The mutual agreement the LA Clippers came to with Brook Lopez in the summer was poorly regarded once he left the rotation. The front office took advantage of the mid-player exception, overlooked its value, and is now set to suffer a lot of agony and pain, with his seven-foot body being the Clippers’ only option after an injury to Ivica Zubac.
It was recently and officially confirmed that Zubac had suffered an ankle sprain the moment he could not help himself off the ground without limping against the Los Angeles Lakers. This is devastating, as the Croatian Star is the Clippers’ sturdiest player.
Thus, for at least the next three weeks, Lopez will likely be Tyronn Lue’s starter. This is the amount of time until Zubac’s ankle gets checked out for a firm return date, and simultaneously, the amount of time the Clippers will go through severe hardship, adding insult to injury in their move to sign the one-time all-star.
Any other center option would have been better than Brook Lopez at a time like now
At age 37, as the oldest active LA Clipper, Brook Lopez will most likely start Tuesday evening versus Alperen Sengun and the Houston Rockets. It is 2025, yet Tyronn Lue needs Lopez to put a body on Sengun.
Though Sengun will take advantage of Lopez’s immobility and maximize his go-to shot fakes, a small-ball lineup with Nicolas Batum or Kobe Brown at center would get put in a blender and guarantee a miserable, failed attempt against Houston’s rising superstar.
Moreover, in the possessions of Sengun and the upcoming big men on schedule like Jalen Duren, cooking Lopez, it is difficult to comprehend where the front office placed $18 million in trust if Ivica Zubac went down.
Lopez was the finalized choice, yet free agents like Clint Capela, Deandre Ayton, Mo Wagner, Jock Landale, and Kevon Looney were available; each of these players is receiving less annual money in their pockets.
Additionally, each is at a better age to produce and is worth the money they signed to. Lopez exemplifies a contradiction in pristine value, and will now be forced into the rotation, going against the preference of Tyronn Lue and all of the fans.
That said, the Clippers’ acquisition of Lopez deserves the worst grade possible. He was a liability with Ivica Zubac, and will inevitably worsen the narrative of LA's decision on him in the near future.