Milwaukee, WI
Brook Lopez was never the Milwaukee Bucks' defensive problem
The spotlight has never been brighter on the Milwaukee Bucks than it has been this season. After making the big trade to acquire Damian Lillard in the offseason and firing two coaches in the span of eight months, there is a plethora of things to analyze and criticize with the team.
One of the topics that fans have had varying opinions on this season has been the play of Brook Lopez. After playing in 78 of 82 games last season and finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, the Bucks re-signed Lopez on a two-year, $48 million contract to keep him in Milwaukee.
Playing for a new coach in Adrian Griffin and in a different defensive scheme, people questioned just how well Lopez would still fit in on the defensive end. And in the first half of the season, there seemed to be some mixed results.
Lopez still averaged nearly three blocks per game and was great when he defended shots at the rim, but overall, opponents were shooting 48 percent on shots defended by Lopez after shooting just 44 percent against him in the Budenholzer era, per NBA.com/stats. Opponents just seemed to be scoring on him more often, and the Bucks as a team were 21st in defensive rating.
For five seasons under Budenholzer, the Bucks always did a great job preventing shots around the rim with a defense anchored by Lopez, ranking third in fewest rim attempts allowed per game from 2018-2023, per PBP stats. However, under Adrian Griffin, the Bucks fell all the way to 19th in fewest rim attempts allowed per game.
Griffin’s defensive scheme involved guards pressuring out very far from the basket, and everyone was pulled out further from the rim than before, including Lopez. Brook has never thrived as a defender when he is away from the basket, so there were times he really struggled with the scheme and was scored on more often as a result. Fans immediately starting questioning whether Lopez was still a good fit for this defense and if he possibly needed to be moved.
But the problem was not Brook Lopez, it was the scheme that was making him and everyone else look worse because it did not play to the players’ strengths.
The Bucks did not have the perimeter defenders needed to run the aggressive scheme they were running with Griffin. Their guards were constantly blown by on the perimeter, forcing Lopez to come out further than he wanted to in order to cover the midrange area, and thus leaving the rim exposed more than before. Bucks defenders also stuck to perimeter shooters a lot on drives rather than sliding over to help, so Lopez would be the one forced to come over to help on those drives, once again leaving his ideal spot near the basket and putting the Bucks in poor position.
Essentially, Lopez all of a sudden had to come out and cover a lot more ground than before, and although there were quite a few times he looked as though he was being exposed defensively, it was really just a scheme that was not putting him in position to succeed. And Lopez himself seemed to not be too fond of the scheme.
Brook Lopez isn’t shy about letting his feelings known, as we could see clear evidence that the new Bucks defensive system under Adrian Griffin upset him a lot. Here’s the full video: https://t.co/Zw56Omwuut pic.twitter.com/18Q6BKVYM9
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) January 28, 2024
Still, despite not always being put in the best position, Lopez’s defensive impact was very underrated with Griffin. The Bucks had a 113.9 defensive rating under Griffin when Lopez was on the court, which would rank 12th in the NBA this season, and a 118.3 defensive rating with Lopez off the court, which would rank 25th. He was one of the few things keeping their defense afloat.
Since Griffin was fired and the scheme changed, those numbers have become even better. In 15 games post-Griffin, Milwaukee has a ridiculous 102.0 defensive rating with Lopez on the court (by far the best of any Bucks player), and he has been thriving again on the defensive end.
Lopez is back to allowing just a 43.7 field goal percentage on shots against him post-Griffin (compared to 48 percent before), in large part due to him contesting the shots he was meant to contest – layups, dunks, and shots around the rim rather than floaters and midrange shots.
The Bucks went from allowing the sixth most paint points per game under Adrian Griffin to allowing the seventh fewest post-Griffin. This has largely been due to them applying less pressure on the perimeter, limiting drives, and allowing Lopez to stay back near the rim. There are far fewer defensive breakdowns as the scheme has been adapted to better fit the players’ strengths.
|
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) |
When Lopez is able to remain near the rim, he is one of the fiercest defenders in the entire league and deters opponents from even attempting shots near the rim. Backed by their defensive anchor in Lopez, Milwaukee has returned to protecting the rim at an elite level, allowing the sixth fewest rim attempts per game and the fifth lowest percentage at the rim post-Griffin. On the season, Bucks opponents are shooting 5.2 percent worse at the rim when Lopez is on the court compared to when he is off, ranking him in the 91st percentile in that category.
And if you think that Giannis has been more important to the defense than Brook, think again. The Bucks have a stellar 111.7 defensive rating with both Giannis and Brook on the court together… when Brook is on the court without Giannis, that number is still decent at 116.5, but when Giannis is on the court without Brook, that rating becomes a horrible 122.8. To put it simply, the Bucks have been a very bad defensive team when Brook Lopez has been off the court and a good defensive team when he has been on the court.
Brook Lopez was not the problem with Milwaukee’s defense, and it’s good that the Bucks realized that and got a coach that could help this defense play more to the strengths of their defensive anchor. There will sometimes still be teams who are able to exploit has lack of quickness and force the Bucks to play him less, but he is still one of the best interior defenders in the league and a game changer with his ability to protect the rim.
Milwaukee now has the sixth best defensive rating since firing Adrian Griffin and are definitely trending in the right direction on that end of the court. If they can continue to be near that level consistently, they will be one of the toughest teams to beat come playoff time.
MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man, previously named one of Wisconsin’s Most Wanted, has been sentenced to prison for shooting and killing his cousin in 2020.
In court
What we know:
A Milwaukee County jury found 39-year-old Brandon Gladney guilty of first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firm by a felon earlier this year.
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Judge Michelle Havas sentenced Gladney to 29 years in prison on Friday, April 17. He was granted credit for more than a year’s time served and further sentenced to 14 years of extended supervision.
Arrested in Arizona after years on the run, court records show Gladney has also been ordered to pay the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office more than $1,800 for extradition costs.
Homicide investigation
The backstory:
The shooting happened in May 2020. Investigators said Gladney was captured on video apparently arguing with the victim, his cousin, outside a Milwaukee convenience store near 21st and Meinecke.
“It’s all on video, and it’s devastating for that family,” the marshal on the case told FOX6 when Gladney was profiled on Wisconsin’s Most Wanted. “You have a family member that shot and killed another family member.”
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Prosecutors said Gladney walked away but then returned with a gun pointed directly at the victim and shot him. The victim died from his gunshot wounds at a nearby hospital. Multiple bullet casings were found at the scene.
Gladney went on the run for years. He was arrested in Arizona in January 2023, years after he was charged.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced information from the U.S. Marshals Service, Wisconsin Circuit Court and prior coverage.
Brice Turang slides to home plate to score during a game between the Miami Marlins and the Milwaukee Brewers on April 17. (Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MIAMI – Garrett Mitchell went 2 for 4 with three RBIs including a two-run double in the 10th inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 7-5 on Friday night.
By the numbers:
Miami’s Calvin Faucher (1-2) entered a 4-all game in the 10th and walked Gary Sánchez with Brice Turang on second. Jake Bauers hit a single to load the bases.
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Luis Rengifo reached first on a throwing error by second baseman Xavier Edwards, allowing Turang to score. Mitchell followed with his double.
The Marlins scored one run in the bottom of the 10th when Jakob Marsee came home on Trevor Megill’s wild pitch. Megill settled in for his fourth save.
Coleman Crow, who made his debut on the mound for the Brewers, threw 77 pitches over 5 1/3 innings. He threw four strikeouts, gave up two earned runs and a walk.
The right-hander was 2-0 with a 4.07 ERA in two starts with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate in Nashville. He missed part of the 2023 season and all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
The Brewers scored three runs in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Mitchell hit an RBI single, Bauers scored on a forceout at first and Rengifo scored on a throwing error by catcher Agustín Ramírez.
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Miami’s Otto Lopez hit a triple to center field in the fourth and scored on a sacrifice fly by Owen Caissie. Lopez hit a two-run homer in the sixth to pull Miami within 4-3 and Ramírez doubled in the eighth to tie the game at four.
Abner Uribe (1-0) earned his first win of the season, coming on in the ninth inning.
Marlins third baseman Graham Pauley left the game in the seventh inning with right oblique discomfort after spinning out of the way of a pitch.
What’s next:
The Brewers and Marlins continue their 3-game series on Saturday, with Brandon Woodruff (1-0, 4.36 ERA) taking the mound for Milwaukee and Sandy Alcantara (2-1, 2.67) for Miami.
The Source: The Associated Press provided this report.
Michigan wins the national championship over UConn
Michigan beats UConn to win the national championship and we break down how they did it and where both programs go from here.
Loyalty is a word you rarely hear anymore when it comes to college sports.
Amare Hereford is an exception.
The night before he was able to put pen to paper and make his commitment to the UW-Milwaukee men’s basketball team official earlier this week, the Beloit Memorial standout was invited for an on-campus visit with the Wisconsin Badgers.
Hereford did his due diligence. What player wouldn’t have in his position?
“Me being an 18-year-old kid, my first high major [visit], I just decided to go check it out,” Hereford said.
UW put on the full-court press in an attempt to lock down the Wisconsin “Mr. Basketball” finalist.
“They offered me a scholarship,” Hereford said. “It all happened so fast. It was all within a day.”
Hereford went home, processed the situation with his family and came to a decision.
He would honor his commitment to the Panthers, with his signature cementing the deal and UWM announcing the news Thursday, April 16.
“No, it wasn’t really hard to turn down,” Hereford said, referring to UW’s offer. “I love every school and I appreciate every school that reaches out to me. But I’m going to choose a school that I have a great relationship with, with all the coaching staff, and that’s been thinking highly of me and recruited me for the longest time. And that was the Panthers.
“Wisconsin is a great school, of course. But I’m going to the school that has been with me for the longest time.”
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Hereford is a huge addition for a Panthers squad that, like so many other programs due to transfer portal madness, is in the midst of rebuilding its roster for the 2026-2027 season almost from scratch.
“Amare will be a star here at Milwaukee,” coach Bart Lundy said. “He will be a fan favorite from the beginning. He is a complete basketball player but probably has as good of an ability to score as I’ve seen in any high school player. He is a great student and a great worker and completely fits our culture.
“We are so excited that he will represent the city of Milwaukee and the state and especially his hometown of Beloit.”
Indeed, Hereford put the ball through the net for Beloit Memorial at a prodigious rate, averaging 37.5 points per game – tops in the state – as a senior. He finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,493 points in four years.
Hereford also poured in 49 points in his final high school game, a WIAA sectional semifinal loss to Verona last month.
Hereford was tough to guard going to the basket as his 60.7% shooting this past season indicates, but he also shot a terrific 45% from from 3-point range (81 for 180) and capitalized on all the contact he drew to the tune of 83% accuracy at the free-throw line.
More than just a scorer, though, Hereford also finished with team-leading averages of 8.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.9 steals per game.
“My playing style fits the way [the Panthers] play – they get up and down, play fast,” Hereford said. “Coach Lundy said he definitely sees me running [point guard], having the ball in my hands, playing the same way I did in high school, finding teammates, getting to the rim and scoring at all three levels.”
Defense is typically where newcomers experience the biggest growing pains, learning the all-out effort it takes to guard at a high level on every possession.
Hereford, however, indicates he’s more than just a scorer.
“I love playing defense,” he said. “Hitting the gaps, getting steals and different things like that, being active with my hands a lot. I’m definitely looking forward to getting pushed defensively and picking up the ball full court, on-ball pressure in the half court.”
Hereford took his visit to UWM in mid-March, after the season had been completed, but saw enough games on TV to cement his opinion of the challenge ahead.
“The Horizon League is amazing,” he said. “There’s a lot of guards who play the same way I play, like to get up and down, play fast. That’s why I love Coach Lundy and the Panthers and the rest of the staff. They let guys be themselves. They play fast, get up and down, play together as one.
“They let everybody touch the ball and be themselves.”
Before Wisconsin entered the picture, Hereford said he’d narrowed his school choices to UWM and San Diego, where Whitefish Bay Dominican product and former Iowa State assistant JR Blount has taken over as head coach.
Now, Hereford projects as an important piece in the Panthers’ rebuilding process.
“Coach Lundy and the staff, they believe in me heavy. And I just want to prove them right,” Hereford said. “I want them to see that I can come in and make a huge impact right away for the team and in the Horizon League.
“I’m definitely going to come in and compete for my minutes. And obviously, I want to stay there.
“So, definitely looking forward to coming in and earning my spot.”
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