Knicks · What Will Lopez's Role on Offense Be? (page 2)

The best way to really understand Triangle roles is to look at how bigs in the past have been used. RoLo will be used in the same way that Shaq or any other Low Post C has been used in the Triangle.

Since RoLo isn't like Pau or Bargs with a mid range and more game he won't be doing any the stuff they do. He's squarely in the Low Post and setting screens business. The other thing to remember is that the Triangle is actually extremely flexible and so you can tailor things to the strengths of your players. People keep making the false statement that there's no PnR in the Triangle when in fact there's ALWAYS been PnR in the Triangle. They simply don't feature it as a main staple of the offense. Like the 3 pt shot it's in there but it's not the sole focus of the offense.

Here are some post ups RoLo had against Moz. He also repeatedly beats Moz down the floor.

I think people have answered the question. He has more offensive ability than Tyson. He can actually play outside of 3ft. Close to 80% of Tyson's FGAs are inside of 3 ft. Lopez gives slightly more diversity because he is not trapped in the restricted circle

Uptown wrote:Tyson was traded for reasons beyond the bb court imo...

Yep.

yellowboy90 wrote:I think people have answered the question. He has more offensive ability than Tyson. He can actually play outside of 3ft. Close to 80% of Tyson's FGAs are inside of 3 ft. Lopez gives slightly more diversity because he is not trapped in the restricted circle

You're right that he does take significantly more shots than Tyson from beyond 3 feet. He takes about 2 more shots a game from beyond 3 feet than Tyson does. That's not enough to say Tyson's offense would be killed but Lopez will be fine in the triangle IMO but it is a bigger difference than I realized.

i don't know about his passing skills or his midrange shooting, but he had better be able to finish off a screen and roll or he won't score more than 8 points a game.

Bonn1997 wrote:He can average 10 or 11 efficient points a game but is that going to just get cut in half or worse in the triangle?

I'd say 12-14 points per game is about right.

He'll clean up around the rim and, if in a strict Triangle, will run a strong portion of the offense from the high post. A lot of the bigs for the Knicks last year (aside from Amundson, who actually did pretty well considering he wasn't there in the preseason) didn't know when to make the automatic pass from the high post. That hesitation really cost the Knicks a lot of open looks.

Lopez will not wow you. However he is solid across the board. He has no real "exploitable" weakness, he just doesn't have any A+ out of this world niche in his tool set to be dominant in a specific area. He knows how to move well off the ball, his instincts are good, he has pretty soft hands for his size, despite being hurt a bit last year, he's pretty durable and he can read the court.

He can do well playing with smart players but knows how to play well with limited players. ( Lillard is great, fantastic even, but in a very narrow focus)

The problem will still be Melo. If Lopez and Grant can work a nice inside/out two man game at times, once that gets some traction, and fans start cheering, then Melo will have none of it.

If Lopez becomes a fan favorite, Melo will do EXACTLY what he did to Chandler, let every opposing wing blow past him intentionally and force the pivot to try to compensate over and over again until it mentally wore the guy down to a nub. Like wearing down an eraser on the back of a pencil. Fans cheer for Grant or Zinger, Melo will sulk and give even less effort on D ( which I thought was not possible, but there is even a level of ineptness on defense less than Melo's typical Don't Care/Don't Try/Screw You/What About My Branding? crap.

If Greg Monroe scores 20 a night if he was a Knick, but gave up 50 from his truly pathetic defense, who cares if he scores 20 a night?

Lopez can score 12 a night but factor into why the Knicks didn't give up another 45 points if they had Monroe there instead.

Value happens outside of just counting stats and outside of just points and rebounds. I realize some people here just don't care. They'd rather have the Knicks get a 20-12 empty stats guy and lose by 30 each night than focus on actual fundamental team basketball.

1- How many minutes would be playing on average and if needed, along with back to backs to protect his future/longevity

2- Is he going to be our #1 go to guy in the POST, in which he didn't do much of in Portland?

3- Was he underutilized because of the talents that Portland had over him?

4- Can he play the mid range and passing game effectively, HIGH POST?

5- IF he has the green light for the mid range game, will our other rotations/players playing with him be in rebounding position and go for OFF rebounds that the Triangle is suppose to allow especially with the Center defending him...

6- IS KP interchangeable with Lopez together? IF CA is in the lineup with AFFALO as well, there are up to 4-5 players that can initiate through the POST, 4 3pt shooters, and 1 mid range shooter in Lopez, along with 5 possible 3pt shooters with AB or Byron Mullons

With the system being interchangeable with versatile talents/shooters/especially HIGH IQ players

PG- Grant 6-5/ Galloway and Calderon (also wonder if Affalo could play some PG with KP, CA, Derrick Williams/maybe Wesley Johnson *hope we sign him as he has chemistry with DW and experience in The Triangle* helping AA in order to get more size for multiple players that can POST UP for some rotations, maybe Jerille Benimon/Orlando Sanchez as well that we could call up from D League

SG- AFFALO 6-5 (Jarrel Eddie/Scotty Hopson *in the triangle, can play SG and PG* maybe Jared Cunningham/Nate Walters/Doran Lamb with camp invites)

SF- CA 6-9 Rasuel Buter/Wesley Johnson/Thanasis SG/SF (depending on who is defending him, he could get the spacing needed if our other guys could all spread the floor and abuse some SF's)

PF- KP 7-3 (AB, Benimon, Orlando Sanchez, James Johnson/Jeremy Evans to play SF/PF and could defend 3-4 positions)

C- Lopez 7-1 AB? Kyle O Quin?

Hoping we sign Wesley Jonson with most of our MLE, saving just under 1m to sign Thanasis to a 3year deal/Team option on 3rd if possible
Think Johnson would be a very solid addition and cap friendly deal as well, would not mind a 4year deal on him at that price with raises who played PF for Dantoni and improved his 3pt shot since then, with the ability to defend and play SG to PF, and with his length/size/athleticism could defend 3-4 positions (on switches if needed)

Also a trade for James Johnson and his 2.5, 2year deal, that would allow us to have his early bird rights as he wasn't even used by Dwayne Casey last year in the play offs...
James Johnson is a very under rated defender with great length, average athleticism, and very good DEFENSE for 1v1 defense and HELP DEFENSE for blocks/steals, that could defend 4 positions

Would like to sign SF/PF, Jeremy Evans, who like Millsap and Carroll, were developed in Utah and like Carroll didn't get much playing time, and might be available for a 2year deal with team option on 2nd, possibly partial guaranteed

Rasual Butler has great size and played very well in limited minutes last year at SG/SF and started at times earlier in the year and seemed to revive his career but rarely played towards the end of the season...

maybe Edoh, who played last year on The Clippers but didn't play, who played well for The Bucks a couple seasons back, maybe even Drew Gooden

CrushAlot wrote:

Uptown wrote:Tyson was traded for reasons beyond the bb court imo...

Yep.

Yup- Phil came aboard while Tyson had given up, was dogging it and was leading a mutiny against the coach- that was Phil's first impression of him, and is probably why he decided his attitude was part of the problem. I used to like Tyson, but I got sick of his disappearing act and finger pointing and lack of personal responsibility. He could easily of had a role in the triangle, but it wasn't about that.