The post-LeBron James era was, unfortunately, a short one for Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach Tyronn Lue. Shams Charania of The Athletic has reported that management has fired Lue after a 0-6 start to the season. This was Lue’s first head coaching tenure after spending many years as an assistant coach with various organizations.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are planning to fire head coach Ty Lue, per league sources. @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 28, 2018
Report: Cleveland Cavaliers Fire Tyronn Lue After 0-6 Start
Lue will finish with a 128-83 overall record during his three years as the Cavaliers Head Coach. He took over for David Blatt mid-season during the 2016 campaign, where the team overcame a 3-1 series deficit against the 73-win Golden State Warriors to win the franchise’s first championship.
A report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN says the Cavaliers plan to promote assistant coach Larry Drew to interim head coach. Drew has previously been Head Coach for the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks. He had a 9-1 record as the interim coach last season when Lue missed time due to health reasons.
Unexpected Timing
Many were skeptical of the Cavaliers’ expectations after James’ departure for the Los Angeles Lakers. Some felt a viable roster was still in place that could compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, while others felt this roster was lottery-bound. The first six games of the season showed the latter, where a new era was off to a shaky start. Currently standing at 22nd in offensive rating and 30th in defensive rating might have been the final straw for Lue.
It is possible other moves are in store for the Cavaliers. A focus has seemed to be put on developing the youth while many veterans are still on the roster. All-Star Kevin Love was signed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension this past off-season. Could he be involved in a trade down the road? Other veterans such as J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver have seen their playing time dwindle.
Going Forward
This could be the beginning of a massive overhaul in Cleveland. With the 2019 NBA Draft expected to be top-heavy, the Cavaliers could lean towards tanking and find a franchise cornerstone in the draft. No one knows what to expect from the organization in the immediate future. All that is known is management felt Lue was not the man best suited for this roster going forward.
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