The Cavaliers are going to be a completely different team this season without LeBron James and head coach Tyronn Lue knows it.

With the departure of James, who signed a four-year, $154 million contract with the Lakers this offseason, the Cavaliers have lost a man who seemingly impacted every single play on the court in both of his tenures in Cleveland.

"Everybody he’s been around he’s made better and you can’t replace that," Lue told The Boston Globe. "So we’ve got to understand that and continue to keep growing and working collectively and be the best we can be."

Lue understands the challenge that comes with his exit.

"It’s hard to replace LeBron James," Lue added. "Don’t say we’re going to replace LeBron. He’s an irreplaceable player. It’s not replacing LeBron James, the best player in the game for so long and he’s meant so much to the franchise and every franchise he’s played for."

James averaged 27.5 points and 9.1 assists in 2017-18, which attributed to somewhere around 45 to 55 points per game for the Cavaliers. That's nearly half of the team's offensive production, and that doesn't take into account fast breaks he started with rebounds or turnovers he forced on the defensive end.

James's production likely cannot be matched by one man and the Cavaliers are not going to try duplicate it.

“Of course I would love to have LeBron James, but now that he’s gone it’s going to be a new challenge,” Lue said. “I think me and my coaching staff, we’re up for it. It’s going to be different, a lot of young guys that we can try to teach and mold them how you want them to be."

Possibly the most impactful change in the Cavaliers lineup comes in the form of rookie and 2018 top-10 pick Collin Sexton out of Alabama. Sexton has some striking similarities to a young James even if he is smaller and plays a different position.

Sexton is dominant going to the basket and a vicious competitor on the court, but he struggles with his jump shot at times and will need some help in his first few years to lead the Cavaliers to some wins. It's going to be a challenge to come away with a large number of victories or even a playoff berth in coming seasons, but Lue is looking forward to it.

“I’ve grown to love it and it’s been fun,” he said. “Now is a different challenge. I’m up for it."