Tyronn Lue denied Tuesday that he and Chris Paul were not on speaking terms before the Los Angeles Clippers dismissed the veteran point guard last week. Lue spoke with local media for the first time in ten days, addressing Paul’s departure as the Clippers’ record fell to 6-18, tied for third-worst in the NBA.
Paul was sent home while the Clippers were in Atlanta last week. The 21st-year veteran had averaged career lows of 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14.3 minutes across 16 games, with five DNP-CDs in November.
Lue confirmed he maintained contact with Paul throughout the difficult stretch when the veteran was removed from the rotation.
“We were talking,” Lue said when asked about communication with Paul. “How you gonna play if I’m not talking to him? There was a stretch where we said he wasn’t gonna play, he was gonna be out of the rotation, that was tough for him, because he’s a competitor and what the game means to him and what he brings every single day. But after that, it wasn’t really much.”
Clippers president Lawrence Frank announced last week that the team would part ways with Paul, who remains on the roster while a transaction is sought. Paul becomes trade eligible December 15, when the Clippers play their first home game since his dismissal.
When asked why Paul’s situation became irreconcilable, unlike previous temporary departures of Marcus Morris Sr., Bones Hyland and PJ Tucker, Lue deferred to management. John Collins confirmed he reached out to Paul, noting the veteran was in good spirits despite the circumstances.
“The organization just made the decision to do it,” Lue said. “But we gotta move on, because we gotta try to win some games. And I don’t think the mood changed because Chris is gone. Like, nobody wants to see him gone like that.”
Nicolas Batum praised Lue’s leadership during the turbulent stretch, noting the coach has kept the team engaged despite mounting challenges. The Clippers have dealt with season-ending hip surgery for Bradley Beal and injuries to Kawhi Leonard, Derrick Jones Jr. and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Lue emphasized increased leadership responsibility for James Harden and Leonard, saying he has had “constant talks” with both stars. Collins noted Harden has stepped up his vocal leadership on and off the court.
“I can’t control injuries. I can’t control certain situations,” Lue said. “When we first came into the season, we thought we had a great team. We thought we had a great chance.”