The LA Clippers made a splash on the opening night of free agency, prying Brook Lopez away from the Milwaukee Bucks. On paper, it looks like a win. The Clippers added a former All-Defensive center to back up Ivica Zubac. But LA must not make the same mistake the Bucks did for years: Treating Lopez like a do-it-all defensive anchor.
Brook is a drop coverage big man, and asking him to be anything else will likely end in disappointment. This was the blind spot Milwaukee leaned into again and again, even as Lopez's strengths and limitations became more clear. When stationed in a drop scheme, Lopez excels. He plays deep in the paint, erasing shots at the rim and funneling drives back out to the perimeter. He is elite at defending without fouling and anchoring a halfcourt defense that can slow the game down.
But the moment teams force him to defend in space, the formula crumbles. Lopez is not mobile enough to switch or hedge effectively, and when drawn out to the perimeter, he becomes a target. That flaw showed up repeatedly in playoff exits for the Bucks, and it is something the Clippers must account for from day one.
The Clippers must recognize Lopez's weaknesses
Unlike Milwaukee, the Clippers may actually be built to absorb Lopez’s weaknesses more effectively, if they are honest about what they are getting. With a more versatile group of players than the Bucks possess, the Clippers could theoretically run Lopez-heavy lineups that funnel traffic into him without forcing him into uncomfortable switches.
But it will take defensive discipline, sharp game planning and realistic expectations from LA's side of things. Lopez remains one of the most impactful rim protectors in basketball, and his three-point shooting gives the Clippers spacing they often lack at the center spot.
And still, that value comes with the caveat that he must be used in the right scheme. If the Clippers treat him like a plug-and-play answer to all their frontcourt needs, they will quickly run into the same defensive issues the Bucks tried to ignore. Lopez is not Bam Adebayo. He's not a switch-everything big. He is not the solution to guarding high pick-and-rolls against elite guards.
But he has his own strengths that will still have the potential to elevate this group. And if the Clippers remember that, he can still be a very valuable asset off LA's bench.