Ty Lue: Clippers still expect to win at high level

The Clippers are hosting All-Star Weekend. They’re also asking everyone to recalibrate.

As L.A. welcomed the league to town, their trade deadline reshaped the roster in ways that make the short-term picture harder to read, as Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko detailed.

The Clippers moved on from James Harden and defensive anchor Ivica Zubac, bringing back younger pieces headlined by Darius Garland and wing scorer Bennedict Mathurin.

Garland, however, remains sidelined with a toe sprain and has no clear return timeline, while Mathurin has come off the bench to open his Clippers tenure.

The result is a roster that got younger, but also lost two of its most consistent nightly presences. For a team that had been rolling after a slow start, that naturally shifts expectations.

“It’s not easy,” veteran wing Nicolas Batum said. “Especially when you trade away big pieces. But the thing we got back is pretty huge as well. You still gotta do your job, but it’s going to be an adjustment for sure.”

From the head coach’s seat, though, nothing has changed.

“Our expectations are still to win and win at a high level,” Tyronn Lue said. “Come out and compete every single night and play hard. No matter who’s on the floor.”

The Clippers may look different. The standard, at least internally, does not.