Never say Nets coach Lionel Hollins isn’t honest.
Brutally honest.
Tears-inciting honest.
Hollins has been a source of brazen transparency since joining the Nets, and Brook Lopez has often been the center of his candid wrath. That, apparently, isn’t going to change.
From the New York Post‘s Brian Lewis:
Lionel Hollins has offered pointed critiques of Brook Lopez’s game before, as have other Nets coaches before him. But after the Brooklyn center got outplayed badly in San Antonio and benched for yet another fourth quarter, Hollins’ latest critique raised eyebrows because it was as complete as it was damning.
“[He’s] the same Brook. He can score,’’ Hollins said Monday, before adding, “He needs to be better defensively, he needs to be better rebounding, he needs to be better passing the ball to his teammates.’’
In other words, pretty much every aspect of the game other than putting the ball in the net.
“If you saw, if you had been able to see practice today, you would’ve seen some really nice passes. It’s just being aware and trusting that your teammates are going to make plays, and understanding the game better,’’ said Hollins, who insists it’s not impossible for Lopez to make those improvements.
“There’s people that come into this league and their whole life they’re only asked to do one thing. And when you get to this level it takes a little more to win. I’m trying to ask him to do those things.’’
Ouch.
Mostly true, but ouch.
Lopez has been called one dimensional in the past, and he’s never been much of a passer, rebounder or rim protector. Hollins, by contrast, formerly coached Marc Gasol, who does a little bit of everything. Though he’s never been a world-beating rebounder, he’s a preeminent playmaker, recurring Defensive Player of the Year candidate and general two-way force. You won’t hear anyone say that about Lopez, who’s claim to fame is owed to his points-piling prowess.
But that won’t get Lopez on Hollins’ good side by itself. His obsession with ball movement is slightly odd since he’s run notoriously stagnant, snail-paced offenses, but he’s always been a defensive monarch. It was Hollins who helped rein in the Grizzlies’ defense years ago, allowing them to become a perpetual force on that end of the floor that, ultimately, pinned them to title-contention conversations.
If anyone can help Lopez change his ways—well, I’m not sure if it’s Hollins. Not this season at least. Lopez is 26, in his seventh season and could be set in his ways, however flawed. This is also just the second time since 2011-12 that he’s been healthy (forcefully knocks on wood). Basically all of his numbers are down at this point, so he could still be adjusting to life back on the floor and in Hollins’ new system.
The problem for Lopez is the Nets have Mason Plumlee, an absolute workhorse. If Lopez doesn’t bend to Hollins’ will, he could slowly, surely start to see his playing time dip.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
