Tyronn Lue was promoted from assistant to head coach in the wake of David Blatt being fired with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Let’s just say he’s not exactly afraid to make headlines on his first day.
When asked what he would do differently than Blatt, Lue gave an eye-opening response:
Tyronn Lue on what he'll do differently than Blatt: "I wouldn't say 'differently,' I would say 'better.'"
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 23, 2016
Those are pretty bold words from Lue, who has never before been a head coach before at the age of 38 and who is only eight years removed from his own playing days.
During Blatt’s tenure as head coach the past year-and-a-half, he won 67.5 percent of his games and took the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in his first, and only full season. Doing better than that could prove to be a tall order for a coach with Lue’s experience, or lack thereof.
That said, one must admire Lue’s confidence. He’s going to need it in order to command respect from a locker room that includes the likes of LeBron James, who might feel like he could lead the team all by himself at this point in his career.
The Cavaliers currently lead the Eastern Conference by three games over the Toronto Raptors with a record of 30-11. If things start going south, then Lue might wish he had quelled his tongue just a bit.