Brook Lopez didn't so much as drop off last season as he disappointed. The Nets and their fans expected 20 and 10, but got 20 and 6. He also shot worse than in his second year when he hit just over 50%. But while fans lost (some) faith in him, the Nets front office never did. If they'd been willing to give him up, Carmelo Anthony would be a Net.
At season's end, he did turn it around a bit. In the 25 games with Deron Williams on the roster, if not always in the game, he averaged 22.4 and shot 52.7%. He seemed rejuvenated, at one point scoring 30 points in four out of five games. But Sebastian Pruiti analyzes what went wrong before that, points out stats that show he wasn't getting in the paint enough, too often preferring pick-and-pop to pick-and-roll.
That meant fewer easy looks and fewer foul shots. It also left him out of position for rebounds. Pruiti, however, thinks he's likely to return to form and puts the responsibility for that with Avery Johnson who must "change his mentality and attack the rim more."
- Can he bounce back?: Brook Lopez - Sebastian Pruiti - Basketball Prospectus