own shot, and provide some type of plus presence on the defensive end are increasingly precious.

Meanwhile, by himself, Lopez launched 387 threes, making just over half from the corner and about a third from above-the-break. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked in the 62nd percentile as a pick-and-pop weapon. Be it hoisting up open set shots or attacking a closeout on his way to the rim, Lopez had the type of direct gravitational pull no Laker big has matched in years.

The ripple effect will do wonders for every one of L.A.'s ball-handlers, from Clarkson and Ball to KCP and Ingram. Even Randle will be able to take advantage if Luke Walton implements tricky 4-5 pick-and-rolls into the offense. Unless they aren't afraid to forfeit an open three, defenses have little margin for error executing their scheme, whether they switch, drop back, or hedge a high screen.

There will be plenty of instances where he'll simply stand in the corner, force the opposing team's most intimidating rim protector to cover more ground than he's used to, and pry open lanes that didn't exist a season ago. The Nets scored 103.4 points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the court last year, which, coincidentally, is the exact same number L.A. averaged as a team. But whenever he sat, Brooklyn's offense plummeted to a team-low 99.9 points per 100 possessions, which sinks below the 30th ranked Philadelphia 76ers.

On the perimeter he's a major plus. But that's not where a majority of Lopez's skills are utilized. He's one of the more reliable post scorers in basketball, and arguably the most confident scorer in the game from the non-restricted area of the paint. His push shot from just inside the free-throw line turns the ball into a butterfly, and stopping him with one defender is damn near impossible.

Yes, this methodology is antiquated and plays into why Lopez—reputed as a plodding seven footer—is never mentioned as a notable member of next summer's free agent class. But there's a safety net effect to what he provides, a relatively efficient "dump it down low and get out of the way" last resort that can be found in almost every legitimate offensive structure. Lopez's action down low forces help defenders to react. That matters.

Only four players drew more hard double teams in the post last year, per Synergy Sports: Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and Enes Kanter. That level of attention can open up opportunities on the perimeter, while also allowing Ingram, Ball, Randle, Clarkson, and everyone else to put pressure on a rotating defense with well-timed cuts to the basket. (His assist rate crept up to a career-high 14.8 percent last year.)

Lopez isn't the ideal pillar of a modern offense, but his various skills allow Walton to exhale. He's smart, talented, and stands as a humongous and reliable moving target everyone else on the team can seek out when in trouble.

On the other end, Lopez's syrupy foot speed disrupts Walton's desire to fulfill a switch-happy scheme popularized by the Golden State Warriors. That's awkward against some teams, but having a giant man the middle and protect the paint has its own advantages against others (i.e. teams that can't shoot). Among all players who defended at least six shots at the rim per game last year, Lopez's 47 percent ranked fifth behind Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis.

Again, he isn't flexible, but when challenged straight on Lopez transforms into an unscalable mountain. (Most of the time.) There are superior defenders at the center position, but when plopped beside Randle—who allowed the highest field goal percentage among players who defended at least five shots at the rim last season—Lopez's size becomes particularly helpful.

In the end, it makes perfect sense for people to question Lopez's place in a league that's eradicating his kind. But last season, eclipsed by the fact he was the most competent option on the NBA's worst team, Lopez quietly adapted to the league's most pressing trend. He'll never be quick enough to switch out on the perimeter and capably defend someone like Steph Curry or James Harden on an island, but Lopez has a great opportunity to boost his stock on a Lakers team that should, at the very least, give people reason to tune in.

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[amtushinfosolutionspage]

Let’s Not Sleep on Brook Lopez

It’s unusual when the best player in any trade is ignored like Brook Lopez has been since the Brooklyn Nets dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers back in June. We’ll cover the understandable reasons why this particular situation is an outlier, but Lopez’s short-term impact in Los Angeles still doesn’t deserve to be universally overlooked.

For a team that won’t be very good next season, Lopez is talented enough to simplify life for his new teammates while putting up impressive numbers that have the potential to recalibrate his own future as a valuable puzzle piece. Only 29 years old, with serious foot problems that stigmatized earlier parts of his career conceivably in the rearview mirror, Lopez is entering an upgraded version of what he endured in Brooklyn the last couple seasons.

The Lakers are bad but gifted, with a rising off guard who can defend multiple positions (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), a prodigious pass-always rookie (Lonzo Ball), a budding blue-chipper on the wing (Brandon Ingram), limited flotsam that’s flashed usefulness here and there (Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle) up and down the roster, and once-crafty veterans who may no longer have any use in a winning environment (Luol Deng, Corey Brewer).

It’s fair to brush Lopez off, focus on cap space, the shinier toys L.A. has to play with, and an ostensibly bright future that overshadows the present day. Stuck in the same boat as Caldwell-Pope, Randle, and a few others on this year’s team, Lopez’s expiring contract all but ensures this season will be his one and only at Staples Center. In order to take on multiple max contracts next summer, the Lakers need to renounce all cap holds and shed excess salary that exists elsewhere on the books (Deng, Clarkson, etc.).

This includes Lopez, who has a massive $34 million cap hold come July. But how the one-time All-Star fits on this roster is an intriguing circumstance worth exploring. In all likelihood, he’s their best player and, if Los Angeles’ goal is to win, he’ll lead the team in scoring, usage rate, and myriad other statistical categories.

On the surface this seems problematic. Instead of reinforcing youngsters who need touches, shots, and opportunity, feeding a low-post behemoth who won’t be around beyond this season feels like a mistake. But Lopez is no sinkhole. His presence will make life easier on both ends of the floor for most of L.A.’s tentpole prospects, and without a first-round pick in this year’s draft, fostering favorable habits inside a positive atmosphere should be the ultimate goal.

The Lakers must show they can be competitive if they want to attract some of the league’s brightest individual stars next summer; Lopez’s skill-set complements their youth movement in so many different ways. Let’s begin with a look at the offense. The Lakers finished 24th in offensive rating, 19th in three-point rate, and 28th in the percentage of their threes that were assisted last season.

Photo by Brad Penner – USA TODAY Sports

A major reason for the dilemma was a frontcourt that couldn’t shoot. Timofey Mozgov, Tarik Black, Thomas Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Nance Jr., and Randle combined to make 28 threes. Randle was the only one who even attempted at least 50 shots beyond the arc. This is a debilitating flaw in today’s NBA, where bigs who can space the floor, create their own shot, and provide some type of plus presence on the defensive end are increasingly precious.

Meanwhile, by himself, Lopez launched 387 threes, making just over half from the corner and about a third from above-the-break. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked in the 62nd percentile as a pick-and-pop weapon. Be it hoisting up open set shots or attacking a closeout on his way to the rim, Lopez had the type of direct gravitational pull no Laker big has matched in years.

The ripple effect will do wonders for every one of L.A.’s ball-handlers, from Clarkson and Ball to KCP and Ingram. Even Randle will be able to take advantage if Luke Walton implements tricky 4-5 pick-and-rolls into the offense. Unless they aren’t afraid to forfeit an open three, defenses have little margin for error executing their scheme, whether they switch, drop back, or hedge a high screen.

There will be plenty of instances where he’ll simply stand in the corner, force the opposing team’s most intimidating rim protector to cover more ground than he’s used to, and pry open lanes that didn’t exist a season ago. The Nets scored 103.4 points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the court last year, which, coincidentally, is the exact same number L.A. averaged as a team. But whenever he sat, Brooklyn’s offense plummeted to a team-low 99.9 points per 100 possessions, which sinks below the 30th ranked Philadelphia 76ers.

On the perimeter he’s a major plus. But that’s not where a majority of Lopez’s skills are utilized. He’s one of the more reliable post scorers in basketball, and arguably the most confident scorer in the game from the non-restricted area of the paint. His push shot from just inside the free-throw line turns the ball into a butterfly, and stopping him with one defender is damn near impossible.

Yes, this methodology is antiquated and plays into why Lopez—reputed as a plodding seven footer—is never mentioned as a notable member of next summer’s free agent class. But there’s a safety net effect to what he provides, a relatively efficient “dump it down low and get out of the way” last resort that can be found in almost every legitimate offensive structure. Lopez’s action down low forces help defenders to react. That matters.

Only four players drew more hard double teams in the post last year, per Synergy Sports: Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and Enes Kanter. That level of attention can open up opportunities on the perimeter, while also allowing Ingram, Ball, Randle, Clarkson, and everyone else to put pressure on a rotating defense with well-timed cuts to the basket. (His assist rate crept up to a career-high 14.8 percent last year.)

Lopez isn’t the ideal pillar of a modern offense, but his various skills allow Walton to exhale. He’s smart, talented, and stands as a humongous and reliable moving target everyone else on the team can seek out when in trouble.

On the other end, Lopez’s syrupy foot speed disrupts Walton’s desire to fulfill a switch-happy scheme popularized by the Golden State Warriors. That’s awkward against some teams, but having a giant man the middle and protect the paint has its own advantages against others (i.e. teams that can’t shoot). Among all players who defended at least six shots at the rim per game last year, Lopez’s 47 percent ranked fifth behind Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis.

Again, he isn’t flexible, but when challenged straight on Lopez transforms into an unscalable mountain. (Most of the time.) There are superior defenders at the center position, but when plopped beside Randle—who allowed the highest field goal percentage among players who defended at least five shots at the rim last season—Lopez’s size becomes particularly helpful.

In the end, it makes perfect sense for people to question Lopez’s place in a league that’s eradicating his kind. But last season, eclipsed by the fact he was the most competent option on the NBA’s worst team, Lopez quietly adapted to the league’s most pressing trend. He’ll never be quick enough to switch out on the perimeter and capably defend someone like Steph Curry or James Harden on an island, but Lopez has a great opportunity to boost his stock on a Lakers team that should, at the very least, give people reason to tune in.

Let’s Not Sleep on Brook Lopez syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

[flauntpage]

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez

It's unusual when the best player in any trade is ignored like Brook Lopez has been since the Brooklyn Nets dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers back in June. We'll cover the understandable reasons why this particular situation is an outlier, but Lopez's short-term impact in Los Angeles still doesn't deserve to be universally overlooked.

For a team that won't be very good next season, Lopez is talented enough to simplify life for his new teammates while putting up impressive numbers that have the potential to recalibrate his own future as a valuable puzzle piece. Only 29 years old, with serious foot problems that stigmatized earlier parts of his career conceivably in the rearview mirror, Lopez is entering an upgraded version of what he endured in Brooklyn the last couple seasons.

The Lakers are bad but gifted, with a rising off guard who can defend multiple positions (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), a prodigious pass-always rookie (Lonzo Ball), a budding blue-chipper on the wing (Brandon Ingram), limited flotsam that's flashed usefulness here and there (Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle) up and down the roster, and once-crafty veterans who may no longer have any use in a winning environment (Luol Deng, Corey Brewer).

It's fair to brush Lopez off, focus on cap space, the shinier toys L.A. has to play with, and an ostensibly bright future that overshadows the present day. Stuck in the same boat as Caldwell-Pope, Randle, and a few others on this year's team, Lopez's expiring contract all but ensures this season will be his one and only at Staples Center. In order to take on multiple max contracts next summer, the Lakers need to renounce all cap holds and shed excess salary that exists elsewhere on the books (Deng, Clarkson, etc.).

This includes Lopez, who has a massive $34 million cap hold come July. But how the one-time All-Star fits on this roster is an intriguing circumstance worth exploring. In all likelihood, he's their best player and, if Los Angeles' goal is to win, he'll lead the team in scoring, usage rate, and myriad other statistical categories.

On the surface this seems problematic. Instead of reinforcing youngsters who need touches, shots, and opportunity, feeding a low-post behemoth who won't be around beyond this season feels like a mistake. But Lopez is no sinkhole. His presence will make life easier on both ends of the floor for most of L.A.'s tentpole prospects, and without a first-round pick in this year's draft, fostering favorable habits inside a positive atmosphere should be the ultimate goal.

The Lakers must show they can be competitive if they want to attract some of the league's brightest individual stars next summer; Lopez's skill-set complements their youth movement in so many different ways. Let's begin with a look at the offense. The Lakers finished 24th in offensive rating, 19th in three-point rate, and 28th in the percentage of their threes that were assisted last season.

Photo by Brad Penner - USA TODAY Sports

A major reason for the dilemma was a frontcourt that couldn't shoot. Timofey Mozgov, Tarik Black, Thomas Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Nance Jr., and Randle combined to make 28 threes. Randle was the only one who even attempted at least 50 shots beyond the arc. This is a debilitating flaw in today's NBA, where bigs who can space the floor, create their own shot, and provide some type of plus presence on the defensive end are increasingly precious.

Meanwhile, by himself, Lopez launched 387 threes, making just over half from the corner and about a third from above-the-break. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked in the 62nd percentile as a pick-and-pop weapon. Be it hoisting up open set shots or attacking a closeout on his way to the rim, Lopez had the type of direct gravitational pull no Laker big has matched in years.

The ripple effect will do wonders for every one of L.A.'s ball-handlers, from Clarkson and Ball to KCP and Ingram. Even Randle will be able to take advantage if Luke Walton implements tricky 4-5 pick-and-rolls into the offense. Unless they aren't afraid to forfeit an open three, defenses have little margin for error executing their scheme, whether they switch, drop back, or hedge a high screen.

There will be plenty of instances where he'll simply stand in the corner, force the opposing team's most intimidating rim protector to cover more ground than he's used to, and pry open lanes that didn't exist a season ago. The Nets scored 103.4 points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the court last year, which, coincidentally, is the exact same number L.A. averaged as a team. But whenever he sat, Brooklyn's offense plummeted to a team-low 99.9 points per 100 possessions, which sinks below the 30th ranked Philadelphia 76ers.

On the perimeter he's a major plus. But that's not where a majority of Lopez's skills are utilized. He's one of the more reliable post scorers in basketball, and arguably the most confident scorer in the game from the non-restricted area of the paint. His push shot from just inside the free-throw line turns the ball into a butterfly, and stopping him with one defender is damn near impossible.

Yes, this methodology is antiquated and plays into why Lopez—reputed as a plodding seven footer—is never mentioned as a notable member of next summer's free agent class. But there's a safety net effect to what he provides, a relatively efficient "dump it down low and get out of the way" last resort that can be found in almost every legitimate offensive structure. Lopez's action down low forces help defenders to react. That matters.

Only four players drew more hard double teams in the post last year, per Synergy Sports: Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and Enes Kanter. That level of attention can open up opportunities on the perimeter, while also allowing Ingram, Ball, Randle, Clarkson, and everyone else to put pressure on a rotating defense with well-timed cuts to the basket. (His assist rate crept up to a career-high 14.8 percent last year.)

Lopez isn't the ideal pillar of a modern offense, but his various skills allow Walton to exhale. He's smart, talented, and stands as a humongous and reliable moving target everyone else on the team can seek out when in trouble.

On the other end, Lopez's syrupy foot speed disrupts Walton's desire to fulfill a switch-happy scheme popularized by the Golden State Warriors. That's awkward against some teams, but having a giant man the middle and protect the paint has its own advantages against others (i.e. teams that can't shoot). Among all players who defended at least six shots at the rim per game last year, Lopez's 47 percent ranked fifth behind Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis.

Again, he isn't flexible, but when challenged straight on Lopez transforms into an unscalable mountain. (Most of the time.) There are superior defenders at the center position, but when plopped beside Randle—who allowed the highest field goal percentage among players who defended at least five shots at the rim last season—Lopez's size becomes particularly helpful.

In the end, it makes perfect sense for people to question Lopez's place in a league that's eradicating his kind. But last season, eclipsed by the fact he was the most competent option on the NBA's worst team, Lopez quietly adapted to the league's most pressing trend. He'll never be quick enough to switch out on the perimeter and capably defend someone like Steph Curry or James Harden on an island, but Lopez has a great opportunity to boost his stock on a Lakers team that should, at the very least, give people reason to tune in.

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[amtushinfosolutionspage]

Let’s Not Sleep on Brook Lopez

It’s unusual when the best player in any trade is ignored like Brook Lopez has been since the Brooklyn Nets dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers back in June. We’ll cover the understandable reasons why this particular situation is an outlier, but Lopez’s short-term impact in Los Angeles still doesn’t deserve to be universally overlooked.

For a team that won’t be very good next season, Lopez is talented enough to simplify life for his new teammates while putting up impressive numbers that have the potential to recalibrate his own future as a valuable puzzle piece. Only 29 years old, with serious foot problems that stigmatized earlier parts of his career conceivably in the rearview mirror, Lopez is entering an upgraded version of what he endured in Brooklyn the last couple seasons.

The Lakers are bad but gifted, with a rising off guard who can defend multiple positions (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), a prodigious pass-always rookie (Lonzo Ball), a budding blue-chipper on the wing (Brandon Ingram), limited flotsam that’s flashed usefulness here and there (Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle) up and down the roster, and once-crafty veterans who may no longer have any use in a winning environment (Luol Deng, Corey Brewer).

It’s fair to brush Lopez off, focus on cap space, the shinier toys L.A. has to play with, and an ostensibly bright future that overshadows the present day. Stuck in the same boat as Caldwell-Pope, Randle, and a few others on this year’s team, Lopez’s expiring contract all but ensures this season will be his one and only at Staples Center. In order to take on multiple max contracts next summer, the Lakers need to renounce all cap holds and shed excess salary that exists elsewhere on the books (Deng, Clarkson, etc.).

This includes Lopez, who has a massive $34 million cap hold come July. But how the one-time All-Star fits on this roster is an intriguing circumstance worth exploring. In all likelihood, he’s their best player and, if Los Angeles’ goal is to win, he’ll lead the team in scoring, usage rate, and myriad other statistical categories.

On the surface this seems problematic. Instead of reinforcing youngsters who need touches, shots, and opportunity, feeding a low-post behemoth who won’t be around beyond this season feels like a mistake. But Lopez is no sinkhole. His presence will make life easier on both ends of the floor for most of L.A.’s tentpole prospects, and without a first-round pick in this year’s draft, fostering favorable habits inside a positive atmosphere should be the ultimate goal.

The Lakers must show they can be competitive if they want to attract some of the league’s brightest individual stars next summer; Lopez’s skill-set complements their youth movement in so many different ways. Let’s begin with a look at the offense. The Lakers finished 24th in offensive rating, 19th in three-point rate, and 28th in the percentage of their threes that were assisted last season.

Photo by Brad Penner – USA TODAY Sports

A major reason for the dilemma was a frontcourt that couldn’t shoot. Timofey Mozgov, Tarik Black, Thomas Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Nance Jr., and Randle combined to make 28 threes. Randle was the only one who even attempted at least 50 shots beyond the arc. This is a debilitating flaw in today’s NBA, where bigs who can space the floor, create their own shot, and provide some type of plus presence on the defensive end are increasingly precious.

Meanwhile, by himself, Lopez launched 387 threes, making just over half from the corner and about a third from above-the-break. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked in the 62nd percentile as a pick-and-pop weapon. Be it hoisting up open set shots or attacking a closeout on his way to the rim, Lopez had the type of direct gravitational pull no Laker big has matched in years.

The ripple effect will do wonders for every one of L.A.’s ball-handlers, from Clarkson and Ball to KCP and Ingram. Even Randle will be able to take advantage if Luke Walton implements tricky 4-5 pick-and-rolls into the offense. Unless they aren’t afraid to forfeit an open three, defenses have little margin for error executing their scheme, whether they switch, drop back, or hedge a high screen.

There will be plenty of instances where he’ll simply stand in the corner, force the opposing team’s most intimidating rim protector to cover more ground than he’s used to, and pry open lanes that didn’t exist a season ago. The Nets scored 103.4 points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the court last year, which, coincidentally, is the exact same number L.A. averaged as a team. But whenever he sat, Brooklyn’s offense plummeted to a team-low 99.9 points per 100 possessions, which sinks below the 30th ranked Philadelphia 76ers.

On the perimeter he’s a major plus. But that’s not where a majority of Lopez’s skills are utilized. He’s one of the more reliable post scorers in basketball, and arguably the most confident scorer in the game from the non-restricted area of the paint. His push shot from just inside the free-throw line turns the ball into a butterfly, and stopping him with one defender is damn near impossible.

Yes, this methodology is antiquated and plays into why Lopez—reputed as a plodding seven footer—is never mentioned as a notable member of next summer’s free agent class. But there’s a safety net effect to what he provides, a relatively efficient “dump it down low and get out of the way” last resort that can be found in almost every legitimate offensive structure. Lopez’s action down low forces help defenders to react. That matters.

Only four players drew more hard double teams in the post last year, per Synergy Sports: Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and Enes Kanter. That level of attention can open up opportunities on the perimeter, while also allowing Ingram, Ball, Randle, Clarkson, and everyone else to put pressure on a rotating defense with well-timed cuts to the basket. (His assist rate crept up to a career-high 14.8 percent last year.)

Lopez isn’t the ideal pillar of a modern offense, but his various skills allow Walton to exhale. He’s smart, talented, and stands as a humongous and reliable moving target everyone else on the team can seek out when in trouble.

On the other end, Lopez’s syrupy foot speed disrupts Walton’s desire to fulfill a switch-happy scheme popularized by the Golden State Warriors. That’s awkward against some teams, but having a giant man the middle and protect the paint has its own advantages against others (i.e. teams that can’t shoot). Among all players who defended at least six shots at the rim per game last year, Lopez’s 47 percent ranked fifth behind Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis.

Again, he isn’t flexible, but when challenged straight on Lopez transforms into an unscalable mountain. (Most of the time.) There are superior defenders at the center position, but when plopped beside Randle—who allowed the highest field goal percentage among players who defended at least five shots at the rim last season—Lopez’s size becomes particularly helpful.

In the end, it makes perfect sense for people to question Lopez’s place in a league that’s eradicating his kind. But last season, eclipsed by the fact he was the most competent option on the NBA’s worst team, Lopez quietly adapted to the league’s most pressing trend. He’ll never be quick enough to switch out on the perimeter and capably defend someone like Steph Curry or James Harden on an island, but Lopez has a great opportunity to boost his stock on a Lakers team that should, at the very least, give people reason to tune in.

Let’s Not Sleep on Brook Lopez syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

[flauntpage]

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez

It's unusual when the best player in any trade is ignored like Brook Lopez has been since the Brooklyn Nets dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers back in June. We'll cover the understandable reasons why this particular situation is an outlier, but Lopez's short-term impact in Los Angeles still doesn't deserve to be universally overlooked.

For a team that won't be very good next season, Lopez is talented enough to simplify life for his new teammates while putting up impressive numbers that have the potential to recalibrate his own future as a valuable puzzle piece. Only 29 years old, with serious foot problems that stigmatized earlier parts of his career conceivably in the rearview mirror, Lopez is entering an upgraded version of what he endured in Brooklyn the last couple seasons.

The Lakers are bad but gifted, with a rising off guard who can defend multiple positions (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), a prodigious pass-always rookie (Lonzo Ball), a budding blue-chipper on the wing (Brandon Ingram), limited flotsam that's flashed usefulness here and there (Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Julius Randle) up and down the roster, and once-crafty veterans who may no longer have any use in a winning environment (Luol Deng, Corey Brewer).

It's fair to brush Lopez off, focus on cap space, the shinier toys L.A. has to play with, and an ostensibly bright future that overshadows the present day. Stuck in the same boat as Caldwell-Pope, Randle, and a few others on this year's team, Lopez's expiring contract all but ensures this season will be his one and only at Staples Center. In order to take on multiple max contracts next summer, the Lakers need to renounce all cap holds and shed excess salary that exists elsewhere on the books (Deng, Clarkson, etc.).

This includes Lopez, who has a massive $34 million cap hold come July. But how the one-time All-Star fits on this roster is an intriguing circumstance worth exploring. In all likelihood, he's their best player and, if Los Angeles' goal is to win, he'll lead the team in scoring, usage rate, and myriad other statistical categories.

On the surface this seems problematic. Instead of reinforcing youngsters who need touches, shots, and opportunity, feeding a low-post behemoth who won't be around beyond this season feels like a mistake. But Lopez is no sinkhole. His presence will make life easier on both ends of the floor for most of L.A.'s tentpole prospects, and without a first-round pick in this year's draft, fostering favorable habits inside a positive atmosphere should be the ultimate goal.

The Lakers must show they can be competitive if they want to attract some of the league's brightest individual stars next summer; Lopez's skill-set complements their youth movement in so many different ways. Let's begin with a look at the offense. The Lakers finished 24th in offensive rating, 19th in three-point rate, and 28th in the percentage of their threes that were assisted last season.

Photo by Brad Penner - USA TODAY Sports

A major reason for the dilemma was a frontcourt that couldn't shoot. Timofey Mozgov, Tarik Black, Thomas Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Nance Jr., and Randle combined to make 28 threes. Randle was the only one who even attempted at least 50 shots beyond the arc. This is a debilitating flaw in today's NBA, where bigs who can space the floor, create their own shot, and provide some type of plus presence on the defensive end are increasingly precious.

Meanwhile, by himself, Lopez launched 387 threes, making just over half from the corner and about a third from above-the-break. According to Synergy Sports, he ranked in the 62nd percentile as a pick-and-pop weapon. Be it hoisting up open set shots or attacking a closeout on his way to the rim, Lopez had the type of direct gravitational pull no Laker big has matched in years.

The ripple effect will do wonders for every one of L.A.'s ball-handlers, from Clarkson and Ball to KCP and Ingram. Even Randle will be able to take advantage if Luke Walton implements tricky 4-5 pick-and-rolls into the offense. Unless they aren't afraid to forfeit an open three, defenses have little margin for error executing their scheme, whether they switch, drop back, or hedge a high screen.

There will be plenty of instances where he'll simply stand in the corner, force the opposing team's most intimidating rim protector to cover more ground than he's used to, and pry open lanes that didn't exist a season ago. The Nets scored 103.4 points per 100 possessions with Lopez on the court last year, which, coincidentally, is the exact same number L.A. averaged as a team. But whenever he sat, Brooklyn's offense plummeted to a team-low 99.9 points per 100 possessions, which sinks below the 30th ranked Philadelphia 76ers.

On the perimeter he's a major plus. But that's not where a majority of Lopez's skills are utilized. He's one of the more reliable post scorers in basketball, and arguably the most confident scorer in the game from the non-restricted area of the paint. His push shot from just inside the free-throw line turns the ball into a butterfly, and stopping him with one defender is damn near impossible.

Yes, this methodology is antiquated and plays into why Lopez—reputed as a plodding seven footer—is never mentioned as a notable member of next summer's free agent class. But there's a safety net effect to what he provides, a relatively efficient "dump it down low and get out of the way" last resort that can be found in almost every legitimate offensive structure. Lopez's action down low forces help defenders to react. That matters.

Only four players drew more hard double teams in the post last year, per Synergy Sports: Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and Enes Kanter. That level of attention can open up opportunities on the perimeter, while also allowing Ingram, Ball, Randle, Clarkson, and everyone else to put pressure on a rotating defense with well-timed cuts to the basket. (His assist rate crept up to a career-high 14.8 percent last year.)

Lopez isn't the ideal pillar of a modern offense, but his various skills allow Walton to exhale. He's smart, talented, and stands as a humongous and reliable moving target everyone else on the team can seek out when in trouble.

On the other end, Lopez's syrupy foot speed disrupts Walton's desire to fulfill a switch-happy scheme popularized by the Golden State Warriors. That's awkward against some teams, but having a giant man the middle and protect the paint has its own advantages against others (i.e. teams that can't shoot). Among all players who defended at least six shots at the rim per game last year, Lopez's 47 percent ranked fifth behind Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis.

Again, he isn't flexible, but when challenged straight on Lopez transforms into an unscalable mountain. (Most of the time.) There are superior defenders at the center position, but when plopped beside Randle—who allowed the highest field goal percentage among players who defended at least five shots at the rim last season—Lopez's size becomes particularly helpful.

In the end, it makes perfect sense for people to question Lopez's place in a league that's eradicating his kind. But last season, eclipsed by the fact he was the most competent option on the NBA's worst team, Lopez quietly adapted to the league's most pressing trend. He'll never be quick enough to switch out on the perimeter and capably defend someone like Steph Curry or James Harden on an island, but Lopez has a great opportunity to boost his stock on a Lakers team that should, at the very least, give people reason to tune in.

Let's Not Sleep on Brook Lopez published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv