OKLAHOMA CITY — Another NBA stop, another tale of players — Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook — who benefited from playing with the Team USA National Team.
Too bad they don’t say the same about Nets center Brook Lopez.
Lopez tried out for Team USA, which took gold at the World Championships. He made it through the Las Vegas session but pulled out when the team headed for final workouts in New York. Lopez was still weakened from mononucleosis.
“I definitely wanted to be a part of it,” Lopez said before scoring 19 points in the Nets’ 114-93 loss to the Thunder last night, noting his development only could have improved. “It would have helped a lot, no question. But I’ve been to a few more the previous summers.”
Had Lopez been part of the gold, maybe he would more closely resemble the dominant figure many projected he would be after such a strong second season when he had 33 double-doubles. Through 32 games this season, Lopez has just one.
Coach Avery Johnson said he wished Lopez had been on Team USA.
“I was one that was hoping he could participate on that team,” he said. “I flew out to Vegas and watched him practice. I knew he wasn’t quite there.
“Even though I never coached him, he just wasn’t in his normal rhythm,” Johnson said of Lopez fighting the mono aftershocks. “I was hoping things would have worked out for him to be on that team. Hopefully in two years, he’ll have another shot.”
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Johnson had high praise for Durant, calling him a “Terrific player. It’s kind of like you’re watching George Gervin
with a little bit more athleticism. He’s long, finger rolls, can hit three-point shots from anywhere on the floor at any time. He’s competing more on the defensive end.”
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Stephen Graham
took eight stitches in his upper lip defending a Serge Ibaka
fourth quarter dunk. Graham has been impressive defensively, the role the Nets signed him for as a free agent. Now through the injury to Anthony Morrow
, he starts.
Graham said he knows Morrow is coming back, but he wants to make it as hard as possible on the Nets to take the starting job away.
“That’s the position I’m taking to solidify myself on the defensive end, to keep me in there,” Graham said. “I can’t really worry about the rotations and A-Mo coming back.”
Johnson said he likes what the 6-foot-6, sixth-year pro Graham has brought to the team.
“He’s given us physicality,” Johnson said. “We signed him to be a defensive stopper, a guy who can limit some of the scoring of the other perimeter guys and just give us post defense, perimeter defense, pick and roll defense and also be able to make a shot.
“Even when Anthony comes back that doesn’t mean Graham goes back to the bench. In his mind I would be trying to do whatever I can to convince the coach to keep me in the lineup.”
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Quinton Ross
, who had worked his way into the starting lineup before his bruised lower back, returned last night, entering in the second quarter. He scored two points in 11 minutes.
He almost immediately took a charge.
“I feel good,” Ross said, noting taking a charge “was kind of crazy the first game back, but that’s how you play.”
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All quiet on the Carmelo Anthony
front — for now. The Nets expect to resume talks next week with the Nuggets who want to see Anthony play with full team.
Anthony missed his fifth consecutive game last night after the death of his sister. but the Nuggets still prevailed, scoring a 119-113 victory over the Timberwolves.