The success of the Clippers can be tracked to one man, but not the one most believe is responsible for the team’s recent surge.
Since James Harden joined the Clippers in November, they have won 20 of 26 games after a six-game losing streak, and 15 of their past 18 games. But it’s not the guy with the beard who has the Clippers playing like potential champions.
It’s the guy in the quarter-zip standing on the sideline, who has figured out how to blend four superstars into a cohesive unit, convincing four egos to willingly sacrifice their games in the name of Larry O’Brien.
Tyronn Lue.
“You said James Harden Clippers? Nah, it’s the T-Lue Clippers,” Lakers star LeBron James said to a reporter after pulling out a three-point victory over the Clippers on Sunday night. “I know T-Lue very well. It don’t take long to make sure (stuff is) right. Took five games and they’ve been cooking since.”
James is biased. Lue coached the all-time scoring leader to an NBA championship in his hometown with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and three years ago, James called Lue “T-Lue is great … simply the best coach in the game.”
He apparently continues to hold that opinion, a view shared by others in NBA circles.
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he didn’t know exactly how Harden would fit alongside Paul Geroge, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook, but had faith Lue would find a way.
“Ty, he is great at so many things in this profession,” Spoelstra said. “One of ’em is managing guys and getting them to buy into roles, but also, he has a creative mind to be able to try to figure things out. And I’m sure he was just loving the idea of the challenge of it. And they have found a formula right now that’s really working for them.”
Spoelstra, who has experience managing big personalities in Miami, said he refrained from dispensing advice to Lue via texts. He simply offered how the trade that brought Harden to L.A. would generate chatter around the league and on social media. A lot on social media.
“There’s just a whole heck of a lot of noise, and that’s what we were talking about on that text chain,” Spoelstra said. “It’s fun to go through that experience because it’s so uncomfortable and then everybody has no idea really what it takes unless you’ve been in a locker room like that.
“I think he’s just really embraced that. And Ty, he’s built for that. He’s built for this kind of team, and I think you’re seeing his leadership come through.”
Phoenix Suns coach Frank Vogel echoed Spoelstra, calling Lue “one of the best in the business.”
Even the players agree. Clippers center Ivica Zubac said it was Lue who kept the team steady when the losses piled up and quieted concerns when outside noise got loud.
“He was giving us confidence, he was telling us this is not going to last for a long time, (that we’re going to figure out, figure out how we want to play both ways. (He kept saying) it’s going to happen, and he was the one that was preaching that from the start, and we trusted it,” Zubac said. “Now we’re playing at a high level, and everyone is really confident. We know what we want to do, and it’s been a big time for him.”
For the most part, Lue has remained modest about his role in the team’s upswing, not only in the standings but also in the national conscience. He credits the players for buying in and making sacrifices that have led to a 23-13 record and a fourth-place spot in the Western Conference, only mildly conceding his role before Monday night’s victory over the Suns.
“I think it was a lot of voices, myself, Russ, James, PG, Kawhi, just talking through it,” Lue said. We went through a tough stretch and as the head coach, I just felt it was my duty to make sure I stayed positive no matter how dark it looked at the time. I just knew I had confidence. Once we figured it out, we can be a pretty good team.”
When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV/radio: Bally Sports SoCal, 570 AM
