While Tyronn Lue has rarely had his Los Angeles Clippers roster at full strength for long stretches during his three seasons as head coach, it seems he won’t be immune to being the fall guy if the team fails again in the 2023 NBA playoffs.
The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the most frustrating teams in the NBA. They have the talent to reach the NBA Finals and win, but their best players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George continue to be dogged by injuries.
It took also season-long for Leonard to get back to full speed and health after an ACL tear, and just when he seemed in peak form George suffered a sprained knee and his availability for the start of the postseason is up in the air.
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There is a lot of money invested in this Los Angeles Clippers team and they have lofty aspirations, especially after several NBA trade deadline deals and the addition of former league MVP Russell Westbrook after a February buyout. That is why there is serious pressure on head coach Tyronn Lue to deliver major results this spring.
Los Angeles Clippers record (’22-’23): 39-35
On a recent addition of the Yahoo Sports’ “Ball Don’t Lie” podcast, NBA insider Jake Fischer explained the rumblings out of LA and how Lue could be gone, one way or the other, if the Clippers don’t go far in the NBA Playoffs.
“Ty Lue, as respected head coach as they come, but there has been chatter, let’s say about potentially him, in theory, removing himself from the situation [as head coach] at a certain point in time. So there’s a lot I think, at stake on the other side of LA where the Lakers get all the attention and LeBron’s quest for a fifth ring is always soaking up the headlines, the Clippers could end up becoming a super buzzy team in the postseason and but again, that could be a situation for a lot of organizations.”
– Jake Fischer (h/t Hoops Hype)
Heading into the weekend the Los Angeles Clippers reside in the fifth spot in the Western Conference. Just two games away from having to compete in the NBA Play-In Tournament.