Yanic Konan Niederhäuser’s early season was defined by deep-bench obscurity and empty minutes that consistently bled value. Even when his shot actually fell, the underlying metrics painted a bleak picture of his on-court presence. Take the 10/24 vs PHX matchup, where he dropped 6 points on perfect 3-for-3 shooting in just 5 minutes. Despite that flawless offensive burst, he still posted a -1.7 impact score because his complete lack of playmaking and defensive resistance immediately negated the buckets. Given a longer leash on 12/02 vs MIA, he managed another 6 points in 12 minutes but sank to a brutal -8.3 impact by grabbing just a single rebound and failing to anchor the second unit. The bottom completely fell out on 12/27 vs POR during a scoreless 12-minute cardio session that resulted in a disastrous -16.8 impact. He simply floats through games without generating assists or securing the glass. Until he learns to do the gritty rotational work, his brief appearances will remain a heavy tax on the lineup.

Yanic Konan Niederhäuser’s midseason stretch was defined by extreme rotational whiplash, alternating between highly efficient offensive outbursts and total invisibility at the end of the bench. He looked like a genuine frontcourt weapon on 12/31 vs SAC, pouring in 16 points and 6 rebounds to generate a stellar +10.2 impact score. That massive positive mark stemmed directly from decisive, hyper-efficient 6-for-8 shooting and aggressive rim runs that kept the offense humming. He caught fire again on 01/15 vs WAS, hitting all seven of his field goal attempts for another 16 points and a +3.9 impact. The rest of the month was a wasteland. Look no further than his disastrous stint on 01/28 vs UTA. A completely vacant stat line—zero points, zero rebounds, and zero assists in six minutes—resulted in a catastrophic -13.1 impact score. When the offense wasn't spoon-feeding him at the rim, his defensive passivity and sheer lack of floor engagement actively dragged the second unit down.