Things Tyler Smith can learn from every Milwaukee Bucks starter

Brook Lopez - Floor spacing, defensive positioning

Yes, Brook Lopez remains the Milwaukee Bucks starting center. Bobby Portis isn't replacing Lopez just because he's younger.

Brook Lopez, like Lillard, Middleton and Antetokounmpo, has been in the league a long time and has arguably one of the biggest second winds of any NBA career when he revolutionized his game from being a predominantly low post big man to a 3-and-D center.

Brook Lopez had a decent 2023-24 season in which he shot 36.6 percent from the 3-point line, something Tyler Smith is already near to replicating, but the 2022-23 season is the one that the rookie could most benefit from attempting to replicate.

Brook Lopez not only shot 37.1 percent on 3-pointers in the 2022-23 season, good for sixth-best by centers who attempted more than 200 shots from 24-plus feet. Smith could definitely learn from Brook Lopez about how to space the floor to help make things easier for Giannis Antetokounmpo by keeping another defender away from the paint.

Brook Lopez was also First Team All-NBA Defense and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022-23. That brings us to the second thing Tyler Smith could learn from Brook Lopez, defensive positioning.

Lopez got jostled around a bit in how the Milwaukee Bucks were going to use him defensively, due in large part in the difference in philosophies under Adrian Griffin and Doc Rivers. Going back to the seasons before under Mike Budenholzer, the Bucks used Brook Lopez in a drop defense that prioritized defending the paint, the perceived easiest place to score closer to the basket.

During his tenure with the Bucks, regardless of the head coach, Brook Lopez has reigned as one of the NBA's best shot blockers and easily the best shot contester in the NBA. Blocking and contesting shots is certainly an easier thing to do if very athletic, which Tyler Smith is. However, Brook Lopez is not, so how does he manage to be among the league leaders in those two categories? Positioning.

Brook Lopez is elite at getting his body to be in the best possible position to block or at least contest opponents' shots. In doing so, Lopez is able to block shots that it looks like will be easy buckets for opponents and has blocked many dunk attempts. Yes, Lopez gets dunked on occasionally, but in order to be an elite shot blocker, you have to be willing to get dunked on; there is no room for fear in shot-blocking.

Tyler Smith possesses athleticism that Brook Lopez can only dream of, so if he can learn the art of defensive positioning from Brook Lopez, he can accelerate his career and potentially become a Brook Lopez replacement should he decide to retire or leave at the end of the 2024-25 season.