Cavaliers general manger David Griffin sat in front of reporters Friday to explain his decision to fire head coach David Blatt in incredible detail. His reasoning covered everything from locker-room attitude and engagement to his respect for newly named head coach Tyronn Lue.
But what he made sure to make crystal clear is that LeBron James had nothing to do with his decision.
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“It’s really critical for me that everybody understands that this is my decision. I’m not taking a poll. My job is to run a franchise,” Griffin said. “This narrative that somehow we’re taking direction from (James) is just not fair. It’s not fair and frankly is not fair to me and our group anymore…
“LeBron plays for this team, he’s the leader of this team and he desperately wants to bring a championship to this team. He doesn’t run this organization.”
Blatt had an 83-40 regular-season record in a season and a half as Cleveland's coach, including an Eastern Conference-best 30-11 mark this season. But the success on paper wasn’t enough to overshadow what Griffin saw in the locker room.
“I’ve been in locker rooms for a long time and know what it’s supposed to feel like,” Griffin said. “This is one where I didn’t need to ask questions because I’ve seen them interact for a long period of time … I know what something that’s not right looks like.”
Blatt's contract was for up to $5 million a year through the 2017-18 season. Lue’s deal is reportedly worth $9.5 million over three seasons.
Cleveland coach Ty Lue's three-year contract is worth $9.5M-plus, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) January 22, 2016
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Cleveland has the most expensive roster in the league by a wide margin, and the move to strike now with Lue is an evident result of Griffin and ownership trying to make the most out of it’s investment and James’ prime. Griffin hopes the switch to Lue brings together a locker room that feels disjointed despite one of the most talented rosters in the NBA.
“I’ve never seen a locker room not be so connected after a win as they need to be. We’ve only been galvanized when expectations were not high,” Griffin said. “We’ve been a group of tremendous individual talent with individual hopes and dreams. That’s not a winning formula.”
At 30-11, the move to fire a head coach is shocking, but the Cavs are 0-3 against the Spurs and Warriors — one of which will likely represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. And those loses were more telling than any of the team’s 30 wins.
“I see we need to build a collective spirit and a collective will,” Griffin said. “Halfway throughout the season we have not developed this identity. Each step forward, unfortunately, we’ve taken two steps back … pretty good is not what we’re here for.”
Griffin said the team was a group that liked Blatt, but also appreciates a move he feels is best for the team.
“We have a lack of fit with our personnel and our vision on how to use that personnel,” Griffin said. “I’m measuring more than wins and loses. I’m focusing on a bigger picture and trying to decide if we’re building a championship culture.”
Now it’s up to Lue, a coach Griffin says he believes in, to build that championship culture.
“This is not an indictment of David Blatt as a coach, and it’s not to say Ty Lue is a better basketball coach,” Griffin said. “He’s just a better coach for this team today.”