For a moment, everyone thought the LA Clippers’ season was going to spiral out of hand. They already had a relatively weak center rotation, and to make it worse, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who had begun to find a consistent groove, went down with a notable leg injury against the Indiana Pacers. Well, the front office lucked out, as Isaiah Jackson, a quality 24-year-old big man who was just given to the Clippers from the Ivica Zubac trade, is the next man up.
Jackson stepped up immediately following the unfortunate news that Niederhauser was ruled out for the game by dropping 10 points, four rebounds, and three blocks, while shooting four of six against his former squad.
Moving forward, the Clippers will need Jackson to play his part on both sides of the ball and pick up where Niederhauser left off, to the best of his ability, especially given the initial speculation that the injury might be serious.
The Clippers sure are glad the Pacers handed over Isaiah Jackson
When taking into account that Yanic Konan Niederhauser couldn’t even walk his way to the locker room for further evaluation, it’s easy to see why life for the LA Clippers, and particularly Brook Lopez, would have been a disaster had the Indiana Pacers not included Isaiah Jackson in the franchise-altering deal.
Lopez would have no one to look to for help, other than maybe Nicolas Batum, who’s been nothing but a liability lately, in a small-ball lineup. Even head coach Tyronn Lue would be confused about where to look for a solution, as none exists.
But that’s not the case; Lopez has a solid helping hand in Jackson, and though the Clippers are officially on their last resort, they do not need to worry about weaknesses in the frontcourt for the rest of the way.
Lopez and Jackson will co-exist well, as both have experience, durability, a two-way presence, and, most importantly, are easy to coach. They’ve also each made sacrifices in Lue’s rotation this season in terms of minutes, which speaks volumes about their mindset.
If Niederhauser returns, excellent. Nothing more needs to be said, as he will re-assume his spot on the bench. However, if he is shut down by the training staff due to severity and risk, the Clippers will still be in a situation that Lue can manage with ease.
Thus, LA and the fans have to be sighing with relief, with Jackson there to the rescue.