Milwaukee Bucks: 3 goals for Brook Lopez for 2020-21 season

Goal no. 3 – Utilizing passing instincts

For as defined as Lopez’s role is in Milwaukee between his long range sharpshooting and walling off the hoop to opponents, he certainly is able to affect the game in other ways.

One area that has largely been absent from that conversation over his 13-year career, though, has been his passing abilities. It’s not that Lopez is a selfish player by any means, but posting a career 8.8 assist percentage certainly points to his score-first mentality historically.

Of course, it’s in Milwaukee where Lopez has carved out a far less featured role than he previously had during his many years with the Brooklyn Nets and even in his one-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2017-18 season. To that point, Lopez has a 17.4 usage percentage over his two seasons with the Bucks.

With all that said, Lopez’s post up game has increasingly become more of an option within the Bucks’ offense. Whether that was in part to due to the shooting struggles he endured throughout most of last season or not, Lopez gives the Bucks a safety valve that was key to the Bucks’ offense combating their bouts of stagnation.

Being able to give the Bucks a different dimension and a little more unpredictability within their read-and-react system, Lopez may have a more direct influence in being able to provide that spontaneity the Bucks need. Especially as they look to avoid falling in the same pitfalls that mired their offense when it mattered most over the last two seasons.