LAS VEGAS — Brook Lopez has never played for the Clippers.
Yet his free agent signing with them this summer is a sort of homecoming, with multiple ties between the Southern California native and the Clippers. That starts with team president Lawrence Frank.
“He was my coach way back when in 2008 with the New Jersey Nets,” Lopez said. “So it’s definitely a full circle moment.”
Lopez was a hot name early in free agency, linked to the Lakers (a team he did play for in the past), the Rockets, and others, but he signed a two-year, $17.9 million contract to back up Ivica Zubac with the Clippers.
“Everything happened pretty fast, but looking at my options, I was just thrilled the Clippers reached out and were one of them,” Lopez said. “You know, they’ve been a great team for quite a while now. They have a ton of great players, obviously Hall of Famers, all sorts of great young players. I got Zuby [Ivica Zubac]. And there’s just a great chance to win a championship here.”
Among Lopez’s connections with the Clippers is Zubac — they were teammates on the Lakers a decade ago. Look for Tyronn Lue, who likes big lineups, to experiment with playing Lopez and Zuback together.
“I think we complement each other extremely well,” Lopez said. “Obviously, we’ll be very big. I think we’d be great defensively, just dominating the paint, sealing the paint off. Then offensively, we complement each other there as well, spread the floor for him, give him all the room in the paint for them to go wild.”
Lopez’s primary role with the Clippers will be as a backup big behind Zubac, but because of his floor spacing shooting — 37.3% from beyond the arc on 4.7 attempts a game last season — he’s going to find himself in a lot of different lineups and roles.
“We’ll see. I’m capable of a lot of stuff,” Lopez said. “Obviously, I’m comfortable spreading the floor. I’m comfortable being in the post. I love defending, I love being anchor on defense. Bottom line, I just want to help the team win. Whatever they need me to do, whatever they see fit for my role, I’m going to be working as hard as possible to be great at that.”
One teammate Lopez thinks there will be fast chemistry with is James Harden — Lopez knows where his points will come from.
“I’m going to get as many pick-and-rolls with him as possible,” Lopez said with a laugh. “Just get in that pocket. I know he’s going to make something good out there.”
The other role Lopez will play with the Clippers is that of a mentor.
The Clippers have a few young players, most notably No. 30 pick Yanic Konan Niederhauser, a center from Switzerland via Penn State, a 6’10 “center who has moved well and shown flashes at Summer League.
Lopez is excited about being a veteran mentor.
“I was fortunate to play with a lot of great players throughout my career: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Vince Carter. I can keep going down the line, but particularly KG was someone I was fortunate to play with when I was a younger player in this league and he helped mold me to the player I am today.
“So I think it’s only right to pass on the things he taught me. Help the younger guys the same way he helped me. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.”
Ultimately, Lopez is back home in Southern California — closer to Disneyland than he has been at any stop in his professional career — and about to play for a franchise that was not on his radar growing up.
“I’m a Cali boy. I grew up in the valley, North Hollywood. Obviously, things were very different back then,” Lopez said. “To see where the Clippers have come now, it’s just astonishing. It’s beautiful.”
The Clippers think it’s beautiful to have him in their lineup, too. It’s a sort of homecoming.
Read the full article here