The Cleveland Cavaliers sent shock waves rippling through the NBA last week when they announced the dismissal of head coach David Blatt. The news blindsided many in the NBA community, as the Cavs hold the best record in the East and were only hours removed from an impressive win over the LA Clippers. In the hours and days that followed, the Cavs started to become even more of a circus.
Tyronn Lue, the league’s highest paid assistant coach who had been brought in to help Blatt transition smoothly to the NBA, signed a three year contract to become Cleveland’s head coach immediately. Reports about LeBron James’ involvement in the firing also became a point of debate, with many analysts claiming he caused the firing while James himself denied any knowledge or involvement.
The move was made in the sense of progress, with General Manager David Griffin claiming that the move was meant to increase the Cavs’ chances in their pursuit of a championship this season while fitting their personnel and vision better. But firing a coach who had an 83-40 record and a Finals appearance while coaching an upper tier offense and defense is a clear symptom of a deeper issue within the organization, and it will ultimately be the Cavs’ undoing in the championship pursuit.
While the team has been the best in the East, that distinction is not something many teams choose to hang their hat on these days. The Cavs would be in fourth place in the Western conference with their 30-12 record, and the way they have played this season has not lead any hope to their chances of beating either the Spurs or the Warriors.
The San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors have been the two best teams in the league this season, and both may be in the conversation for the greatest team of all time. The Warriors hold the best record in the NBA after rattling off a record 24 game win streak to begin the season, while the Spurs are posting the best net rating as a team (14.9) ever in the history of the league.
Both teams are blindingly brilliant, and the Cavs have little hope of knocking off either of them in the postseason. They have not won against either of the two teams yet this season, and their last game against the Warriors resulted in a 34-point blowout.
The franchise is also clearly conflicted as to what to do with Kevin Love. The versatile power forward was under utilized under Blatt, but he has struggled to adapt to a tertiary role behind James and Kyrie Irving.
His defense is poor, and has such little support within the organization that it was reported when the players were called together to be told of Blatt’s dismissal, some of his teammates thought Love was being traded. Ultimately, it seems that Love is a square peg trying to fit into a round hole of the Cavs franchise.
LeBron James’ involvement in the franchise’s procedures has become toxic, and may be the ultimate undoing of the Cavs. Whether or not he had a direct hand in the firing of Blatt, if he really wanted Blatt there, he would still be. LeBron’s desire to be coached by a former player has long been reported, and he obviously did not feel that Blatt was the man to lead Cleveland to a championship, evidenced by his challenging a Blatt’s decisions both on and off the court.
It has also been reported that LeBron and his agency group had been pushing for a different head coach from the start, not agreeing with the Blatt hire the moment the news had broken. James’ unwillingness to accept coaching will be the Cavs ultimate undoing, as they will never be able to foster a constructive team culture if the star player openly goes against the coaching staff.
While LeBron is the greatest player of his generation, his lack of postseason success has been an ongoing narrative throughout his career. This season, ultimately, will follow suit as the Cavs become more and more dysfunctional.
