Milwaukee Bucks: Robin Lopez will be relied on to bring physicality

The Milwaukee Bucks fortified their center depth this offseason with the addition of Robin Lopez and among the responsibilities he’ll have to cover on both ends, he could give the squad a much needed edge.

The Milwaukee Bucks determined over the summer that one of the biggest holes they had to address on their roster in free agency was at the center position.

Having retained the services of veteran big man Brook Lopez at the outset in free agency after he was a pillar to their success throughout the 2018-19 campaign, the Bucks scoured the open market to supplement Lopez with a viable center option, something they didn’t have for much of last year.

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And naturally, when you lock down one Lopez, it’s only right that you bring on his twin brother, Robin, whom the Bucks signed to a two-year, nearly $10 million deal on the opening night of free agency.

The benefits to having an all-Lopez center rotation, outside of the comedy and brotherly dust ups that have and are sure to come over the upcoming season, are very clear as Robin has long been a proven NBA contributor across all his stops around the league.

While Robin has some strides to make in terms of letting it fly and knocking down triples on the regular offensively, it’s the presence he provides defensively that allows the Bucks to deploy their defensive scheme for close to, if not all, 48 minutes a game (of course, certain situations will force the Bucks to deviate from that).

Through that, one boost the Bucks will be getting with Robin on board is the added layer of physicality he’ll give what is a relatively even-keeled Bucks roster. As a player that worked hard to develop himself into a starting-caliber center over the years, unlike his more gifted All-Star brother, Robin has carved out a niche by taking an interest in doing the little, scrappy things to make an impact throughout his several stints.

And naturally, Robin’s dirty work adds up to irritate not only opponents, but Lopez himself in regards to an officiating crew looking to cut down on things getting heated between the Bucks and whoever under such scenarios. Look no further than Robin’s technical foul outburst midway through their final preseason win over the Minnesota Timberwolves that stemmed from a questionable foul call on the 31-year-old following what looked like a clean rejection over Wolves All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

While it may be the first instance we’ve seen Robin raise a ruckus in a Bucks uniform, it certainly won’t be the last, though Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo would like fewer outbursts from Robin to limit him from amassing too many technical fouls, as he told The Athletic’s Eric Nehm after the game:

"“I got two 7-footers that it’s scary when they get angry,” Antetokounmpo said. “Get out of the way. You know that they have my back no matter what.“We gotta take care of Robin. We cannot let him get 15 technicals and miss games. He already got one, but it’s always nice to see a guy that loves the game and lets his emotions out there on the court.”"

Antetokounmpo’s worries aside, the edge that Robin provides to the Bucks gives them a different dimension that they didn’t necessarily have at any point last year, especially under high-pressure situations during their deep playoff run.

Perhaps that was a reflection on the path they carved out to rise to the top of the league only to see it all come crashing down when they lost four straight games in their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Toronto Raptors. And the loss of composure the Bucks suffered late throughout those four costly losses didn’t help matters either.

That certainly overlaps with the workman-like mentality Lopez possesses and it wouldn’t be particularly surprising to see him see clutch time minutes when the situation dictates for a more physical, defensive-minded presence to make crucial winning plays to secure potential wins.

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Whether we’ll see such scenarios remains to be seen, but Robin will certainly look to make an overall impact that isn’t entirely reflected in box scores or in his final stat lines.

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