It’s unfortunate that Brook Lopez’s three-point percentage has tanked to sub-30% this season. It’s like the one thing that’s going wrong for the Bucks this season (well, there’s also the fact that Wes Matthews is completely washed). As it stands, Lopez still has enough gravity at the three-point line to force players to defend him, but the kind of “fake spacing” he provides will eventually be deemed unworthy of true defensive effort by opposing coaches. If it ever gets to the point where players don’t bother closing out on Lopez, then his value on the offensive end of the ball will be mostly negated.
As one of the best defensive centers in the league, Lopez can suck at scoring as much as he wants and still be a valuable contributor to the Bucks. There’s no way that their defense is this good if they have to have somebody like Miroslav Raduljica manning the paint. And they’re still championship contenders even when Lopez’s scoring woes are taken into account. But think about how many guaranteed championships they would win if Lopez was still a 36% three-point shooter. The Bulls’ three-peats would look like child’s play compared the Bucks’ unconquerable dominance over the league. Giannis would be the GOAT of all time, Khris Middleton would be spoken of in the same breath as Scottie Pippen, and Lopez would be credited with ushering in a new era of skilled yet defensively-minded centers.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a…personal situation that needs to be taken care of. Thinking about all that has gotten me…excited.