Suns plan to ‘stick with’ Robin Lopez
May 3, 2012, 6:49 PM | Updated: 7:56 pm
The Suns face several roster decisions this offseason.
One apparently has already been made.
The Suns want Robin Lopez to return.
“The message I would send out is it’s quite likely, if not
certain, that we’re going to match (any offer),” said team
president of basketball operations Lon Babby. “He’s an
important asset to us.”
Lopez is a restricted free agent after the Suns opted not
offer their fourth-year center a contract extension in
January.
When the season ended last week, Lopez seemed eager to
gauge the interest of other teams.
“We’ll see,” he answered after cleaning out his locker. ”
(I’m) just kind of weighing (my) options but I like it in
Phoenix.”
Again, Lopez may not have many options unless a team comes
along with a large offer that the Suns decide is too much
to match.
The Suns liked how Lopez finished the season with 6.8
points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49-percent
from the field over the final 32 games.
“In the second half of this year, particularly after the
All-Star break he was excellent,” said Babby. “He gave us
a lot down the stretch this year.”
To his credit, Lopez is not concerned about when his name
is called.
“I think I can be successful coming off the bench or
starting. Either way.”
He is concerned, however, with how often his name is
called. He played fewer than ten minutes 16 times and
twice he didn’t play at all.
“Honestly, I would prefer not to play six minutes in one
half and then not play the next half,” he said. “That’s a
little awkward.”
It’s been at times an awkward run for Lopez in
Phoenix. He’s battled foot, knee and back injuries while
struggling to live up to the expectations placed on him as
the 15th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft.
The Suns though still see great value in a 7-footer who is
only 24-years-old.
“We need rim protection and he gives us that. We don’t
have that really from anybody else,” said Babby. “He’s
got to be more consistent but I thought he made a lot of
progress this year and vindicated our decision to stick
with him.”
