It all started on March 9. Head coach Tyronn Lue experienced discomfort during the pregame news conference against the Sacramento Kings. The pain was so bad he needed an injection. In his absence, assistant coach Brian Shaw stepped in to lead the team to a win. Then Lue returned on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks. “I thought the coaching staff did a great job,” he said before their 121-98 win in Atlanta.

“B. Shaw, to take over, and just the whole coaching staff overall. What they did going 2-1 while I was out, we needed those games, very helpful. Like I said, that’s why I think we have a great coaching staff because they can fill in (and) take over when needed. And they did a great job.”

Shaw has been acting as the temporary HC in Lue’s absence. The latter has missed four of the last six games, but interestingly, for the first time since the NBA trade deadline, the Clippers have their entire rotation intact. However, going into the game against the Cavaliers, not only was their head coach missing, but defensive coordinator Jeff Van Gundy was also absent. Why?

Well, you see, while Lue is still struggling with his pain, Van Gundy was not available due to a family medical matter. So the team had to play without two important figures.

Now Lue was able to work on Sunday’s game against Charlotte (which they won) by wearing a hot pad on his shoulder, but he still needed time to recover. “We’re all just hoping and praying that whatever it is they can get to the bottom of it and he’ll be back to being him,” Shaw stated before the Clippers faced Cleveland. However, Lue is still mentally invested in his team. He watches them on television and sends messages to the other coaches, who resent them to Shaw.

And so far, things seem to be working fine for them. The Clippers defeated the Cavaliers, 132-119, and extended their winning streak to four games. However, why are fans happy that the team is playing without their HC? Well, former Denver Nuggets head coach Shaw has taken the reins smoothly, which led to some fans wondering if Lue’s coaching style was holding the team back.

Clippers fans question Lue’s coaching after Brian Shaw’s success!

It isn’t just winning that the Clippers are showing recent success with—it’s how they’re winning. Several fans have said Shaw has let the players play more freely, including Kawhi Leonard, who has long been restricted in minutes because of his injury history. Fans remarked:

• “Kawhi hitting a game-winner is because Brian Shaw didn’t put him on a minutes restriction like Ty Lue would have.”
• “This team plays way better without Lue’s over-cautious coaching. Let Shaw cook.”

This sentiment has been echoed across social media, as Lue has a reputation for carefully managing Leonard’s playing time, sometimes to the team’s detriment. However, do you know how players are conditioned to think ‘Next Man Up’ when playing? For the Clippers, this philosophy applies to the coaches too.

• “We winning without Ty he needs to be fired anyway.”

With Van Gundy’s absence, assistants Brendan O’Connor and Dahntay Jones came ahead to help with the defense as the Clippers allowed the Cavaliers to score only 17 fourth-quarter points. “I know you all here next man up all the time, and that’s truly what it was,” Shaw addressed the assistant coaches, all stepping in when needed.

• “Shaw is the only staff member that gets this win vs Cavs. If Clippers want to get past the Playoffs hurdle. Let Shaw take over permanently.”

In fact, Kawhi Leonard also made sure to give a shout-out to assistant Jeremy Castleberry (Leonard’s high school and college teammate) for contributing to the depth of their coaching staff. “Jeremy did a good job of keeping me focused and locked in tonight. And I appreciate him being there. He’s the guy that always talks to T. Lue, and he’s always locked in every day,” Leonard stated. However, some fans were unhappy with more than one absence from the coaching staff. They wrote:

• “I guess we’re at the point where we’re worrying about the coach’s health too, lmao.”

Shaw’s influence is even shown in James Harden’s performance in the Kings game: 29 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds.

It will be interesting to see how his coaching continues to have an influence on the team. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.