Clippers fall in preseason opener as turnovers, rebounding woes creep back up
Stop if you've heard this one before.
On Saturday night in Honolulu, 62-year-old Jeff Van Gundy sat in his chair alongside LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, the man who had coaxed the retired Van Gundy to help the Clippers right the ship on the defensive end.
As the ball left Lindy Waters III’s fingertips in the waning moments, Van Gundy could be seen on the broadcast muttering the phrase someone succumbs to when they see the inevitable happening: “God dammit.”
He knew. It’s hard for coaches to not know.
When Waters’ game-winning 3-pointer sank to the bottom of the net, the Golden State Warriors ran off the floor with a 91-90 victory. Van Gundy sprung out of his chair, none too pleased.
But this one reaction showed something—a desire to not settle, no matter if it is preseason after all. Habits are formed now, even while the sun shimmers off the Oahu coast.
Every second matters; every possession matters.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Russo Writes, a Substack publication to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.