In sports, the media can be held responsible for excitement, and this is why there is one specific day out of every NBA calendar year dedicated to goals, press conferences, and team pictures. Thus, the only outcome should be a thrilled fan base ready for the season to begin.
Furthermore, fans of the LA Clippers received plenty of updates during today’s media day. Kawhi Leonard discussed the off-court allegations, James Harden mentioned specific agendas, and John Collins covered his conversations with the two-time champion, specifically on defensive growth.
However, head coach Tyronn Lue also got a chance to speak and exhilarate the fan base. He maximized his share by remaining optimistic on his point of view on the three-time All-Star, Bradley Beal.
Fans heard Lue say similar words in a recent interview, but the fact that he is reiterating his feelings shows he is convinced, even if it may seem unrealistic to others.
Tyronn Lue’s defensive aspirations for Bradley Beal seem unattainable
Although having Bradley Beal as a teammate will benefit several players, Tyronn Lue seems the most excited that the LA Clippers are rostering his talents. This should be because he is an unstoppable scorer, but the championship head coach is clearly beyond ready to see defensive domination.
Lue believes in Beal, and he is not the only one, as Law Murray of “The Athletic” reported during the Clippers’ media day that Jeff Van Gundy is also in on the challenge of him executing the Clippers’ defensive scheme.
Having faith from the head coach and assistant is pivotal, but the statements left for fans to reflect on after today will be seen as unrealistic. This is because Beal paved his way to one day becoming a potential Hall-of-Famer through scoring.
Defense has never truly been up his alley, but there is a chance Lue is speaking from what he has seen in practice, and that could be Beal trying twice as hard in sliding his feet and learning ways to improve from Kris Dunn.
Yet, Lue should have explained his thought process on the expectation for Beal with more realism. Then, mid-season, once the fans see a change, a real campaign could have begun for him to run for an All-Defensive selection.
Nonetheless, Lue is hopeful, and the only way to see if he was right is for Clipper Nation to make a later evaluation on Beal after he has had enough games to prove that he is a two-way guard.