All this time, and now for the foreseeable future, after what Law Murray of ‘The Athletic’ confirmed once the LA Clippers lost the Play-In Tournament, everyone has been wondering why the front office is so stuck on Tyronn Lue. Sure, he has a championship, took the Clippers to the Western Conference Finals, and has playing experience. But, with nothing done in the playoffs since 2021, there has to be a deeper reason LA doesn’t want to move on.
Well, the Clippers’ front office might actually be keeping Lue in position because there is no one better in the open market. Though this is a fact that the championship head coach may not like, it’s the harsh truth.
If anything, the Clippers would be foolish not to roll with Lue, as this is what's currently in the team's best interest.
The ideal replacement for Lue was taken off the market at the worst time
At various points during the season, fans had wanted Tyronn Lue gone. This was what everyone hoped when the LA Clippers were 6-21, and despite turning things around, Lue has made it clear, through constant disappointments, that someone new needs to take his spot.
In the same breath, the Clippers may have planned to wait until the season ended before revisiting discussions of a switch. There was no chance anything was going to transpire mid-season when LA was fighting for a seventh or eighth seed, as that would’ve caused a host of issues with chemistry, rotation, and mentality.
Unfortunately, days before the Clippers officially entered the offseason, on April 7th, Mike Malone was hired by the University of North Carolina to coach their basketball team.
He was the perfect candidate to replace Lue, given his championship experience, ability to help establish a sustainable foundation, and coaching of a three-time MVP. Malone’s resume is stacked from top to bottom.
The Tar Heels just luckily snagged him before the Clippers could.
There is an argument to replace Lue with Billy Donovan, who willingly didn't want to be back for the Chicago Bulls, but over the years he hasn’t had much success, and that’s a requirement that must be met.
Therefore, the Clippers might as well keep Lue unless someone clearly better becomes available. He has the system memorized like the back of his hand, and the players seem to love him, even if he hasn’t produced anything recently when it matters most.
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