Nets Are Scorching’s editor emeritus and dear friend Sebastian Pruiti is writing for Basketball Prospectus with a new column, “The Clipboard.” This week, Pruiti is looking at the decline in Brook Lopez’s game which he pins on his shot selection:
The primary reason for Lopez’s decline is that is he’s playing farther away from the basket. Last year, 32.8 percent of Lopez’s shots came outside of 10 feet, this year that number has jumped to 42.8 percent. Not coincidentally, just 20.2 percent of Lopez’s shots have come at the rim. Considering Lopez’s position and the fact that he got 48.0 percent of his shots at the basket last year, that’s too much perimeter play from Lopez.
Lopez’s performance is certainly surprising. When the Nets went out and acquired Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw and Jordan Farmar, I thought it would provide Lopez with more space in the post to work one-on-one. Instead, teams continue to double-team and muscle Brook out of the blocks, and he’s playing into their hands by settling for jumpers. The coaches need to continue to work with Brook to get him back in the post and scoring at the basket.
