LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Clippers taking on the New York Knicks on Sunday night marked the second meeting between head coaches Tyronn Lue and Tom Thibodeau. The Knicks won the previous meeting against the Clippers in January, and Sunday wasn't any different.
The Knicks defeated the Clippers, 116-90, led by RJ Barrett's 24 points. Lue continued to showcase his unorthodox approach as a coach, and although it was unsuccessful on Sunday, it once again grabbed the attention of Thibodeau.
“I think Ty’s always stayed true to himself,” Tom Thibodeau said of the Clippers coach. “He’s not afraid to try things. As a player he was a little bit of a gambler, we used to have to sit on him a little bit but it’s just, and again he’s a student of the game so having an understanding of what works and not be afraid to try something different, I think he’s always had that. He’s a risk-taker and it’s served him well but that’s his personality.”
“Ty’s always stayed true to himself. He’s not afraid to try things. As a player he was a little bit of a gambler, we used to have to sit on him a little bit… He’s a risk-taker and it’s served him well. That’s his personality.”
– Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau on Clippers’ Tyronn Lue pic.twitter.com/SsvFOBCEDI
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 7, 2022
Lue's final NBA season came in 2008-09 with the Orlando Magic, and it was a rather abrupt end to his 11-year NBA career. He joined the Boston Celtics' training camp roster for the 2009-10 season but ultimately didn't make the roster. According to both Thibodeau and Doc Rivers, the Celtics tried to find ways to keep Lue around, and ultimately created a spot for him as an assistant coach.
“I came in right before camp and just played a week with them in the summertime,” Lue added. “I actually played pretty well, so I thought I was gonna make the team, but I made the team as a coach instead of a player.
“Just keeping me around, Thibs showed me a lot, taught me a lot, and Doc did the same, and so did Lawrence Frank. He taught me a lot, moreso with Thibs and Lawrence, just the work ethic and what it takes to be a coach and defensive coach and Doc just the work you have to put in, it’s a lot of work, you know, so learning that right off the bat really helped me to become who I am today.”
Lue, who was 32 years old entering that 2009-10 season, told ClutchPoints he wasn't ready to retire at the time and had a few overseas options. After talking through the decision with members of his camp, Lue decided to take Rivers up on his offer.
The temporarily-retired Lue put in a call to his former coach to join Boston's coaching staff. The next day, Rivers, team president Danny Ainge, and the Celtics created a spot for the now-Clippers coach.
“I wasn't sure how it would go,” Lue told ClutchPoints. “I really didn't know what to expect.”
“He was sort of at the end (of his career),” Thibodeau explained before the Knicks win. “He wasn’t the same player. Then when we were in Boston, it was one last-ditch effort to try to hang on and we were trying to figure out any way we could keep him on the roster. It just got to the point where we had to make a decision. He played in the fall about as hard as I’ve ever seen a veteran play. He was trying to do all that he could to make the team and he had a great relationship with Doc and I think that played a big part of it. Danny Ainge loved him, all the players, Kevin Garnett, it was natural and it was great for us and it was great for him.”
“When we were in Boston, it was one last-ditch effort to try to hang on [to him] & we were trying to figure out any way we could keep him on the roster. We had to make a decision. He played in the fall about as hard as I’ve ever seen a veteran play.”
Tom Thibodeau on Tyronn Lue pic.twitter.com/Erlp86X6aI
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 7, 2022
Lue's first assignment from Rivers was to work with Garnett and Rajon Rondo. Over time, Lue started taking more responsibility, both with the offense and the defense. He worked with Thibodeau, and once he left for the Chicago Bulls job, worked with Frank as well.
“You could see it when he played,” said Thibodeau, who coached Lue as an assistant on the Houston Rockets. “His personality, his demeanor, the way he can bring people together, and then he’s a student of the game, he loves, loves, loves the game. Every summer he was always around like a ton of people and people gravitate toward him. That first year was a hard year for him because it’s never easy for a player to transition from obviously you want to play as long as you can. And he did, he got the absolute most out of his ability, he had a terrific career, and then when he got right into the coaching thing it was natural and every year. And on top of all that, he’s just a great person.”
This season, Tyronn Lue has his Clippers at 34-32 with Paul George having played 26 games and Kawhi Leonard at zero games. Instead, the team has centered their offense around Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris. Defensively, Lue has done any and everything to win games. From two-center lineups to small-ball units playing zone defense, Lue has tried it all.
That alone has Thibodeau's attention.
“I think the big thing is you’re not replacing Kawhi (Leonard) or Paul (George) with an individual player so what he’s done, they’ve done it collectively. Reggie Jackson is playing great, (Marcus) Morris has played great, (Ivica) Zubac has played great, (Luke) Kennard is shooting the ball unbelievable,” said Thibodeau. “They’re playing together so the only way you replace those guys is with your togetherness, it’s your team defense. Even with those guys out, they can play great defense and then they also can play great offense by sharing the ball which they’ve done. I think the way Jackson has played, he’s playing at a very, very high level and Ty’s kept it together. They have a terrific staff and they’re having an outstanding year.”
Lue's teams have seen multiple players play the center position, from Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein down to Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum. All of those guys played the center position at some point against the Knicks, and even though it didn't end up mattering, it showed Lue wasn't afraid to try anything.
“I try anything, man because I don't care,” Lue said of Tom Thibodeau calling him a gambler. “I don't care what people think, I don't care what y'all write and what y'all say. I just do what I believe that's gonna work and what's right. And so, it's something you work on every day and things that you work on that's your philosophy and you live by that, and your team understands that, and you go out and do it and it doesn't work, then you can live with that because that's what you work on, that's your philosophy.”
"I try anything man because I don't care. I don't care what people think, I don't care what y'all write and what y'all say. I just do what I believe that's gonna work and what's right."
Clippers coach Ty Lue on being called a 'gambler' and 'risk-taker' by Knicks' Tom Thibodeau. pic.twitter.com/P6yAX0C1fC
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 7, 2022
With a month still left in the regular season and no playoff or play-in seeds decided yet, the Clippers will need every win they can get. Tyronn Lue will remain as creative as he possibly can in finding lineups and defenses that can reel in victories.
It's clear, however, that Lue has quickly developed into one of the best coaches in the NBA because of his fearlessness when it comes to trying new things. Best of all, Lue doesn't have a care in the world for critics and their thoughts on his style.
“When I'm coaching, I just feel like I'll try anything and see what works and some people are afraid to do that because they're scared of you guys,” said Lue.
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