Brooklyn Nets: Week 23 Stars and Slackers, A Special Edition

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Apr 2, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) reacts with Atlanta Hawks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) in the second quarter at Barclays Center. Nets win 91-82. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports /

Stars

Jeremy Lin

While Jeremy Lin isn’t lighting up the stat sheet, his presence is felt in a big way. Since returning to the team, the Nets have improved each week while becoming an extremely entertaining squad to watch. Their offense is hitting on all strides and everyone has a distinct role. Additionally, while Lin isn’t an elite point guard, it reminds us how much of an impact having a playmaker on the court makes.

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In the three wins this week, Lin dropped (in points and assists) eight and eight, 15 and six, and 16 and seven. In addition to these consistent offensive stats, Lin contributed on the boards with games of four, six and five rebounds. Lin was always the best playmaker on the team; however, his injuries set him back. Furthermore, even when he did play, it wasn’t resulting in victories.

That has changed as of late, and the only difference is that Lin has changed the culture. With Lin firmly set in, the Nets are learning how to keep games close, take leads and extend leads. While Brook Lopez is the most talented player on the Nets, Lin is proving to be their MVP.

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Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez continues his career campaign. Fully healthy, the 29-year old center proves week in and week out why teams were foolish for not bidding on him at the trade deadline. With the playoffs approaching, it is apparent that several playoff contending teams could have used his services.

The Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets and the Charlotte Hornets could have acquired Lopez for a first-round pick. However, their loss is the Nets’ gain. Still in his prime, Lopez put up another strong week with 30 and 29-point performances.

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Lopez also continued his strong shooting from beyond the arc, hitting at least two shots from deep in all four games. While the free-flowing offense works in the regular season, in the much more physical playoffs, big men that can score are at a premium.

Once again, Lopez proves that offensively, he gives everything a team could want from interior presence to floor spacing. With just one week left in the season, Lopez has appeared on the stars category enough times to prove his doubters wrong and change my mind about the necessity of moving him.