Clippers' Nicolas Batum Decision Speaks Volumes for His LA Future

The LA Clippers made significant rotation changes in Ben Mathurin's first game with the team.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers lost a hard-fought battle against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. Despite another strong performance from Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers didn't get enough help from the rest of the team and couldn't score enough against a solid defense, leading to a 102-95 loss.

Even though it wasn't the outcome Clippers fans were hoping for, they still got to see their new players in action. Bennedict Mathurin played 25 minutes off the bench, delivering nine points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals on 4/13 shooting from the field. Isaiah Jackson, on the other hand, wasn't part of the rotation and only saw the court in the final five minutes of the game.

Whether these rotation decisions will change as the team builds more chemistry and when Darius Garland gets into the starting lineup remains to be seen. What might be more permanent, however, is the DNP-Coach's Decision Nicolas Batum received on Tuesday.

Ty Lue's Nicolas Batum Decision Raises Eyebrows for New-Look Clippers

Ty Lue had a nine-man rotation that didn't include Batum. In addition to the starting five of Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Kawhi Leonard, John Collins, and Brook Lopez, Mathurin, Jordan Miller, Kobe Sanders, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser made up the rest of the rotation.

This was the second game Batum didn't play all season, and the first game he was a healthy scratch. The fact that Bogdan Bogdanovic has also been a healthy scratch in five of the last six games, including on Tuesday, speaks volumes about the Clippers' plans going forward.

When the Clippers traded James Harden for Darius Garland, there was a lot of emphasis on the organization's desire to get younger. Having started the season as the oldest team in NBA history, the Clippers have been slowly getting younger and more dynamic. Chris Paul is out, Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller are playing an important role, and Niederhauser has begun to play significant minutes.

Batum and Bogdanovic's absences could be seen from the same lens. Lue's decision to keep Batum out of the rotation may be a part of an understanding of the need to play younger players and have a future-focused approach. Batum is 37 years old, and even though he is still a capable veteran, he has slowed down over the last few years. He isn't very involved offensively and is not the difference-maker he was defensively earlier in his Clippers tenure.

How the Clippers manage their rotation the rest of the season will be fascinating to watch. Batum can still help this team, but the Clippers kick-started a new era at the trade deadline, and his time in LA is slowly coming to an end.