October 24th 2016
The Brooklyn Nets roster moves this off-season would indicate that they are a team in transition. They’ve added a few journeymen and players looking to re-invent their careers however the one constant for the team for the past several seasons has been the role of Brook Lopez.
Brook brings balance to the roster, arguably still one of the best true centers in the league, he enters this season with the intention of being more of a leader for the new players. His importance to the roster goes beyond his leadership role; Brook had one of his healthiest seasons last year playing 73 games. The Nets need him on the floor if they want to remain competitive.
He averaged 20pts and 8 rebounds per game in the 2015-2016 season this year he will need to replicate those numbers while leading this young roster. There were trade rumors throughout the year however Brook understands that this is part of the professional business of sports. He went out and played and put the rumors behind him. It remains to be seen if any more rumors resurface this year.
Brook has to focus on acclimating himself to coach Atkinson’s offense. It’s a faster pace than he’s used too. The team will be pushing the ball more on offense to get easier buckets in transition and create more shot attempts. This will limit some of Brook’s touches in the post, however the team will still look to Brook to lead them offensively. So far in the preseason he has averaged 8pts and 2rbs in 5 games. This should not be cause for alarm as it’s just the preseason. Coaches are analyzing line-ups, players and focusing on execution of different plays.
This is the new NBA, a faster pace, more shots and smaller line-ups. As the league evolves, the Nets have to evolve and so does Brook Lopez.
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Sherman Gomez is a staff writer for PureSportsNY
Follow him on Twitter at sherman@shermangmz1
Photo Credit: Jesse D Garrabrant/ Getty Images