Clippers’ Lue rooting for Pelicans coach Green
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he’s been keeping up with New Orleans Pelicans coach Willie Green, the former Clippers shooting guard who this season has embarked on his first foray as an NBA head coach.
“Just the advice I gave him I think a few games ago, maybe four or five games ago, just continue to keep doing what you’re doing,” Lue said before tip-off on Friday, when his Clippers were set to take on Green’s Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center.
“You got to set your culture. You got to understand and believe what you’re doing, and as long you’re prepared every single day, your team believes in you, you put them in situations where they’re able to win games down the stretch, that’s all you can ask for right now.”
For now, to start, it’s been a struggle for Green’s team, which has been without Zion Williamson, who’s been out with a right foot fracture, and for seven games, Brandon Ingram, who was dealing with a right hip contusion.
Entering Friday, New Orleans
was 2-14 and had relinquished leads in the second half in losses to Washington on Monday and Miami on Wednesday. But Lue said he preaches positivity in conversations with his friend — who was, like Lue, hired for his first head coaching gig by David Griffin, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, who worked as Cleveland’s vice president of basketball operations in 2016.
Griffin handed Lue the reins that year, and the Cavaliers won their first NBA championship.
For his part, Green was a member of two championship staffs with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. He joined Monty Williams’ staff in Phoenix two seasons ago.
Beyond his coaching contributions, Green has a good reputation with players as someone they can relate to. He had a 12-year career playing for Philadelphia, New Orleans, Atlanta, Orlando and, from 2012-14, the Clippers — including one season with Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe during his first stint with the team.
“It’s a tough grind, but you know, the most important thing is just staying positive,” Lue said Friday, noting that he’s watched all of Greens’ team’s games. “That’s the biggest thing, especially with a young team, but also just believe in what you’re doing, until your guys get back, you understand you got to tweak or do something different.
“Just sometimes it’s tough, especially the teams they’ve been playing. So I don’t think he’s done anything wrong up to this point. I think he’s actually been really good. So the most important thing, just staying positive, especially with a young group.”
Green seems to have taken that advice to heart, because in his pregame comments he said much the same with regard to his plans for turning the Pelicans into winners.
“First, you just start with some organizational values, things that you believe in, the organization believes in and hold myself accountable, but also our players,” he said. “Being together in a lot of things that we do, being a family type atmosphere and really showing that and proving it.
“And then, from Golden State, but it’s a part of who I am — joy. Our jobs are difficult, all of us, and if we can make it fun, and come in and love being around the people that we work with, that makes going to work that much easier.”
Batum is good to go
The Clippers were pleased to welcome Nicolas Batum back into the lineup Friday after the versatile forward missed Thursday’s loss in Memphis because of Achilles soreness.
With Batum starting alongside Paul George, Reggie Jackson, Ivica Zubac and Bledsoe, the Clippers were 9-3 going into Friday’s game — although that quintet had a net rating of minus-8.7 (or how many points by which they’d been outscored per 100 possessions).
For his part, Batum is shooting 51.7% from the field and a career-best 44.1% from 3-point range while averaging 9.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
His presence was all the more important considering how many other Clippers remained unavailable. The long list: Kawhi Leonard (ACL), Marcus Morris Sr. (knee), Serge Ibaka (G League), Keon Johnson (ankle), Justise Winslow (personal) and Jason Preston (foot).