Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue has taken an excused leave from the team to deal with a health issue, as most hoops fans have heard by now. In Lue’s stead at the helm will be head assistant coach Larry Drew. If you’re not familiar with Drew’s resume, this article is for you.
Drew, now 59 years of age, is an accomplished coach and former player in the NBA. The Kansas City native played four years with University of Missouri before being selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 17th overall pick in the 1980 Draft.
As a player, Drew served stints with the Pistons (1980-81), Kansas City/Sacramento Kings (1981-86), L.A. Clippers (1986-88), and Los Angeles Lakers (1989-81).
In his 714 games played over the course of his career, Drew racked up averages of 11.4 points, 5.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds.
Drew’s best year in the NBA came during his 1982–83 season with the Kings. In 75 games played that season, the crafty guard posted averages of 20.1 points, 8.1 assists and 1.7 steals.
After his playing days, Drew went on to coach with several NBA teams, including the Lakers (assistant: 1992-99), Pistons (assistant: 1999-2000), Washington Wizards (assistant: 2000-03), New Jersey Nets (2003-04), Atlanta Hawks (assistant: 2004-10; head coach: 2010-13), Milwaukee Bucks (head coach: 2013-14), and Cavs (assistant: 2014-present).
Needless to say, coach Drew is certainly a capable play-caller.
The Cavs, now the third-ranked team in the Eastern Conference standings with a 40-29 overall record, are dealing with several injuries, which could make coach Drew’s job a bit more difficult. Their “next man up” mentality will be in full effect until everyone is healthy, including coach Lue.
Drew and the Cavs will kick off a three-game home stand on Monday with a matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. Tip-off inside Quicken Loans Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. EST with ESPN, FOX Sports Ohio, and FOX Sports Wisconsin having live broadcast coverage.