In the one and only Play-In Tournament game the LA Clippers played, versus the Golden State Warriors, Brook Lopez was the primary reason his team walked away with a loss. He ultimately set the Clippers up for failure by being completely clueless on defense. There were numerous instances where he showed poor IQ, minimal awareness, and, of course, slow feet, which led to easy buckets for Golden State.
Brook Lopez Defense Tape 4/15 GSW
— Hoopology (@hoopologyxx) April 16, 2026
- Roughly 28 Points Allowed (19 in the 4th)
- 3 Stocks
- 37 minutes
Fun starts at about 1:10
Honestly he started the game looking real solid. Tragic
How do you grade his defense last night? pic.twitter.com/rd3Z9ouX20
In fact, particularly in the fourth quarter, the Warriors made it seem like they were taking turns picking on him. Stephen Curry was having his way, per usual, and so were veterans like Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
As a result, not much else can be expected other than a disappointing ending. He had a good performance offensively, with 17 points, but was it really worth it? Most definitely not.
Brook Lopez’s horrific performance could’ve been prevented
The blame will be pointed at Brook Lopez for putting the LA Clippers in a position to lose, and rightfully so. He needs to be a lot better on the defensive side of the ball, especially on a stage where everything is on the line.
However, head coach Tyronn Lue must be questioned for his thought process in the fourth quarter. What was he thinking by keeping Lopez in the game after seeing the scoring clinic the Golden State Warriors were having on him?
Lue’s decision looks even worse when you consider the fact that Derrick Jones Jr. and John Collins were much better options to keep in the game. They provide just as much offensively, if not more, and have ample mobility to hold their ground on defense.
Jones Jr., specifically, was also doing a great job on Stephen Curry, who was the game’s leading scorer with 35 points. He made everything much tougher, and despite his excellent efforts, Lue looked the other way.
If, for some odd reason, Lue didn’t prefer Jones Jr. or Collins, Isaiah Jackson was also there. This was his first game back from an injury, and he is capable of excelling on both ends, yet Lue still wanted Lopez.
At the end of the day, Lopez is certainly at fault for the way he played, but Lue could’ve also done his job to avoid what contributed heavily to the losing outcome.
Had a few adjustments been made, the Clippers would be battling with the Phoenix Suns for the eighth seed.
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