The LA Lakers won their third straight, knocking back a Grizzlies team that’s having some trouble establishing its identity. How’d the Lakers, all gleamy and dreamy with Lonzo Ball at the point, manage the 107-102 victory? Well the good news and the bad news for Lakers fans is that they were led by 7-foot center Brook Lopez, a multi-skilled big man who was supposed to finally help turn the Brooklyn Nets around last year. (He didn’t, but then he’s not Superman.) Lopez led the Lakers with 21 points. That’s the good stuff. Here’s the rub: Lopez got his numbers by going 4-of-6 from the 3-point line.
That’s great; it worked. Lopez is a terrific perimeter shooter and everybody knows that being 7-feet doesn’t mean the 3-ball isn’t your game anymore — right, Dirk? Right, Kristaps? Right, KD? (Okay Durant isn’t listed at 7-feet, but have you seen him?) But those big guys, despite their size, are wingmen with range. Call them 4s or 3s or whatever you want. Lopez, however, is a center in the more traditional sense. He’s a big athletic center, no doubt. And Lopez is probably the best 3-point shooter the Lakers have — but is that good news or bad news? Ball was 1-of-8 from 3-points against the Grizzlies. Quick: name the last team to win an NBA championship with their center as their best 3-point shooter? Kevin Love throws a 6’10” wrench into this, but when he’s shooting a lot of 3s Love is usually in the 4-spot, not the true center position.
