Brook Lopez has been valuable to the Los Angeles Clippers since he first joined the team last season. Lopez’s shooting ability is among the best in the league at the center position and has enhanced the offense every time he touches the floor. His defense has also held up, making him a positive asset on both sides of the floor. The Clippers need to start Lopez to bring themselves back into the win column.
Brook Lopez Is a Winner
The Los Angeles Clippers started last season with a 6-21 record, with Lopez coming off the bench in every game. Upon Ivica Zubac‘s grade two left ankle sprain, the team was forced to insert Lopez into the starting lineup. The Clippers immediately went on a five-game win streak, demonstrating the value provided by Lopez’s spacing to the offense.
The former center of the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks team that won the NBA championship knows how to contribute to winning basketball. In the first two games of the 2026-2027 NBA season, Lopez has a positive plus-minus in both games, despite the team being 1-1. The center is a +19 off the bench, and the team has been struggling on both sides of the floor when he subs out.
Isaiah Jackson Makes the Starting Lineup Redundant
Isaiah Jackson has been a solid piece for the Clippers since he joined the team at the trade deadline last season. The idea of inserting Jackson into the Clippers’ starting lineup made sense initially until the Clippers revealed Brandon Ingram’s injury replacement in the starting five. The Clippers starting Derrick Jones Jr. at the small forward position has made Jackson’s role in the starting lineup redundant. That’s because Jones satisfies the need to have a lob threat alongside Darius Garland.
Garland thrives with an athletic rim presence on the court with him, as he is able to make reads inside the paint for an easy dunk. Starting Jones limits the spacing Garland needs to operate. Inserting Lopez into the starting lineup fixes this redundant offense while making Jackson even more valuable by having a lob threat off the bench.
One of the Best Shooting Centers in the NBA
Lopez is one of the best shooting centers in the NBA. His gravity is respected among opposing teams, and inserting him into the starting lineup will help the rest of the rotation. Garland will be able to operate with a more five-out offense, giving him more options when making plays.
Kris Dunn will find himself left wide open more often due to the respect Lopez demands if his defender rotates away from him. Jones Jr. will thrive as the lone lob threat in the starting lineup as the paint will no longer be as clogged due to Lopez playing away from it. Finally, Rui Hachimura will increase his scoring as he has been struggling to find open shots due to the lack of gravity in the starting lineup.
Still an Elite Rim Protector
Lopez was the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year runner-up for the 2022-2023 season. Despite being a few years removed from that, Lopez is still an elite rim protector. The starting lineup desperately needs a better defensive center to match up against the starting centers in the league.
In the two games the Clippers have played this season, Domantas Sabonis and Walker Kessler have dominated in their minutes. Sabonis recorded 14 points, 18 rebounds, and eight assists against the Clippers, while Kessler recorded 22 points, eight rebounds, and six blocks. Jackson, being a six-foot-eight center, is too small to match up against the league’s greatest giants. Lopez, being seven-f00t-one, allows for better coverage around the rim due to his size and strength.
The Last Word
The Clippers are 1-1 despite being torched by the starting centers they have matched up against. Inserting Lopez into the starting lineup allows for a well-rounded rotation with better shooting, defense, and spacing provided for the rest of the starters. In order for the Clippers to get back in the win column, inserting Lopez into the starting lineup will be the team’s best decision.
Featured Image: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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