Bucks’ Brook Lopez Still Out Indefinitely After Back Surgery

Bucks center Brook Lopez is out indefinitely after undergoing back surgery on Thursday morning, the team announced in a press release.

Lopez, 33, was the starter during the Bucks’ championship run last season, but has appeared in just the first game this season. He averaged 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds and shot 50 percent from the field in 70 games last season.

As Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors noted, “He said last month in an interview with Shams Charania that he was ramping up his activities and thought he was getting closer to a return, so it certainly doesn’t appear that surgery was always the plan.”

Along with that, the Bucks signed veteran center DeMarcus Cousins this week, perhaps with the fear that Lopez could miss a large chunk of the season.

In the meantime, the Bucks have been leaning on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to defend opposing pivots.