Milwaukee Bucks: Grades for Robin Lopez’s two-year, $9.7 million deal

Role

The success of Brook within the Bucks’ system last season gives us a clear picture of what Robin will likely be asked to do in Milwaukee.

When healthy, Brook will be Milwaukee’s undoubted starting center, and Robin will largely be tasked with coming in to provide quality minutes when his brother takes a seat. In that capacity, Robin’s style of play and intensity will make him an excellent addition to the second unit.

The Eastern Conference, particularly at the top end, is stacked with centers who possess old school size and strength, yet also boast real skill.

With Al Horford joining Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, Indiana committed to pairing Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, and Toronto boasting Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, Robin and Brook may yet be asked to share the floor together in certain matchups. At the very minimum, the Bucks can feel confident when matched up with the best bigs in the East that they now have the necessary personnel to fight and compete for all 48 minutes in those particular battles.

Primarily, Lopez will be asked to provide high intensity, energetic minutes off the bench, leading that group as a defensive anchor, and using his physical tools and intelligence to clear out opponents with screens and box-outs. In that department, there are very few, if any, centers in the league who are better.

Robin has shown himself to be exceptionally good at making defensive reads over the years, and much like Brook did with the Bucks last year, he has helped to transform teams on the glass with his boxing out.

Offensive contributions from Robin may well be viewed as a bonus, but he’s more capable than he often gets credit for. Along with cleaning up under the basket, Robin has a nice hook that allows him to score out of the post, and he’s more than capable of knocking down set mid-range jumpers.

The question is whether the Bucks can unlock something more than that in his offensive game.