The Clippers continue their hot run! Yes, HC Tyron Lue finally returned to the bench after dealing with his back pain. But there’s a catch. The 47-year-old champion coach suffered intensified back pain and missed 5 games in two stretches this month. To make things even tougher, lead assistant Jeff Van Gundy had to step away due to a family emergency, leaving the Clippers shorthanded on the coaching front.

Now, with Lue back at the helm for tonight’s OKC Thunder showdown, he’s opening up about his health scare—and it’s more serious than fans might have thought.

Renowned NBA insider Tomer Azarly shed light on Coach Tyronn Lue’s pre-game revelation—and it turns out his condition was worse than anyone thought. Initially reported as back pain, Lue disclosed that he had actually been dealing with pain in his shoulder, back, and legs. The situation escalated on March 9, when assistant Brian Shaw unexpectedly took over coaching duties and led the Clippers to a statement win over the Kings.

At first, everyone expected Lue to be back soon. But instead, he missed three straight games—then another two—all due to the same lingering issue.

In the meantime, the team under Shaw picked up the pace at the right time, winning 7 of the last 8 games. Off the court, Ty Lue had also recovered from the pain and now, he has pain only in his legs. Moreover, he also added that the management is taking care of the pain in his legs and back on a day-to-day basis.

Tonight, Ty Lue has returned to the bench on a crucial game, a chance to enter the top 6. In the earlier stages of the season, the Clippers were part of the Top 5 seeds on the West and looked comfortable to make it to the playoffs. However, after the All-Star break, the team struggled to secure their spot and dropped to the 8th seed.

As of now, they have a close fight against the Warriors and Timberwolves. Most importantly, it’s a last-man-standing fight, so we’ll have to wait till the end of the season to figure it out. The team will definitely need their full strength to have a crack at it. So, will Jeff Van Gundy return by then?

Ty Lue’s coaching unit misses a crucial member

Up until the start of this season, Van Gundy was widely known as the ESPN announcer, despite his coaching stint with the Knicks and Rockets in the 2000s. The Clippers roped in Gundy for his defensive schemes. The Clippers President of Basketball Operation Lawrence Frank felt that the former announcer’s broadcasting experience added value to the side.

Frank said, “You better have a great understanding of the league because you have to comment on the fly like that. And every evaluation you make is going to be dissected by many.” Importantly, he influenced the Clippers’ defensive efforts, leading them to the 4th spot of the league’s best defense with 110.5 ratings.

However, Jeff Van Gundy hasn’t been around the coaching unit lately dealing with a family medical issue. The latest update on the assistant coach revealed that he would miss at least two weeks of balling action. So, with only 11 games left in the season. Gundy might only return for the postseason business. 

Can the Clippers finish the season as the sixth seed without Jeff Van Gundy? Let us know in the comments.