Grading Robin Lopez’s unanticipated deal with the Milwaukee Bucks

Assessing Robin Lopez’s fit and role with the Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks needed a backup big. Over the past few years, they’ve cycled through a few names, including DeMarcus Cousins, Serge Ibaka, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Meyers Leonard. At this point, they are all gone, meaning the Bucks needed some depth. Robin Lopez fits the mold for the Bucks in that regard, giving them a 7-footer who can give them some added size.

Lopez will not be playing much. He’ll be Milwaukee’s “break in case of an emergency” big man, so his minutes will not be prominent unless Milwaukee is dealing with a huge injury or absence in its frontcourt rotation. When he does play, the center can provide some deterrence at the hoop using his 7-foot, 281lb stature to make things tough for opponents. Like his brother Brook, he can also be an enforcer for the Bucks if needed, and it never hurts to have too many of those.

He’s a great locker-room player and already has chemistry with a ton of Bucks from his prior stint back in 2019-20. On top of that, Lopez already knows coach Adrian Griffin quite well, as the two shared the sidelines together with the Chicago Bulls when Griffin was an assistant coach there. Making the transition back to Milwaukee shouldn’t be too difficult for Lopez, especially with so many familiar faces, including his twin brother, in town.