Lost in the positivity surrounding the young Los Angeles Lakers giving the Golden State Warriors everything they could handle, is the ongoing slump of Brook Lopez. He scored in single-digits for a fourth consecutive game and only played 17 minutes.
Lopez is averaging just eight points and three rebounds over the last five contests, while shooting under 40 percent from the field. As someone who is relied on as a centerpiece of the Lakers offense, the lack of production is some cause for concern.
But that’s now the viewpoint head coach Luke Walton has. “He’s missing some shots he normally hits. It’s normal for players to hit stretches like this, he’ll be fine,” Walton said after practice.
“He puts in more work than anyone I’ve seen in a long time, as far as the hours he spends on his shot, getting to the gym early, so he’ll work his way out of it.”
With such a rough part of the schedule coming up, Lopez emerging from his slump becomes of even more importance. He has the ability to score from anywhere on the court, but that hasn’t been the case recently.
Of course, considering the Lakers also brought Lopez in to be a leader and example on a young roster, something Walton wants to make sure that doesn’t slip as well.
“We talked about him being one of the vets and our leaders on this team, and not letting it affect his body language,” Walton said. “It’s something that since we pointed it out, he’ll be fine. He’ll get better.”
While it came prior to his current skid, Lopez was lauded by Kyle Kuzma for the leadership he’s provided on and off the court
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