Cavaliers Players Reportedly 'Pissed' About Tyronn Lue's Firing as Head Coach

Cleveland Cavaliers players are reportedly "pissed" about head coach Tyronn Lue's firing Sunday morning, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. 

Vardon and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Sunday that the Cavaliers were firing Lue, with Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN adding Larry Drew would take over as interim head coach.

Kevin Love posted a picture on Instagram that showed him hugging Lue, while JR Smith tweeted a message of thanks to Lue:

James also expressed his support on Twitter: 

Lue released a statement, meanwhile, as The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears shared: 

While Cavaliers players may not be happy with the decision, management and Lue reportedly had been butting heads over personnel decisions and playing time.

According to Vardon, "[general manager Koby Altman] and Lue have been at loggerheads over playing time and the general direction of the team since the start of training camp. While both men wanted to win this season rather than tank for a draft pick, Altman wanted Lue to give more playing time to the younger players acquired over the past several months."

Lue, meanwhile, "is partial to veterans."

Despite those differences—and despite the team's poor start—it's surprising Lue was canned so early in the season. Surely there was going to be a significant adjustment period once the best player on the planet left for Los Angeles, but if the Cavaliers didn't believe Lue was the man to lead during a time of upheaval, why bring him back at all?

The Cavaliers appear to be a team in purgatory. Maybe they're good enough to compete for a low postseason seed, maybe not, but they don't have the cap space, as presently constructed, to make a run at premier free agents this summer and are unlikely to be a contender anytime soon. The logical long-term play would be to trade away veterans, rebuild through the draft and give the young players full rein. 

Instead, they came into the season of two minds, both hoping to make a playoff push and also develop their young players. Lue's firing is perhaps as strong an indication as any that accomplishing both may simply be too unrealistic.