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Tyronn Lue has been fired

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Blatt was tremendous at in-game defensive adjustments, particularly at halftime, and that is a VERY IMPORTANT playoff skill. Lue seems good at motivating them to come out strong but seems to have little idea how to respond when other teams adjust and attack.

Man I was thinking the same. That is actually concerning in my opinion because you might be able to get away with it in the East playoffs but to have a realistic shot against SA/GS those teams have coaches who are both adept at and not afraid to make in game adjustments on the fly.

The margin for error will be very very small against teams pacing at like 70 wins+.

Blatt had a larger frame of reference than Lue from all the years coaching. If you really step back and look at it yes LBJ carried the mail but Blatt got the job done in the playoffs. Will be a dicey situation here with Lue...
 
I think they're falling off in the 2nd half because they are pushing the tempo more in the 1st half than they did under Blatt so now by the 4th qtr they are tired whereas since they played slower in the 1st half under Blatt, they had more energy saved for the 4th.
 
I'm not trying to imply that coaching has no impact, because it does. And Blatt did a solid job. But reading some of these comments you would think that Playoff Blatt was some next-level hybrid of Auerbach, Riley, Jackson, and Popovich. I really can't wait until the Cavs are in the Finals again with a coach that everyone here seems to consider incompetent. Then maybe all the hyperbole about Blatt's coaching last playoffs will die down and people will start to realize that the reason for the Cavs success was and is because you employ one of the ten greatest players to ever play this game.
 
I'm not trying to imply that coaching has no impact, because it does. And Blatt did a solid job. But reading some of these comments you would think that Playoff Blatt was some next-level hybrid of Auerbach, Riley, Jackson, and Popovich. I really can't wait until the Cavs are in the Finals again with a coach that everyone here seems to consider incompetent. Then maybe all the hyperbole about Blatt's coaching last playoffs will die down and people will start to realize that the reason for the Cavs success was and is because you employ one of the ten greatest players to ever play this game.

Of course you need a great player to carry you through tough playoff games. But putting the team and that player into optimization is coaching.
 
I'm not trying to imply that coaching has no impact, because it does. And Blatt did a solid job. But reading some of these comments you would think that Playoff Blatt was some next-level hybrid of Auerbach, Riley, Jackson, and Popovich. I really can't wait until the Cavs are in the Finals again with a coach that everyone here seems to consider incompetent. Then maybe all the hyperbole about Blatt's coaching last playoffs will die down and people will start to realize that the reason for the Cavs success was and is because you employ one of the ten greatest players to ever play this game.

Yeah I agree, but he adjusted the defensive schemes, and I am getting a feeling he did that every game at halftime and Lue was not the one saving the day. Whatever the case may be Blatt regularly had them ready for the next game/half. When a player would hurt us one game, he would be shut down the next. There is no rhyme or reason for the defense getting worse except for the one major change in personnel. The coach.

I think it really sucks because almost everyone loved Blatt in the playoffs except for his timeout lol. Then once the season started to go bad most people bought Jason Lloyd's load of BS which everyday looks more like an agenda from a butthurt small market reporter when he could not bend a respected coach.
 
I'm not trying to imply that coaching has no impact, because it does. And Blatt did a solid job. But reading some of these comments you would think that Playoff Blatt was some next-level hybrid of Auerbach, Riley, Jackson, and Popovich. I really can't wait until the Cavs are in the Finals again with a coach that everyone here seems to consider incompetent. Then maybe all the hyperbole about Blatt's coaching last playoffs will die down and people will start to realize that the reason for the Cavs success was and is because you employ one of the ten greatest players to ever play this game.

You have to understand, fans here have watched Lebron play from literally the moment he stepped in the league (and sometimes before). We know all about what Lebron can do, and we also know that although he can get you *very close* to the mountaintop on his own, he needs quality coaching and team support to get that championship. We watched for years as Lebron's contributions were not maximized due to bad coaching and team construction under Mike Brown and Danny Ferry as GM. We don't want to see it again. Every little bit counts. I don't think Blatt is Popovich or Jackson, but if he brought a lot of things to the table that Lue can't then that matters -- it could end up mattering a whole lot.
 
I'm not trying to imply that coaching has no impact, because it does. And Blatt did a solid job. But reading some of these comments you would think that Playoff Blatt was some next-level hybrid of Auerbach, Riley, Jackson, and Popovich. I really can't wait until the Cavs are in the Finals again with a coach that everyone here seems to consider incompetent. Then maybe all the hyperbole about Blatt's coaching last playoffs will die down and people will start to realize that the reason for the Cavs success was and is because you employ one of the ten greatest players to ever play this game.


I believe the hyperbole refers to more than his playoff performance. I'm not willing to continue to stir this, but Blatt had a solid evidence of work overseas on getting his teams ready right at money time. They consistently struggled during regular season, had some mind-scratching lineups, but they consistently performed during the playoffs with one of the players who got heat for underperforming making big time contributions (maybe Delly last year?).

Not to say he's a Popovich or a Coach K, both praised Blatt as a great coach though, but he actually has a track outside the NBA. Not to say it is the same thing, but it should be considered...

I'm all-in with Lue, it is done and we're tied to him, but can't help feeling like that decision did not make us better and might give us a slight disadvantage in comparison. And, in the playoffs, every single little edge can become vital to the final outcome.

But hey, if we get the ship, I don't care if Moondog is our coach...
 
I'm not trying to imply that coaching has no impact, because it does. And Blatt did a solid job. But reading some of these comments you would think that Playoff Blatt was some next-level hybrid of Auerbach, Riley, Jackson, and Popovich. I really can't wait until the Cavs are in the Finals again with a coach that everyone here seems to consider incompetent. Then maybe all the hyperbole about Blatt's coaching last playoffs will die down and people will start to realize that the reason for the Cavs success was and is because you employ one of the ten greatest players to ever play this game.
No one is denying that the talent of the players is ultimately what gets you somewhere in the playoffs. But given that it's the coaches that handle rotations, minutes, timeouts and the team's defensive gameplan...if the talent is relatively equal (and in the Finals it usually is) all those things make a signifiant contribution as to whether you win or lose playoff games, and ultimately a series.
 
Lue has been toying with things a lot in the regular season, experimenting and such. And rightfully so.

I predict we'll see some differences and improvements in how he handles the playoffs.
 
I'm not trying to imply that coaching has no impact, because it does. And Blatt did a solid job. But reading some of these comments you would think that Playoff Blatt was some next-level hybrid of Auerbach, Riley, Jackson, and Popovich. I really can't wait until the Cavs are in the Finals again with a coach that everyone here seems to consider incompetent. Then maybe all the hyperbole about Blatt's coaching last playoffs will die down and people will start to realize that the reason for the Cavs success was and is because you employ one of the ten greatest players to ever play this game.

As was previously mentioned, throughout Blatt's years in Maccabi, the team would perform regularly in the regular season yet completely outperform (given the lesser talent) during the playoffs and the final four. Blatt has this way of motivating players to win in big games.

Yet I'm not convinced that last year finals run can be attributed to Blatt as the main catalyst. Although Blatt did say to the Israeli media after the Boston series that his experience with playoffs has really contributed, I think for the most part Blatt's genius is in creating a mindset and culture that is conductive to winning and overcoming adversity. Blatt is not necessarily the best strategist or tactician. More than anything he is a great at creating the right culture.

But, unfortunately last year Blatt couldn't get Lebron's buy in, and most of the team followed Lebron's lead. With that Blatt lost his main strength as coach. He also didn't adjust to NBA that well. Last week he told the Israeli media just that. He even said that he needed a slap in the face so he could realize that he didn't understand NBA. He also said that the technology in NBA is everywhere and you need to adjust to that as well. He said he is fortunate that last year ended well (presumably despite his mistakes).

I think Blatt will be a better coach in NBA next year (if he gets a job) than he was with Cleveland. I think he did okay in Cleveland, but considering his adjustment issues and lack of buyin from Lebron, I don't think Lue will fare worse.
 
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Last week he told the Israeli media just that. He even said that he needed a slap in the face so he could realize that he didn't understand NBA. He also said that the technology in NBA is everywhere and you need to adjust to that as well. He said he is fortunate that last year ended well (presumable despite his mistakes).

do you have a link?
 
do you have a link?

This "interview" was not held with the media but as part of a business conferece of Google-Israel. The "intereviewer" is Google-Israel CEO and therefore it's more about success, failure and technology rather than about basketball. Anyway, I have translated it:

"I needed a slap in the face to realize just how much I didn't understand"

David Blatt coached the Cavs for 1.5 years, maybe the most difficult place to be coaching, while the biggest superstar in the world, LeBron James, runs the show. 2 months ago, while leading the eastern conference with 30:11, he was surprisingly fired. Since then Blatt has kept quiet and haven't interviewed. Recently he came back to Israel for a visit after spending few months in the states, where he have met other coaches and participated in seminars. Few days ago he sat down with the general manager of Google-Israel, Meir Brand, as part of "Think 2017" convention, and talked about the most hectic period in his coaching career and revealed a bit on what he is going through.

Q: The past year must have been like roller-coaster for you

A: It wasn't exactly like I have planned it to be, but sometimes these things are part of life. Sometimes you start somewhere, you go up, you go down, sometimes you stay, sometimes you vanished, but as long as you enjoy the ride and find a way to enrich yourself with new experiences - the future is bright. I was fortunate enough to be a part of many successes during my coaching career. When people ask me what is the greatest thing you have done, I always give the same answer - that the people who worked with me, and particularly my assistants who helped me to reach these amazing peaks, are now working and succeeding on their own at organisations and teams which are just as good as teams I have coached. I feel proud and get real satisfaction to watch them surpass me. It's a great joy.

Q: Talent comes frequently with ego. How do you channel the egos of various talents for a one common cause?

A: the word ego has a bad connotation in the Sports world. I don't believe that rightfully so. I believe ego is a good thing. It shows that this guy believes in his abilities, and aspires to be the best possible individual. The most important thing is to find the way combine that ego and talent together in order to meet the teams' goals and help everybody in the organisation to be successful.

Q: It's easier to say than done, right?

A: Sure, that's why I'm here.

Q: Have you ever had times where you failed doing so?

A: I have failed. Not many times but also not just a few. When I look at it retrospectively, I see that even when I failed it helped me be more successful in the future.

Q: The past year was one heck of year for you. What have you learned from the that year?

A: I have learned about the transition from the European basketball to the states and to the NBA, this is how much I needed to learn; how much I wasn't realizing what I am about to go through, how much I didn't know about that style of play, the game itself, the structure of the season, how the league is structured, the intensity of the schedule, the players personalities; and without going through that first year in the NBA, which gladly was very successful, I don't think I could have understood it. I needed this trial by fire, to be in it, to get the slaps and the punches to realize just how much I didn't understand, in order to be better in the future.

Q: Is it really that different than coaching in Europe? How would you describe the differences?

A: The coaching part is not really different, but the league itself, the duration of the game, which is 48 minutes in oppose to 40 minutes, 82 games in just 5.5 months, how you keep your players fresh, it's totally different. In Europe you have 2 matches a week while in the NBA you sometimes have 4-5 matches in a week with totally different pace, and also everything around the NBA is totally different and crazy. The game outside the game itself.

Q: Technology changes the world. How it affects in the basketball world? Does it change the game?

A: Technology is very trendy nowadays, particularly in the NBA. I don't think that there is any other professional Sport which uses Technology more than the NBA. There are 6 cameras shooting each detail and get tons of information and analysis you use in real-time, pre-match, and post match - and you need to assimilate and comprehend. It takes an analytic mind and stuff that a coach shouldn't had to deal with in the past. If you are not ready for it, you would find yourself out.

Q: Do you think that coaches who can't cope with technology would find themselves out? (well, he just said that...)

A: yes, certainly. The differences between being a professional athlete in the times when I was one to being a professional coach are vast. Soon as you start coaching you sleep much less, you worry much more, and once you get the job, everyone all of a sudden think they know much more than you do.

Q: How is to live far from home and family? is it hard?

A: It is really difficult, but it's also a choice. It's not for everyone and not for every family. luckily I have a very loving and supporting family. I can only regret the moments I missed, but I also hope I could help my family members with my experiences and the things that I went through here, and that it helped them with their lives.

quick questionnaire:

Q: What is your favourite word?

A: yes

Q: what scares you?

A: only fear itself

Q: what is your favorite sound?

A: laughter

Q: What is your least favorite sound?

A: Journalists

Q: If you weren't a coach, what would you be?

A: Ambassador

Q: A figure who inspires you?

A: Mothers, because we are not like them, and we can't be like them. (huh?)
 
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