Count David Berri of Wages of Wins among the skeptics regarding a Nets-Nuggets trade...on both sides. He doesn't believe Brook Lopez is "untouchable." In fact, he thinks Lopez is "one of the least productive players in the NBA in 2010-11." As for Carmelo Anthony, he writes "Melo isn’t worth maximum money (even if he has improved this year). But he would help the Nets a bit on the court."
Berri bases his analysis on his Wins Produced formula. Prior to this year, he says Lopez was "about average" but this year "far below average," calling him "an inefficient scorer from the field and a poor rebounder. In addition, he is below average with respect to steals, assists, and blocked shots".
Expect Lopez to stay, Berri writes, because "If the Nets trade a player Anthony believes helps the team win – even if that isn’t true – the deal will never get done". Meanwhile, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld writes that there is dissension in Anthony's camp over how to proceed on a trade...or whether to proceed at all.
- Brook Lopez is Untouchable? - David Berri - Wages of Wins Journal
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Kennedy: Mixed Signals Muddy Carmelo Anthony's Message - Alex Kennedy - HoopsWorld