A pair of former Penn State players made considerable impacts for their respective NBA teams recently.
A rookie set some career highs while a veteran earned a spot in a starting lineup last week.
Here’s what stood out from recent games.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser, center, Los Angeles Clippers
Usual starting center Ivica Zubac missed some time due to injury, causing the Los Angeles Clippers to give more playing time to centers Brook Lopez and Yanic Konan Niederhäuser.
Konan Niederhäuser took advantage of the opportunity, particularly during the Clippers’ 131-90 win over the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 30, as he tallied a career-high 16 points and six rebounds.
He’s flashed his potential as a paint presence, typically making some dunks when he sees extended playing time, such as this one when Los Angeles defeated the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 28.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser. pic.twitter.com/AyMMORzhVg
— Will Horstman (@WillHorstman_) December 29, 2025
Konan Niederhauser is averaging 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game on 64.9% shooting from the field. His per-40-minute averages are 15.2 points and 9.9 rebounds, as he only plays an average of 8.8 minutes per game.
The first-round NBA draft pick has received praise from his teammates, with point guard James Harden saying “the sky’s the limit” for him.
“He works his butt off before games, and he’s prepared,” Harden said in a video posted by Grant Mona of The Sporting Tribune on Friday via X. “When he gets into the game situations, he takes advantage of it … As a young guy in this league, the more reps and opportunities you get, the better off you’ll be, especially in the right environment, in the right system.”
Konan Niederhäuser kicked off the new year by seeing a career-high 27 minutes in a 118-101 win over the Utah Jazz last Thursday. He recorded a career-high 10 rebounds, six points and two blocks while shooting 3-of-7.
Foul trouble arose in recent games, as Konan Niederhauser logged at least four fouls in four of his last six appearances. He’s a developmental player for the Clippers, and forward Kawhi Leonard explained what he has to do to reach his potential.
“He still got a ways to go, just getting comfortable in the game, getting a little bit more meaner, just knowing how big he is on the floor,” Leonard said in a video posted by Law Murray of The Athletic on Friday via X. “Playing more is gonna help him, but he’s been great. Listening, getting big rebounds, contesting shots at the rim. He has a lot of fight in him. But to take that next step, he got to get more aggressive and just play more and just learn his spacing and everything else.”
Jalen Pickett, guard, Denver Nuggets
With the Denver Nuggets enduring some injuries, guard Jalen Pickett cracked the starting lineup twice last week.
Pickett started in the Nuggets’ 106-103 win over the Toronto Raptors last Wednesday, when he went off in the first half with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and was +7 in 16 minutes. However, his shots didn’t fall in the second half, as he finished 4-of-11 from the field and 2-of-7 from 3-point range.
Driving for ✌️ pic.twitter.com/m6eRinmQlY
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 1, 2026
The second-round pick in the 2023 NBA draft earned his second-straight start during Denver’s 113-108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He shot the ball well with 4-of-5 shooting from the field and 1-of-2 shooting from 3-point range, ending with nine points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals.
Pickett continued to see action in the Nuggets’ most recent game, tallying three points, four rebounds and three assists in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. He’s averaging 3.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this season through 20 appearances, including three starts.
It’s Pickett’s third year in the NBA, in which he’s spent all of his time in Denver. Last season, Pickett started four games and even recorded a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a loss versus the San Antonio Spurs on April 2.
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