Clippers' Brook Lopez Problem Shouldn't Go Unnoticed

In the 2025 offseason, the Los Angeles Clippers signed Brook Lopez to a two-year, $18 million deal in free agency. The 37-year-old was supposed to be the best backup Ivica Zubac had in recent years. His unique combination of rim protection and shooting was an intriguing addition, but so far the Clippers' bet on the veteran center hasn't worked out.

Lopez's age has finally caught up to him in his 18th season in the league. After adjusting his game to the modern NBA in an admirable way, Lopez extended his career, becoming one of the best two-way centers in the league, especially during his Milwaukee Bucks years. Even in his heyday, however, Lopez was never the fastest and most athletic big man in the league. Now, it seems like he has lost another step or two, making him a difficult fit, especially when the rest of the Clippers are also old, slow, and underathletic.

Brook Lopez Is a Big Reason Why the Clippers Are a Defensive Mess

This decline is a big reason why the Clippers currently have the second-worst defensive rating in the NBA. They get destroyed in transition night in and night out. In fact, when Lopez is on the court, the Clippers give up 171.2 points per 100 transition possessions, per Cleaning the Glass data. This would rank as the worst transition defense in the history of the NBA by a large margin.

It's not like Lopez is making an impact in the areas he is supposed to be good at. Lopez has the size and length to at least be able to affect shots at the rim. However, the Clippers allow 69.3% shooting in shots within four feet of the basket when he is on the court, per Cleaning the Glass, a mark way below league average. The Clippers are also struggling rebounding the ball with Lopez on the floor, allowing a whopping 34.7% offensive rebound rate.

To sum up, the Clippers are a defensive disaster with Lopez on the floor. Offensively, things are not much better. Lopez has shooting splits of 42.9/35.4/62.5 for the season. He is in the midst of the second-least efficient season of his career. His floor spacing can still be valuable, and he still gets guarded out there as a respected three-point shooter, but he is no longer a productive offensive player, either.

The Clippers went all-in on experience this summer and added aging veterans. Chris Paul is already out of the rotation, Bradley Beal is out for the season, and Lopez has been nowhere near what the team expected of him. Ty Lue deserves some blame for the team's disappointing start, but the front office's big blunders shouldn't be ignored. Signing Lopez has been a major mistake that Lawrence Frank would surely want to take back.

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