The Lopez effect?

[Natebishop3]

After three games Robin Lopez is only averaging 4.3 rebounds per game. Not that impressive, right? Not so fast...

Lopez might not be grabbing all the boards, but the rest of the team is rebounding like crazy, especially the guards and wings.

After three games, the most notable changes are:

Nic Batum - 10 rebounds per game
Wes Matthews - 7.3 rebounds per game
Damian Lillard - 5 rebounds per game

Compared to last season with Hickson:

Nic Batum - 5.6
Wes Matthews - 2.8
Damian Lillard - 3.1 rebounds per game

Obviously it's still very early in the season (only three games), but these are some very positive developments. Hopefully this trend continues.

 

[KingSpeed]

Amen

 

[B-Roy]

Stats showed the Hornets to be a much better rebounding team last year when Lopez was on the floor, despite him averaging a measly 5 rebounds per game. It's no coincidence, Lopez boxes out the other teams best rebounder and his teammates reap the benefits.

 

[Natebishop3]

Stats showed the Hornets to be a much better rebounding team last year when Lopez was on the floor, despite him averaging a measly 5 rebounds per game. It's no coincidence, Lopez boxes out the other teams best rebounder and his teammates reap the benefits.

Yup. A lot of what he does on the floor do not show up on the box score.

 

[magnifier661]

Nice post Nate! Yeah I really don't give a fuck who is rebounding, as long as our team is. The individual achievements shouldn't be looked at with Lopez. Watching him play the last two games, he is hustling, boxing out, tipping and setting some mean picks. I am so happy we have a true center man!

 

[magnifier661]

Yup. A lot of what he does on the floor do not show up on the box score.

He will most definitely become a fan favorite. Wigs of side show bob being made as we speak!

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

He is basically the Garbage man. Does all the dirty work and doesn't get any praise. I think he is the type of guy who is okay with that.

 

[Natebishop3]

Nice post Nate! Yeah I really don't give a fuck who is rebounding, as long as our team is. The individual achievements shouldn't be looked at with Lopez. Watching him play the last two games, he is hustling, boxing out, tipping and setting some mean picks. I am so happy we have a true center man!

He reminds me a lot of Przybilla. I actually think he's a little better on offense than Joel.

 

[MarAzul]

I liked what he brought last night, it might have been the best game I have ever seen the man play here or the suns.
I especially liked to see Batum playing the playmaker and getting some good out of Lopez. The Blazers were playing some basketball during that stretch and it pleased the hell out of me to see it.

 

[Sean is the Mannion]

He is basically the Garbage man. Does all the dirty work and doesn't get any praise.

except for a very inflated PER

 

[B-Roy]

He reminds me a lot of Przybilla. I actually think he's a little better on offense than Joel.

I think just about anyone is better on offense than Joel, haha. That's not a knock on Joel, but outside of wide open dunks the guy was invisible on offense.

 

[Nikolokolus]

3 games in I don't think there are any "effects" because we haven't seen enough to know what an average team performance looks like.

Let's just tap the brakes and wait a few more weeks and then we can talk about this kind of stuff.

 

[Natebishop3]

3 games in I don't think there are any "effects" because we haven't seen enough to know what an average team performance looks like.

Let's just tap the brakes and wait a few more weeks and then we can talk about this kind of stuff.

Yes it's early, but these are some significant events. Matthews with a career high 12 boards against Denver? Batum with a triple double in the third game of the season? Obviously we will have to see how things continue down the road, but there is definitely a difference in how the team is rebounding, no?

 

[Nikolokolus]

Yes it's early, but these are some significant events. Matthews with a career high 12 boards against Denver? Batum with a triple double in the third game of the season? Obviously we will have to see how things continue down the road, but there is definitely a difference in how the team is rebounding, no?

Uhhh ... it's encouraging, but no, I wouldn't call any of this a trend ... yet.

EDIT: We got outrebounded by the Suns. Do we not count that?

 

[MARIS61]

After three games...

 

[julius]

To me, who gets the rebounds isn't as important as getting rebounds. That's why i'm not upset if LaMarcus averages 8-9 boards a game, if the team is winning games/rebound totals.

Similar to how people complain he's not an "inside" player.

 

[Further]

The last two games I was traveling and unable to watch, but I scoured the stats and watched every highlight I could get my hands on. In the spurs game there was one highlight where Duncan actually scored but Lopez was really playing tight defense and bodying up Duncan like I haven't seen in years. Yes Duncan scored, but I was so pleased to see solid D. It kept everyone else from having to over-rotate leaving guys side open.

It's early, his stats aren't special, but my eyes tell my that D will be greatly improved this year. Rebounding too I hope, but Defense from a true center defender is really important towards allowing the rest of the team to shore up their defensive weaknesses. My best guess is that 20 games from now, once this team starts to gel, we will become a better than average defensive team, and anything around average is a gigantic improvement from recent years. Lopez will be the key. So I personally will forgive 6 point games or 4 rebound nights, as long as it makes the team function better.

 

[Strenuus]

I think I remember that play, Further. I believe it was in the 1st quarter. I remember saying the same thing: Hey, he didn't look too bad there!

 

[mgb]

3 games in I don't think there are any "effects" because we haven't seen enough to know what an average team performance looks like.

Let's just tap the brakes and wait a few more weeks and then we can talk about this kind of stuff.

You tap on the bakes if you want, but anyone can draw whatever conclusions they want and talk all they want. After all what is this place for?

 

[julius]

You tap on the bakes if you want, but anyone can draw whatever conclusions they want and talk all they want. After all what is this place for?

to crack jokes at HCP's wife that no one would ever, in a billion years actually say to her, about her to around her?

 

[Draco]

We've been out rebounded by 4 on the season while having 14 more defensive rebounding opportunities than our opponents. Teams normally rebound far better on defense than offense. So while Lopez had a great game yesterday I remain very concerned about this teams rebounding.

I'm sure there is a bit of truth in what you say, a teammate doing a good job of boxing out can help others on the team rebound. But conceptually I still think if a player is not getting the rebound than it is available to 9 other players on the court and much of the time his teammate will not be the one to secure the ball.

 

[dviss1]

He is basically the Garbage man. Does all the dirty work and doesn't get any praise. I think he is the type of guy who is okay with that.

We are praising him now....

 

[Draco]

You tap on the bakes if you want, but anyone can draw whatever conclusions they want and talk all they want. After all what is this place for?

Yeah that attitude drives me nuts. Nate said in his original post this was a 3 game sample size, every poster in the thread is aware of that. But there is always some smart ass sticking their head in the middle of every discussion saying we will know more in the future. Duh we all are aware of that.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

We are praising him now....

Media wise.

 

[mgb]

We've been out rebounded by 4 on the season while having 14 more defensive rebounding opportunities than our opponents. Teams normally rebound far better on defense than offense. So while Lopez had a great game yesterday I remain very concerned about this teams rebounding.

I'm sure there is a bit of truth in what you say, a teammate doing a good job of boxing out can help others on the team rebound. But conceptually I still think if a player is not getting the rebound than it is available to 9 other players on the court and much of the time his teammate will not be the one to secure the ball.

Not if he is boxing his player out of the play then you have to at least subtract that player. Which eliminates their main rebounder on most teams. If that is what we plan then we'll have players to corral the rebounds which is exactly what we did with Duckworth when we led the league in rebounds.

 

[Rhal]

Putting everything else aside my FAVORITE thing about Lopez, and it was my favorite thing about Joel, is that he isn't afraid to knock your ass on the ground with a little added zest.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

Putting everything else aside my FAVORITE thing about Lopez, and it was my favorite thing about Joel, is that he isn't afraid to knock your ass on the ground with a little added zest.

Joel added more than a little zest lol he tea bagged Rubio!

 

[Rhal]

Joel added more than a little zest lol he tea bagged Rubio!

[video=youtube;d1s-YEOs85I]

While searching for that I found this by Lopez
[video=youtube;fUILpQCfSBU]

I just love watching videos of Blake getting blocked to the floor then crying like a little girl

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

[video=youtube;d1s-YEOs85I]

While searching for that I found this by Lopez
[video=youtube;fUILpQCfSBU]

I just love watching videos of Blake getting blocked to the floor then crying like a little girl

An ejection for that? I hate protecting Golden Boy's...

 

[Rhal]

An ejection for that? I hate protecting Golden Boy's...

Its the league now adays, you can't touch their money makers with anything like a hard foul without getting ejected and every slight bump sends them to the line. Just look at the NYK vs The Wolves tonight, Love shot more FT's then the entire Knicks team and half the time he went to the line I couldn't even see a foul.