NBA News 2016: Cavs Coach Tyronne Lue Wants David Blatt To Coach All-Star Team; Coaches React To Blatt's Firing
Newly appointed Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue believes his predecessor David Blatt should be the coach of the Eastern Conference team at the upcoming 2016 All-Star game.
Lue, who is most notably known for his short stint with the Lakers in the team's championship run in the late 90's through the early 2000s, spoke to Cleveland.com about how he thinks the former Cavaliers' mentor is fit for the job.
According to him, Blatt has helped the team achieve its conference-leading record of 30-11 when he was around, adding that he had already spoken to fellow coach and broadcaster P.J. Carlesimo about it.
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"The NBA has been trying to work around some different things for the All-Star Game and he's done a great job here," Lue said. "We're first in the East and I think it would be sweet if Coach Blatt could coach the All-Star Game one last time."
The Cavaliers fired Blatt a little more than a week ago, leaving some of his players such as LeBron James "caught off-guard" by team management's decision. Reports claim that the reason for Blatt's release was his inability to fulfill some of his duties correctly.
Blatt's firing did create a stir among his fellow coaches, as most of them were not happy with the said development.
In a report by Nick Eilerson for the Washington Post, the San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich, the Dallas Mavericks' Rick Carlisle, and the Los Angeles Lakers' Byron Scott were the ones who were most vocal about their opinions.
For Carlisle, Blatt's firing came as a "real shocker," especially since he believes the Cavaliers' former mentor did a great job adjusting to the NBA. Popovich merely conceded to the idea that this is how it works in the business, while Scott pointed out how coaching was a "tough and sometimes very thankless business."
"You could be on a team doing extremely well like Cleveland and still you lose your job," Scott said.
