Clippers Concern? No, not in the leaderboard at least. 7 wins at a stretch, including their narrow win against the Kings last night. All seem to keep the unit happy. But not one thing. This isn’t the time to dwell on the past. It’s time to look ahead and beyond. Ty Lue knows what it means to be in the playoffs. He’s been in this business several times before. Therefore, learning from mistakes and turning those drawbacks into comebacks becomes important. However, the 47-year-old LA Clippers head coach shows no worry about his team. And dare not ask if he is concerned if you want to avoid his distaste.

The Clippers played their penultimate game of the regular season on Friday against the Sacramento Kings. And they had a near-loss moment as they won by a scary margin of 1 point. Zach LaVine turned out to be an eyesore for Ty Lue’s boys on the court. But Kawhi Leonard? He brought back the fire, chipping in 28 points for the win. The Clippers have been in such clutch games before and have emerged gloriously. So, how satisfied is the head coach? Is it concerned about anything?

Well, the term “concerned” didn’t sit well with Lue. Instead, he rebuked the reporter who asked the question and said: “I ain’t— quit saying ‘concerned’ all the time. I’m never concerned. It’s part of the game. They made some threes. We had a three to go up 12 with Kawhi’s shot. He missed it.” Kawhi Leonard, aka the Klaw, the 2x NBA champ, just showed why he’s still one of the best players in the league when he’s healthy. The Golden 1 Center witnessed vintage, pre-injury Leonard despite his missed shot attempt.

Ty Lue further commented: “They came back and made two threes, cut it to three. We missed a couple of free throws. They’re a good team. They have a lot of good talent. This is a good win to come here on the road, to play this team who’s fighting for something as well. It was a huge win for us. I’m not concerned about anything.” The Kings have already clinched their play-in position, so they are also fighting for something. Therefore, winning against a hungry team felt good, like a much-needed spell of rain.

Despite a tough win, Lue isn’t concerned about his team; instead, he’s ready to face the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. However, one thing that the head coach seems to be eager to work on is free throws. The Clippers missed their chances on Friday. So, Ty Lue also noted: “Free throws are part of the game. Down the stretch, we got to get the ball inbounds. It didn’t happen. But it’s something to learn from.” They would try a few, as they have one last chance to end the season with high morale. Second: Narrow the gap with fellow LA if the Nuggets and Lakers lose their respective last games.

However, the 47-year-old LA Clippers head coach Ty Lue remains confident in his team. He’s happy with the win but frustrated by what the situation has come down to. With the current play-in structure, the LA Clippers are 5th in the West seed with a 49-32 record, whereas the Warriors, Timberwolves, and Grizzlies sit neck and neck from 6th to 8th. But the concern? All it could take is two wins toward the end just to wipe away that whole eighth. How does this concept sit with Lue?

Ty Lue raises an important play-in issue with Adam Silver

The NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, was in Sacramento for the game. But sadly, Ty Lue couldn’t meet him in person. Had he met the boss, he could’ve talked about the fairness of the Play-In Tournament that is adding to his worries. “I always agree with Adam Silver,” Lue told the media. “It is a tough situation, like you said. If you’re nine or ten games ahead of the ninth and tenth seed, you fight this hard to get here. Those teams are good.”

Ty Lue questioned the fairness of the play-in format. A team like the Clippers could finish nine or ten games ahead of the ninth seed and still lose their spot after just two games. He pointed out that teams like Memphis, Minnesota, Phoenix (with Booker, Durant, and Beal), or Dallas with AD, can easily get hot and eliminate higher seeds.

“All you got to do is get hot for two games. Win, and you’re in the playoffs,” the Clippers HC shared. “It’s tough. Kind of disregards the 82 games you played during the regular season. Comes down to two games. Anybody can get hot. Anything can happen. It’s a tough situation.” Lue feels the play-in format can devalue the 82-game season. A team may work hard all year, only to risk it all in two games. While the format adds excitement, he sees it as unpredictable and unfair to consistent teams, and Adam Silver should take note.

So, while the system may play games of its own, Ty Lue refuses to fold. He’s not sweating the chaos—he’s using it as fuel. If Adam Silver won’t fix the cracks in the play-in, Lue’s ready to break through them. The LA Clippers know the stakes, and if the league won’t play fair, they’ll just play harder.