Ty Lue Has More Excuses Than Solutions After Loss to Hawks

Ty Lue seems more interested in excuses than in solutions after the Clippers' fifth straight loss and 3-7 start.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers lost their fifth straight game on Sunday when they fell to Trae Young-less Atlanta Hawks, 105-102 at home. After ten games, the Clippers are 3-7 and are falling behind in their chase for another 50-win season. In a stacked Western Conference, digging a hole this big this early in the season will be very difficult for LA to get out of.

The most disappointing aspect of it all was head coach Ty Lue's messaging after the game. Instead of focusing on what the team needs to improve upon, Lue made excuses. He said that the team needs to stay with it and that the team competed well tonight, before adding that once they "get some of [their] guys back, it could be a different story," per Clippers reporter Joey Linn.

Ty Lue Has to Fix Clippers' Offensive Woes

Lue is correct in his assessment that the problem wasn't the fight. The Clippers competed well throughout the game. The issue is that the team is old, slow, and predictable, and doesn't have enough offensive juice outside of James Harden. The Clippers get destroyed in transition on both ends of the floor and rely entirely on Harden's shot creation and playmaking on offense.

Yes, Kawhi Leonard's return will certainly help. Bradley Beal missed Monday's game, putting even more workload on Harden. At the same time, Leonard and Beal missing games is hardly surprising. That is why the Clippers built one of the deepest rosters in the league. However, Lue is barely utilizing this depth. Chris Paul and Bogdan Bogdanovic have been healthy scratches in recent games, a questionable decision, especially while Leonard is out.

The Clippers had an 110.9 offensive rating against the Hawks on Monday, and have not had an above league-average offensive rating in the last four games. Not only is Lue not playing creators like Paul and Bogdanovic, but he is also not putting enough shooting around Harden.

Starting and closing games with Kris Dunn, Ivica Zubac, and Derrick Jones Jr. on the court together makes it very difficult for Harden to find enough space. If CP3 and Bogdanovic aren't going to be a part of the rotation, the Clippers at least need to play Nicolas Batum and Brook Lopez more, just to get more shooting on the floor.

The Clippers have to have an offensive plan more diverse than "give Harden the ball and let him run pick-and-roll over and over again". He is 36 years old and should not be playing 39 minutes a game, like he has done in four of the last five games. Instead of coming up with excuses and hoping for Leonard's return, Lue has to find a solution to this problem.