Clippers not balking at more frequent practices

PLAYA VISTA — Last season, it’s doubtful the Clippers would have practiced the day after a tough loss. Last season, they might have had a day off following a 40-point victory with the prospect of their first set of back-to-back games looming less than 48 hours later.

But that was last season.

Coach Tyronn Lue has drawn a hard line when it comes to practice – win or lose. He says the team needs more work to be the type of team that can defeat the top teams and stay ahead of the lesser ones, which is why the players gathered at the training facility on Monday for a short practice and film session.

“Just, you know, reminding these guys of what we’re trying to do, what we’re trying to accomplish,” Lue said. “That’s not going to kill anybody. But we do have to get better.

“Got to get better.”

Three games into the season, Lue said the team needs to improve in several areas, namely offensive spacing and execution and screen plays. So, he told the team minutes after Sunday’s 123-83 victory over the San Antonio Spurs that he expected them to show up. Just like he did after Friday’s 120-118 loss on the road to the Utah Jazz.

Both times, the players didn’t balk at the idea.

“I was expecting practice, but that’s good,” veteran forward Nicolas Batum said. “I mean everybody’s OK with it. We can (be) like, oh no, come on, we won by 40. We need a day off. (But) no, it wasn’t like this. (It was) OK, let’s do it. What time? That’s it.”

Batum said the team is more locked in than last season, eager to maintain their focus and momentum.

“We know even if we had a great game, we’d still focus on the stuff we need to improve,” Batum said. “That’s what we’re going to do today. We won by 40 yesterday and we’re still going to come in and like, OK, video and what can we do better for the next game? Because tomorrow is going to be a good game against a good team and the next two days.

“This team doesn’t care about what happened the night before. What can we do to get better? It’s going to be like this every day this year.”

Lue said he expects All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to play Tuesday against the Orlando Magic but would wait until after Monday’s practice to see “how they are feeling and go from there.”

Neither swingman Terance Mann (ankle) nor center Ivica Zubac (quadriceps) took part in Monday’s drills.

TOUGH LOSS

The Clippers’ two-point loss in Salt Lake City on Friday night weighed heavily on Russell Westbrook. The point guard took the defeat personally after missing a potential game-tying jumper. He said he was disappointed in his play overall.

“It was a long two days for me,” Westbrook said. “I was really upset because one, I don’t like to lose. It was just hard to take losses and especially games where I think we had an opportunity to win is another thing.

“The one thing about the NBA, you get a day or sooner to get over it and then right back at it tonight. Tonight (Sunday) was a good bounce-back game for all of us and now we got to get ready for Tuesday.”

George, who played with Westbrook in Oklahoma City, expected him to take the blame.

“Being around Russ now multiple seasons I know when he’s kind of putting it on himself, I know he’s a guy that really owns up for whatever it is and it was wearing on him,” George said.

“He means business from this point on. It’s the way he approached practice, the way he approached this game tonight and I’m the guy that is always going to have Russ’s back. I thought Russ played great in Utah. For whatever reason, he took it upon himself, but I thought Russ played great.”

LASTING IMPRESSION

Twelve hours later and Bones Hyland was still shaking his head over the play of Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama. Make that one particular play.

Hyland was going up for a layup when he saw the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama standing there and changed his mind and passed off the shot.

“I’m like, man, if I float this, I felt like he was going to send that to the stands,” Hyland said. “Dude is long, man.”

Like many of his teammates, Hyland believes the 19-year-old Frenchman has untapped potential. He’s talented, but “he’s definitely raw, though.”

For Batum, the moment to guard Wembanyama gave him pause.

“It just reminded me that I’m the oldest French (player) now in the NBA,” Batum said, laughing. “No, I mean it was cool to finally see him on the NBA court, live, play against him. I think my son was more excited than me. He was wearing his jersey. He loves Wemby.”

ORLANDO AT CLIPPERS

When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Crypto.com Arena

TV/radio: Bally Sports SoCal, 570 AM, 1330 AM