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Shaq Votes Ty Lue for Coach of the Year
The LA Clippers are going to make the Western Conference play-in tournament despite Kawhi Leonard missing the entire season, Paul George missing over half the season, and Norman Powell playing just three games after being acquired at the trade deadline. The common denominator all year, in addition to the roster's nightly effort, has been head coach Ty Lue. After the Clippers came back from 25-points down to beat the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night, Shaquille O'Neal cast his vote for Coach of the Year.
"I've been knowing Ty Lue his whole professional career, he was my rookie. And this is the way he played. He didn't get a lot of minutes, but when he got in, he played hard," Shaq said. "He wanted to earn his minutes, earn his respect. He is my vote for Coach of the Year, and even when they get down, he preaches to his guys, 'Hey, we can get back in the game if we make adjustments and do certain things.' This season, they are the masters of playing from behind."
While it will be tough for Ty Lue to get this recognition with the Clippers in the play-in, even with the injury context, there is no denying that his coaching job is the primary reason why they have a shot at the playoffs. Few other teams in the league would be able to sustain competence with the injury situation the Clippers have had this season, and Ty Lue deserves much of that credit. After Tuesday's win, Shaq gave it to him.
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