The Cleveland Cavaliers are reeling, having now lost 10 of their last 14 games. And after giving up 148 points in a blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, LeBron James was asked if he thought head coach Tyronn Lue could be fired.
LeBron James was lukewarm when asked about Tyronn Lue’s job security
James: “I don’t know what’s going to happen with our team.”
His answer was telling.
“I would hope not, but really don’t know,” James said, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with our team. I have no idea what conversations have been going on. I’ve been trying to stay as laser-sharp as I can to keep my guys ready to go out and play.”
This isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement
James had a chance to throw his head coach a lifeline. After all, Lue was the coach who helped lead the Cavaliers to their first championship in franchise history. There’s no way you’re firing that guy. Not on my watch.
That’s something James could have said. Instead, he said, “I don’t know what’s going to happen with our team.” That doesn’t sound like someone who is hard-pressed to keep anyone around.
At some level, you can’t fault James’ relative nonchalance. The Cavaliers are atrocious on defense. They’re atrocious in most hustle stats, and they’re atrocious for a team looking to make a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals.
Cleveland is still No. 3 in the Eastern Conference, and they’re not a regular-season team. They’re a team that plays for the NBA Finals each and every season. But this is the worst Cavs team at this point since they were 25-20 in 2014-15.
And if you’re Lue, this is the most concerning part: James didn’t exactly endorse former head coach David Blatt, either.
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