The Los Angeles Clippers are integrating Brook Lopez into their rotation, and head coach Tyronn Lue is leaning on his past experience with stretch bigs.
“I’m back to my Channing Frye and Kevin Love days back in Cleveland,” Lue said, noting that both he and Lopez are finding comfort in similar offensive and defensive schemes.
Lopez, who joined the Clippers this offseason, has shown early promise in the 2025–26 preseason. In two games, he averaged 16.5 minutes, shot 58.5% from the field, and drained 50% of his three-point attempts against Denver and Guangzhou.
The 7-foot-1 center brings spacing and rim protection, complementing stars like Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and John Collins. His ability to stretch the floor allows Lue to recreate the Cleveland-style offense that thrived with floor-spacing bigs, improving driving lanes for guards and wings.
Players like Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, and Ivica Zubac benefit from Lopez’s presence both on pick-and-pop situations and defensive rotations.
Brook’s preseason performances suggest he is quickly adjusting to Lue’s system. Against Denver, he scored 15 points, including three three-pointers, while blocking three shots in just 17 minutes. Against Guangzhou, he added nine points and three rebounds, showing early chemistry with the team’s starters and bench units.
