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Cavaliers fire head coach Tyronn Lue after 0-6 start

After an 0-6 start to the 2018-19 NBA season, Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman fired head coach Tyronn Lue this morning. Assistant coach Larry Drew will take over at least for the short-term. Cavaliers players are reportedly not happy about Lue’s firing.

Lue released a statement after his firing.

Lue took over as the Cavaliers’ head coach in 2015, after Cleveland fired then-head coach David Blatt. From there on, Lue led the Cavaliers to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances, including an NBA Championship in 2016. Lue boasts a 128-83 record as the Cavaliers’ head coach. But his success with the team is a distant memory now.

Indeed, ever since LeBron James left in free agency to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers during the offseason, many knew this Cavaliers squad wouldn’t be competitive. Yes, Cleveland still has veteran players Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, and Tristan Thompson — players who were on this squad during the Cavaliers’ trips to the NBA Finals. However, the Cavaliers do not have tons of talent, which isn’t a coaching problem. Cleveland’s biggest acquisition of the offseason was using the eighth pick in the 2018 NBA draft to select point guard Collin Sexton.

This team is dead last in the Eastern Conference, which isn’t a surprise. The Cavaliers’ front office did a poor job of acquiring talent, which ultimately cost Lue his job. Drew, according to ESPN, also is reportedly reluctant to commit to being the interim coach without a contract beyond this season. He will have to take control over a locker room that isn’t too pleased with Lue’s firing. And when you combine that with the team’s struggles on the court, things aren’t looking too good in Cleveland.

Smith averaged 8.3 points and shot 37.5 percent from 3-point range last season.
Smith averaged 8.3 points and shot 37.5 percent from 3-point range last season.

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