Milwaukee Bucks: Brook Lopez is still evolving in the postseason

In a playoff matchup with the Boston Celtics that isn’t suited to his strengths, Brook Lopez continues to evolve and find ways to help the Milwaukee Bucks.

At this point, it’s by no means a revelation to sing Brook Lopez’s praises and talk up his contributions to the Milwaukee Bucks’ success.

Even somewhat casual NBA fans could likely tell you about the influence Lopez’s spacing has had on the Bucks’ offense and how his rim protection has anchored their defense this season.

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What may need to be mentioned, though, is the way that at 31-years-old, Lopez still seems to improving, learning and evolving.

Perhaps that shouldn’t be all that surprising considering how Lopez’s openness to change is what spurred his rejuvenation as a stretch-shooting big in the first place. Still, there are some adjustments that are easier to make than others.

Lopez had long been a capable mid-range jump shooter, and so with time and practice, his ability to expand his range further at least makes some sense. But what about areas of Lopez’s game that presented as weaknesses based on his physical limitations?

One such example should be what happens when Lopez finds himself defending mismatches. As a seven-footer who weighs in at 270lbs, and is notably lacking in foot speed, Lopez should have no chance of surviving when matched up with smaller players, least of all against speedy guards.

The truth is Lopez has survived in such scenarios all season long, though.

Considering how infrequently the Bucks switched throughout the regular season, that still left some question marks for where Lopez would fit in once the Bucks committed to switching following a Game 1 blowout against the Celtics.

In Game 2, the Bucks mostly switched positions 1-4 when Lopez was on the floor, although he was occasionally asked to switch too. Lopez played just 24 minutes, and logged a -12 in the box score, raising legitimate questions about what his role may end up being over the remainder of the series.

In Game 3, the Bucks committed to switching all five positions much more often in Lopez’s minutes on the floor, and he thrived. Lopez got the better of Irving in multiple switches, and also had great success against Gordon Hayward. Playing 29 minutes, Lopez finished as a team-high +10, and perhaps offered up a new problem for the Celtics to worry about.

Speaking in his press conference after the game, Celtics coach Brad Stevens drew attention to Lopez’s contributions in that regard, making special note of how that was an element that wasn’t previously in the veteran center’s arsenal.

"“Even when they get in switches on Lopez, he did a great job. He did a great job keeping our guards in front and making it tough, and that’s something that he’s added to his game. In the past, I think it’s one of those things where he avoided switching more than not, and he did for the most part, but when they had to do it, he did a great job of it.”"

At this point, it’s becoming the norm to see Lopez continue to adapt and thrive even when he’s placed outside of his comfort zone. That may well begin with a no-nonsense attitude that sees Lopez remain unflustered regardless of the situation, but it also speaks volumes to his intelligence.

Particularly for players of Lopez’s size, not to mention with his injury history, this would normally be the point when decline would start to set in. At the moment, Lopez seems perfectly happy to defy that timeline, and it continues to propel the Bucks toward a position where they haven’t found themselves for a very long time.