Lue offers straightforward guidance as Garland prepares to boost the Clippers' offense.
The Los Angeles Clippers snapped a three-game losing streak on Sunday night, blowing out the New Orleans Pelicans 137-117 at Intuit Dome behind another strong performance from Kawhi Leonard.
Now the real excitement begins.
Darius Garland is expected to make his long-awaited Clippers debut on Monday night against the Golden State Warriors.
After the game, head coach Ty Lue was asked about what advice he has for Garland as the former Cavalier gets ready to take the floor for the first time since January 14, and the veteran coach kept things pretty straightforward.
"Just don't get frustrated... just come in, just try to find your rhythm, try to find your conditioning, play in the flow, be aggressive attacking, and then just playing your game," Lue said.
Clippers Rolling Without Garland
The Clippers improved to 28-31 with Sunday's win, and their turnaround since a rough 7-21 start has been one of the better stories in the West.
Kawhi Leonard led the way against New Orleans with 23 points, five assists, and three rebounds in 29 minutes, extending his 20-point scoring streak to 37 straight games.
He is averaging 27.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on the season while carrying the offensive load since James Harden was traded to Cleveland at the deadline.
Five players finished in double figures for the Clippers, highlighted by Jordan Miller's 19 points, Derrick Jones Jr.'s 17, and Brook Lopez's 16.
John Collins added 15 before leaving with an arm injury.
That balanced scoring showed the depth Los Angeles has been building around Leonard, and it is about to get even better.
What Garland Brings to the Table
The two-time All-Star was acquired from the Cavaliers on February 3 in exchange for Harden, and the Clippers have been waiting on him ever since.
Garland was putting up 18.0 points and 6.9 assists per game in 26 games with Cleveland this season before a toe injury shut him down.
He was playing even better down the stretch, averaging 20.1 points and 7.4 assists over his last 14 games while shooting 52.2 percent from the floor.
The biggest thing Garland changes is the playmaking.
Since the Harden trade, Los Angeles has not had a true point guard, and Leonard has had to create almost everything on his own.
Lue has talked about wanting to play faster with Garland, and the guard's ability to push the ball and find open shooters should take pressure off Leonard and let him focus on scoring.
A Make-or-Break Month
The timing of Garland's return could not be any better.
The Clippers have 18 games in March, the most any team has played in a single month since 2017, with four sets of back-to-backs and no consecutive days off.
Los Angeles currently sits ninth in the Western Conference, and every game counts in their push for the Play-In.
The 19-43 Pelicans were a welcome opponent on Sunday, but things get tougher right away at Golden State on Monday.
Garland will almost certainly be on a minutes restriction for his debut, and Lue has been careful about not rushing him back.
But even limited minutes should give the Clippers a spark they have been looking for.
If the former fifth overall pick can work his way back to the form he showed last season when he averaged 20.6 points and 6.5 assists for Cleveland, the rest of the West should pay attention.