A little over one month has passed in the NBA’s 2020-21 season, and the Milwaukee Bucks are still trying to find their footing early on.
With a 10-6 record, the Bucks have not been able to find any consistency throughout the first 16 games of the season, enduring their share of triumphant wins and heartbreaking losses. Still, there are reasons to be optimistic moving forward, most notably because of the starting lineup.
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Milwaukee’s starting five has been among the league’s best this season, ranking top three in points per game and field goal percentage. This unit has undoubtedly shouldered a majority of the workload, particularly with the second unit struggling to find any consistency as mightily as they have.
As the starting lineup continues to flourish, it is time to take a closer look at how each player is performing in their own right. With that being said, here are individual grades for each of the Milwaukee Bucks’ five starters throughout 16 games this season.
Milwaukee Bucks: Grading the starters after one month – Brook Lopez
The 2020-21 season marks Brook Lopez’s third year with the Bucks, and it has started as his weakest. The big man is averaging a career-low 10.1 points on .433/.350/.850 shooting splits, 5.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 27.4 minutes per game. While being the fifth scoring option in the starting lineup has given Lopez fewer chances with the basketball, he has struggled even when he receives his opportunity.
On the bright side, Lopez has shown slight improvement with his shot from behind the arc. After shooting 31.4 percent on 4.8 attempts last year, the man in the middle has bumped that up to 35 percent on five attempts this season. Whether he can sustain this improved 3-point shooting remains to be seen, but that floor spacing has been welcoming. On the defensive end, Lopez is doing his part with 1.6 blocks per game, although it is a regression from his career-best 2.4 from last season.
Overall, Lopez has had to adjust to a new role with the changes made to the starting lineup this season, and it has impacted his play. Hopefully, the 12-year veteran can improve those shooting numbers as the season progresses, and he has shown improvement as of late.