Basketball: Cleveland Cavaliers lose first game since sacking coach David Blatt

The timing was disgusting on many levels, and if the Cavaliers didn’t think Blatt was the man for the job, he should’ve been shown the door during the offseason.

Lue was promoted Friday, when the Cavaliers shockingly fired David Blatt despite him taking the team to the NBA Finals last season and now leading the Eastern Conference.

“He went to the NBA Finals, and who knows what would’ve happened had he had Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving?”.

On a recent road trip, James told ESPN.com of Blatt: “One thing he tries to do is just put us in a position to win, and then it’s up to us”. “I’ve been around my team a little bit more, talking to them, gambling, things like that, just so that when we’re out there we can have that cohesiveness, but it’s not working so just got to come out with another approach”.

Ultimately, we don’t know if his replacement, Tyronn Lue, knows what he’s doing on the sidelines.

Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose (1) passes over Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Love (0) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, in Cleveland.

New Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue didnt think his players were having much fun.

In Minnesota, a 37-point second quarter for the Minnesota Timberwolves spurred a 106-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, snapping a four-game winning streak for the visitors, who entered the night winners in six of seven overall. “It’s something I’ve got to deal with”.

I’m glad Griffin had the nerve to do it before Blatt was named Eastern Conference coach for the All-Star Game. “When we win games, I don’t think the guys are enjoying it. That’s what I spoke to them about today because I’m really anxious about our spirit”.

Perhaps it comes with the territory of being a mega star, but Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James is nearly always cautious to keep his comments and image politically correct.

“That one – to me – elevated all of the coach firings totally into the theatre of the absurd”. Obviously he sees it from the outside and from the inside looking in.

“For me, I can’t get caught up and anxious about what other people are thinking”, James said about those who believe he influenced Blatt’s departure.

Halfway through a championship-or-bust season, the Cavaliers are picking up the pieces. “If Steve Kerr loses two games in a row, we might have to dump him and go back to Luke Walton – that’s where we’re at”, Van Gundy said.

“We’re not in good enough shape to play the style we want to play”, Lue told reporters after Saturday’s loss to Chicago.

Carlisle also suggested that Blatt may now be “liberated” with this firing and that he can find a better situation. “I think everything else will take care of itself because we have a lot of great players”.