Former HC receives rich praise from Clippers for defensive revival nearly 20 years since last gig

Following almost two decades away from coach, the LA Clippers managed to lure Jeff Van Gundy to be an assistant on Ty Lue's staff. He's become an integral part of the team, with countless players singing his praises.

Heading into the year, LA wasn't expected to be a competitive squad due to injuries and roster changes. However, they've managed to silence their critics due to a variety of driving factors. Among the biggest catalysts is their vast improvement on the defensive end.

Defense has been Van Gundy's area of focus since joining Lue's staff, where he's proven to be a great addition. The Clippers had one of the NBA's best defenses all season, and continue to thrive on that end in the playoffs.

As they continue their postseason journey, multiple Clippers players have sung Van Gundy's praises. First was center Ivica Zubac, who applauded the work he's put in to improve their defense.

“Every year, we kind of mentioned that we’re a bad defensive transition team, a bad defensive rebounding team," Zubac told insider Law Murray. "And JVG, beginning of the season, pushed me a lot, pushed the whole team a lot. Gotta be better in those two areas.”

Kawhi Leonard also spoke out about JVG's impact, stating that his approach to the game has trickled down through the entire team.

“I have to give credit to my coaching staff, starting with JVG, just being focused on that end,” Leonard said. “Coming in with a passionate, aggressive mindset for us all. And it kind of (trickles) down to us."

The last time Van Gundy held a coaching position prior to this season was with the Houston Rockets back in 2007. Despite having such a long hiatus (transitioned to a career as a TV analyst), he's managed to jump right back in and be impactful for LA.

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James Harden applauds the cohesiveness of LA Clippers' coaches

In the past, there have been countless occasions where bringing in a former head coach has caused problems behind the scenes. According to one of the team's key players, that doesn't seem to be the case in LA.

When talking about the coaching staff, James Harden had nothing but positive things to say about Ty Lue and Jeff Van Gundy. He feels the two have a strong bond, which has resulted in the team playing so well.

“It’s like the perfect relationship,” Harden said. "They tell us what we need to do on both ends of the ball, and we go out there and do it. But it’s just like, they’re yin and yang."

Behind their cohesive coaching staff, the Clippers have emerged as a dark horse contender in a loaded Western Conference.