Tye Lue Explains Clippers’ Decision to Bring Darius Garland off the Bench

The Los Angeles Clippers made the decision to trade James Harden for a younger model at the trade deadline. They brought in Darius Garland to help jumpstart a mini-rebuild. Of course, they are still trying to win games this year without access to their first-round pick.

LA has been hot in the last couple of months. After a 6-21 start, they now sit ninth in the Western Conference standings. Garland was not healthy when he was traded, as he was nursing an injury to his foot. Both feet have been injured at some point this season.

With Garland healthy and ready to contribute, the Clippers have decided to bring him off the bench. Head coach Tye Lue explained his decision-making.

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Clippers Explain Why Darius Garland is Coming off the Bench

Lue let everyone know his thought process for bringing him off the bench at first.

“Just bringing him off the bench so he doesn’t have to play with Kawhi. So he can kinda find his own rhythm, his own timing, and just try to run everything through him. Just being aggressive, our pace picking up. That’s the thought process behind bringing him off the bench.”

Lue also made it clear that this is not going to be a permanent thing.

“That’s what he’ll be doing until we get his minutes up. Then, of course, you know he’s gonna be the starter.”

Garland had a bit of a tough outing in his first game with his new team. In 23 minutes off the bench, he turned the ball over five times while putting up 12 points. He has played just 27 games so far this year, as injuries have taken their toll.

Adding Garland should give them a playmaker who can also create his own shot. He’s a younger, less physical version of Harden. Trading for Garland was a bet on his youth and his ability to eventually stay healthier.

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The Clippers Are Still Dangerous if They Make the Playoffs

Kawhi Leonard has been perhaps the best player in basketball over the last couple of months. He has been able to stay healthy. If the Clippers do make the playoffs, he could be the best player in the series, depending on their opponent. That could make them dangerous.

The hope is that Garland is able to get up to speed and playing back at an elite level before the playoffs roll around. LA has the 12th-best offense in the NBA, and that should get a little better once Garland is healthy, as his ability to pass should open things up.

The Clippers brought Garland in more for the future than for the rest of this season. He needs to be able to keep himself healthy to make this trade worth it. LA also traded Ivica Zubac, so they clearly don’t have any delusions that they are winning the title this season.

Ryan Stano Ryan Stano covers the NBA for Heavy.com. He has been covering sports since 2017, covering the NFL, College Football, College Basketball, and the NBA. His work has been featured on Yahoo, Bleacher Report, FanSided, and Sports Illustrated. More about Ryan Stano