Clippers coach Tyronn Lue gets brutally honest about whether he could’ve used James Harden in loss to Lakers
The Los Angeles Clippers made a splash earlier this week when they acquired star guard James Harden and veteran forward P.J. Tucker in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Tucker made his Clippers debut against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, while Harden joined his new teammates on the bench but didn’t play.
Following the 130-125 loss to the Lakers, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was asked if he saw moments in Wednesday’s contest in which he could’ve used Harden on the court.
“Yeah, I saw it for 53 minutes,” Lue sarcastically responded.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined for 73 points, but the team struggled on the defensive end of the floor. The Lakers shot 51.1 percent from the field with LeBron James pouring in a team-high 35 points. The Lakers also had an advantage on the glass as they out-rebounded the Clippers 51-45 when it was all said and done.
Harden will join a Clippers roster that already includes Leonard, George and Russell Westbrook, so that’s a lot of touches to go around. With that in mind, Lue said it’s going to take a lot of “sacrifice” between those players when Harden does take the court.
“Sacrifice is going to be the biggest thing,” Lue added. “Four guys from L.A., and four guys that have done a lot in their careers. So they understand, and they’ve talked about just winning a championship. That’s all we’re focused on. It’s going to take a lot of sacrifice, whether it’s shots, whether it’s minutes. They’re willing to do that.”
It’ll be worth keeping an eye on the relationship between Harden and Westbrook. The two played together with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets, but both are proven ball-handlers.
