Despite defensive prowess, Brook Lopez's key strength is now a weakness for Bucks

If there’s a steady, towering presence on the Milwaukee Bucks who embodies everything that’s made this team a defensive powerhouse, it is Brook Lopez before it is two-time MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That's not meant to be a controversial statement or a denigration of Antetokounmpo's efforts on that side of the ball: it's a simple fact that Lopez's impact on the Bucks' defense has been monumental, considering where they were without him.

For years, Lopez has been the heart of the Bucks’ paint protection, concentrating all his efforts on stopping drives to the rim — that's on top of being a surprisingly dangerous 3-point threat who spaces the floor as few big men can.

Of course, the current all-time leading scorer of the Brooklyn Nets was already in his 30s when he signed with Milwaukee, and fans had been concerned about his inevitable decline for a while now. To this point, many had doubted whether or not the 7-foot-1 big man could come back from the athletic downtrend he had displayed in seasons past. Many were also doubting how sustainable the Milwaukee Bucks' base defensive scheme of drop coverage could be late into the playoffs.

Lopez is proving those doubters wrong so far in the 2024-25 NBA season. At age 36, Brook Lopez is in the middle of one of the best defensive seasons of his career. He's also in the middle of his worst shooting slump with the Bucks.

At 36, Brook Lopez's long-range bombing is nowhere to be found

In the early stages of this season, Lopez has struggled to find his rhythm from deep, and it’s left the Bucks in a tough spot. Thus far, he's only made 10 of his 34 attempts from beyond the 3-point line. This season, Lopez is shooting a paltry 29.4 percent from beyond the arc, a stark contrast to the 36.6 percent he knocked down last season.

To make matters worse, he’s taking around 5.3 of them per game, which means he’s clanking nearly four per game. For a player who has often been a reliable floor-spacer, this level of inefficiency has been unusual and uncharacteristic.

Yet his performance is turning out to be the complete opposite on the defensive end. Compared to the rest of the NBA, Brook Lopez has erected an overwhelming lead in contested shots per game (15.6) and total contested shots (1,234). He is distantly trailed in those statistics by Chet Holmgren, who has 11.6 and 951, respectively. 

Among starting centers with at least four games played so far, Brook Lopez is fourth in blocks per game (2.5).

Centering on starting bigs logging at least 30 minutes per game, Lopez ranks fourth in opponent points in the paint - trailing only Victor Wembanyama, Deandre Ayton and Ivica Zubac - and is 11th in the NBA in defensive rating (112.1).

Brook Lopez's floor-spacing isn't making defenders pay as much

To be fair, every shooter goes through slumps, but what we’re seeing from Lopez isn’t just a cold spell—it’s looking like a troubling trend. This year, it's 29.4 percent. Last year, it was 36.6, and the year before, it was 37.4.

The shot that once gave Giannis Antetokounmpo room to bulldoze through defenders has become a glaring hole in Milwaukee’s offense. Defenders are beginning to take notice of this, and despite the reputation he's built up over the years, it's becoming clear that opposing teams are more than happy to leave him open.

The Bucks’ offensive scheme has famously leaned on Lopez’s 3-point shooting since the day he arrived, as his spacing has afforded them a dynamic not many teams have. Unlike most centers who camp out in the paint, Lopez positions himself beyond the arc, drawing out shot blockers and opening the floor for Milwaukee’s star players to do what they do best: drive to the basket.

For Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’s a one-man wrecking ball inside the paint, Lopez’s shooting is like a green light to attack. If defenders cheat off Lopez to help in the paint, it usually ends in an easy kick-out and a wide-open three.

With Damian Lillard now in the mix, Lopez’s shooting matters even more - especially considering his remarkable chemistry with Lillard in the pick-and-roll. Lillard’s game thrives when he has space to operate on the perimeter or dive to the rim, and right now, defenders are packing the lane because Lopez’s shot has lost its sting.

The Bucks will need more than just elite defense from Brook Lopez

There’s no question that Lopez is still an elite defender. He’s been anchoring the Bucks' interior defense with his trademark shot-blocking and paint protection. Though the team's overall record may not reflect it just yet, Lopez’s defensive presence has kept Milwaukee competitive even on nights when the offense sputters, and his ability to alter shots remains invaluable.

But here’s the issue: the Milwaukee Bucks can’t afford to rely solely on Lopez’s defense if his offense becomes a liability.

Yes, he can still protect the rim, but the Bucks aren’t paying him to be a traditional big man who only defends the paint. His unique ability to knock down threes was what made him such a valuable asset to this roster. Without that, Milwaukee loses one of its defining strengths: the ability to seamlessly switch between spreading the floor and locking it down.

Milwaukee needs Lopez to bring back his 3-point magic. If he can do that, it could be the piece that pushes the Bucks over the top as they chase another title. If he can’t, though, the Bucks may find themselves having to make adjustments—and that might not bode well for Lopez’s minutes or his place in the lineup come playoff time.