With six new players, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is teaching again

His job as coach of the Clippers sometimes required Tyronn Lue to be more than that. His work this season has called on Lue to be more of a teacher.

This is due to six new players on the roster. Also because he has six players aged 25 or younger.

After spending about a week in Hawaii for training camp and playing a preseason game against the Golden State Warriors, the Clippers returned home Monday for a workout at Intuit Dome.

For Lue, it was a time of excitement and a time for him to become a teacher.

“I love it,” Lue said. “It gives me something to do. The young boys just teach. The new guys, teaching, understanding spacing, understanding how to run offensively, what we’re looking for, first, second, third option. So it has been good.”

Lue’s youngest player is Cam Christie, a 19-year-old guard the Clippers picked in the second round of the draft out of Minnesota. Kobe Brown, 24 and in his second season, is still learning.

Read more: Kawhi Leonard plans to play in the Clippers’ season opener

It’s young players like these that Lue likes to show the way during training camp and preseason games. The Clippers play the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside.

“The biggest thing is me,” Lue said. “I think I just have to make sure I don’t go too fast and not too slow. Make sure they understand the concepts before we move on to the next phase. And so it’s up to me to make sure we do that. We’ve put a lot of stuff in there over the last few days, so hopefully they can understand that. If not, we just slow down and keep coming in before shooting around before practice starts so they can get up to speed.

When Lue throws plans at his team, he has to make sure the new players understand.

They acquired players like Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Kevin Porter Jr. and Mo Bamba to fill roles around Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

“If they don’t get it, I can’t keep following them if they don’t get it,” Lue said. “So make sure I pull out if they don’t get it, make sure we get there an hour before practice, work on it, and they’ve done a good job with that.”

It’s a different role for Lue, as he was in charge of the oldest roster in the NBA last season, with an average age of 30.4. His four future Hall of Famers – Leonard (33), Paul George (34), Harden (35) and Russell Westbrook (35) – were all over 32 last season.

He didn’t have to teach that much with that veterans group.

Still, the Clippers knew Lue was up to the task, which is why they made him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA at $14 million per season.

“Yeah, whatever it takes, you know, and so whatever personnel we have, we have to make sure that our staff makes sure that our offense and defense matches our personnel,” Lue said. “It can’t be the same and this will be my system no matter who plays for us. You know, it has to be different depending on who you have over. And that is what we are good at.”

Lue was asked what kind of teacher he is: one with or without patience?

“No, I’ll be patient,” Lue said, smiling. “You have to be patient with a group. You can’t get frustrated, but the boys pick things up very well. But I like to teach, make sure we’re in the right place, make them understand why we’re doing certain things and why you need to put the screen here instead of there, why you need to be here and make the pass instead of there . So it’s a lot of teaching, but it’s good.”

Tucker’s situation

Lue reiterated that it was a “mutual agreement” between the Clippers and veteran forward P.J. Tucker that he would remain away from the team until another situation could be resolved for him.

Tucker, who opted out of his $11.5 million contract, is waived by the Clippers for the second time since coming from the 76ers in a trade for Harden last season.

The 39-year-old Tucker, along with Bones Hyland, were sent home by the Clippers one game before last season’s All-Star break.

“PJ was great for us,” Lue said. “I think it was great for our young guys. We just came to a mutual agreement, so you know what? It’s not a good day, but you know, it is what it is.

Etc.

Lue said “yes sir” when asked if Leonard, who has been dealing with inflammation in his right knee, was still strengthening his knee while the team practiced. … Lue said Terance Mann will start against the Nets.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.