David Blatt, Tyronn Lue

Former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt reached out to Tyronn Lue to tell him how proud he was of his success, writes Chris Haynes.

(Mark Duncan, Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - With the Cavaliers sporting a 10-0 playoff record and beating teams by a league-high average of 13.2 points per game, loyalists of the organization are overjoyed with what this team has accomplished.

On Thursday evening, the Toronto Raptors plunged into a 0-2 Eastern Conference Finals hole after being destroyed, 108-89 at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Cavaliers, led by coach Tyronn Lue, have shown themselves to be legitimate title contenders. There aren't many weaknesses from the coaching staff down to the personnel.

The admiration this organization is receiving has been well deserved, but there is one recent source of support that might surprise some: former Cavs coach David Blatt.

Blatt was in Atlanta while the Cavaliers were in town playing the Hawks in the second round, and he reached out to Lue. It was the first time the two have spoken on the phone "in some time," Lue says. The majority of the conversation was based on catching up, but it was a message Blatt delivered that stood out during that call.

"He's just a good person," Lue told cleveland.com. "Always encouraging, always supportive. He just said how proud he was of me and what we're doing, and that means a lot coming from him. His friendship is something I truly appreciate and value."

The two haven't seen each other since Blatt was relieved of his duties in late January after guiding the team to a conference-best 30-11 record. They discussed lunch plans. Each was in the midst of hectic schedules -- Blatt preparing for head-coaching interviews and Lue breaking down film on Atlanta.

It wasn't the right time.

"Something had come up and I couldn't make it," Lue said to cleveland.com. "I wish we could have connected, but I'm glad we were able to talk. It was good hearing from him."

Blatt instead met up with assistant coach Phil Handy, Lue said.

Lue has become the first coach in NBA history to start his playoff career with a 10-0 mark. And in that span, his coaching, motivational tactics, calm demeanor and adjustments have been near flawless.

The players always had trust in him and responded to his leadership, making his transition smooth. This is a different team.

"I think it's just the even-keel mentality that he has," LeBron James said. "He's always preaching 'next play.' Just always, 'next play.' We come to a timeout, no matter what's going on in the game, he just continues to breed confidence and talk confidence to us...T-Lue has been great for us as the captain of this ship."

Who the Cavs have played in these three series is certainly worthy of discussion in terms of if they've been tested. However, if the Cavaliers were not handling business the way they are, the competition-level topic would really be ramped up.

Cleveland is competing against whoever is on the docket, and is doing away with the opposition in emphatic fashion. It has caused some to take notice, but there's one particular individual's opinion Lue treasures over others.

"When it comes from [Blatt], it means more," Lue said to cleveland.com. "That's my guy. He's always been in my corner."