In the wake of David Blatt being fired and Tyronn Lue taking over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team is trying to reset itself and its identity. Despite having the best record in the East, doubt looms over the championship odds of the Cavaliers because we have two historic teams vying for an NBA Finals berth in the Western Conference. The Cavs have had a competitive loss to the Golden State Warriors and an embarrassing defeat that may have cost Blatt his job. They were also picked apart during the fourth quarter in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs that left many wondering how the Cavs can best maximize their talent.
That's now Lue's job to figure out and he has to establish his culture while getting the team to buy into it -- something Blatt failed to do in a year and a half. His first plan was to get the team in better condition so they can play at a faster pace. The next goal is to put Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in their place and remind them that this team is about winning. That and the Cavs run through LeBron James first and foremost. From Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com:
Lue, who was speaking Saturday before his first game as coach, was talking about the time he spent coaching Boston's Big 3 of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce as an assistant to Doc Rivers, said "it was late in their careers, so they had to win a championship now."
"With our young stars, with Kyrie and Kevin, they're young, so it's still about their brand and different things, it's just way different," Lue said.
If you're shifting in your chair, perhaps concerned that Lue, in one of his first acts as coach, went to the media to rip Irving and Love, relax. He apparently said the same thing in front of the entire team on Saturday, too.
"I talked to our team about, 'if you win, everybody's brand is better,' " Lue said Monday, before the Cavs beat the T'Wolves. "If you win as a unit, everybody gets credit for it. Just trying to keep instilling that in our guys because, you know, we still have a young group of guys. Just gotta keep instilling that message. If we win, everybody's taken care of, so that's the message."
Lue essentially has this job right now because of LeBron's influence in the organization. Either directly or indirectly, James' lack of acceptance of Blatt over the past year and a half led to Lue becoming the new coach in the middle of a fairly successful season. Not to mention, LeBron is the best player on the team and maybe the best player in the world, so deferring to him and his playmaking brilliance isn't a bad idea. Lue clearly isn't afraid to come out and give sound bytes that are criticial of his team, which is something Blatt seemed to waffle on doing from time to time.
Irving isn't worried about his brand and doesn't believe Love is either.
"Me and Kev will do a great job with adjusting to it, but our brands are the last thing we're worried about," Irving said. "If Kevin was worried about his brand, I don't think Kevin would've came back. And for me to sign here, it was for a legitimate reason and we have a bigger goal at hand that we want to accomplish. That's always coming first."
The biggest problem the Cavs have had offensively is finding the balance of weapons after LeBron in the hierarchy. Some say Kyrie needs to defer to Love more and let him get involved. Others say Irving is the clear No. 2 option on the team and Love needs to find ways to contribute like Chris Bosh did in Miami when LeBron signed there. But the message that LeBron eats first and then everybody eats second is loud and clear. If Irving and Love can focus more on the team and less on individual success, it does create a better team culture.
You also have to trust what LeBron does with the ball in his hands and that the correct play will be made. This sacrifice for the team and not worrying about your brand (whether you're pushing Pepsi Max or chocolate milk or some horrific brand splicing between the items Irving and Love are selling) should translate to defense too, where Irving and Love have struggled mightily this season.
The message from Lue is direct and to the point. He's been a sounding board and a coach the players can trust since he joined the staff before last season. But that voice and presence becomes different for players when the assistant becomes the head coach. Commanding their respect and being honest with them require a delicate balance. Lue is certainly not afraid of making his own voice heard.
