The Los Angeles Clippers are three games over .500 for the first time all season, and Ty Lue knows exactly why they've gotten here.

It starts with Kawhi Leonard. Getting their best player healthy and back on the floor has changed everything for a Clippers team that looked completely lost earlier in the year. Without him, they were spinning their wheels. With him, they're a legitimate threat every single night.

But Lue didn't stop there when asked about this team's turnaround after their win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He pointed just as quickly to all the other guys in the locker room as he did to his star player.

"The biggest thing is a healthy Kawhi, and then just the guys we got in the locker room," Lue said. "That's what I'm most pleased about because they could have easily gave up. They could have easily gave in."

Los Angeles was 6-21 at one point this season. That's the kind of record that 99% of teams in NBA history haven't recovered from. Being so behind that early in the season breaks confidence and trust between players and coaches. But none of that happened with this group, and that's not something you can just chalk up to talent.

Lue didn't sugarcoat how difficult that stretch was. He knew his guys were in a tough spot, and he watched them show up every single day anyway. Most rosters can't do that, and he's not taking it for granted.

Lue singled out players who bought in even when things weren't going their way. Every single guy in that locker room came in and did the work, and Lue made it clear he hasn't forgotten who was there when it wasn't easy.

"Every single guy in the locker room ... they played a big part as well," he said. "Starting six and 21, but coming in every single day to get better in practice, to get better in the games, to sacrifice no matter what it took to win games. That was huge for us."

Teams that start 6-21 and turn it around don't do it on talent alone. They do it because somebody in that building decides it isn't over and convinces everyone else to feel the same way. That's what happened in Los Angeles, and it didn't happen by accident.

The Clippers aren't just playing better basketball right now, they're playing with a confidence and an identity that was nowhere to be found in the early months of the season. Lue deserves credit for keeping the ship steady, and so do the players who trusted him when there wasn't much evidence yet that it was going to pay off.

This isn't anything resembling a fluke run. The Clippers have earned every win they've gotten since digging out of that hole, and with the play-in approaching, they're a team that nobody's going to want to see. They've already proven they can handle adversity, and now they get to show what they can do when things are finally going their way.