In this article, How Many Players Does Ty Lue Need Before We Ask If It’s Him — Especially After Another Loss to the Lakers?, MyntJ asks some important questions about Coach Lue. Felicia Enriquez, aka Mynt J, is the host of the podcast BlackLove and Basketball – Compton Edition. She is a Clippers fan, an NBA credentialed creator representing thePeachBasket.
Los Angeles, CA — On November 25, 2025, The LA Clippers just got handled 135–118 by the Lakers in the NBA Cup, and Ty Lue walked into the postgame press conference again with that same nonchalant, “we’ll figure it out” energy he gives after every loss. No urgency, no spark, no fire — just vibes and veteran minutes.
And with the Clippers sitting at 5–13, bodies dropping week after week, rotations stuck in 2019, and the youth collecting dust like old trophies we may never see as long as Ty is coaching the team the way he is… it’s time to ask the question everybody is whispering:
Is Ty Lue actually coaching this team — or is he just managing a group of veterans until the clock runs out? And for my readers — yes, I know this one is a lot. I haven’t written in a few cycles, so… here we go.
LOSS TO THE LAKERS – THE BATTLE OF L.A.: RECEIPTS DON’T LIE
For nearly a decade, the Clippers owned the Lakers. Over the last ten years, they were 27–13 against them, and from 2012 into the early 2020s, the Clippers went on a dominant run that reshaped the city energy completely.
But suddenly, the momentum flipped. The Lakers took the 2023–24 series 3–1. They did it again in 2024–25. And this season, in 2025–26, they walked into the Intuit Dome and won 135–118. The Lakers have now beaten the Clippers five straight times.
That kind of shift doesn’t “just happen.” It happened during Ty Lue’s tenure — under his preparation, his rotations, and his approach. That’s coaching. That’s urgency. And that’s exactly what the Clippers don’t have.
THE TEAM IS NOT OLD — THE ROTATIONS MAKE THEM LOOK OLD
People love to say the Clippers are old. But the truth is simpler:
The minutes are old.
Kawhi played 28 minutes, Collins 34, Zubac 37, Harden 37, and Kris Dunn 30 — your whole starting unit carrying almost the entire load. Meanwhile, the actual youth — Cam Christie, Yannic, and Telfort — touched the court for only two minutes each. Kobe Brown got 21 minutes only because bodies were missing, and Kobe Sanders had 17.
CP3 played nine minutes because at this point he’s basically an on-court assistant coach. Batum had 22. You cannot develop anyone in two minutes. That’s not development — that’s attendance.
This roster isn’t old. The coaching style is. And the youth? They’re collecting dust like old trophies we may never see, as long as Ty is coaching the team the way he is.
THE LAKERS LOOK MODERN — THE CLIPPERS LOOK STUCK
The Lakers played with pace, intent, and movement. Their young players looked confident because their system makes room for them. Their energy hit in waves — fast breaks, cutting, switching, attacking.
The Clippers didn’t match that energy.
They looked slow, reactive, and disconnected, still searching for rhythm while the Lakers were already in full stride. The contrast exposed everything: one team is building toward the future, while the other feels trapped inside old rotations.
You cannot beat a modern team with an outdated approach.
And that’s exactly what the Clippers are trying to do.
THE INJURIES REVEALED THE REAL PROBLEM
Let’s be honest. Bradley Beal is out for the season with a fractured hip, but he was averaging 8.2 points, not carrying the offense. Derrick Jones Jr. is out with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, but he wasn’t the engine you build a system around.
If losing two players with limited production makes your entire team collapse, it means one thing:
You never developed the players behind them.
And Ty didn’t.
When the vets go down, the structure falls apart because there IS no structure — no development pipeline, no next-man-up system, no youth ready to step in. Just overworked veterans and unused young players watching from the sidelines.
JAMES HARDEN IS PLAYING LIKE A MAN TRYING TO SAVE A SINKING SHIP
And speaking of overworked veterans — let’s talk about James Harden.
In his last five games, Harden is averaging over 32 points, around 7 assists, and playing 34+ minutes a night — all at 36 years old. That’s not a player chasing headlines. That’s a player carrying a system that’s not built to support him.
That 55-point game against Charlotte wasn’t Harden showing off. It wasn’t “vintage Harden” for fun. It was pure survival. He’s doing it because nobody else is stepping up, and the offensive system behind him is inconsistent and predictable. And here’s the part people forget:
Harden actually loves basketball.
Basketball is life to him. So he’s going to go out there and do it regardless — tired legs, heavy minutes, beat-up roster, broken rotations, confusion on both ends… he’s still going to lace up and give everything he has. But a 36-year-old shouldn’t have to drag a team just to keep them competitive.
That’s not strategy. That’s not leadership. That’s desperation caused by coaching. And the saddest part?
Harden shouldn’t have to prove he can still play at this level. The system should be helping him — not draining him.
THE TRUST ISSUE IS TY LUE — NOT THE PLAYERS
Ty loves to preach about “trust.” But pay attention: no player ever brings that up. Only Ty does. He’s not reminding them. He’s revealing himself.
Ty Lue does not trust youth with the offense, the defense, the reads, the system, the minutes, or the mistakes. He trusts veterans because that’s where he feels safe as a coach. But comfort zones don’t win games, and they definitely don’t build a future.
THE CHRIS PAUL SLIP-UP
During a postgame interview, Ty Lue was asked why Chris Paul hadn’t played the last three games. Ty said CP3 was acquired knowing he wouldn’t play every game and that he’d be “utilized for other reasons.”
Everybody in the room heard the translation: CP3 is basically coaching the team. Not playing. Not developing on the floor. Coaching from the bench. Because Ty needs someone to do player development for him — something he struggles with himself.
THE STRANGEST PART: HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHY THEY LOST — BUT NEVER PREVENTS IT
One of the wildest things about Ty Lue is how he talks after games. He comes out sounding like a basketball professor — breaking down every opposing player’s tendencies, every action, every mistake, every angle of how the game slipped away.
And that’s cool… but if you knew all that before the game, why didn’t you prepare your team to stop it?
How can you know exactly what an opposing player does and then let them do exactly that? How can you know the blueprint of your loss while still walking straight into it?
A coach who can explain losses but not prevent them isn’t coaching — he’s narrating.
TY LUE’S BODY LANGUAGE IS THE BIGGEST RED FLAG
The energy shift is obvious the second he walks into a postgame.
Pressed. Heavy breathing. Slumped shoulders. Slow sit-down. Tired eyes. Monotone answers. Zero urgency.
That’s not steady leadership. That’s a coach checked out. And the team reflects it — slow, hesitant, disconnected, with no spark, no urgency, and no identity. A team mirrors its coach. The Clippers look exactly how Ty sounds.
FANS SEE IT — AND THEY’RE FED UP
This isn’t just media chatter. Fans see it too.
They’re frustrated not only with Ty Lue but with Frank Lawrence as well — so much that a petition is circulating calling for his removal.
Petitions don’t happen when fans feel hope. They happen when fans feel unheard and ignored. And right now, the Clippers culture feels stale and disconnected, with no accountability in sight.
CAN THE CULTURE CHANGE IF THE COACH DOESN’T?
Ty Lue has to change his behavior for the culture to shift.
But can he?
Is it too late?
Does he want to?
Is he coaching like someone ready to be fired?
Because this pattern looks like a coach who’s mentally checked out and a team waiting for someone new. And the truth is: better coaches exist. Coaches who develop players, adjust mid-game, trust youth, build systems, and create an identity that lasts longer than one season.
This doesn’t have to be the Clippers’ identity. But it will be if they keep the same leadership in place.
THE HOLIDAY TEST: REFLECT OR REPEAT
With the holidays coming up, this is the moment to regroup and reset.
Two home games are coming — Memphis and Dallas — and both teams will expose any group lacking urgency, direction, accountability, or leadership.
The Clippers cannot walk into the Dome with the same energy. This homestand will reveal who they want to be for the rest of the season.
FINAL WORD
The Clippers don’t have a talent problem. They have a Ty Lue problem.
- A trust problem.
- A development problem.
- An urgency problem.
- A culture problem.
- A leadership problem.
And until the person in charge changes, the results won’t. So yes — it’s time to ask:
How many players does Ty Lue need… before we finally ask if it’s him?
