Over the last few days, the LA Clippers had managed to get a slot in the NBA headlines. The team pulled off a 4-game winning streak, including a dominant win against the mighty Cavaliers. Apart from the positivity, the Clips also endured a concerning bench situation. You must be wondering how it could be a bench when the team had the healthiest roster in recent times. Well, it’s not about the players, but the coaching staff.

Earlier, HC Ty Lue had to abruptly take a step back from running the games, due to back pain. The champion coach missed 4 out of the six games while assistant Brian Shaw took care of the proceedings. Amid this situation, the team’s new lead assistant coach, Jeff Van Gundy, had also missed a game, citing a family medical matter.

While everyone thought that things would get back to normal, the latest update revealed that it become worse. Joey Linn of Sports Illustrated reported that Van Gundy will miss another couple of weeks, dealing with a family medical issue. Meanwhile, Ty Lue won’t pick up the board in tonight’s game against the Grizzlies, as he is still recovering from his back pain.

In his absence, assistant coach Brian Shaw will fill in. The 58-year-old coach had a notable start to his interim head coach career. In the first game against the Kings, Kawhi Leonard dropped a buzzer beater and since then the team has had a good time on the ladder. After dropping to the 8th seed, the Clippers have climbed one spot to the 7th. Notably, the team isn’t far from clinching the safe spot as a small mistake from the Dubs could pull them down to the play-in situation. In that context, tonight’s game is crucial.

Jeff Van Gundy’s impact on the Clips under Ty Lue

Up until the start of the current season, Van Gundy was known as a fierce game announcer. Taking over the commentary during ESPN’s broadcast, the 63-year-old left a mark. Brian Shaw, speaking of the veteran calling skills, said, “He called it like he saw it, and so we’re getting a dose of that.”

Moreover, none of it went in vain. The Clippers President of Basketball Operation Lawrence Frank felt that Gundy’s broadcast experience was an added advantage to the coaching role. 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.” 

All this overflowing praise came in when the team decided to rope him into the coaching staff as the leading assistant coach, taking over the Clippers’ defensive schemes. Frank also added, “We think that T. Lue is the best coach in the game, and I think Jeff loves Ty. I think Jeff can have a huge impact on our team.” Hopefully, Ty Lue and Van Gundy return to the bench ahead of the postseason. 

What do you think? Can the Clippers defeat the Grizzlies tonight? Let us know in the comments.