Isaiah Jacksonwill be in a starting role for the Los Angeles Clippers on opening night. This shows how good he must have been in the offseason to impress the team and earn a starting role. Jackson’s role with the Clippers will allow him to shine individually while playing winning basketball.
Beating Brook Lopez For The starting spot
The Clippers’ starting center for a majority of last season was Ivica Zubac. Despite being an elite center on both ends, the Clippers started the season 6-21 with Zubac in the starting lineup. Zubac suffered a minor injury that inserted Brook Lopez into the starting lineup in late December of last year.
Brook Lopez impressed immediately as the Clippers went 6-0 in his first six games as a starter. His ability to space the floor allowed for more versatility in the starting lineup, with all five starters being able to shoot. His gravity also provided impact as James Harden and Kawhi Leonard had less defensive attention on them due to the threat of leaving Lopez open from deep.
Upon the Zubac trade to the Pacers, Lopez stayed as the starting center for the remainder of the season, despite the impressive play from Yanic Konan-Niederhauser and Jackson. Jackson beating Lopez for the starting spot shows the improvement from the young center during the offseason.
Jackson does not have the shooting ability of Lopez. He will be used as a high-energy roller to be the lob threat for Darius Garland. The team concluding that a pick-and-roll offense will be more valuable than a pick-and-pop offense is interesting, considering the opposite was the case last season. Jackson must have impressed the coaching staff significantly during the offseason to have earned this role.
Isaiah Jackson’s immediate impact on the team
Jackson will provide immediate impact on the team. His ability to roll at the rim with his impressive athleticism will provide value alongside Garland’s playmaking for the Clippers. The center has also shown flashes of getting his hands in the mix to record steals, as well as protecting the rim with his quick vertical. Not only that, but Keaton Wagler, who has an argument to start for Los Angeles, will also be a good partner for Jackson as well.
The Clippers will also be able to play quicker starting Jackson as opposed to Lopez. For a team that has gone much younger in comparison to last season, speed will be a crucial part of staying in games due to the loss of star power. The speed of Jackson will allow faster basketball to be played and a reliable lob threat in the starting lineup to allow Derrick Jones Jr. to come off the bench.
The return Of Yanic Konan-Niederhauser
The center with the most potential on the roster is Niederhauser. The big man went down with a leg injury last season and is expected to miss the first couple of months of the season. Niederhauser impressed in his stints with the Clippers as he provided value with his shooting, defense, and attacking the rim during his short tenure in the rotation until his injury.
The Clippers’ ultimate decision to start Jackson over Lopez could stem from their long-term goal of inserting Niederhauser into the starting lineup. It would be easier to insert Niederhauser into the Jackson role as opposed to the Lopez role, as Niederhauser plays the fast, athletic form of basketball similarly to Jackson. Lopez, on the other hand, is a pure stretch-five who relies on his shooting and spacing to contribute, which will be harder to replace with Niederhauser.
Niederhauser is a much more capable shooter than Jackson. Once Niederhauser is ready to be inserted into the starting role, it will be easy to replace Jackson’s role while adding a shooting center in addition. Niederhauser is a perfect mix of all the good attributes that both Jackson and Lopez provide. Starting Jackson may be a move in consideration of Niederhauser to hold the fort down until the young center is ready to go.
The Last Word
Jackson earning the starting role over Lopez is impressive considering the way last season went. Providing spacing at the center position showed more value, leading to many more wins compared to starting an inside center. The Clippers may be aware of this and are only starting Jackson pending the arrival of Niederhauser, who will ultimately replace Jackson as the franchise’s starting center.
Featured Image: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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