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Tyronn Lue on Kawhi Leonard, Paul George: ‘When they’re playing, I’ll let y’all know’

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LOS ANGELES – Still no.

For the second consecutive day and the umpteenth in the past five months, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said, no, he did not have an update on the status of superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, both of whom are working their way back from injuries.

Leonard is rehabbing from July 13 surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and George recently has begun shooting with his right hand again after being shelved on Christmas with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in that elbow.

“Man, I’m tired of hearing that (stuff),” said Lue, the Clippers’ typically, proudly mild-mannered coach. “When they’re playing, I’ll let y’all know. I’m tired about talking about them every game. We can’t win a game (and) y’all gotta talk about Kawhi and PG. Talk about the guys in the locker room that’s fighting and clawing every single day.”

Despite Lue’s protests, Leonard’s appearance shooting baskets made news on Tuesday. The five-time All-Star engaged in what Chris Haynes characterized as a “rigorous pregame workout” before the Clippers tipped off against Golden State at the Chase Center, when the TNT sideline reporter also said Lue told him if Leonard and George “can’t be back regular season, then probably not safe to bring them back for playoffs.”

Lue wasn’t having that discussion before Wednesday’s game at Crytpo.com Arena against the Washington Wizards, however: “We miss those guys like hell, but there’s nothing we can do about it, so let’s focus on our guys playing every single night and giving everything they got.”

BIG ON ACCOUNTABILITY

Lue still has a quick first move – if he can take the blame for something, he’ll do it.

After Sunday’s 116-93 loss to the New York Knicks, Lue’s response: “They looked faster and they were more physical to start – and so, like I said, they played well. And I probably coulda done some things earlier.”

Reflecting on the Clippers’ loss to Dallas on Feb. 10: “I got a little stubborn.”

Following a loss to Memphis on Feb. 8: “That’s me, gotta do a better job of just controlling the game.”

And so on.

“I mean he’s like that with us, too, so it’s not like he’s giving you something else that he’s not giving to us,” Clippers center Ivica Zubac said earlier this season. “He’s hard on himself, he’s hard on the coaching staff but he’s hard on the players, too, so however he sees it, if he sees it that they messed up maybe or we messed up he’s going to let us know.

“And it’s good to have a coach who’s accountable, who’s going to let everyone know he made a mistake and he’s going to get better.”

And that habit of accountability seems to be rubbing off.

After the loss to the Knicks, Terance Mann, the Clippers’ 25-year-old wing, took a seat in front of the media and issued a mea culpa for the Clippers’ insufficient effort.

“Winning plays, man,” Mann said. “It was hard to get some of those tonight, I don’t know for what reason but … normally energy plays make that up and that’s my job so I’ll take the hit on that.”

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Two nights later after the Clippers stumbled, 112-97 against the Warriors, 23-year-old center Isaiah Hartenstein was the one volunteering to fall on the sword: “There was no energy, so I have to do a better job, especially because that’s my role bringing more energy to the game.”

Lue said that sort of accountability was a show of professionalism.

“It’s important to own up to it,” Lue said. “I definitely could’ve been better; Isaiah, T-Mann, if you’re professional and you’re real with yourself, they coulda been better. We all could’ve been better. Whenever you lose a game, everyone coulda been better.

“So, for them to own up to it, that just shows the growth of our team and who we are. We take responsibility. Our players take responsibility. We just gotta be better, so, that was good to hear.”

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