CLEVELAND, OH – JANUARY 23: Head coach Tyronn Lue of the Cleveland Cavaliers yells to his team during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Quicken Loans Arena on January 23, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Bulls defeated the Cavaliers 96-83. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Whether or not significant change inside the Cleveland Cavaliers locker room has taken place since the firing of David Blatt, one thing hasn’t gone the way they have hoped so far, and that’s the wins and losses on the court.

The Cavaliers are 6-3 under new head coach Tyronn Lue, a mark that is not on pace to match the 30-11 record that Blatt led the Cavaliers to in their first 41 games of the 2015-16 NBA season. That doesn’t resonate well with some folks who feel that Blatt got an unfair shake in Cleveland.

Lue has received a lot of criticism for the start, and the narrative that he and LeBron James had something to do with Blatt’s ouster.

“Look, they ridiculed Jesus Christ, so I’m certainly no exception,” Lue told cleveland.com. “I don’t care what’s being said. I know how loyal I was to Coach Blatt and the people that know me understand that. I have no control over what people think. I have a job to do and I’m going to do my best.”

But Lue is up for the challenge despite the criticism, and is actually still good friends with Blatt, contrary to what some might think.

“Me and Blatt are cool,” Lue said to cleveland.com. “We’ve spoken a few times since [he was let go]. I text him a few days ago, so it’s not what people want to think. To say I was doing things behind the scenes to get this job is crazy. This job? A team that’s in first place? Come on.

“As long as Coach Blatt supports me, that’s all that matters.”

Since Blatt’s firing, the Cavaliers have somewhat gone into the shadows of the NBA’s elite. Prior to the season, this team would be in the same discussion as the Warriors, Spurs, and Thunder. Recently, that hasn’t been the case. While there’s little doubt that the Cavaliers are the favorite in the East, things don’t seem as certain as they once were.

Nobody is going to count your team out with LeBron James still around, though.

But with the coaching change, one should expect somewhat of a learning curve. Lue still needs to implement schematic and strategic changes, and the Cavaliers’ schedule hasn’t necessarily given him all that much time to do so.

Which, right now, might not be a terrible thing. It keeps him from hearing the criticism.

“It’s part of the job. If I let what people said affect me, I wouldn’t be here,” Lue told Cleveland.com. “At the end of the day, I have a job to do, and hopefully we can do some great things together.”

The Cavaliers will face the reeling Sacramento Kings Monday night, and the terrible Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night before heading into the All-Star Break. Their next game will fall on February 18, and will give Lue the most time he has had since taking over for Blatt to really dig in to his team.

If Lue is able to make the most out of this latter half of the season, along with a slate of, while challenging, winnable Eastern Conference playoff games, it could definitely make for a good warm up and test if they are able to reach their second consecutive NBA Finals.

[Cleveland.com]

About Harry Lyles Jr.

Harry Lyles Jr. is an Atlanta-based writer, and a Georgia State University graduate.