The Milwaukee Bucks have been in a rough patch as of late, having played inconsistent basketball over the past month or so. Giannis Antetokounmpo has done his best to carry the team on his back amid Khris Middleton absence and Jrue Holiday' shooting struggles as of late. However, beyond Antetokounmpo, one player has played at such an exceptional level on a consistent basis for the Bucks this season, particularly defensively. Enter Brook Lopez.
After playing in only 11 games last season due to a major back injury, Brook Lopez has come back with a vengeance during the 2022-23 campaign. Through 39 games. Lopez is averaging 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks on 50.5 percent shooting from the field and 38.1 percent from deep – all bests over his five-year Bucks stint thus far. The blocks definitely stand out, as he added to his league-leading total of 98 rejections with three more on Monday night against the New York Knicks.
And Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday want the league to acknowledge just how impactful Lopez has been on the defensive end. Speaking with reporters following their 111-107 win over the Knicks, Antetokounmpo and Holiday endorsed the man affectionately known as Splash Mountain for Defensive Player of the Year – and for good reason.
“In my opinion, and Jrue would probably agree, [Brook Lopez is] Defensive Player of the Year,” Antetokounmpo said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“100 percent,” Holiday added.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday are elite defensive players in their own right, so their endorsement carries a high level of credibility even if they're biased towards their teammate. However, Brook Lopez will have stiff competition for the coveted Defensive Player of the Year award.
Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton has broken out in a huge way, while Toronto Raptors wing OG Anunoby is garnering some praise as well for his suffocating perimeter defense. Meanwhile, Jaren Jackson Jr. has taken the Memphis Grizzlies' defense to another level, while some voters value the defensive versatility that Miami Heat swiss-army knife Bam Adebayo brings to the table.
Nevertheless, if Lopez continues to swat shots at the rim and deter countless would-be rim-runners from even attempting shots in the paint, then he may very well complete his transformation from a post-oriented offensive big man to the league's foremost 3 and D rim protector with a DPOY win.
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