Apr 26, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) comes off the court during the first half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez proved to be a valuable asset for the team during the 2016-17 campaign. Here is a look back at his season.
The Chicago Bulls acquired Robin Lopez as part of a five-player trade that sent former MVP Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks. On paper, it didn't seem that the Bulls were getting much at the center spot in return.
After all, the guy Lopez was replacing — Pau Gasol — averaged 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game for the Bulls during the 2015-16 season and was highly regarded as a living, breathing double-double machine.
Conversely, prior to his arrival in Chicago, Lopez had reached double figures just three times in eight seasons. That stat was not something that Bulls fans were enamored by to say the least.
Much to the surprise of the front office and the fan base, Lopez proved to be a valuable piece to the team's puzzle at both ends of the court.
So without further ado, here is a look back the season that was for Mr. Lopez, including season stats, highlights/lowlights, strengths and weaknesses along with my final grade.
Nov 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jerryd Bayless (0) shoots against Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
2016-17 Stats/Strengths
Being that Lopez's game was somewhat limited from an offensive standpoint, the organization was not expecting him to be the a dominant scorer. But despite the fact that he averaged just eight shot attempts per game in eight seasons before joining the Bulls, Lopez posted respectable averages of 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest on 49 percent shooting from the field.
Sure, these numbers don't exactly scream team MVP. At the same time though, they're not totally awful either.
One of the biggest surprises that unfolded about Lopez during the 2016-17 campaign was the fact that he was able to hit the midrange jump shot at a respectable rate. In fact, Lopez converted 46 percent of his attempts that came within 10-16 feet of the rim, per Basketball-Reference.com. Not too shabby for a guy mostly known for having an awkward hook shot coming into the season.
Again, he was no Gasol, but there were many nights when he made opponents pay for leaving him open at or around the charity stripe.
Apr 21, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) moves around defender Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) during the second half in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
Weaknesses
One thing that drove Bulls fans absolutely insane about Lopez's predecessor was his inability to play defense. While Gasol was an effective defender around the rim, it became obvious that he was out of league when it came to defending opposing players outside of the painted area.
The good news was that Lopez was more of an active defender. The bad news is he met his match during the Bulls' first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
After feasting on the Celtics' defense in the first two games — to the tune of 32 points and 19 rebounds — the Bulls' big man did not see the same amount of playing time when Boston opted to go with a small-ball lineup for the rest of the series.
This sentiment is supported by the fact that Lopez did not top the 30-minute mark in Games 3-6 after playing 32 and 34 minutes in Games and 1 and 2, respectively.
To be fair, it would be difficult for most big men to effectively defend guards in pick-and-roll sets, and being that this was just one of the few downsides about RoLo, it is fair to say that he and the Bulls are a good match for the time being.
Apr 16, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) shoots over Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) during the second quarter in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Season Highlights
From a scoring standpoint, Lopez's best month of the 2016-17 season occurred in February. During that 11-game stretch, he averaged 12.6 points and 5.8 boards per outing on 49 percent shooting. On top of that, Lopez reached double figures nine times in those 11 contests.
However, Lopez's best performance of the season came during the month of March in a road game against the Washington Wizards.
In that contest, Lopez scored a season-high 25 points to go along with 12 rebounds on an efficient 12-of-16 shooting from the field in 33 minutes of action. Unfortunately, the Bulls lost that game 112-107, their second defeat in as many outings
Another performance worth noting was Game 2 against the Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs. After narrowly escaping with 106-102 victory in Game 1, the Bulls cruised to an easy 111-97 victory behind 18 points and nine rebounds from Lopez.
While Lopez is far from a 20-10 guy, it was performances like these that reminded the Bulls that they had indeed acquired a quality big man.
Apr 10, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) dribbles the ball against Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Season Lowlights
Lopez played reasonably well during the season. But just like most players in the NBA, there were instances in which it was difficult to tell whether or not he was actually on the floor.
One such example of this took place back in late March during a home game against the Philadelphia 76ers. In that contest, Lopez's final stat line included a paltry one-point, one-rebound one-block performance in a less than memorable 18 minutes of action. Additionally, Lopez also missed on each of his six attempts from the field.
Such a loss against an inferior opponent was very disappointing, and prompted this postgame blurb from Fred Hoiberg.
"For us to come out and play with that type of effort at this time of year is maddening," Hoiberg said, via ESPN. "We finally showed some fight in the last quarter, but it was way too late."
Another such occurrence occurred against the Oklahoma City Thunder back in January — a game in which the Bulls were demolished 109-94. During that game, Lopez scored just three points on 1-for-7 shooting to go along with four rebounds.
Apr 10, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Paul Zipser (16), guard Jerian Grant (2), center Robin Lopez (8) and forward Jimmy Butler (21) huddle during the second half against the Orlando Magic at the United Center. Chicago defeats Orlando 122- 75. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Recap And Final Grade
Overall, Lopez's game is not flashy by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, for those who were expecting a dominant center big man such as the likes of former greats Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan or Patrick Ewing — just to name a few — were probably disappointed to a certain extent.
To be fair though, Lopez was never going to put up 20 points and pull down 10-15 boards a night. What Lopez did give the Bulls, however, was a center who showed the ability to defend, punish opposing players down in the post and who was capable of stretching the floor as well.
Being billed as a center whose game was very limited, Lopez definitely exceeded the reputation that preceded him prior to joining the Bulls.
That being said, Lopez was everything the front office thought he would be and then some. And it would be a surprise if he was not in the fold next season.
Final Grade: B
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