Brooklyn Nets general manager Billy King has heaped praise on Brook Lopez by saying that he has been crucial to their campaign.

Lopez is averaging 17.2 points per game, and King believes that teams have given him special attention.

He told The AP: "Without Brook Lopez, there's no way we even get to where we go to this year. What you saw in the playoffs, teams are double-teaming, game-planning how to stop him.

"And so that to me, when you've got a guy that can average 20 and is rebounding the basketball and getting double-doubles, there's not a lot of guys that can do that."

Lopez is out of contract at the end of the season.