Has Ty Lue Coached His Last Game for the Cavs?

• Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue has announced he’s taking a leave of absence from the team
• Will Lue return to the sidelines before the playoffs begin?
• Can the Cavs return to the NBA Finals without their veteran coach?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are about to enter the most pivotal stretch of their season without their head coach. Tyronn Lue announced on Monday that he’s taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team to deal with ongoing health-related issues.

“I need to step back from coaching for the time being and focus on trying to establish a stronger and healthier foundation from which to coach for the rest of the season,” Lue said in an official statement.

The announcement comes just two days after Lue exited a game against the Bulls with an undisclosed illness. It was the third time this season that the 40-year-old coach has left a game before the final buzzer.

Tyronn Lue NBA Head Coaching Record

Lue’s long-term health is obviously paramount, but his departure comes at a particularly bad time for the Cavs. The team is already missing Kyle Korver, Rodney Hood, and Larry Nance Jr., and is in danger of slipping out of third place in the Eastern Conference.

We’ve sized up Lue’s troubling situation and have come up with fresh odds for his future with Cleveland.

Odds Ty Lue returns to the Cavs in time for the first round of the playoffs: 1/1

Lue left the possibility of rejoining the team wide open in his official statement, saying “My goal is to come out of it a stronger and healthier version of myself so I can continue to lead this team to the championship we are all working towards.”

Those are encouraging words, but there are still so many unknowns. Lue isn’t even sure of the exact nature of his ailment despite undergoing a battery of tests, and his condition and accompanying sleep deprivation have been worsening as the season has progressed.

Lue has suggested his condition could be heart-related, which makes us think that he’ll need to undergo a lengthy absence that will include medication and a highly restricted routine. We sincerely hope he returns eventually, but the Cavs shouldn’t count on him for the first round of the playoffs.

Odds Ty Lue ever coaches the Cavs again: 1/3

Lue signed a five-year contract extension worth $35 million in July 2016 and has never wavered on his commitment to the franchise. If he’s healthy (and that’s a big if at this point) then he’ll be back on the sidelines for the 2018-19 season.

Other coaches, like Steve Kerr and Steve Clifford, have also taken extended breaks to address health-related issues and have successfully returned to the bench afterwards.

Other coaches, like Steve Kerr and Steve Clifford, have also taken extended breaks to address health-related issues and have successfully returned to the bench afterwards. We strongly believe Lue will follow in their footsteps after a period of rest and recuperation.

Odds the Cavs advance to the NBA Finals with Ty Lue on the bench: 3/1

It’s highly possible that Lue could be back by the time the NBA Finals begin on May 31st, but it might not even matter since the Cavs may be watching the action from home. Cleveland is just 6-7 since the All-Star break and has the league’s third worst defensive rating over all. They struggle to get back in transition, give up far too many second chance points, and seem to lack the willingness and focus to clamp down for a full 48 minutes.

Their shoddy defense was particularly evident in their recent 127-113 loss to the Lakers, in which they allowed LA to shoot 50-percent from the floor and were outrebounded 57-44.

If they looked that bad against the Lakers, just imagine how bad they’ll look against the Raptors, who beat them 133-99 during their first meeting of the season and currently rank second in the NBA in plus/minus, and third in offensive rating, net rating, and points per game. It’s been a long time coming, but this is shaping up to be the year that the Raptors advance to the Finals at LeBron James’ expense.

Odds the Cavs advance to the NBA Finals without Ty Lue on the bench: 3/1

We hate adding insult to injury, but we all know that LeBron is the one who really calls the shots. His performance, and not a bunch of x’s and o’s, will determine if the Cavs can make it past the Raptors and advance to the Finals.

The good news for the Cavs is that they have a solid replacement for Lue in the form of associate head coach Larry Drew.

The good news for the Cavs is that they have a solid replacement for Lue in the form of associate head coach Larry Drew. The 59-year-old lifer was previously in charge of the Hawks and Bucks and is well respected in the locker room.

Be sure to check out our 2017-18 NBA Championship Odds tracker to see how the Cavs’ chances have been impacted by Lue’s health.