Back in January, the Clippers gave Kawhi Leonard a $150 million three-year extension, something they didn’t offer Paul George. Many people have questioned their decision to choose Kawhi over George, but Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue explained it. Speaking in an interview with Stephen A. Smith, Ty Lue defended the decision to go Kawhi over PG.
Ty Lue Explains Why the Clippers Choose Kawhi Over Paul George
Speaking about many topics, including season expectations and standings, Ty Lue talked about what Paul George meant to the team. He said,
“We miss PG, when you lose a talent like PG who can score a basketball, and guard five different positions on the floor, that’s a tough loss. But I know he had to do what’s best for him and for his family.”
When Smith asked him if the decision was to let go of Paul rather than Kawhi, he said,
“I don’t believe that. I mean like I said, Kawhi, when he’s healthy, when he’s on the floor, he is a top-five talent. Like PG is a top 10, top 15 talent. Both guys have had their fair share of injuries, and it’s not through a lack of working hard and putting in the work. It’s just from a lack of luck. If you have a chance to get Kawhi Leonard, who is a top-five player in the NBA, you can’t let go and you’ve just got to have players and hopes that one day he is going to be able to play and sustain a whole season and get to the playoffs.”
Lue Believes He Could Have Won With Kawhi and PG
During the interview, Lue also talked about whether the Clippers had enough to make it to the Finals and possibly win the whole thing. He said,
“I said if I had PG and Kawhi and James in the playoffs, or even before James got there, I think I could win at a high level. That’s the pressure that I put on myself and the staff. If we’ve been healthy, I think we could win at a high level, and we just haven’t had that opportunity. Hopefully this year, Kawhi has been working hard and we will see.”
Lue also talked about how much he loves the organization and appreciates them for giving him a chance. He said,
“I wanted to win a championship for Mr. Ballmer and Lawrence Frank and for the Clippers organization, and I wanted PG and Kawhi to be part of it because they’re from LA. To come to the Clippers instead of the Lakers, I thought that was huge.”
In the first two seasons, Kawhi and PG led the team to the Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals. Their biggest chance was in 2021 when they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the Conference Finals in six games. Even that year, they didn’t have Kawhi healthy in the playoffs as he didn’t play against Phoenix.
Did the Clippers Make the Right Move?
As of December 8, the Clippers sit in the sixth spot in the West. They are only two games behind the Dallas Mavericks who are in second, but they are also 1.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers who are in the 10th spot.
Without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to start the season, the Clippers have relied on internal help. James Harden has been having an amazing season so far. While he is not playing like he was during his Houston years, he is much better than he has been in the last few seasons. He said on media day that the team offense will include a lot more of him, and so far, he has been delivering on it.
More importantly, they have managed to find a player that can replace PG at a cheaper price. In George’s absence, Norman Powell has taken a big leap, averaging 23.9 points per game on 50.5% from the floor and 50.7% from behind the arc. Powell is younger at 31 years old, and comes at a cheaper price. Powell will earn a little more than $19 and $20 million this year and the next, while George wanted a max paying him $50 million per season.
Ty Lue said in the interview with Stephen A. Smith that Powell has always been a good player, but he took a lesser role in favor of PG and Kawhi. He said,
“He’s always been a really good player, but with our circumstances with PG and Kawhi starting the two and three, he didn’t have an opportunity to start and play as many minutes as he wanted to. But he’s always been a talent and I tell you, he works so hard you know every single day. I know he’s 30 now, so working the way he works, I think sometimes it’s too much but he’s a hard worker. I am just happy and thankful that he got the opportunity and he is taking advantage of it.”
In the meantime, Paul George is having his worst season in years, averaging 16.4 points per game. He hasn’t averaged less than 20 points in the nine previous seasons. The Clippers will continue to wait on Kawhi to come back and hope he will be healthy for the playoffs this time around.
