Brook Lopez

[Ozymandias]

Sabonis goes back to the PF spot but still gets to operate in his comfort zone as Lopez is coming off his best 3pt shooting season as a pro and has always had a nearly automatic midrange shot. Brook had his most offensive rebounds per game since 15-16 last season at 2.

Lopez also averaged a career high 2.5 blocks per game last season. He's certainly adjusted his game to the changing NBA marvelously, you'd have to have really missed some critical information to let that slip by after all these years, and he brings NBA championship experience.

This look also changes how our bench appears significantly as Lopez and Sabonis can also be staggered at the C spot and our PF depth gets pushed back further.

Fox, Mitchell, Monk, Jones
Huerter, Monk, Jones, TD, Murray
Murray, Barnes, Jones, Huerter, Edwards
Sabonis, Barnes, Murray, Lyles, Edwards
Lopez, Sabonis, Lyles, Queta

I actually think this is legit.. Harrison Barnes joins Monk as our super subs, how cool would that be? It changes matchups we face regularly out west significantly.. I think if there's a true C we could hope to plug in like this it'd be one who shoots 3's like Lopez. Brook has always been the type of player where if you get him the ball at the right time in the right spots its an automatic bucket, so he fits well with Fox, he fits well with Sabonis.

Surely folks will show up to this thread to flame this idea, probably more so because I made it, but I'd certainly argue a player like Lopez would've helped us in that playoff series.

Ya have to think how we might look with Fox in winning time 4th quarter mode, is Lopez someone who can make things easier for Fox and Sabonis in those moments? Perhaps..

 

[KingsFanSince85]

Part of me has been wondering IF Frankenstein might be a target of Monte McNair.

My concerns are whether Sabonis can seamlessly slide over to PF and how much Lopez often being in and around lane affects not only Sabonis but Swipa's game as well.

The huge pluses are clearly Lopez' defensive ability and rim protection, along with his ability to hit the 3 as a stretch 5 at times.

Also, does Keegan translate to the 3 defensively? Does Keegan start or does HB if retained?? That could be a tricky situation.

But I am intrigued by the presence of Frankenstein on this team. It just might work really, really well.

 

[Telemachus]

Brook took 11.5 shots a game last season and 4.7 shots from 3pt range. That is 41% of his shots. I don't think he would clog the lane all that much.

 

[twslam07]

So the guy that is concerned with Jerami Grant (with a 8’11” standing reach and 7’2.75” wingspan) guarding Durant, Porter Jr., J. Smith, George/Leonard, LeBron, etc. at PF is perfectly okay with having Sabonis defend these guys?

 

[dude12]

We would be worse defensively. Indiana tried to play Domas at the 4 and they plateaued as a borderline maybe win a series team. No thanks. Need wings, wings, wings

 

[KingsFanSince85]

We would be worse defensively. Indiana tried to play Domas at the 4 and they plateaued as a borderline maybe win a series team. No thanks. Need wings, wings, wings

Eh, I don’t see any way the KINGS defense gets worse by adding a DPOY candidate like Lopez to the interior.

Perhaps the overall defensive improvement isn’t what some might expect with Lopez anchoring the middle and Domas pushed out on the perimeter, but worse?

I’m not seeing it. You’re gonna have to come up with a much better argument than, “Indiana tried to play Domas at the 4 and they plateaued as a borderline maybe win a series team”.

That Indiana team also doesn’t score like this KINGS team does. Nor did they have a HC like Mike Brown. Totally different set of circumstances.

 

[twslam07]

Eh, I don’t see any way the KINGS defense gets worse by adding a DPOY candidate like Lopez to the interior.

Perhaps the overall defensive improvement isn’t what some might expect with Lopez anchoring the middle and Domas pushed out on the perimeter, but worse?

I’m not seeing it. You’re gonna have to come up with a much better argument than, “Indiana tried to play Domas at the 4 and they plateaued as a borderline maybe win a series team”.

That Indiana team also doesn’t score like this KINGS team does. Nor did they have a HC like Mike Brown. Totally different set of circumstances.

So the question becomes who guards the PF since both Sabonis and Lopez are best guarding Cs.

If you put Sabonis on PFs (since he’s smaller and more mobile than Lopez), you immediately give the team a mismatch to exploit without having to do anything extra. You might have Lopez lurking to help at the rim but it’s not going to help when these PFs can easily create an open 3/midrange jumper or blow by Sabonis in a straight line fashion (which might not leave enough time for Lopez to even help at the rim).

This gets amplified if the opposing team has any sort of C who can stretch the floor a bit. At that point, Lopez is now drifting away from the paint to honor the stretch 5s shot and you essentially have put Sabonis on an island with little rotational help. That’s a recipe for disaster and something a playoff team can exploit with us rather easily.

When I watched the Pacers when they had Turner/Sabonis, Turner was the one that was often guarding PFs due to his athleticism/quickness. Lopez is a worse athlete than Turner so you’re not only recreating the Sabonis/Turner frontcourt but you’ve now made it slower and less athletic which likely forces Sabonis to take on PFs full time. Again, this makes this duo even more exploitable than Sabonis/Turner.

Then you have to consider transition defense with two guys as slow as Sabonis and Lopez on the floor at the same time.

Also, since you are putting one of your best offensive players (and some would say the offensive engine) in a defensive mismatch for the majority of the game, you’re probably going to put him in foul trouble even more which then obviously impacts the offense if he’s having to sit on the bench.

 

[Kingz19]

We would be worse defensively. Indiana tried to play Domas at the 4 and they plateaued as a borderline maybe win a series team. No thanks. Need wings, wings, wings

Indiana plateaued because they didn’t have enough talent, versatility and depth at the wings and backcourt. Not because Domas was the power forward. It’s a misconception that there was anything fatally flawed or wrong with with the Turner and Domas front. That’s actually ideal and I would love to have it in Sacramento with our guards and hopefully incoming wing depth.

Lopez doesn’t get in Domas way offensively but it doesn’t really solve the Kings biggest weakness defensively which wasn’t so much rim protection as much as it was players getting to the rim way too easily. That’s on the guards and wings. Even if Domas was a better shot blocker he was hung out to dry too frequently.

so we agree on more wings. I just wanted to point out that I disagree about Indiana

 

[dude12]

Nope, positive I’m right on Indiana. Go look at those rosters. Absolutely talent on the rosters but I think they peaked right around the 4th and 5th best teams in the East. Which is good, but weren’t getting better.

And yeah, Brook is a damn good interior presence but Sabonis can’t guard the perimeter. Brown wouldn’t play them at the same time most likely.

 

[Kingz19]

I’m positive I am. You have to keep in mind those solid guards and wings you saw listed on their roster when you looked it up were notoriously unavailable during their Pacers runs. Especially in that two and a half year window Domas became a focal point.

So while you see Victor Oladipo, Caris LaVert, TJ Warren, and Malcolm Brogdan…Domas was really mostly working with Justin Holiday, Aaron Holiday, TJ McConnell, and Dougie McBuckets.

Would we find that to be a deep, versatile, atheltic, and talented rotation of wings and guards in Sacramento? I think not.

Also, Domas missed the playoffs in one of those years as well. The only year TJ Warren was relatively healthy. So many reasons why Indiana hit a wall. Domas being at PF doesn’t really register as one. Hell, give me Myles Turner next to Domas and just call Turner the PF for all I care.

I’d argue the Pacers were mostly better than they were on paper thanks to Domas and Turner combo.

 

[Chupacabra]

I am the most right about Indiana. Sabonis is best as a C on both sides of the ball, part of the reason for our breakout season. That is the final word.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Dlo said Brook is not coming to Sac and not likely to re-sign in Milwaukee and we should just trust him on this. Implied he had info

 

[PorchSurfin]

Dlo said Brook is not coming to Sac and not likely to re-sign in Milwaukee and we should just trust him on this. Implied he had info

Good. I'd hate to trot out a lineup where Brook is guarding Ayton and Sabonis is guarding Durant lol

 

[Sac.Kings]

Brook is too old to be anything other than a complementary piece in a reduced role. He would never fit this team and as big as he is he has always been a poor rebounder and that’s not what we need. I do generally like him though and give him major props for adapting his game on the fly. From playing down low to adding a good 3 point shot in recent years, he’s a solid player.

 

[The_Jamal]

Now this I can get behind.

Brook might be like the only 5 in the NBA i'd be comfortable moving Domas over to the 4 for. Elite DPOY candidate (should have won this year) and elite floor spacer. If we care about improving the defense, wouldn't the guy who should have won DPOY help?

 

[miltonap]

Now this I can get behind.

Brook might be like the only 5 in the NBA i'd be comfortable moving Domas over to the 4 for. Elite DPOY candidate (should have won this year) and elite floor spacer. If we care about improving the defense, wouldn't the guy who should have won DPOY help?

I'd rather have a Brook Domas combo than Domas Naz Reid combo.

 

[The_Jamal]

I'd rather have a Brook Domas combo than Domas Naz Reid combo.

Well.. yeah. One is a DPOY that's been a staple of title-contending teams the last 4 years. The other is a projection that he can be a star.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Now this I can get behind.

Brook might be like the only 5 in the NBA i'd be comfortable moving Domas over to the 4 for. Elite DPOY candidate (should have won this year) and elite floor spacer. If we care about improving the defense, wouldn't the guy who should have won DPOY help?

It seems like the rumblings are real he could end up in Houston which seems insane.

 

[ParniValjak]

Now this I can get behind.

Brook might be like the only 5 in the NBA i'd be comfortable moving Domas over to the 4 for. Elite DPOY candidate (should have won this year) and elite floor spacer. If we care about improving the defense, wouldn't the guy who should have won DPOY help?

So when you come up against team that would play "small ball 4s" e.g. Durant, Wiggins, George, MPJ etc.....who is going to be guarding those type? Domantas or Brook?

League has gone smaller. Sabonis at 4 is not going to work unless you have a 5 who can block shots, guard anyone from 2 to 5 and be an elite shooter. Not convinced there are many of those around to be honest.

 

[Section 101]

So when you come up against team that would play "small ball 4s" e.g. Durant, Wiggins, George, MPJ etc.....who is going to be guarding those type? Domantas or Brook?

League has gone smaller. Sabonis at 4 is not going to work unless you have a 5 who can block shots, guard anyone from 2 to 5 and be an elite shooter. Not convinced there are many of those around to be honest.

Funny that 3/4 those guys have a high probably of being in street clothes. And it goes both ways, none can stop either on the block.

 

[The_Jamal]

So when you come up against team that would play "small ball 4s" e.g. Durant, Wiggins, George, MPJ etc.....who is going to be guarding those type? Domantas or Brook?

League has gone smaller. Sabonis at 4 is not going to work unless you have a 5 who can block shots, guard anyone from 2 to 5 and be an elite shooter. Not convinced there are many of those around to be honest.

I mean, signing Brook doesn't mean the play together for 35+ MPG. People get way too stuck on the starting 5, when really, most of the time they're only together for the 1st quarter rotation and the 3rd quarter rotation. Injuries, game flow, match-ups. People also get way too worked up about "OMG HOW WILL HE DEFEND 5-7 OF THE BEST SCORERS IN THE NBA???" The answer really is you don't. Defense is played through a team concept and an elite rim protector/defensive stud is the quickest and easiest way to improve defensively.

Either you want to get better on defense or you don't. To do so, we have to acquire good defenders. Hoping our average-bad defenders currently on the squad just magically become a top 10 defense isn't a recipe for success.

 

[The_Jamal]

All that said, Brook isn't at the top of my list at all. He's probably like 5th? But the answer to getting a chance to acquire an elite defensive rim protector that can shoot isn't "Nah, he doesn't fit". You find a way to make it work.

 

[ParniValjak]

Funny that 3/4 those guys have a high probably of being in street clothes. And it goes both ways, none can stop either on the block.

Except our offense is not places to play from the block. Its mostly Sabonis on the elbow and 3 shooters and Fox around him. That is not going to be changing any time soon.

Defensively, Sabonis or Lopez cannot guard 4s or small ball 4s. They have proven that time and time again. It works for Bucks because Giannis can guard anyone and Portis can also cover stretch 4s.

 

[miltonap]

All that said, Brook isn't at the top of my list at all. He's probably like 5th? But the answer to getting a chance to acquire an elite defensive rim protector that can shoot isn't "Nah, he doesn't fit". You find a way to make it work.

I'd rather make sure the person you spend a good chuck of change on is a GREAT fit because most likely this will be the last chance to add a big GREAT fit player to the squad.

If Portis were available for example, I'd want him over Brook.

But apparently he's not a FA.

Between Grant then Kuzma I go Grant first then Kuzma but do think that either one of those tops you out as a conference finals squad.

That being said though, making the conference finals isn't a bad thing imo since this squad basically just got started.

I think a more seasoned Colby Jones to round out the starting 5 would be a finals team but I guess the point right now is to keep improving.

And honestly I guess Kuzma and Grant still make the team better just not championship status

 

[ParniValjak]

I mean, signing Brook doesn't mean the play together for 35+ MPG. People get way too stuck on the starting 5, when really, most of the time they're only together for the 1st quarter rotation and the 3rd quarter rotation. Injuries, game flow, match-ups. People also get way too worked up about "OMG HOW WILL HE DEFEND 5-7 OF THE BEST SCORERS IN THE NBA???" The answer really is you don't. Defense is played through a team concept and an elite rim protector/defensive stud is the quickest and easiest way to improve defensively.

Either you want to get better on defense or you don't. To do so, we have to acquire good defenders. Hoping our average-bad defenders currently on the squad just magically become a top 10 defense isn't a recipe for success.

And even if you play them together for 20 minutes, if I am an opposing team I am putting those two in pick and roll all night long and putting the Kings on the back foot.

There is a reason why you do not see any of the teams playing 2 Cs in the line up.

 

[ESP47]

Half of us laughed at the Gobert/KAT pairing that didn't really work and now we want Lopez? Yeah he's a great defensive center but Sabonis trying to guard 4s would negate whatever we would gain from Lopez at the 5. The 4s of today aren't the 4s of yesterday. I don't see it working very well.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

So when you come up against team that would play "small ball 4s" e.g. Durant, Wiggins, George, MPJ etc.....who is going to be guarding those type? Domantas or Brook?

League has gone smaller. Sabonis at 4 is not going to work unless you have a 5 who can block shots, guard anyone from 2 to 5 and be an elite shooter. Not convinced there are many of those around to be honest.

Who’s going to guard Domas or Brook in the post where they can be punished?

It’s as if you some of you guys believe things only work in one direction.

Furthermore, why does anybody have to conform or match what other teams do? Roll out the most talented 5 you can and see what happens. This “league has gone smaller” stuff is nonsense. There’s not just one way to build a contending team.

Whatever advantages a smaller, quicker team has can be countered and negated by size, strength and power. It comes down to which team is more talented, skilled and consistent at what they do.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

Half of us laughed at the Gobert/KAT pairing that didn't really work and now we want Lopez? Yeah he's a great defensive center but Sabonis trying to guard 4s would negate whatever we would gain from Lopez at the 5. The 4s of today aren't the 4s of yesterday. I don't see it working very well.

Maybe it wouldn’t work well. But the Gobert/KAT pairing doesn’t have anything to do with it. Every situation and set of circumstances is different.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

And even if you play them together for 20 minutes, if I am an opposing team I am putting those two in pick and roll all night long and putting the Kings on the back foot.

Good, great, grand, wonderful.

Again, you’re only considering one side of the equation. What could those two players do to put the other team at a similar disadvantage on the other end? A lot.

This $#/t doesn’t just work in one-direction.

 

[twslam07]

Who’s going to guard Domas or Brook in the post where they can be punished?

Let’s extend that logic (for the fun of it)…why don’t we add a 3rd C at SF? He may not be able to contain opposing SFs but he can at least punish him on the block on the other side of the ball? Hell let’s just roll out a 5 C lineup and punish anyone who dares to play a PG, SG, SF, or PF against us