APBrook Lopez is in the midst of the best season of his career; the 7-foot Brooklyn Nets center is averaging 18.7 points on 52.6% shooting from the field and 7.2 rebounds in just 29.4 minutes per game. He’s producing a career-high 113 points per 100 possessions while using more possessions than ever, and ranks fourth in the NBA in the all-encompassing Player Efficiency Rating statistic, behind only LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul. He ranks seventh in the NBA in blocks per game and sixth in blocks percentage. He’s got the most ridiculous face in sports. These accolades helped him earn his first All-Star appearance.
One major reason for Brook Lopez’s surge: his newfound strength. Lopez weighed in at practice yesterday at 280 pounds, the heaviest he’s been in his career. It’s a weight increase that’s exclusively muscle mass, according to Nets trainer Jeremy Bettle.
Lopez weighed in at 256 pounds in the NBA’s predraft measurements, and he says he was 265 pounds at some point in his rookie season. Whether it’s 15 or 24 extra pounds of muscle, the point remains — that’s a lot of added strength on his frame, and it’s helped him have the best season of his career.
