Tyronn Lue pulls 1 notable player from Clippers’ rotation

Nov 19, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; LA Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue looks on against New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

One talented LA Clippers player will find himself glued to the bench for the foreseeable future as the dust from the James Harden trade begins to settle.

Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported this week that Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has informed young guard Bones Hyland that he will not be in the rotation for the time being to allow the team to see what they have with other lineup combinations. Lue reportedly gave Hyland a timeframe of five to six games for his absence from the rotation.

“He communicated with me, and that’s all you can ask for,” Hyland was quoted as saying of his coach. “It can be frustrating, but I’m just gonna stay ready. Of course, I wanna play, but I just try to keep things in perspective. I have experienced worse. I have faced death situations, so this is something I can handle.”

The 23-year-old Hyland is a budding star who had averaged 13.6 points per game for the Clippers before Harden made his debut. But the Clippers are over-saturated with guards right now, in particular ball-dominant guards who are below-average defenders. With Harden and Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup and Norman Powell and a now-healthy Terance Mann coming off the bench, that does not leave much room for Hyland minutes.

Hyland should still get a chance at some point as he plays with speed and energy, skills the old, slow, and injury-prone Clippers badly need. But his current absence from the rotation isn’t what Hyland envisioned after he beefed with his previous team over his lack of a role.