Life often comes down to being in the right place at the right time, and Daniel Theis was exactly where he wanted to be shortly before midnight on Friday: in the Los Angeles Clippers locker room after the win against the Houston Rockets in the US basketball league NBA. He high-fived James Harden, who had decided this game with a rare four-point play when the score was tied six seconds before the end – he had been fouled during a successful three-pointer and then sank the free throw due. It was the Clippers’ first win after six defeats in a row. It was Harden’s first success as a Clipper; the 34-year-old had recently arrived from Philadelphia and had only lost since then.
Of course, it was also the first win for Theis with his new team; he had signed his new contract a few hours before the start of the game: $2.1 million for the rest of the season. If he had stayed with the Indiana Pacers, it would have been 5.7 million more. In the NBA, right time, right place often means making a lot of money. But if you want to choose your own location at a certain time and are not one of the best in the industry, you sometimes have to forego money. But anyone who sees Theis chatting with new teammate Paul George after the game or chatting with physiotherapists will realize: This change cannot be valued in terms of money.
After this conversation with George, he told SZ that he was “excited” when he found out about the change. He was only allowed on the floor once in this young season, for ten minutes – that’s a dip in the career rollercoaster for someone who had just been at the top: in the World Cup title he had 10.9 points and 5 .4 rebounds per game contributed to the German team’s success in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. And of course it was no coincidence that “Filipino Heritage Night” was celebrated during his first game for the Clippers. “I came to the USA directly from the Philippines in the summer; I hadn’t seen the family for a long time,” says Theis. “It took me a while to understand everything. What was special was that we knew each other all since youth.” It was a lot of fun, everything else – statistics, salary – was completely in the background: “I always have the medal with me so that every now and then I remember what we achieved.”
From this feel-good, successful situation he came back to the tough everyday NBA life – and now to the Clippers ensemble, which is full of top players: “You play with four people who will definitely be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” says Theis, and This brings us to the sporting analysis of the transfer: The Clippers are considered a title candidate given prominent names such as Kawhi Leonard (32 years old), George (33), Harden (34) and Russell Westbrook (35). Due to their age, their lack of a title (only Leonard won the championship in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs and in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors) and the current record (4:7), one reading is: There’s no way it’s going to happen.
The Clippers’ quality impresses Theis
Theis is 31, so he’s no longer a youngster, but ultimately he’s what the Clippers need: a reliable defender and clearer under the basket, unpretentious and yet very experienced. He is completing his seventh NBA season and reached the final series with the Boston Celtics in 2022. Debates are currently arising around the Clippers: Is Westbrook finding his way as a bench player, which is what he asked coach Tyronn Lue himself to do? Or: Is it enough even if Leonard and George give their battered bodies more breaks – so who is actually the boss? And: Can Theis be that reliable player around whom there are no debates. On Friday he was on the floor for ten minutes, grabbed three rebounds and defended well.
“I’m the man for the little things: defense, rebounds. It will take a few days to learn the system, find timing and rhythm – but: I came and was allowed to play straight away,” says Theis, the number behind Ivica Zubac two at the center position. Until Mason Plumlee recovers (he will be out for several months with a knee injury), he can be an important part of the team. They have to meet very high expectations, which in turn challenges Theis: “They received me very well. I’m younger than them, but I have a few NBA years under my belt. They know that, there’s respect there.”
Theis feels that the quality of this team is enormous; You can’t talk things down after a few games: “You have to beat us four times in the playoffs. I think I’ve found the best possible situation for myself here.” And it could actually be that Daniel Theis is in the right place at the right time.