After the Los Angeles Clippers fell short in the last postseason against the Denver Nuggets in a first-round winner-take-all matchup, it is early in the preseason to have witnessed their rematch.
Despite being dethroned on Saturday night with a score of 102-94, it was a valuable learning experience to see the Clippers’ new additions this offseason and how these players will suit up to compete in bigger teams like the Nuggets.
Brook Lopez, one of the newcomers for the Clippers, played his second preseason game with a stellar performance that earned Kawhi Leonard’s praise for his early contribution.
“I love that we have a shooting five. And we don’t have to put a 6’7” or 6’8” guy in to try to fill that center void. He can score on a small or like size in the post. He’s been doing great… Veteran guy. Well spoken. Knows how to bring humor in the locker room as well. You need that as the season goes on, because you do have a lot of boring days. You need that team camaraderie and somebody to give you a laugh,”
The 7-foot-1 center is entering his 18th NBA season, but faces different rotations this year, as he shares the same spot with the Clippers’ talented center, Ivica Zubac.
Although the franchise prioritizes Zubac, Lopez still has a different play to offer, as Leonard said —a tower with shooting capability.
The veteran big man averaged 13 points, five boards, 1.8 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game with the Milwaukee Bucks last season.
