Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue revealed one thing he’s tried to get from Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra during their time together coaching for Team USA.
“I’ve been trying to get Spo’s zone out of him for two years now,” Lue told ESPN.
Spoelstra, one of the best coaches in the NBA, has used a zone defense at times in Miami to help disrupt opponents.
The two-time NBA champion head coach is a mastermind on the defensive end, leading the Heat to the No. 5 defensive rating in the NBA last season.
While Spoelstra has never won the NBA’s Coach of the Year award (he’s finished second in the voting multiple times), he’s clearly one of the most respected minds in the league.
Lue, who won a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in his coaching career, is faced with a tough task in Los Angeles in the 2024-25 season.
The Clippers lost star forward Paul George in free agency to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, which may cause them to alter the way they play in the 2024-25 season. If Lue decides to focus his team more on the defensive end of the floor since it won’t have George’s scoring prowess on offense, a zone could be an effective way to mix up the Clippers’ coverages.
Last season, the Clippers ranked fourth in the NBA in offensive rating, but they came in just 16th in defensive rating. Still, they earned the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference.
Spoelstra’s zone and his ability to make adjustments on the fly has helped Miami reach the NBA Finals two times in the past five seasons. The Heat made a trip to the Finals in the Orlando, Fla. bubble in the 2019-20 season before making it back in the 2022-23 season as the No. 8 seed in the East.
It’s possible that Lue and Spoelstra could find themselves matched up in the NBA Finals this season if the Clippers and the Heat can make deep playoff runs. If that happens, it’ll be interesting to see if Spoelstra uses the zone that Lue wants to learn against his fellow Team USA coach.
