Karim Lopez plays against Utah Jazz

Today marks the return of the NBA as preseason games officially begin. In some preseason or friendly games, we can see teams from other professional leagues traveling around the world to play against NBA teams. In today's game at 9pm ET we can watch the New Zealand Breakers travel to Salt Lake City to play the Utah Jazz. This is a great opportunity to see how the NBL's youngest player compares to real NBA players.

The young prospect is Karim Lopez, a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He is not eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft because he does not meet the age requirements. Lopez is an enticing candidate due to his excellent physical and athletic abilities for his age. He is 1.90 meters tall and may still be growing. As Lopez gets older, his body will grow larger and he will continue to gain lower and upper body strength.

His talent is evident when watching him as he shows strong shooting skills and the ability to score in a variety of ways. Lopez has real three-level scoring potential. Although he shows a lot of potential, he is still an unfinished product and a bit raw, which is fine since he is still very young. He's averaged about 12 minutes per game in five total games so far this season, so he's expected to see the field tonight against the Jazz.

This will certainly be the best competition and players he has ever faced in his young career. So expect him to experience some difficulties. Ultimately, this will be a great experience for the next NBL star and could play a crucial role in his development as a player.

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