CLEVELAND -- Ever since LeBron James took his talents to Los Angeles in July, the Cleveland Cavaliers have maintained a company line.
"It's not a rebuild, because we have talent and we have championship caliber guys," All-Star forward Kevin Love said after signing a contract extension with the team in July. "We have young and fresh guys that are going to be willing to learn and come along."
"No tanking," head coach Tyronn Lue said at the start of training camp in September. "Start from what we had and build from that. You see that with [Cavs owner] Dan [Gilbert] giving Kevin that extension. Having an older guy and a couple of vets around to help the younger guys as we move forward.
"Not a rebuild at all."
The Cavs' start to the season, however, has suggested otherwise.
With three games and one week in the books, Cleveland is just one of four winless teams remaining in the NBA. And while the other three -- the Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder and James' Lakers -- have at least been competitive and/or saddled with injuries, the Cavs have been blown out in each of their first three contests, despite entering the season relatively healthy.
What's been more telling has been the approach Lue has taken with a roster that currently consists of a mismatch of young up and comers and holdovers from Cleveland's past four NBA Finals runs.
Entering the Cavs' home opener against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, Lue revealed he had trimmed his team's rotation after primarily playing 11 players in Cleveland's first two games. Although he declined to share who he had bumped to the neither prior to the game, neither J.R. Smith nor Kyle Korver played in what was ultimately a 133-111 loss to Atlanta -- a team that hasn't been shy about its own rebuilding status.
"I don't know," Lue said flatly when asked about his decision to not play either veteran.
It's not like the Cavs couldn't have used them.
While the Hawks connected on 22 of their 47 3-point attempts, Cleveland shot just 10-for-27 from long-distance on Sunday. Smith and Korver, meanwhile, are not only two of the most prolific 3-point shooters in NBA history, but are coming off seasons in which they shot greater than 37 percent from beyond the arc (Smith .375, Korver .436).
Smith, for his part, doesn't appear happy with his playing time -- or lack thereof -- hinting at as much on multiple social media accounts. As for Korver, the 15th-year sharpshooter has long appeared to have been the odd man out in Lue's rotation, having to appear in just 19 total minutes through the first three games.
That Lue would leave Smith and Korver on the bench in an effort to get a longer look at younger players like Sam Dekker and Jordan Clarkson makes sense in theory, if not for the Cavs' previous comments about competing for a playoff spot. If the goal is to win games now, Smith -- and particularly Korver -- likely give Cleveland the best chance of doing that, even if it sacrifices the team's long-term development.
Given the current construction of their roster, the Cavs' goals of competing for the playoffs and developing youth were likely always going to be at odds. And Lue's decision to stick with veteran George Hill as his starting point guard over rookie Collin Sexton shows the team isn't completely punting on the present just yet.
It's only been three games and Lue has shown a willingness to alter his lineups and rotations before. But in a season that Lue said would be about "wins and lessons," there's thus far only been the latter, with each one helping make the Cavs' outlook for the season all the more clear.