"Makes him even more unguardable" - Brook Lopez on Giannis' midrange game, Bucks' trade deadline noise and Disney World rides (Exclusive)

No longer do the Milwaukee Bucks wrestle with turbulence seemingly every day. Unlike last year, they haven’t experienced an early-season coaching firing (Adrian Griffin), an accomplished coach starting without a training camp (Doc Rivers) and a star player still trying to find his footing (Damian Lillard).

Since their 2-8 start, the Bucks have seen encouraging developments in their play, including Giannis Antetokounmpo’s early MVP buzz and Lillard’s improved chemistry with the team’s star player.

Bucks center Brook Lopez spoke to Sportskeeda about those developments. The longtime Disney fan also dished on his favorite rides.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.

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Brook Lopez Exclusive

NBA: Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks - Source: Imagn

What’s your assessment so far on how the season’s played out with the slow start and the turnaround?

Lopez: “It’s been good for us. I think we’ve learned a lot as a group. We’re in a great place right now because of everything that’s been happening this season. Obviously when we were going through stuff, it felt like we were far away. We were like, ‘Dang, what are we doing? What’s going on?’ But I think we learned that it was just a few things that we had to finetune and we had to be more focused throughout the full game. It’s made us a completely different team.”

What did you all fine-tune?

Lopez: “A lot of it was focus stuff. Some of it was just communicating. For guys that had been here and guys that were new, it was just about getting through simple stuff. We were talking on the floor more. We were being louder. It was a lot of stuff that wasn’t necessarily Xs and Os. Some stuff was just getting out in transition on offense more. Some of it was getting back more in transition on defense more. And then a lot of it was getting used to new teammates and getting acclimated with each other.”

What leadership moments did you see from Giannis, Dame and Doc during those times?

Lopez: “We just saw it through all of our guys that there is no quit. We have a great group of guys and we were just continuously willing to go out there and find a way to win and find a way to get better each and every night. They’re all about winning. That’s all they are about. It then trickles down to everyone. They’re out here willing to sacrifice each and every night. They’re willing to work harder than anyone else every night. It’s then impossible then not to follow suit.”

Now that you all have more time together and Doc has a full training camp, what has become easier to manage compared to last season?

Lopez: “Our offense is just flowing more naturally. We have been trying to figure out stuff for so long. Obviously, Giannis is trying to be a good teammate and help Dame get off to a good start. Dame was doing the same thing. But now everything is more natural now. We’re naturally playing more. So when you’re going through more games and going through more practices, that’s what’s going to happen. Natural is the word for me. Everything is just more natural. When we’re out there, everything is smooth. We’re just hooping. Things happen quickly out there. It’s now second nature.”

Giannis is having another MVP-caliber season. How do you compare this season to his other ones?

Lopez: “He’s always getting better. Every year, he finds new ways to get better. That is so impressive at this point. You think about the incredible player that he was five years ago. He is leaps and bounds above that guy. It is astounding. He always finds new ways to add to his game and his repertoire. The way he is playing from the midrange, that makes him even more unguardable. And he was even unguardable before that. It’s incredible. This is all just work. He has the ultimate work ethic. He has a better work ethic than anybody that I’ve ever seen. He's always in the gym working on his craft.”

You mentioned things being more natural with more time together. In what ways has that impacted the chemistry with Giannis and Dame?

Lopez: “There are certain things you just have to experience. At first, you’re telling each other, ‘On this play, let’s look for this.’ Now it’s just happening. Those are just reads now. You’re in a possession and you can do something. It’s just second nature now. Before, there were more verbal cues and verbal forewarning. But now it’s a quick look on a read. They know what to do off of each other.”

How has the process of integrating Khris back in after his injuries been?

Lopez: “Khris is such an intelligent basketball player and a super-talented basketball player. He makes it super easy that you can just slot him in with whatever lineup. He’s going to go out there and lead the team and give the team a great rhythm and a great cadence. He makes things easier for everyone.”

How do you evaluate what you’ve done as a stretch five and defender?

Lopez: “I’m just trying to help the team win. Whatever they need me to do, I’m going to do it. I’m trying to be ready. Whatever is called on for me that night, I’m ready to do it.”

When you look at where you all are in the Eastern Conference landscape, what is your comfort level with the Bucks' position in the big picture?

Lopez: “We’re feeling great. We’re trying to get better each and every day. We’re always trying to take it one game at a time. We obviously have just one goal and are reaching toward that each and every day.”

How do you all try to handle the uncertainty with the trade deadline?

Lopez: “It’s not really something we talk about. We don’t really focus on a lot of stuff outside of our locker room and outside of us. We have a lot of guys that are more quiet and are more basketball-focused. We’re focused on the important stuff.”

I figured I should ask you about Disneyland/Disneyworld given your fandom. When’s the last time you’ve been down there?

Lopez: “I got down to Orlando before we played the Magic a week or two ago. I got to the park really quick for one day there. It was just a few hours. Then at Disneyland, it was during training camp. I was out there for only a few hours then, too.”

How do you rank the rides?

Lopez: “My favorite is Disneyland. I’d probably put Indiana Jones at the top. I’m a big ‘Matterhorn’ guy. And then I like to ride the classics, like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘Haunted Mansion.’ I think they all encompass everything that Disney does well with rides. It’s the attention to detail. The thrills are still there. You can appreciate ‘Haunted Mansion’ and ‘Pirates’ on so many different levels. Those rides are built over 50 years ago, but they’re still at the peak and at what the best anyone has done.” You can notice new details. I’ve ridden it hundreds of times, and you can always find something new. There is so much to them. I don’t know of many rides that have reached that level of detail and quality. There’s so much to both of them. They’re so well done. It’s the top of the craft. I don’t think anyone can come close toward reaching or replicating it.”

What is your in-game strategy for maximizing ride efficiency? Do you do both parks or just stick with one at a time?

Lopez: “If I’m with people and trying to get stuff done, then I’ll, ‘Go, go, go. But otherwise, I just go by my whims. It’s whatever I feel like doing. I’ll go and just do something random. I’ll do a deep cut one day and go get on ‘Roger Rabbit’ or go to ‘Alice in Wonderland’ just to do something random and something different.”

Do you get tickets for both parks that day or just focus on one?

Lopez: “I have an annual pass. So I could do either one. But I go to Disneyland much more. I’m probably leaning heavily toward Disneyland.”

Why do you like that more?

Lopez: “I enjoy it more. I think a lot of the experience is a much more traditional Disney experience than it is with ‘California Adventure.’ This is stuff that Robin [Lopez] and I have studied and enjoyed our whole lives.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.