One of the many questions hovering around the LA Clippers’ center rotation is what will Baba Miller’s minutes look like as a rookie? With Brook Lopez and Isaiah Jackson in front of him in the rotation from the jump, then Yanic Konan Niederhauser joining in when he recovers, there doesn’t appear to be a ton of room for Miller to play.
However, the key for Miller is simple: be ready at all times, take advantage of every opportunity, big or small, that comes his way, and look to prosper in the little things nobody wants to do.
Eyes will be on Miller, and if he impresses in a way that really stands out, just like Niederhauser did as a rookie despite having Lopez and Ivica Zubac ahead of him, playing time will come his way.
Baba Miller will have to shine consistently
As talented as Baba Miller is, and how much fans of the LA Clippers already love him, the fact of the matter is that he’ll have to work his way up from starting the regular season as a reserve.
That means scoring efficiently, dominating on defense, making an impact in any way possible, and simply going above and beyond for the world to see. He did each of these in summer league, so the hope is it’ll translate to the NBA.
To Miller’s benefit, if he starts on a good note, it won’t take long at all before Tyronn Lue looks to him and hands him the keys to a larger role.
Why is that? Well, for the first few months, Yanic Konan Niederhauser is expected to be sidelined. This puts Miller in a good position to earn minutes early in the year.
Additionally, Brook Lopez is one of the primary centers at the top of the Clippers’ center rotation. This is worth keeping in mind as Lopez is a player with concerning flaws on both sides of the ball.
He can’t really make an impact inside the paint, struggles with rebounding the ball, and moves a step slower than the rest of the squad.
As a result, Lopez will inevitably get played off the court. And when he does, more minutes will be distributed to Miller, despite being a rookie drafted in the second round.
That said, the path for Miller to see the court right away seems complicated, but if he does a few of the right things just as the Clippers need, he’ll be playing a good amount on a nightly basis.
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