By record, the LA Clippers are currently 2-2, ranked sixth in the Western Conference. James Harden's performances should be celebrated, yet the reason they are .500, and not worse, despite their all-around issues, is the efforts of Brook Lopez.
In just 16.8 minutes per game, Lopez has changed the way teams guard the Clippers. They can no longer float in and out of the paint, as the big man is an elite three-point shooter. This makes it easy to run simple actions with screens, as the defense can get confused, especially if the home crowd in Intuit Dome is on its feet, chanting loudly enough that the opposing team cannot clearly communicate.