Bucks Zone

How Brook Lopez reinvented himself at 34 years of age

Brook Lopez has been one of the main reasons for the Bucks hot start.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Milwaukee Bucks big man Brook Lopez came into the league as a traditional center. He found huge success in his first nine years, but as the league changed, he started to adapt. Lopez started shooting a ton of threes, and he was very effective over the years. He became one of the best shooting bigs in the game. However, last year's loss to the Boston Celtics and injuries forced Lopez to adapt again. But how can a 34-year-old center, coming off a serious injury and a down year, change his game again? Let's find out how Lopez is thriving at 34 years of age.

Defense

The Bucks arguably have the best defense in the NBA. They are at the top of several defensive rankings. They have generally been on the top over the last few seasons, but this year, they are trying out a new scheme, and so far, it has worked for them.

And the key to this has been Brook Lopez. The Bucks missed his presence for the majority of last season. And in the playoffs, it showed, as the Bucks fell to the Boston Celtics.

This year, the Bucks are not giving up three-point shots. Instead, they trust that Lopez can hold his own in the paint. The corner defenders stay home and put their trust in Lopez to get stops at the rim. And so far, the results have been great. Brook is leading the league in blocks (2.6 per game), as opponents shoot a league-worst % at the rim versus the Bucks (21%). He also holds his own against ball handlers and allows his teammates to get back in front of them.

Three Point shooting

Lopez has been a great shooter from behind the arc, but last season, he underperformed massively in the playoffs. He shot only 21% from distance as the Bucks were bounced out in seven games.

So Lopez went out to fix his shot and get back his outside touch. He worked along with a specialist coach and a state-of-the-art system called NOAH. These helped Lopez tweak his shot a little bit, and the results have been great.

He has also become aggressive from the start, and he sets the tone in the game's early minutes. His attempts have also gone up, and his percentage is at an all-time high (38.9%). By scoring at such a high rate, Brook has become one of the main reasons for the Bucks having the best second-best record in the NBA (11-4). If he continues to perform at the same level, the Bucks will remain the favorites to win it all.

Published
Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.