Brook Lopez Says He Was a ‘Lazy’ Rebounder Last Season

Brook Lopez’s horrific rebounding numbers in New Jersey last season (just 6 boards per night for the 7-footer) were a result of pure laziness on the big fella’s part, claims Lopez himself. From the NY Post: “Lopez suffered from a horrid case of reboundophobia. He had nine double-doubles, his first not coming until his 19th game of the season. He heard it from coach Avery Johnson and Nets fans. The sun rose in the East, set in the West and Lopez was panned for rebounds you could count on one hand. It wasn’t even the lack of rebounds as it was a lack of trying. ‘The rebound attempts were low,’ said [head coach Avery Johnson], who believes Lopez can be a 20-point, 10-rebound guy with work and determination. ‘So this year, we’re watching him on film. If he gets the rebound, great. But, ‘Did you attempt to go for a rebound?’ In the first preseason game, Lopez did just that. He made a ‘conscious effort’ Saturday against the Knicks and snared 11 rebounds to go with 15 points and five blocks. If he put up those numbers last year, they would have renamed the arena in his honor. The 7-foot Lopez averaged 6.0 rebounds. Figure he should at least get his hat size. True, he was away from the basket displaying a solid touch, which led to a career-best 20.4 scoring average. And the theory career-year guy Kris Humphries was taking all available boards didn’t wash. ‘It was a number of things — I was being lazy, first and foremost,’ Lopez said. ‘Hump was doing such a good job a lot of the time, that I’d see him doing his thing and kind of leak out offensively. I didn’t really crash the offensive boards. There’s really no excuse for that because I didn’t leak out defensively at all. It’s just been a constant focus daily. And it does help keeping those rebound attempts.'”