Brook Lopez had a very solid first season with the Lakers, providing his expected mix of outside shooting and veteran leadership.
In 74 games (72 starts), the 10th year center averaged 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 blocks, becoming a stalwart on both ends of the floor.
Despite a drop off in minutes (23.4, from 29.6), he still managed to be productive offensively, shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 34.5 on three-pointers. He finished third behind Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (159 each) in makes from downtown with 112, his second consecutive season above 100.
The Stanford grad was also a great influence in the locker room for young centers Ivica Zubac and Thomas Bryant, and contributed to Julius Randle’s breakout season due to his floor spacing
Below is a summary of his exit interview:
-On his chat with Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka: “Talked about he growth of the team, myself and the young players. The amount of growth we had was a super big positive”.
-On his future with the team: “There’s a lot different variables, but I love what’s going on here. There’s a great foundation, great young players and there’s a lot to be said about continuity. When we were healthy, we could compete with everyone. It’s a great place to be going forward, not just for myself, but for a free agent looking to sign somewhere”.
-On finding his footing with the Lakers: “It was my most challenging…a team trying to find its identity. I think our team came together very well, and pretty quick for a situation like this. When we were playing at our best, we could compete with everyone”.
-On evaluating his performance: “I don’t think I reached my best basketball this season. I think my best basketball is still ahead of me”.