Ty Lue claims LA Clippers signing will be ‘huge’ towards stopping Nikola Jokic next season

Ty Lue wants new signing Brook Lopez to defend Nikola Jokic

The Clippers have completed deals for Bradley Beal, John Collins, Brook Lopez, Chris Paul, and more players this offseason.

Lue is particularly excited about Lopez’s ability as a backup center to compete against Jokic if they face the Nuggets again.

The Clippers did not previously have a quality alternative to Ivica Zubac to slow down the three-time Most Valuable Player.

“This year, starting [training] camp, Kawhi is healthy,” Lue said about the Clippers’ expectations. “We know when he has a camp and he’s healthy, he’s a monster. James is back.

“We’ve got Brook Lopez, who will be huge for us. I think he’s another big body we can throw at Jokic.

“When we’ve played against Denver, when Zubac is out of the game, we’ve always been small, and so he has punished us inside, being able to score. We have to double-team him, and then he picks us apart with his passing.

“Just for us being healthy for the majority of the season, I think we have the chance to do some special things.”

Ty Lue sets expectations for Bradley Beal on LA Clippers

Lue also welcomed Bradley Beal to the Clippers this summer after two unsuccessful seasons with the Phoenix Suns.

The head coach is not concerned that Beal will underperform as the third option behind Kawhi Leonard and James Harden in Los Angeles.

“Yeah, I think Norm led the team in scoring last year and had a career year,” Lue explained. “He was phenomenal. When you lose a guy like Norm, it’s always tough to make up for that.

“But Bradley Beal has been a perennial All-Star, who has averaged 30 a couple of times in his career. He’s definitely going to be a big help for us offensively.

“We’re going to need him to score, but outside of scoring, we’re going to need him to make plays for other guys, too. He’s going to draw two or three guys, and he’s going to make a pass.

“And defensively, he’s always been good, but you have to challenge him every night. If he’s on bad players, he’s not as good. But if he’s guarding a guy that can play, he’s a really good defender. We need his total all-around package.”