With most of the season in the books, it’s very clear to everyone that the LA Clippers need Kobe Sanders. He’s had a phenomenal rookie campaign, filled with many ups and a few downs, and, most importantly, there's been evident growth. However, on Monday night, Sanders was held out of Tyronn Lue’s primary rotation. Not because of a flaw, but because the Clippers have too many guards. This is a problem, and it has no short-term fix.
Ahead of Sanders were Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Bennedict Mathurin, and Jordan Miller; four guards the Clippers also need on a nightly basis, who will be crucial to the team’s playoff success.
What is Tyronn Lue supposed to do in this situation? Though everyone deserves minutes, only a select few can be given out, leaving someone to receive the short end of the stick.
Tyronn Lue made the right decision against the San Antonio Spurs
Kobe Sanders had a momentum-altering performance versus the San Antonio Spurs, which was pivotal in the LA Clippers' nearly making a double-digit comeback. He posted five points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a +/- of +20(game-high) in 17 minutes.
He left a positive impact and seemingly made the right play at the right time all night, both of which should not be taken for granted.
But whose minutes can he realistically take? It’s certainly not the starting All-Star Darius Garland, game-changing point-of-attack defender Kris Dunn, or lead sixth man Bennedict Mathurin.
This puts Jordan Miller in the conversation, and based on how badly he torched the Spurs(22 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes), as well as the season he’s having, it would be criminal for Tyronn Lue to decrease his playing time.
As a result, it’s clear why Lue did what he did. The correct thought process was there, and had the team played a bit better in certain areas, they would’ve blown the Spurs out of the Intuit Dome.
The problem is that Sanders could be left out of the rotation for the foreseeable future, especially when the whole squad is healthy. Kawhi Leonard wasn’t even there against San Antonio, and the rookie’s minutes were still cut.
In the offseason, a solution could transpire. The front office may trade someone away or create space via another route, but that’s still a while away. The rest of the regular season and playoffs are ahead, and Sanders might, unfortunately, be the odd man out.