LA Clippers Head Coach Sounds Fed Up With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George

With Kawhi Leonard having played just 52 games total over the past two seasons, and Paul George having played no more than 56 games in a season over four years, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue is sounding a little fed up with the two superstars' constant unavailability. He knows that the injuries and the load management of those two have been the cause of the Clippers falling short of their championship aspirations for four straight seasons. 

"It's been tough, it's been frustrating," he said on the All The Smoke podcast... Because we feel like we have the potential to win a championship. We have all the pieces. All the right pieces," said Lue, obviously irked with the lack of availability of his two biggest pieces. 

One thing I told Kawhi and PG this summer: we do gotta approach the regular season a different way… like let’s be serious about it, let's not wait till the playoffs. ‘Cause it matters! — Who you get matched up with, having home-court advantage, not fighting the last 10 games of the season so we won’t be in the Play-In [Tournament]. So now (if you're in a good seeding near the end of the regular season, then) you can get rest.

Lue is clearly not a fan of load management, or the rest of the unavailability of his two superstars. If they treat the regular season more seriously, everything will come easier, in Lue's eyes. 

Kawhi has been available for only 55% of the Clippers' regular season games since they signed him away from the defending champion Toronto Raptors in 2019. PG13 came on board at the same time, and has been available for even fewer games, just 47%. Clearly, major injuries have played a huge role in those absences, but when they aren't hurt, he wants to see a different attitude. 

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