LA Clippers: Ty Lue opens up on ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols
By Ray Harris
Rachel Nichols sat down with Ty Lue to discuss taking the LA Clippers coaching job among other things.
During the interview with Rachel Nichols on ESPN’s The Jump on Thursday, the first thing you notice is the 35 pounds LA Clippers coach Ty Lue has lost over the past few months. He wasn’t a large man to begin with, but the weight loss is still very noticeable.
Nichols asked Lue what he’s been doing since the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs after blowing a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets. Lue stated that he basically had a chance to focus on himself, eat better, and had an emotional release outside of basketball. Lue went on to say: “There’s no health issues; I’m ready for the NBA long haul.”
The interview went on with a focus on Lue turning down the Los Angeles Lakers job, and what the outlook is for the future of the Los Angeles Clippers franchise.
Lue stated, “I have no regrets” and “its just business”, in turning down the Lakers’ job.
As you recall, the Lakers only offered Lue a 3-year contract before they offered the job to Frank Vogel, who as their second choice in my opinion, also received a 3-year contract. Even though Lue would have been just as successful as Vogel with this Lakers squad, in his mind the security of a 5-year deal is what he wanted.
Now that Lue has secured that 5-year deal, it’s time for him to get the Clippers to the level that all Clippers fans expect for them to achieve, and that is winning their first NBA championship.
Lue wants to change the way the Clippers play offensively. He wants to play faster, get more easy baskets, and moving the ball with a much crisper pace without being stagnant.
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Lue also touched on the question of team chemistry by stating: “it’s not that we don’t like each other … maybe we should do more things with each other off the court”. It sounds like a simplistic countermeasure to a problem that may be a little more serious than he is leading on.
In any event, Lue is ready to jump in and take the Clippers to the next plateau. He says that the Clippers have the pieces in place to win a championship next season and beyond. He feels that even though Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will have player options in the third year of their contracts, they will be Clippers beyond 2021.
As the old idiom goes… “The proof is in the pudding”, meaning we will find out soon enough if the Lue hire was the right hire. He has the support of owner Steve Ballmer; he has as an Assistant Coach someone who will be a future coach or GM in Chauncey Billups; and a roster with two star players in Leonard and George.
Next. Ty Lue was the obvious but correct choice. dark
Ty Lue knows that it’s now or possibly never for the LA Clippers, and it seems like he’s up to the challenge.