Following a career night of nine three-pointers at the age of 37, Brook Lopez had the world thinking he was fit to be the LA Clippers’ starter. A long list of questions and concerns were held above the heads of Tyronn Lue and Ivica Zubac, yet all of them were disproven in the Clippers’ recent win over the Utah Jazz.
Theoretically, because the Clippers won by 17, Lopez should have played well. However, contrary to popular belief, the veteran big man shot 1-12 from the field, and every one of those shots was from beyond the arc; this is absolutely blasphemous.
By the end of it, Yanic Konan Niederhauser had carried the center rotation, and the Clippers piggybacked off Kawhi Leonard. Lopez essentially and quickly transitioned back to a player who should be glued to the sidelines.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser is playing Brook Lopez off the court
Brook Lopez missed nearly every three-point look, and Yani Konan Niederhauser was a team-high of a +18 off the bench in 27 minutes. This figure alone shows positive signs as a rookie.
Furthermore, Niederhauser shot 3-7, which is not good. If that is the case, how did he have the best impact on the winning team? Well, it is pretty straightforward in the box scores; the first-round pick nearly had more offensive rebounds by himself than the entire Utah Jazz.
Niederhauser finished with six, led the Clippers, and almost tied with the Jazz’s seven. He had the paint under total control, and Will Hardy’s only option was to sit back and watch.
For what it is worth, Lopez has only recorded ten offensive rebounds this season. This is absurd, as he has played close to 300 more minutes than Niderhauser(294).
Thus, how much clearer could it be that Niederhauser is the second-best center on the team? Lopez’s 31-point performance should not overshadow the reality of his flaws, yet when Ivica Zubac returns, it might.
Niederhauser is notably more productive than Lopez in every offensive and defensive category other than from beyond the arc, and it is not that he cannot shoot; he just does not have the green light. He shot 22.2% in the G-League, but has a clean, soft release that would easily work in the NBA.
That said, Lopez is back to being unplayable. 11 missed three-pointers in one night is enough of a red flag to reinstate him as a reserve.