NBA Q&A: Brook Lopez
Posted by Unknown on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 with No comments
Courtesy of Dime
Dime: I don’t know if you really read anything about yourself–
Brook Lopez: I really don’t, honestly, but yeah–
Dime: Okay, the criticism of you generally lies in rebounding and defense, but watching you, it seems like you are contesting opposing shots. Do you think that affects your ability to collect defensive rebounds?
BL: Yeah, I think it does a little. There has been more of a focus for me to contest shots this year; to be that last line of defense. I saw that you were wondering whether that was part of PJ’s plan [Ed's note: One of the questions that had been given to him beforehand was one about coach P.J. Carlesimo and what he wanted Brook to do on the defensive end], and he definitely does emphasize it all the time. I’ve gotta be the five point aid on the weak side; be the wall; contest and back our guys up. A lot of the time, I trust our guys. Reggie (Evans) and Joe (Johnson) will be in there and get the rebound if I contest it well enough they miss.
Dime: So after you contest, you’re sort of rotating over to box the guy out, and you’re hoping they’re picking them up?
BL: Exactly. So I figure I contest and do a little box out or something like that. I definitely have faith, playing with guys like Reggie, who are very physical guys and eat up the boards.
Dime: Plus, Joe is a big guard–
BL: Exactly. Yeah, so I definitely can trust them now.
Dime: Do you look at stats? I know all NBA players get a data printout after every game. Do you look at the numbers at all, and does that affect how you prepare and go into games?
BL: They hand them out after every game for us. I never look at them. I only look at wins and losses, mostly. That’s the most important thing to me. If I have a good feeling coming out of a game, it’s usually because we won, or vice versa if we lost.
Dime: Over the summer, when you work on stuff for the next year, do you ever look at those things [stats]. You know, maybe not rebounding or defense, but spots where you’re comfortable and effective or a specific move you go to?
BL: I don’t really work on specific things. I just try and improve my entire game. I go through entire workouts for each phase of the game, so I’ll spend 20 minutes doing something and then just rotate through every aspect of the game.
Dime: So you don’t focus on one specific thing?
BL: Not really, no.
Dime: As someone who also has a twin [I have a twin sister], how good was it to dunk on your brother the other night?
BL: Oh, it was great. I think he dunked on me, either my rookie or second year, so I had to get him back for it, you know. So I definitely think this one was worse.
Dime: Oh, it blew up the Internet, that’s for sure.
BL: Awesome, that’s what I like to hear.
Dime: I don’t know if you really read anything about yourself–
Brook Lopez: I really don’t, honestly, but yeah–
Dime: Okay, the criticism of you generally lies in rebounding and defense, but watching you, it seems like you are contesting opposing shots. Do you think that affects your ability to collect defensive rebounds?
BL: Yeah, I think it does a little. There has been more of a focus for me to contest shots this year; to be that last line of defense. I saw that you were wondering whether that was part of PJ’s plan [Ed's note: One of the questions that had been given to him beforehand was one about coach P.J. Carlesimo and what he wanted Brook to do on the defensive end], and he definitely does emphasize it all the time. I’ve gotta be the five point aid on the weak side; be the wall; contest and back our guys up. A lot of the time, I trust our guys. Reggie (Evans) and Joe (Johnson) will be in there and get the rebound if I contest it well enough they miss.
Dime: So after you contest, you’re sort of rotating over to box the guy out, and you’re hoping they’re picking them up?
BL: Exactly. So I figure I contest and do a little box out or something like that. I definitely have faith, playing with guys like Reggie, who are very physical guys and eat up the boards.
Dime: Plus, Joe is a big guard–
BL: Exactly. Yeah, so I definitely can trust them now.
Dime: Do you look at stats? I know all NBA players get a data printout after every game. Do you look at the numbers at all, and does that affect how you prepare and go into games?
BL: They hand them out after every game for us. I never look at them. I only look at wins and losses, mostly. That’s the most important thing to me. If I have a good feeling coming out of a game, it’s usually because we won, or vice versa if we lost.
Dime: Over the summer, when you work on stuff for the next year, do you ever look at those things [stats]. You know, maybe not rebounding or defense, but spots where you’re comfortable and effective or a specific move you go to?
BL: I don’t really work on specific things. I just try and improve my entire game. I go through entire workouts for each phase of the game, so I’ll spend 20 minutes doing something and then just rotate through every aspect of the game.
Dime: So you don’t focus on one specific thing?
BL: Not really, no.
Dime: As someone who also has a twin [I have a twin sister], how good was it to dunk on your brother the other night?
BL: Oh, it was great. I think he dunked on me, either my rookie or second year, so I had to get him back for it, you know. So I definitely think this one was worse.
Dime: Oh, it blew up the Internet, that’s for sure.
BL: Awesome, that’s what I like to hear.
0 comments:
Post a Comment