Tyronn Lue Explains New Strategy Around Playing Clippers' Aging Star

The Los Angeles Clippers want to make a deep playoff run. They started the 2025 NBA playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league, but lost a hard-fought series against the Denver Nuggets. Now the Clippers have reloaded with more proven veterans in an effort to make that much dreamed of championship run. 

As always, the Clippers will go as far as their stars will take them. Can James Harden shake his reputation as a playoff choke artist? Can Kawhi Leonard actually stay healthy for a full season and playoff run? These have been the two things holding the Clippers back for years. 

Last season, Harden was incredible during the regular season, carrying the team into the playoffs. Then he didn’t have enough gas left in the tank to keep it up in the postseason. 

That’s why Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is looking to switch things up this year. When asked about Harden’s heavy load last year, this is what he said:

“He just had to do too much for us to be successful to try to win games, to try to stay afloat while Kawhi was out. So we don't want James to have to do that all year…There's going to be games where he has to do that, but I think the last 25 games of the season when Kawhi came back, I think we were No. 2 in offense and No. 1 in defense. We'll be able to score the basketball when everyone is healthy and things are clicking on all cylinders. So we don't want James to have to go out every single night and have to do every single thing he did last year for us.”

Getting players like Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, and John Collins should take some of the offensive pressure off of Harden. Maybe that will be the key to having him ready to break the spell of his infamously bad playoff performances.