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The Los Angeles Clippers have, indeed, figured things out. After losing six straight games in the immediate aftermath of their blockbuster trade for James Harden, Tyronn Lue and his men have rallied, winning 17 of their next 22 games. This has now brought them all the way to fourth place in the loaded Western Conference, and they're looking like they'll be one of the most dangerous teams come playoff time, health permitting.
Taking the regular season more seriously was one of the Clippers' main focal points prior to the season, and it's looking like they are achieving that goal with aplomb. But there is always room for improvement, especially when there have been plenty of teams playing at a much higher level than them this season, example being the likes of the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Oklahoma City Thunder, to name a few.
Thus, even the littlest of improvements on the margin can go a long way towards giving the veteran Clippers team the best chance to compete and mount a deep run come the postseason. To that end, perhaps head coach Tyronn Lue can shuffle some of his minutes distribution and give some players the minutes they deserve based off merit.
With that said, here is the Clippers player who should lose minutes.
The Clippers will be thinking, ‘If it ain't broke, don't fix it'
Player who should lose minutes: None
Tyronn Lue's rotation decisions were a point of concern for most of the Clippers fanbase during the 2022-23 season. It became infuriating for fans when Lue decided to stick with Marcus Morris Sr. for so long when he had the likes of Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum, and even an undersized Terance Mann who could provide more for the team on the glass and on the defensive end of the court.
Now, however, the Clippers don't have this big of a problem when it comes to player rotation. They have figured out how to make the pieces work, hence their much better play as of late.
Russell Westbrook made Lue's job of managing egos that much easier when he volunteered to come off the bench, elevating Mann, someone who's more suited to being a glue guy, into the starting five. Westbrook is now flourishing in a 20-minute role off the bench, and there are no signs whatsoever of discontent from him in a much smaller role.
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Meanwhile, Bones Hyland, who is an iffy rotational fit given the Clippers' plethora of options at the guard spots, remains out of the rotation. Even though Hyland was impressive to begin the year, Tyronn Lue has stuck to his guns by keeping the young guard under wraps, and it has paved the way for Norman Powell to take on a much bigger offensive role in the process. Powell is currently on a heater, and Lue relies on him to replace Mann in the closing lineup when the Clippers need more of an offensive punch.
Upon Mason Plumlee's return, one could make a case that Daniel Theis' or even Ivica Zubac's minutes must get cut. Plumlee can function as a solid offensive hub and he is an athletic lob threat as the roll man as well.
But Theis gives the Clippers an offensive dimension that Plumlee doesn't — a midrange pop threat and someone who can launch above-the-break threes. Theis is also a better rim protector than Plumlee. What a luxury the Clippers have now at the center spot to have three solid options who each can give the team different looks on both ends of the court.
Nevertheless, the Clippers still have an elephant in the room in PJ Tucker; Tucker is making waves after he lost his spot in the rotation, so perhaps a trade involving the veteran forward is likely. In Tucker's stead, Tyronn Lue has entrusted backup forward minutes to the likes of Kobe Brown and Amir Coffey.
Brown has shown the usual rawness that comes with being a rookie, but he is a much more athletic presence than Tucker at this point in Tucker's career. Lue made the right choice in throwing the youngster into the fire. But now, after Coffey's breakout performance against the Golden State Warriors while starting in place of Paul George, a rotation spot appears to be here to stay for the Brewmaster.
At the end of the day, this just shows that Tyronn Lue and the rest of the Clippers coaching staff are pushing all the right rotational buttons, giving minutes to those who deserve it and taking them away from those who have been outplayed.
The Clippers are also learning to give the team's stars (Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden) less minutes so as to not overtax them with 50 games remaining in the regular season. After the rotational disaster of last season, Lue's decision-making is a breath of fresh air for fans who would want nothing more than to see their team hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy come June.
