The path to the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job was paved for Lue in January 2016.
The Cavs’ previous head coach David Blatt was fired following an embarrassing blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors. At the time, the Cavs were 30-11 and first in the East. Blatt was set to coach the NBA All-Star game.
Cleveland’s GM David Griffin conceded that the team’s record was fine, but that he was “judging a lot more than wins and losses.” To him and many others, Blatt’s Cavs did not look poised to win an NBA Championship.