Brook Lopez was never a defensive concern for the Milwaukee Bucks.
This season, fans had differing views on a number of issues, including Brook Lopez’s play. The Bucks re-signed Lopez on a two-year, $48 million contract to keep him in Milwaukee after he participated in 78 of the 82 games played in the previous season and placed second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Many wondered how well Lopez would still fit in on defense under Adrian Griffin, his new coach, and in a new defensive scheme. Additionally, there appeared to be a range of outcomes throughout the first half of the season.
Although Lopez continued to record almost three blocks per game and was excellent at stopping shots at the rim, opponents were shooting 48 percent overall on shots that he defended, compared to just 44 percent against him during the Budenholzer era, according to NBA.com/stats. The Bucks as a team ranked 21st in defensive rating, and opponents simply appeared to be scoring on him more frequently.
Under Budenholzer, the Bucks’ defense, led by Lopez, was always excellent at stopping shots around the rim. From 2018 to 2023, the team ranked third in terms of the fewest rim attempts allowed per game, according to PBP analytics. But under Adrian Griffin, the Bucks dropped as low as 19th in terms of the fewest rim shots allowed per game.
Guards were pressured out extremely far from the hoop as part of Griffin’s defensive strategy, while Lopez was drawn out much more from the rim than before. There have been instances when Brook truly battled with the plan and was scored on more frequently as a result. Brook has never flourished as a defender when he is away from the basket. Supporters instantly began to wonder if Lopez should have been moved and if he was still a suitable fit for this defense.
However, the scheme that was making Brook Lopez and the other players appear worse because it did not capitalize on their skills was the real issue, not Brook Lopez.
In essence, Lopez had to cover a lot more ground than he had previously, and even though he appeared to be vulnerable defensively quite a few times, the strategy was just not putting him in a position where he could succeed. Furthermore, Lopez didn’t appear to think much about the plan.
Even still, compared to Griffin, Lopez’s defensive influence was greatly underestimated, even though he wasn’t always in the ideal position. With Lopez on the court, the Bucks’ defensive rating under Griffin was 113.9, good for 12th place in the NBA this season; when Lopez was off the court, it was 118.3, good for 25th place. One of the only things holding their defense together was him.
Those figures have improved considerably further since Griffin was fired and the plan was altered. With Lopez on the court, Milwaukee had a stunning 102.0 defensive rating in 15 games after Griffin (by far the best of any Bucks player), and he has been playing well defensively once more.
Lopez’s ability to defend the basket and keep everything in front of him has allowed him to return to allowing only 43.7 field goal percentage on shots against him after Griffin, down from 48 percent previously.
After Adrian Griffin left the team, the Bucks allowed the seventh fewest paint points per game, down from their previous ranking of sixth. Their inability to put as much pressure on the rim, restrict drives, and let Lopez hang back have all contributed to this. Because the plan has been modified to better suit the players’ skills, there are significantly fewer defensive blunders.
With Griffin |
Post-Griffin |
|
---|---|---|
Paint points allowed per game |
54.0 (25th) |
48.0 (7th) |
Lopez FG% allowed |
48.0% |
43.7% |
Lopez defensive rating |
113.9 |
102.0 |
Rim attempts allowed per game |
27.1 (19th) |
25.3 (6th) |
FG% allowed at rim |
66.1% (15th) |
62.8% (5th) |
Lopez is one of the league’s most formidable defenders, and when he stays close to the hoop, he discourages opponents from even trying to make a basket in this area.
With Lopez as their defensive stalwart, Milwaukee has been able to regain its exceptional rim protection, allowing the sixth fewest rim attempts per game and the fifth lowest percentage at the rim since Griffin’s departure. When Lopez is on the court compared to when he is off, the Bucks opponents are shooting the rim 5.2% poorer this season, placing Lopez in the 91st percentile in that category.
Furthermore, you should reconsider your belief that Giannis has contributed more to the defense than Brook. Together, Giannis and Brook have a fantastic 111.7 defensive rating for the Bucks. While Brook plays without Giannis, that rating is still respectable at 116.5, but when Giannis plays without Brook, it drops to an appalling 122.8. In other words, when Brook Lopez hasn’t been playing, the Bucks have been a very awful defensive club; when he has, however, they have been a strong defensive squad.
It’s excellent that the Bucks discovered that Brook Lopez wasn’t the defense’s weakness and hired a coach who could help this unit play more to the defensive anchor’s strengths. Although some teams may still be able to take advantage of his slowness and make the Bucks play him less, he is still one of the league’s top interior defenders and can change the course of a game with his ability to guard the rim.
Since Adrian Griffin was fired, Milwaukee’s defensive rating has improved to the sixth spot, indicating that they are unquestionably headed in the right direction. They will be among the hardest teams to defeat in the playoffs if they can maintain a performance level close to that.