David Blatt, Lebron James

LeBron James didn't sound like he minded David Blatt being fired as coach.

(Michael Perez)

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - As if it were unclear where LeBron James stood on the matter of the Cavaliers replacing head coach David Blatt with Tyronn Lue, James said this morning that general manager David Griffin "was right on everything he said."

It was Griffin who fired Blatt on Friday, Griffin who said there was a disconnect on the Cavs, and Griffin who said the team was regressing despite its East-leading 30-11 record.

And it was Griffin who said he felt Lue was the right coach for Cleveland, right now.

"There's no sugarcoating what he said yesterday," James said.

"He's around us every day and he felt like as good as we can be, we weren't reaching the potential to this point. He made the change that he felt was appropriate for this team and like it, or love it, or hate it, or whatever, we've got to respect it."

James' struggles with Blatt are well documented, from ignoring the coach on the court and during timeouts, to his not-so-subtle jabs to the media. The verbal swipes had largely ceased this season, but it was still apparent that James was playing largely without regard for Blatt.

The perception is strong that James wields enormous power within the organization. He said, as Griffin and sources close to James did on Friday, that he was not consulted by the front office prior to the move, and brushed aside a suggestion that Blatt would still be the coach had James not wanted him gone.

"I've stopped that a long time ago in my career, worrying about what other people think about me or what I influence or what I don't," he said. "But the only thing I can worry about is how I continue to get these guys prepared and get them playing better basketball, because obviously we know we can be much better and I know we can be much better."

When asked this morning if he felt Blatt needed to be fired and replaced by Lue, who was formerly Blatt's top assistant, James said "it wasn't my call.

"I was ready to play no matter what. I'm ready to go, no matter who's at the helm. But now T-Lue is our coach and we're ready to play for him, just like we (were) ready to play for Blatt."

In his first remarks as head coach this morning, Lue said the Cavs "lost confidence in ourselves" in their 34-point loss Monday to defending champion and rival Golden State.

But James, hinting to his feelings about the team's direction that stretched back to the start of last season, said "I think our team was affected way before Monday.

"You guys talk to me every single day and I give you all the real every single day about where our team is and sometimes you guys think it's true, sometimes you guys think I'm a little insane - winning seven in a row and I will say, 'I don't think we're where we need to be. We're not a great team,' and you all look at me crazy.

"It's just the truth. Our team isn't - it's not our record. It's bigger than wins and losses around here and Griff sensed that and he made the change."

Right, about that record. Under Blatt, all the Cavs did was go 83-40 over two seasons and reach the Finals in Year 1. Blatt was probably going to coach the East All-Stars next month, but, you know, he was fired.

"For something like this to happen, now you understand what I was meaning," James said.