ALTHOUGH the result was far from desired for the New Zealand Breakers, the performance of Next Star and 2025 NBA Draft prospect Karim Lopez was a massive positive and showed he belongs at the top level against the best in the business.

Lopez and the Breakers took on the Utah Jazz on Saturday morning in an NBA preseason clash, which pits teams from that competition against NBL teams as warmup affairs that also get the latter to a bigger audience around the world.

Despite a competitive first half performance, New Zealand ended up falling by 29 points to the Jazz after a fadeout after the halfway mark of the second quarter, although the NBL team showed its offence can operate against an NBA side.

Lopez announced himself on the world stage with an eye-catching performance, looking comfortable scoring against an NBA defence.

Karim Lopez vs. Utah Jazz

13 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block

Lopez was a massive standout in the Breakers’ matchup against the Jazz, and was rewarded by the coaches with 25 minutes of court time, and he made every post a winner with a performance that would have caught the eye of some key NBA figures watching.

Lopez’s role in the Breakers this season has fluctuated in terms of opportunity, but Saturday’s showing against Utah may force New Zealand to give him considerable court time at a consistent rate throughout the 2024/25 season.

Although coming up against the highest quality opponent of his short career, the youngster did not look out of place one bit, proving to be one of New Zealand’s best performers even when its back was against the wall.

He posted 13 points on 5/8 shooting, showing no fear when attacking the basket and looking smooth on his drives with clever footwork. A play that demonstrated his class saw him poke the ball free from the Utah player that had just pulled down a defensive rebound, gather possession, spin around the defender for an easy lay-up.

It was the sort of play that could have come from a 10-year NBA veteran, and the fact that he is showing the poise to create space in tight areas displays how easy it will be for him to take his game to the next level when an opportunity comes knocking.

Lopez also showed his range from range, looking steady when shooting deep two-pointers and pulling the trigger quick in his shooting motion, not allowing the defender enough time to close out and put on enough pressure.

On the boards, he timed his leaps well, often poking the ball out of the grasp of the opposition player in a better rebounding position and chasing down possession with intent. He finished the game with seven rebounds including three on the defensive end.

Lopez even showed glimpses of interior defence, recording an excellent block that was a pure display of timing and athleticism. Just when it looked like the Utah player was going to finish an easy lay-up, the Next Star swatted the shot into the backboard from behind in an exciting moment for Breakers fans.

It was unfortunate that he missed the following game with a forearm injury, but Lopez made sure to make the most of his opportunity in New Zealand’s outing against Utah.