Tom Szczerbowski USA TODAY Sports
Robin Lopez is quietly having a good season for the New Orleans Hornets. His current averages for this season are 11.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Lopez also has an player efficiency rating (PER) of 20.52. The PER measures a player’s per-minute performance.
You should note that the PER is adjusted for pace. The league-average PER is always 15.00. The higher the PER, the better the player. If you are unsure about the significance of this statistic, then let’s use LeBron James as a barometer. His PER is 31.46. Lopez’s PER is not that far from his, which means that this young man can play basketball quite well. In fact, based on the league average, Lopez is above-average.
New Orleans picked up a gem in Lopez. Last season, Lopez played with the Phoenix Suns for his first five seasons in the NBA, and has gradually improved each year. This is the kind of progression that coaches adore in a young player. Lopez should be a mainstay on New Orleans’ roster for many years to come. While his twin brother Brook Lopez (Brooklyn Nets) gets more attention, Robin Lopez has earned a name for himself as a solid basketball player.
Robin has shown flashes of being an all-star caliber center, like his brother, Brook. On Dec. 22nd, 2012, Robin had 24 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks against the Indiana Pacers. When New Orleans played the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 11th, 2013, Robin finished the game with 23 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. His highest point total is 29 points against the Orlando Magic. He has also had multiple games where he had five blocks or more.
Keep your eye out on this guy. If you play Fantasy Basketball, then snatch him up!
