Brook Lopez thinks he can lead Nets back to NBA elite

The Nets hope to make some big upgrades, and they don’t get much bigger than Dwight Howard. If the Nets can unite Deron Williams and Howard, they could be perennial contenders. But Lopez, who would be in the middle of any deal for Howard, is confident he can take the Nets where they want to go.

“I think I can,” Lopez said. “I believe I can. I hope they see the same thing.”

The Nets have seen Lopez get better from the start of the season. He led the Nets with 35 points and 11 rebounds in Sunday’s 99-92 loss to the Raptors. But there are questions about whether Lopez can improve or change his DNA enough to be the player the Nets (24-56) need to get them to the next level.

Lopez, 23, is durable — he’s the only Net to start every game this season — and averages a team-high 20.3 points. He led the Nets back from 21 down Sunday and helped them draw within four in the fourth. Until recently, though, Lopez often has disappeared after halftime.

Lopez has heard all the criticism about his game. The lack of double-doubles – nine in 80 games — has been a topic all season and Lopez said it bothered him.

“I guess a little,” Lopez said. “It’s no question it’s understandable. That’s what I should be doing. I think it was an adjustment getting used to [Kris Humphries] the way he was rebounding. There’s no question it’s still a focus of mine.

“It’s one of the things I’ll be working on this summer: just trying to get a nose for the ball.”

For as productive as he is offensively, Lopez sometimes gets criticized unfairly. He’s an easy target because he’s the biggest player on the floor and you can see his potential.

“I still know I can get way better,” Lopez said. “I guess there’s no use beating myself up right now, but I know there’s still major room for improvement.”