The Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez leads the Defensive Player of the Year race
Brook Lopez's defensive brilliance is not going unnoticed.
Back with a vengeance after a back surgery that slowed him down last season, the seven-foot center of the Milwaukee Bucks has emerged as the leading contender for the coveted Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award.
NBA.com has recently released an updated DPOY ladder with the 15-year veteran leading the race.
Protecting the paint
All stats through Monday, March 13th, showed that Lopez has already accumulated an impressive 170 blocks.
Lopez has been actively manning the Bucks' paint, as he has already contested 1,185 shots. The Splash Mountain is way ahead of the second-best Evan Mobley, as the young Cavs star has contested 775.
Lopez's significant rise in the DPOY ladder was attributed to his monstrous performance on March 9th that saw him tally a career-high nine blocks in Milwaukee's 118-113 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Lopez was solid on both ends on that night as he also scored 24 points, with ten boards and three assists. The big man fell just one block from tying the franchise record for most blocks in a game.
Two-way presence
The 34-year-old center has not only been impressive on defense but is also a solid contributor offensively. For this month, Lopez is simply outstanding, as he is averaging 22 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 3.0 blocks.
Lopez has been bombing away, shooting 58.4% from the field, including a 42.6% clip from three-point land.
The Bucks have already secured a playoff berth, the first team to do so, and continue to lead the Eastern Conference with an NBA-best 51-20 record.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday may be the main stars for Milwaukee, but whatever success the Bucks are enjoying may not have been possible if not for Lopez's brilliance—both on offense and defense.
