Translator's Note: This article was originally published on Fansided, written by Iliyan Lakhani. The data in the article are as of the time of publication of the original article (November 20, local time). The opinions in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform.

In nine seasons, John Collins has played for three different teams, and the reason why he may welcome a fourth team before the 2026 trade deadline is that the Los Angeles Clippers were confused by his paper performance. Although Lawrence Frank saw All-Star-caliber numbers on Collins' stat sheet last season, the Clippers quickly realized that there was a deeper reality behind his per-game numbers -- a grinding problem.

Athletic ability and averaging nearly 20 points per game do not mean that a player can gain a foothold anywhere in the league. But Frank doesn't think so, and with James Harden here, the front office is 99% sure that his arrival is a dream come true.

However, the remaining 1% had a huge impact, and Collins struggled, especially when paired with Zubac. This shows that Collins' statistics are far better than his actual performance on the field.

The Los Angeles Clippers have space problems due to the coexistence of Collins and Zubac.

Collins's jump shot during his time with the Utah Jazz was top-notch in terms of statistics, which led Tyronn Lue to believe that he can directly improve the efficiency of any lineup. Unfortunately, his three-point shooting performance has declined over the past 14 games.

Collins currently averages 11.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, shooting 50.4% from the field and 33.3% from the three-point range. Compared with last season, he took fewer three-point attempts and his shooting percentage dropped by 6.6%, which should have been in the opposite direction.

There was also a serious space problem when he partnered with Zubac. According to the data, Collins and the Croatian star played together for 204 minutes and shot only 46.1% from the field.

This shooting rate is normal for the guard combination, because they may choose to take shots in three scoring areas (under the basket, mid-range, and outside the three-point line), which will eventually bring the efficiency to a reasonable level. But for two big players like Collins and Zubac, the minimum requirement should be above 50%.

Since all of Zubac’s shots are concentrated near the basket, Collins’ style of play is too complex for Tyronn Lue to adapt to. Therefore, with his contract about to expire, the Clippers should trade him as soon as possible to a team that is interested in his technical characteristics and $26.5 million contract.

That being said, taking action after recognizing a problem is always the best option, and this is how the Clippers should handle every underperforming player in a similar situation.

For example, although DNPing Brook Lopez, who takes up most of the mid-level exception, will cause the Los Angeles Clippers to suffer a financial loss, it may be the best solution because his slow play is taking a heavy toll on the team. The Clippers now regret that they should not have snatched Lopez from the Lakers' vision, because the Lakers also showed strong interest in signing the former All-Star player.

In addition, the Clippers also realized that the way the Bucks used Lopez did not receive enough recognition. That could be down to Antetokounmpo’s appeal, or it could be Rivers’ system — but either way, head coach Tyronn Lue just can’t find the key to his form last season.

In fact, except for the combination with Harden and Batum, all double lineups that include Lopez and play together for at least 60 minutes have a negative net efficiency value. This suggests Lue should adjust the backup center position after 14 games and move Lopez out of the rotation indefinitely.

The answer to Tyronn Lue's Clippers backup center is on the bench

Fortunately for the Clippers, they have another backup center Niederhauser on their reserve roster.

In 14 games, Lopez averaged 6.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, shooting 42.3% from the field. Every statistic is a career low, which also makes the intuitive feeling true - Tyronn Lue is seeing Lopez in his worst state since he was a professional basketball player.

Therefore, now that Lue has adjusted some of his game plans to incorporate more young players, he might as well make the same adjustments to the center rotation and bring Niederhauser into the second team to replace Lopez.

The rookie center from Pennsylvania State University performed well in the preseason finale against the Golden State Warriors, scoring 13 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. In the regular season playing time, Niederhauser's performance was also very stable. He once made 8 of 7 shots and scored 19 points in 22 minutes.

While there is no guarantee that he will perform better, he moves faster and is more athletic in the penalty area. Therefore, it's worth a try - after all, the Clippers' center position can't be any worse than Lopez is currently in shape.