Konan Niederhauser is earning high praise from Coach Lue.
The Los Angeles Clippers are starting to see something special from their rookie center, and head coach Ty Lue is taking notice.
After Monday night's 114-101 win over the Golden State Warriors, Lue did not hold back when talking about the play of Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who turned in one of his best performances of the season.
"He was a game changer... the biggest thing is defensively. Challenging every shot, blocking shots at the rim," Lue said after the game.
Konan Niederhauser backed up those words with the numbers to match, finishing with 11 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, and two steals in just 21 minutes off the bench against Golden State.
He shot 3-of-6 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line while committing zero turnovers, and his four blocks tied a season high that he also set just one game earlier against the Orlando Magic.
A Growing Role Since the Trade Deadline
The 30th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Penn State has seen his minutes and role grow since the Clippers traded Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers at the February 5th deadline.
On the season, the Swiss-born big man is averaging 4.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in limited time, but the numbers look completely different when he actually gets on the floor for real stretches.
Over his last four games, Konan Niederhauser has averaged 8.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 20.7 minutes per game, showing the two-way potential that made him a first-round pick.
His ability to protect the rim has been the standout quality so far, and it is the thing that Lue seems most excited about as the team pushes toward the play-in tournament.
What It Means for the Clippers Going Forward
The Clippers sit at 29-31 on the season and are right in the middle of the Western Conference play-in race, while the Warriors hold a 31-30 record and are trying to stay above .500 themselves.
With Kawhi Leonard averaging 27.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game this season, Los Angeles has the star power at the top of their roster, and Konan Niederhauser is proving he can be a piece that helps them on the other end of the floor.
Lue also pointed out that the next step for the rookie is on the offensive side of the ball.
He mentioned that Konan Niederhauser can shoot the basketball and that the coaching staff wants to see him pick and pop more, space the floor, and take threes as he gets more comfortable with his role.
The Clippers traded away both Harden and Zubac at the deadline, but the emergence of Konan Niederhauser at center has softened the blow of losing their former starting five-man.
With the way the 22-year-old has been playing, especially on the defensive end, it feels like the Clippers may have found their center of the future with the last pick of the first round.
For a team that is still fighting to stay in the playoff picture, having a young player step up the way Konan Niederhauser has is exactly what the Clippers needed.
If he keeps growing the way he has over the past few weeks, the rookie could end up being one of the best values from the entire 2025 draft class.