Milwaukee Bucks: Brook Lopez’s post scoring provides a new option

Brook Lopez has certainly reinvented his offensive repertoire over the last couple of seasons by extending his range from beyond the arc, but his tried and true post scoring will also benefit his new squad, the Milwaukee Bucks.

Of the many traditional centers that have recently reshaped their game to fit within the capabilities of the modern NBA, new Milwaukee Bucks big man Brook Lopez stands near the top of that list.

For nearly the entire length of his 10-year career, as well as his stay with the Brooklyn Nets, his longest tenured team, Lopez rose to prominence as a high usage, high-volume scorer who predominantly operated from the low post or from the mid-range area.

It wasn’t until Lopez’s last season with the Nets in 2016-17 where the 30-year-old started stepping out from beyond the arc to space the floor and hit three-pointers at a respectable rate both in Brooklyn and in Los Angeles with the Lakers last season (Lopez drained 34.5 percent of his 712 three-point attempts over the last two seasons).

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Now Lopez comes to Milwaukee brandishing a multi-faceted offensive skill package that they haven’t fully sported at the center position since the superstar ascendance of Giannis Antetokounmpo, which will be expertly designed to complement the makeup of the team’s roster under new head coach Mike Budenholzer.

With that said, we shouldn’t expect to see Lopez’s post scoring and overall maneuvering from that area of the floor to disappear completely either.

Despite adding the element of a three-point shot to his arsenal, Lopez’s inside game remains alive and well, at least it was the case for the California native last season in Los Angeles.

Per NBA.com/stats, just over a quarter of Lopez’s total shot selection came via posting up on or near the block and the former Stanford Cardinal posted 0.95 points per possession in his lone season wearing purple and gold.

That figure was good enough to rank him in the 72nd percentile of players around the league.

In a season where he took a step back in terms of the role he played for the Lakers (23.5 usage percentage) as well as his scoring output (Lopez averaged a career-low 13 points per game), Lopez’s long standing post presence remained largely intact throughout his brief stay in L.A.

Of course, Lopez brings a greater value setting up shop from downtown when playing alongside the team’s most talented players in Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe, so the question Bucks fans may be asking is how often will we see Lopez display his inside scoring talents?

Ideally, it wouldn’t be too dissimilar to Lopez supplementing the team’s cornerstones, only instead Lopez would take on the scoring onus in short bursts playing next to a spaced out supporting cast when most of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Bledsoe are catching rest on the bench, respectively.

However, there’s one other wrinkle to consider when projecting the low post usage Lopez may sport next season with his new squad in Milwaukee.

That wrinkle is referring to the fact that in Budenholzer’s final year in Atlanta last season, the Hawks recorded the lowest frequency of post up situations of all teams throughout the league. There’s no question that it was personnel driven and stood as the most conducive option for the team, given their rebuilding situation.

From that perspective, however, it’ll be interesting following the dynamic of the role(s) Lopez will play all throughout next season and more specifically, over the course of individual games under Coach Bud.

The new-age role Lopez has assumed in recent years has served him well to this extent and has extended the value he brings to the floor. By coming to Milwaukee, the obvious hope is that it reaches greater heights in terms of efficiency alongside a greater collection of proven, talented players than he has recently played next to over the last few years.

Lopez himself remarked on the push-pull nature of adapting or blending new school philosophies with what had or still can be seen as his calling card during his exit interview after the end of the Lakers’ season in mid-April:

"“I think for me, it’s just being finding that balance between inside and outside. Obviously, there’s a great small ball mentality going on around the league and a lot of stretch-5s, you know, smaller sized 5’s shooting the ball and so that’s something I’ve tried to adapt to as well. But at the same time, trying not to lose that post presence and you know, inside game that I have going on as well. So it’s been about finding that balance. You know, I’m confident, whatever new way of basketball or whatever changes come to the game in the future because it’s always changing, I’ll be able to make those changes by getting in the gym and putting work in.”"

Although Lopez’s newly implemented perimeter game certainly serves a greater purpose in the Bucks’ big picture for a multitude of reasons, there is a still a place for Lopez to act as a hub for scoring and playmaking in the post.