The case for Robin Lopez

[Sac.1989]

Feel free to merge with other threads and appologies for the hash job of this.

Posting to gather the boards thoughts on exploring Lopez in upcoming FA, potential costs, starting dynamic with boogie, achieveability - vivek/pda willingness etc.

Quotes which from a recent SLAM piece:

“When we brought Robin in, the primary focus was having a defensive-minded center next to [LaMarcus Aldridge],” third-year coach Terry Stotts says. “He fit the bill exceedingly well.”

The Blazers needed an enforcer, and they found a 7-footer with a passion for throwing ’bows.

“I love going in there, banging with the big guys,” Lopez says. “That’s fun. That’s the level of basketball—the level of competition—you want to be at. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

http://www.slamonline.com/the-magazine/features/robin-lopez-blazers-interview/#4bFKwDGsL0bxKwJk.99

Thoughts from the Blazer fan base:

http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/10/24/6481851/robin-lopez-salary-raise-negotiations

Side notes:

Lamarcus Aldridge is a FA as is Wes Matthews and Arron Affalo so simply put there may not and most likely will not be enough pie to go around.

 

[Bricklayer]

Don't get me started since Robin Lopez should have been wearing our colors for years now. You don't stay terrible forever without making multiple, and I do mean multiple, ****ing clueless decisions. Morons.

 

[Gilles]

He's a good perimeter defender for a center. As a forward he's not that good. If any other alternative is quickly exhausted, why not, but Kings need a more mobile guy starting next to Boogie, otherwise might just return JT into the starting lineup.
Biggest problem is he's going to be paid around $10 million, but it's big money for less than ideal fit. If Aldridge leaves, then maybe they let Lopez go, otherwise Portland still have enough money under LT threshold to fit all three FAs, plus even if they get into LT territory, it will be for just one year.
P.S. He might have just lost PT to Meyers Leonard. Kaman was the main victim, but Lopez lost some minutes as well.

 

[randymoss1881]

Rather have landry....... See what I did there

 

[dude12]

PDA gave him away for 2 nd round picks already. Not going to go after him.

 

[funkykingston]

Yeah, Lopez should have been the guy to fill the role we've been trying to give to Dalembert and Thompson - the rugged interior defender who was mobile enough to guard quicker PFs but ideally is a good weakside defender/shotblocker too. That's the guy you want next to Boogie. A lunchpail type with athleticism and who is content to do the dirty work and get his points off dump offs, running in transition and maybe the occasional 15-18 foot jumper.

It's why I was bothered at the time by the fact that PDA didn't hold onto Lopez. And that was back when I figured Lopez was perpetually injury prone and only good for 50-60 games a season. It's also why I was stumping hard for Petrie to draft Drummond. He had potential but he also carried the risk of a guy who (seemingly) lacked fire and drive and didn't ever dominate on the college level. BUT I figured at worst he was a DeAndre Jordan-like player (back before Doc came to town and Jordan really stepped up his game) and those types of guys get 10-12 million per season just as athletic rebounding, shotblocking bigs, even with limited offensive potential.

You want to draft those guys or trade for them on rookie deals. You don't necessarily want to have to be the team that gives them their big payday unless you're resigning them and already know they fit with your team. The Kings whiffed on Lopez. They whiffed on Drummond. I'm certainly hoping they don't whiff on Willie Cauley-Stein.

Because if we draft another wing with potential as a shooter or we trade that pick to Denver along with other assets for Lawson and/or Faried it'll be just another mistake to chalk up while we try and figure out why the Kings can't ever be competitive. Time to learn from past mistakes and start making smart moves.

 

[kingsboi]

I'd rather just draft Cauley Stein if we are looking at the Robin Lopez option

 

[Big Cuz 15]

Don't get me started since Robin Lopez should have been wearing our colors for years now. You don't stay terrible forever without making multiple, and I do mean multiple, ****ing clueless decisions. Morons.

he doesn't fit our 3.0 position-less vision. he is only good for hard nose D

 

[Big Cuz 15]

Yeah, Lopez should have been the guy to fill the role we've been trying to give to Dalembert and Thompson - the rugged interior defender who was mobile enough to guard quicker PFs but ideally is a good weakside defender/shotblocker too. That's the guy you want next to Boogie. A lunchpail type with athleticism and who is content to do the dirty work and get his points off dump offs, running in transition and maybe the occasional 15-18 foot jumper.

It's why I was bothered at the time by the fact that PDA didn't hold onto Lopez. And that was back when I figured Lopez was perpetually injury prone and only good for 50-60 games a season. It's also why I was stumping hard for Petrie to draft Drummond. He had potential but he also carried the risk of a guy who (seemingly) lacked fire and drive and didn't ever dominate on the college level. BUT I figured at worst he was a DeAndre Jordan-like player (back before Doc came to town and Jordan really stepped up his game) and those types of guys get 10-12 million per season just as athletic rebounding, shotblocking bigs, even with limited offensive potential.

You want to draft those guys or trade for them on rookie deals. You don't necessarily want to have to be the team that gives them their big payday unless you're resigning them and already know they fit with your team. The Kings whiffed on Lopez. They whiffed on Drummond. I'm certainly hoping they don't whiff on Willie Cauley-Stein.

Because if we draft another wing with potential as a shooter or we trade that pick to Denver along with other assets for Lawson and/or Faried it'll be just another mistake to chalk up while we try and figure out why the Kings can't ever be competitive. Time to learn from past mistakes and start making smart moves.

i'm firmly on the WCS boat this draft. if they trade for nuggets players, someone needs to be fired immediately.

 

[pdizo916]

I was passed when we gave Lopez up for nothing. That's when I first realized that PDA was a moron and was way over his head.


Then came the Landry contract. ...

 

[rainmaker]

“When we brought Robin in, the primary focus was having a defensive-minded center next to [LaMarcus Aldridge],” third-year coach Terry Stotts says. “He fit the bill exceedingly well.”

The Blazers needed an enforcer, and they found a 7-footer with a passion for throwing ’bows.

“I love going in there, banging with the big guys,” Lopez says. “That’s fun. That’s the level of basketball—the level of competition—you want to be at. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”


What does that even mean?

As a Kings fan these words don't make sense. Are Lopez and Stotts even speaking English? I've been sitting in the Kings classroom for a little while now and words like "pace" and "tempo" I'm very familiar with. This vernacular however? Maybe if I can dig up my English to Spanish or English to French dictionary from school I can piece this complex passage together.

I thought this was an English language forum. C'mon, OP, follow the rules.

 

[itzcoatl]

Yeah. PDA knows exactly what he's doing. Which is why we gave away a player who is a starting center for a playoff team. Yep.

 

[206Fan]

i'm firmly on the WCS boat this draft. if they trade for nuggets players, someone needs to be fired immediately.

Until Lawson learns defense, I'm not sure I want him.

 

[rainmaker]

Yeah. PDA knows exactly what he's doing. Which is why we gave away a player who is a starting center for a playoff team. Yep.

He gave up a starting playoff defensive center, a starting playoff PG who could start at SG and one of the better playoff 6th men.

Meanwhile we're poor at defending the rim outside of Cuz, our defense got progressively worse as the year went on until we were bottom of the barrel, we get very little from our SG rotation and our bench can barely put the ball in the basket.

 

[dude12]

He gave up a starting playoff defensive center, a starting playoff PG who could start at SG and one of the better playoff 6th men.

Meanwhile we're poor at defending the rim outside of Cuz, our defense got progressively worse as the year went on until we were bottom of the barrel, we get very little from our SG rotation and our bench can barely put the ball in the basket.

Yep...the problem with all 3 of these moves, depending on ones point of view of each of these guys, is that we have nothing to show for them....nothing.

Tyreke is let go for Greivis and Lopez and that would have been ok with me but Lopez is immediately moved for nothing, Greivis is moved in the package for Gay but, Toronto would have moved Gay no matter what they got

Thomas just let go for nothing at this point. Now I'm not going to pretend that I'm a huge Tyreke and IT fan but I recognize when we are moving legit rotation players and talent and getting nothing back.

How does PDA still have a job? How? This is how you stay perpetually crapty.

 

[pdizo916]

Yep...the problem with all 3 of these moves, depending on ones point of view of each of these guys, is that we have nothing to show for them....nothing.

Tyreke is let go for Greivis and Lopez and that would have been ok with me but Lopez is immediately moved for nothing, Greivis is moved in the package for Gay but, Toronto would have moved Gay no matter what they got

Thomas just let go for nothing at this point. Now I'm not going to pretend that I'm a huge Tyreke and IT fan but I recognize when we are moving legit rotation players and talent and getting nothing back.

How does PDA still have a job? How? This is how you stay perpetually poopooty.

And don't forget Jason terry. We gave up assets to get rid of him and his expiring contract. He didn't want to play here? Fine, let him rot and trade him at the deadline

 

[randymoss1881]

And don't forget Jason terry. We gave up assets to get rid of him and his expiring contract. He didn't want to play here? Fine, let him rot and trade him at the deadline

Firing malone is still the biggest goof I don't care if we got Karl

 

[Sac.1989]

Talks that portland will be looking to re-up lillard in the summer. He who wont sign for anything but the max and that will make it increasingly difficult to keep the band together. We should be one of the teams up there looking to exploit the Blazers FA's.

 

[randymoss1881]

Talks that portland will be looking to re-up lillard in the summer. He who wont sign for anything but the max and that will make it increasingly difficult to keep the band together. We should be one of the teams up there looking to exploit the Blazers FA's.

Doubt it we only have 7-9 million in cap that's not enough to sway anything big.

 

[KingMilz]

Hopefully his value dropped since he's been smashed in the last 2 playoffs series, I mean he could not stay on the floor against anyone in the Memphis series and Dwight last year just mauled him.