The last 2 NBA champions

[Dahlsim]

You're correct that Lopez was an important player for the Bucks in this postseason, however I'd point out that in pretty much every 4th quarter this series, when a championship was on the line, the Bucks took him off the floor. Portis is a good player, and Giannis is obviously a generational talent. My point was not "big men bad" but that your bigs must be skilled and able to stay on the floor defensively.

Traditional centers are not dead, exactly, but it's a mistake to pay big money to them if they can't punish small ball. Lopez makes $13 million this year- I think that's a fair value. I would not go over that kind of money for any traditional center.

Ok, however I see the 4th quarter rotation like the rest of the game all about matchups along with the score and clock situation.  Yes you have to be able to defend.  You also have to be able to score, depending on the score and clock.  If you're behind for instance like the Suns were by the closing minutes, you can't defend your way to a victory.

When the Bucks were behind, which they were earlier, they needed to get stops but they also needed scoring advantages which guys like Lopez and Portis alongside Giannis gave them high percentage buckets.
If you're ahead like Milwaukee was by the end, you need to defend especially against the 3 point threats so you take your 5 out and chase all the shooters all the way out beyond the arc while the other team is trying to open up 3's and get uptempo fast scoring.

Traditional centers aren't even traditional anymore so not sure what that is.  Lopez is now both a post threat as he always was but he's also stretch 5 threat for 3 pointers.   Not traditional because the big centers that used to dominate didn't shoot 3's, even if they could have.

Is Jokic a traditional center?  Embiid?  All effective centers have had to adjust their game to the small ball 3 point dominant pace and space era. Adams is working on his 3 point shooting evidently and Boban shoots 3's in his international play.