Trying not to get my hopes up. But this is the ideal team for Kawhi to put over the top if he returns in time and is still great.
Needs to return at least by January unless they just want him for the playoffs. But then that's chemistry issue territory. Really just need him to close tight games truthfully.
I like Lue and this team seems to be much easier team to coach when only Harden and Zu are guaranteed minutes and touches. He can spread the ball around with other players. Happy to see them running more this season and maybe that's because PG is gone and Kawhi is out. We got a nice left-handed brigade with Harden, DJJ, KPJ, Coffey, and Miller.
Only complaint with ty Lue is it sometimes takes him too long to make rotational changes. That being said there a lot of coaches that would not have sent Mann to the bench.
He does a 10 game sample size to see what works and what doesn't, then adjusts
Yeah I know that's his thing. Does everything need ten games? There's not a ten game sample if shyts not working in the play in/playoffs. But im nitpicking honesty
Not buying that. How many coaches are willing to watch him pass up open shots? Can't imagine there's numerous coaches out there that would have a two guard that's not a scoring threat starting games.
I think front office probably bigger fans of Mann than Lue is. Sometimes they have an outsized say in these sort of moves. Younger or less experienced coach might not have juice to bench someone that has the stature (I think he been living off the jazz series and us not having any poa defenders.)
Mann is most definitely still living off the 39 point game against the Jazz in the playoffs. But he's also the face of the team and does most of the off court, sponsorships, and fan fest related activities that they wish Kawhi would be apart of, at least occasionally. I actually don't want him traded or moved because he is Mr. Clipper. I just don't know how he stays in the rotation into the future when guys like Jordan Miller are better than him.
I can't remember the exact quote but Lue acknowledged how much he played Harden; something about feeling the game slipping away without him.
