CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When the Cavaliers elevated Tyronn Lue to head coach on Jan. 22, 2016, taking over for embattled David Blatt, Lue was the perfect person for the job.

That was a veteran group, one with title aspirations. Cleveland needed a player's coach who had earned LeBron James' respect and spent plenty of time around some of the NBA's finest. His resume gave him credibility. It allowed him to challenge James and some of the other vets. He built trust that Blatt lost. The bold stroke by then-GM David Griffin ultimately led to the Cavaliers' first NBA championship a few months later.

The Cavaliers still feel Lue -- labeled an "incredible coach" by a source that spoke with cleveland.com Sunday afternoon -- would be an ideal fit for a roster loaded with experience, perhaps one capable of competing for a championship immediately.

Just not the Cavs -- a team that's trying to strike an incredibly difficult balance between the present and future. After an "unacceptable" 0-6 start to the post-LeBron James era, general manager Koby Altman started to wonder whether Lue was the right fit for this particular group, one with a unique blend of vets and youngsters.

After a tough decision, one the organization knows will be panned given how early it is into the season and Lue's stellar mark as head coach, the Cavs parted ways with him early Sunday morning, one day after another double-digit blowout loss at home. They also fired assistant coach Damon Jones.

Lue handled the news in a very professional manner, according to a source familiar with the meeting.

The Cavs know their early underachievement wasn't all on Lue. The front office could've done better retooling the roster after James' departure. Kevin Love is miscast as the go-to option. There's no secondary scorer. Role players have been thrust into bigger roles, ones they aren't capable of thriving in.

But in a season that's supposed to be defined by growth, there wasn't enough of it.

The Cavs lost faith that the team could reach that particular goal without a different voice. Without a tweak in priorities.

Yes, the Cavs wanted to win this season. They still do. But Lue's vision and the front office's didn't align.

Instead of meshing the veterans and new core pieces, ones acquired by Altman over the last eight months, Lue stayed loyal to the old guard, going back to JR Smith, Kyle Korver and Channing Frye following an embarrassing loss to the Hawks in the home opener.

Lue opted to start veteran George Hill over rookie Collin Sexton, believing it would be best to bring the teenager along slowly and not put starting pressure on him.

Lue continued to find ways to fit 33-year-old swingman Smith, one of the holdovers from the 2016 title team. Never mind that Smith has been one of the league's worst players at any position over the last three years and missed a bulk of training camp and the preseason with hip and elbow injuries. Lue wanted Smith to play, citing the championship equity he earned over the years.

This is 2018. What Smith did in the past shouldn't carry relevance. Not when the Cavs have better, younger options -- who have more of a chance to be part of Cleveland future -- sitting behind him on the bench.

Playing the veterans would have been fine if it led to wins. It didn't. Losing by non-competitive margins and stunting growth couldn't continue.

The Cavs weren't seeing enough development from Sexton, who wasn't getting many plays called for him and didn't have the same freedom as some other players. David Nwaba, added to bring toughness to a defense in desperate need of a boost, received three DNP's in the first six games and didn't earn anything but garbage-time minutes until Saturday night, when he was the team's best player.

The Cavs outscored Indiana by 13 points with Nwaba on the floor. Teammate Larry Nance Jr., who vouched for Nwaba this summer, spoke about him getting more of a shot.

"I didn't have to tell him to stay ready or anything like that, because he's always one of the first ones there and one of the last ones to leave - always lifting and doing extra cardio and stuff," Nance said. "I would love to see him more. We need his energy."

Sam Dekker, added this summer, was benched for Frye and Smith against Detroit. Sure, that had plenty to do with a matchup against the Pistons' imposing frontline, but it was another sign of Lue's favoritism toward the vets.

According to a source, the Cavs had grown frustrated with the overall lack of competitiveness, believing the roster is more talented than it has displayed. In all six losses, the Cavs have trailed by at least 16 points. They have yet to lead in the second half of a game. Four of the six losses have been by double figures.

"We have radically underachieved and it was unacceptable," the source said.

The Cavs rank 29th in defensive rating for the second straight year despite a change in personnel. Lue, who first made his mark as a defensive assistant, implemented an unproductive switch-everything concept to open the season before shifting the last few games. Those continued defensive struggles didn't help with the evaluation.

Larry Drew, a former head coach who briefly filled in for Lue last season, was asked to take over -- the meeting with him took place nearly an hour after letting Lue go -- and is "the voice of the team for now." Drew went 9-1 with the Cavs last season.

There's no guarantee the Cavs will have more success, that this coaching swap will yield the same positive results the Blatt-Lue one did nearly three years ago.

But the Cavs didn't feel Lue was the right fit for this younger group. They are hoping Drew will be.