Milwaukee Bucks: What can we expect from Brook Lopez defensively?

While the spotlight has been rightly shined on how he’ll impact the Milwaukee Bucks offensively, veteran big man Brook Lopez will look to make his mark on the defensive end as well.

Since he joined the Milwaukee Bucks back in early July, the obvious allure in the addition of Brook Lopez has primarily been rooted in his offensive capabilities.

That’s obviously for good reason as that end of the floor has long been Lopez’s calling card throughout his 11-year NBA career, and the three-point reinvention he’s experienced in recent seasons has seen him adapt well to performing the responsibilities that are being asked of centers in the modern NBA.

Considering the upgrade he poses to be over the Bucks’ incumbent traditional big men currently consisting of John Henson, Thon Maker and Tyler Zeller, Lopez’s offensive proficiency will certainly be put to good use in the hands of new head coach Mike Budenholzer next season.

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But of course, Lopez will have to address the challenge of having to prove his worth defensively and it’s fair to say the expectations are far more muted on that side of the floor for the 30-year-old.

There are plenty of expectations for the Bucks to craft a sort of defensive renaissance, considering the amount of quality defenders they sport on their roster and how they grossly underperformed on that end under the previous coaching regime.

Budenholzer himself has already emphasized a resurgence in his brief tenure in Milwaukee, such as he did during his introductory press conference in mid-May.

From those standpoints, it’s definitely a curious point to wonder how Lopez fits into that picture. The concerns revolving around Lopez’s defensive standing are certainly justified when taking into account his age, and the fact he’s never been the most fleet of foot to begin with even prior to suffering two major foot injuries earlier in his career.

With an increased emphasis on versatility and switching through all positions on the floor — components the Bucks have the personnel to utilize under Coach Bud — Lopez’s lumbering and declining athleticism will always make him a tricky fit when the wrong matchup comes along or certain situations dictate tough decisions involving the California native.

However, some elements of Lopez’s defensive services arguably stand unsung, the most notable example of that being the rim protection he provides. Lopez has been a very steady and respectable shot blocker throughout his stops with the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers, seeing that he’s averaged 1.7 blocks per game during his career.

While Lopez’s production in that area slipped under his reduced role with the Lakers last season, the former Stanford Cardinal’s presence protecting the paint and the basket certainly was felt in other underlying ways.

For example, Lopez recorded a defended field goal percentage of 54.3 percent on shots attempted from within six feet, per NBA.com/stats. That number was a stark contrast to the 62.5 field goal percentage opponents converted within that range against Lopez’s teammates last year.

Dive a little further and Lopez proved to be active in closing out on shot attempts from inside the arc as he registered one of the highest averages in contested two-point attempts per game of players around the league.

For as much as Lopez was more engaged on the defensive end than he’s often given credit for, the Lakers’ defense performed demonstrably better in the 2,246 minutes Lopez was on the bench versus the 1,735 minutes Lopez was on the floor.

There’s no question some of the same challenges Lopez experienced last season will convey over to his stint with the Bucks and may be even more magnified with the quest Coach Bud and his staff are undertaking to build a formidable defense in particular.

At the very least, Lopez will have to prove himself of being a serviceable cog within the scheme that will hopefully jumpstart the Bucks to any success they aspire to enjoy in the upcoming year.