Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue spoke to ESPN about the state of the Clippers heading into the 2024-25 season, their debut campaign at the new Intuit Dome arena. Lue provided crucial updates on star players Kawhi Leonard and James Harden , revealing Leonard is expected to be fully healthy for training camp.
"I speak to him all the time. He'll be ready for [Clippers] training camp. He's feeling good and I know he'll be ready for training camp."
Lue opened up on getting a training camp with Harden on the roster so the team can optimize his skill in the pick-and-roll.
"It will make a huge difference," Lue said of having an entire camp with Harden. "Having to learn [how to best use him] on the fly was tough... What he's shown us is that we can run a pick-and-roll ... scoring the basketball, making plays for each other, making it easy for everybody to play."
Leonard was phenomenal for most of last season, averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while being named to the All-NBA Second Team. Harden joined the team a month into the season, averaging 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.5 assists on the Clippers as he struggled to adjust to the team until they became the best in the NBA for a three-month span from November to January
If the Clippers intend to be competitive this season, they'll have to rely on Harden and Leonard to perform at a superstar level for 82 games in a loaded Western Conference. While Harden and Leonard are two of the best players of the last 10 years, they're both in their mid-30s now and have had issues staying consistent, whether with form or injury.
Ty Lue Opens Up On Paul George's Departure
Lue issued a confident message to anyone who thinks the Clippers are done contending because they lost Paul George this summer.
“When you lose a guy of Paul George's stature, instantly people [think] oh, they can't win or they're not going to be competitive. But that just challenges me even more. OK, people are counting us out or people don't think we're going to be good. That right there just gives me an extra dose of [motivation]. I can't wait to prove everybody wrong."
The departure does hurt the franchise, as George was one of their two featured stars for the last five seasons. Lue has been on the coaching staff the entire time and reflected on why the Leonard-George duo never succeeded.
"We never put our best team on the floor in the playoffs. That's when Kawhi's at his best, PG's at his best. That's when I'm at my best. When you get to a seven-game series and you can pick teams apart offensively and defensively, we were never able to get to that point.
"These guys put the hard work in. We took different approaches to help guys stay healthy and it just didn't work. We tried everything."
With George gone, the Clippers focused on re-signing James Harden this summer along with making additions such as Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kevin Porter Jr. They won't be favorites for a top-six seed given the competition atop the West, but Lue and the team will be confident they can perform at that level.
Related: Los Angeles Clippers' Toughest Player Departures In The Last 10 Years
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