5 defensive stoppers the Chicago Bulls wish they still had
Center. Career Defensive Win Shares: 14.7. Robin Lopez. 2. Scouting Report. 89. Pick Analysis. player
One piece that most Chicago Bulls fans really miss from an impressive stint down the stretch last season is veteran center Robin Lopez. The best player effieciency rating that RoLo posted in his three seasons with the Bulls came last season, at 15.9, but most of that production came on the offensive end.
While most of the value that RoLo brings to the tables comes on the offensive end of the floor, he’s showed in recent years that he can be a good leader as a two-way big man. And the best defensive rating that RoLo posted at any of the teams he played for in the NBA so far came with the Bulls (112 over three seasons).
But nobody can fault where Lopez picked for his landing spot to be over the summer. He is playing with his brother, Brook Lopez, with a true NBA Championship contender coming out of the Central Division with the Milwaukee Bucks. But the numbers haven’t quite matched up yet for RoLo in a Bucks uniform as his player efficiency rating is sitting right above 5.0 at the moment.
The defensive value that RoLo brings to the table might be a bit magnified this season due to his great supporting cast in Milwaukee. Having a defensive presence of the likes of point guard George Hill and the reigning NBA MVP and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is obviously going to mask a lot of the faults of RoLo.