In a six-point loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Nicolas Batum was atrocious in the clutch. Head coach Tyronn Lue had him on the floor because of his experience, yet he logged a costly turnover, which has happened one too many times this season. On top of that, he has been relatively ineffective on either side of the ball as of late, suggesting it is now time to remove him from the rotation.
All Lue is getting out of Batum is decent floor spacing, respectable defensive effort, and a couple of rebounds on a nightly basis. How is this enough to be played on a team that is fighting for dear life to crack the upper echelon of the play-in tournament?
Thus, Lue has a number of options on the third-string reserves list to replace Batum with. The bottom line is that he has no business playing for the remainder of the season, and when the offseason hits, the choice on his team-option, which will most likely be declined, is painfully obvious.
Nicolas Batum should be sitting on the LA Clippers’ bench indefinitely
Tyronn Lue must accept that a 37-year-old Nicolas Batum is best on the sidelines, where he can simply be used to motivate and encourage his teammates. Right now, this is the perfect role for him, as on the court, he does not score much, is inefficient from beyond the arc, and has shown flashes of struggle in making the right decision.
In fact, during the month of February, Batum has played 141 minutes, scored just 15 points, turned the ball over eight times, and has had a net rating of -1.6. He is also shooting 29.4% from three and has not attempted a single shot inside.
These numbers are concerning, and it seems there are several options, like Isaiah Jackson, Cam Christie, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, who would certainly be producing a lot more with the same amount of playing time.
Maybe, some time down the line, if the LA Clippers desperately need his perimeter presence or Lue is short-staffed, he can play, but currently, the seasoned veteran needs to be benched until further notice.
It would be an unusual sight, considering how great he was in the 2025 playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, yet the reason Lue is making this decision stems from the flaws fans have seen with their own eyes over the last few weeks.