Lionel Hollins Wants Brook Lopez To Control The Paint
New Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins is putting his imprint and expectations on his team as training camp begins. One of his best and most important pieces, center Brook Lopez, suffered a season-ending right foot injury on December 20. He’s since been cleared for action, and Hollins started to express his expectations for Lopez after the Nets practice on Sunday, via Tim Bonkemps of the New York Post,
Just being more aggressive, being tougher, rebounding better … just being a force in the paint. When you’re 7-foot, 260, I’d like for him to be a force, but I would like all of our big guys to play tougher, more aggressive.
Be an inside player. If you’re an inside player, a big guy, patrol the paint, and play outside last. Don’t play outside and never get to the paint.
Lopez is considered one of the more skilled centers in the league, and his arsenal allows him to step outside of the paint with a consistent shooting touch. His game is more finesse in that sense, though he’s certainly capable of producing on the block and on the interior.
Nets point guard Deron Williams on his center,
I think Brook has to learn to use his strength, his size, to his advantage. I don’t think he’s saying to Brook, ‘Don’t ever shoot a jumper,’ because that would take away something Brook is really good at.
But I think [Hollins] wants Brook to establish himself as a low-post presence, and we as a team kind of need that. It’s something we missed last year, and it kind of forced Joe to take on that role.
For Hollins to get the most out of Lopez and then some it means building off of the strengths he has in place. He’s already a shooting threat, so Hollins seems particularly focused on toughening up Lopez’s demeanor, presence, and mentality. There’s a gritty, hard-nosed atmosphere to Lionel Hollins that manifested in his time as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. His re-enforcer in Brooklyn will likely be Kevin Garnett, Lopez’s front court mate, to help bolster the toughness of Lopez and the Brooklyn Nets as they recalibrate their identity.
Before getting injured last season, Lopez was averaging a career-high 20.7 points per game on 56.3 percent shooting.
