Brook Lopez was the most important offseason acquisition for the Milwaukee Bucks, and his impact so far through the team’s red-hot 7-0 start is very evident.
As the Milwaukee Bucks have compiled their perfect 7-0 start to the new NBA season, there’s been plenty of credit to go around.
New head coach Mike Budenholzer has received plenty of praise, star duo Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton have earned plaudits for their play, but the free agency acquisition of Brook Lopez certainly shouldn’t be lost in the shuffle.
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The most important difference Lopez makes is offering the Bucks reliable floor spacing from the center position. Lopez has by far the most three-pointers attempted per game among centers in the league at 6.5, and he has been making them at a very high rate of 38.6 percent too.
In greater detail, his shot selection so far has included:
1.3 post-ups per game, scoring 2 points (1.5 point per possession), which shows he picks his spots really well in the few times he posts up.
1.3 possessions per game as a roll man, scoring 2.7 points (a perfect 2.0 points per possession) as he has not missed any shot or free throw coming off of this play-type yet.
3.7 spot-ups per game, all of which are from three-point range, scoring 4.0 points (1.1 point per possession) which is also really efficient.
1.7 transition possessions per game, all of which are, again, from three-point range, scoring 2.0 points (1.2 points per possession).
That indicates Lopez has pretty much abandoned the post, as creating space for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe to create off the dribble is more valuable to the team. In a faster paced offense, Lopez’s main role is that of a spot-up shooter. In a more slowed down offense he could post up more often, but there is no need for that as long as Antetokounmpo and Bledsoe are both healthy.
After all, when Lopez is on the floor, the Bucks’ offensive rating is at its best of any starter at 122.3.
Now, let us move to the second big difference Lopez makes, which is rebounding.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, the seven-foot big man despite his size is not that involved because of how often he is found in the perimeter when the Bucks take a shot, and because he does not chase them that actively. Lopez only averages 0.3 offensive rebounds per game which is naturally dead last among centers who average more than 10 minutes per game. The offensive rebounding is somewhat saved by Giannis, though, as he averages 3.0 per game.
When it comes to defensive rebounds, however, the Bucks have been way above average and are currently ranked eighth in defensive rebounding percentage. Antetokounmpo is grabbing considerably more defensive rebounds than last year and in general Bucks have not had rebounding struggles so far, notably including against Joel Embiid, who is the best rebounding big Bucks have faced so far.
One big reason for this other than Giannis’ natural progression as he gets stronger is Lopez’s box-outs on opposing bigs clearing the way for Giannis to grab the ball and run in transition. Funnily enough, Lopez himself grabs 2.5 rebounds per game which is even fewer than most of the Bucks’ guards, but in his past teams the team rebounding was never below average, and this trend continues in Milwaukee (in fact, so far it has been much better than average).
Lopez’s defensive impact is a mixed bag as his inability to switch means the Bucks have to rely on Bledsoe’s ability to fight through screens which is something he is good at, but it still can leave Bucks vulnerable to elite pull up three-point shooters like Kemba Walker who scored 41 points in Milwaukee’s game against the Hornets.
On the other hand, his presence in the paint forces larger centers who live in the post to work extra hard as he is not easy to move down low, unlike the Bucks’ other centers.
Overall, the Bucks’ defense has looked elite so far but the majority of the teams they have played (Knicks, Pacers, 76ers, Timberwolves, Magic, Raptors) have not tested their three-point defense that much.
With games against the Celtics and Warriors coming up very soon, the wait is almost over to see Bud’s defense tested by teams that shoot more threes. Against the teams the Bucks have played so far, they have been excellent despite Lopez’s inability to switch.