Clippers' Brook Lopez Problem Hit a New Low on Friday

The already-struggling Brook Lopez just played his worst game of the season.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers finally ended their six-game losing streak on Friday by squeezing out a double-overtime win over the Mavericks. While it was great to see the Clippers get back on the W column, what it took to beat one of the worst teams in the league should still terrify the fanbase. James Harden had to put up a 41-point triple-double while playing a career-high 51 minutes. Ivica Zubac and Bogdan Bogdanovic arguably had the best games of their seasons, but the Clippers' deep, underlying problems remain.

Among those, one of the most significant ones is Brook Lopez. The veteran center has not been giving anything to the Clippers all season, and things hit a new low on Friday. Lopez played a season-low nine minutes and 48 seconds against the Mavericks. The Clippers lost those minutes by 13, highlighting once again how big a problem this has been.

Clippers' Backup Center Problem Keeps Getting Worse

When Lopez first came into the game, the Clippers were leading by 10 with four minutes left in the first quarter. Lopez went back to the bench with 9:30 left in the second quarter, and the Mavs were up 40-34. This forced Ty Lue to keep Lopez's minutes short in the second half as the 37-year-old center only played the last three minutes of the third quarter and never saw the court again. He finished with a missed shot and three rebounds, and didn't have any other stats for the game.

This forced Zubac to play a season-high 46 minutes, and he was excellent, finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block. He was a team-best +25 in his minutes. While Zubac playing himself into form is a great sign for the Clippers, the fact that they had to play him so much is not a great sign.

Depth was supposed to be one of the biggest strengths for the Clippers. Many thought of this team as one of the deepest teams in the NBA. This hasn't translated to the court so far this season. Chris Paul is already out of the rotation, Bradley Beal is out for the season, and Lopez is heading towards the fringes of the rotation.

Lopez has never been the quickest or the most athletic big man in the NBA. He made up for it with his size and length. His rim protection, combined with his high-level three-point shooting, made him a unique two-way force. In his heyday, he had the ability to completely shut off the rim defensively.

Perhaps, on another team that could surround him with young athletes on the perimeter, Lopez could still look good as a defensive anchor in a drop scheme. The Clippers don't have that personnel. Next to other aging veterans, Lopez's shortcomings are looking worse and will, unfortunately, continue to be a major problem for Ty Lue going forward.