Chris Parker/Cleveland Scene answers your questions

[Jon]

I get what you're saying, but without any factual evidence to support it, it seems odd to cast suspicion onto Lue who seemingly single-handedly saved Blatt's bacon.

You want facts?

Then who do you think tracks timeouts for the Cavaliers?

If you don't know the answer to that fact, then you really can't fully judge who slipped up.

 

[Jon]

Blatt owned the screw-up and he admitted it. It's on him and to his credit, didn't try to throw anyone else under the bus.

Good for him. It doesn't mean that's the whole truth anymore than James trying to accept the blame for the loss the other day was the whole truth.

 

[gourimoko]

You want facts?

Then who do you think tracks timeouts for the Cavaliers?

If you don't know the answer to that fact, then you really can't fully judge who slipped up.

I just don't understand where the narrative that this could even potentially be Lue's fault, when everyone has been heaping praise on him, including Blatt. It seems to me that it's just fantasy? I mean, why would we think otherwise?

 

[enigmatic]

At this point, it doesn't matter anymore. It's a dead issue.

Good for him. It doesn't mean that's the whole truth anymore than James trying to accept the blame for the loss the other day was the whole truth.

 

[caf]

Even my wife tracks timeouts while we watch the game.

It's pretty easy to track timeouts when it's always displayed neatly on the TV under the team names. No head movement is necessary.

Now imagine having to look up at a different jumbotron every night and actively have to search for how my timeouts are left. How much action did the coach just miss on the floor? How much time has run off the clock during that period? Did his team already inbound the ball? Seems like if I'm a head coach, I'd have an assistant remind me when we are out of timeouts every single time. Checks and balances baby.

Slightly different than the armchair coaching your wife does.

 

[gourimoko]

It's pretty easy to track timeouts when it's always displayed neatly on the TV under the team names. No head movement is necessary.

Now imagine having to look up at a different jumbotron every night and actively have to search for how my timeouts are left. How much action did the coach just miss on the floor? How much time has run off the clock during that period? Did his team already inbound the ball? Seems like if I'm a head coach, I'd have an assistant remind me when we are out of timeouts every single time. Checks and balances baby.

Slightly different than the armchair coaching your wife does.

Wait a second..

You're telling me if I got paid millions of dollars a year for a job and one of the most basic things I was responsible for was keeping track of timeouts on a clipboard that such a responsibility would be that difficult? Are you really saying the Cavs have to look at the jumbotron to know how many timeouts they have? Are you serious??? It isn't a mystery. You get a fixed amount each game.

If it was so tough to track timeouts then it would be a far more common occurrence. It's not.

C'mon bro.. give me a break.. Blatt fucked up.. Let's not pretend like he didn't.

 

[Jon]

I just don't understand where the narrative that this could even potentially be Lue's fault, when everyone has been heaping praise on him, including Blatt. It seems to me that it's just fantasy? I mean, why would we think otherwise?

When the media blows everything that happens to this team out of proportion, why would you expect otherwise?
Have you ever heard David Blatt blame someone else for anything?

(paraphrasing from the game 4 post game presser)

David Blatt: "Who of you guys know why I always end up with the check when I go out with a group for dinner?"

Media: "(mumbles something)"

David Blatt: "No, that's not it. It's because I always TAKE the check first".

--------

I have ZERO doubt that Blatt would pickup the tab in this instance. He's already made it abundantly clear that's what he does. Now, if he'd come out and said that "so-and-so told the whole team we were out of timeouts and I completely blanked out and forgot" then we'd have a plausible answer ... but we don't ... do we?

Until that piece of information is provided there a hole and all evidence points to Lue dropping the ball.

Does that imply Lue tried to sabotage David Blatt?

Of course not, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be the first assumption from many.

 

[Jon]

You're telling me if I got paid millions of dollars a year for a job and one of the most basic things I was responsible for was keeping track of timeouts on a clipboard that such a responsibility would be that difficult?

We don't need to tell you. It's either true. Or it's not. What does your opinion have to do with what NBA teams actually do?

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/1/2/5266348/nba-assistant-coaches-tracking-stats

http://www.nba.com/thunder/news/meetthestaffjoesharpe_090722.html

If you read those links, you'll see it's typically the job of the athletic trainer.

Who's job is it on the Cavs?

 

[cavsfever]

I have ZERO doubt that Blatt would pickup the tab in this instance. He's already made it abundantly clear that's what he does. Now, if he'd come out and said that "so-and-so told the whole team we were out of timeouts and I completely blanked out and forgot" then we'd have a plausible answer ... but we don't ... do we?

Until that piece of information is provided there a hole and all evidence points to Lue dropping the ball.

Does that imply Lue tried to sabotage David Blatt?

Of course not, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be the first assumption from many.

All the evidence here points to Lue conspiring with Lebron to try to get Mark Jackson hired as coach of the Cavs next year. Look how Lebron threw Blatt under the bus after that game by implying that Blatt was a human being capable of making mistakes. Look at those weird sidelong glances that Lue sometimes gives to Blatt (if you get some video stills and use photoshop to magnify the bench area you can totally see it). I think it's pretty clear that Lue was like 'hey Coach, want to use that extra time out you got?', which set him up to be the hero and discredit Blatt once Blatt took the bait and tried to call the time out.

 

[gourimoko]

We don't need to tell you.

Who is we? You mean, you?

It's either true. Or it's not. What does your opinion have to do with what NBA teams actually do?

I'm not presenting my opinion, I'm stating the obvious; that it is not common to call timeouts you don't have.

I'm not describing fan fiction that shifts blame from Blatt to Lue and I simply cannot understand how this narrative can be considered remotely rational.

 

[gourimoko]

if he'd come out and said that "so-and-so told the whole team we were out of timeouts and I completely blanked out and forgot" then we'd have a plausible answer ... but we don't ... do we?

Until that piece of information is provided there a hole and all evidence points to Lue dropping the ball.

Does that imply Lue tried to sabotage David Blatt?

Of course not, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be the first assumption from many.

.... Jon .... there is no factual basis for these claims. It's supposition, loosely formulated at that.

I see no empirical reason to believe your claim, nor do I see how it amounts to anything more than purely a hypothetical.

 

[Jack Brickman]

.... Jon .... there is no factual basis for these claims. It's supposition, loosely formulated at that.

I see no empirical reason to believe your claim, nor do I see how it amounts to anything more than purely a hypothetical.

Agreed. The head coach needs to keep track of his own timeouts, even if he has an assistant who is also in charge of doing so. You can't fuck something like that up, especially in a late game situation. Blatt owned up to it, but we shouldn't be shifting the blame to anyone else. We got lucky there, but hey...sometimes luck turns in your favor and if anyone was due, it's fucking Cleveland sports.

 

[gourimoko]

Agreed. The head coach needs to keep track of his own timeouts, even if he has an assistant who is also in charge of doing so. You can't fuck something like that up, especially in a late game situation. Blatt owned up to it, but we shouldn't be shifting the blame to anyone else. We got lucky there, but hey...sometimes luck turns in your favor and if anyone was due, it's fucking Cleveland sports.

This.

And seriously that should be the end of this topic...

 

[caf]

Wait a second..

You're telling me if I got paid millions of dollars a year for a job and one of the most basic things I was responsible for was keeping track of timeouts on a clipboard that such a responsibility would be that difficult?

DB: "Now where the fuck did I put that goddamn clipboard?"

My point is, I'd rather my coach be worrying about other stuff during the game. It's like when a coach yells before a play "Don't foul!" or "Make sure you foul if you don't get he steal!"

Or in baseball "Two out's, run on contact!"

Sure these things may be trivial, and im sure any player could figure it out given enough time to ponder the situation. But usually they are thinking about something different, and the coach is there to remind them. Same logic applies here.

I just don't get why Blatt gets thrown under the bus left and right. He made a mistake. He took responsibility (if it was even his to take). Let's move on.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

I have ZERO doubt that Blatt would pickup the tab in this instance. He's already made it abundantly clear that's what he does. Now, if he'd come out and said that "so-and-so told the whole team we were out of timeouts and I completely blanked out and forgot" then we'd have a plausible answer ... but we don't ... do we?

Yes, we do. Blatt didn't use your exact words, but he's said flatly that it was his fault, and something he'd never done before. You're inventing the idea that Lue misled him, and that he apparently did so without any of the other players or coaches overhearing that Lue was giving Blatt wrong information.

Until that piece of information is provided there a hole and all evidence points to Lue dropping the ball.

Ridiculous. There is absolutely no evidence that Lue dropped the ball. Is there some clip of Lue whispering information to Blatt so that only Blatt could hear? You haven't even shown that Lue had the opportunity to mislead Blatt without anyone else overhearing. And heck, if Lue did mislead Blatt, shouldn't we expect to see a puzzled reaction/comment from Blatt when the guy who just told him we had a timeout is now telling him we don't? But there's none of that.

All you have is a theory, and are arguing that an inability to categorically disprove your theory (which actually amounts to proving a negative) is affirmative evidence that it actually happened.

That's preposterous.