David Blatt is a former NBA coach

[mhi]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Former <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bucks?src=hash">#bucks</a> coach Larry Drew has had discussions with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cavaliers?src=hash">#cavaliers</a> about joining staff of new coach David Blatt, sources told the Globe</p>&mdash; gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) <a href="https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/statuses/489269115605876736">July 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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That would be hands down the worst move of the offseason. I am PRAYING we don't pick this guy up. I mean not only is he one of the worst coaches in the NBA (He absolutely does NOTHING well), but he is also a snake personality wise (look up his mess in ATL).

 

[wuck]

That would be hands down the worst move of the offseason. I am PRAYING we don't pick this guy up. I mean not only is he one of the worst coaches in the NBA (He absolutely does NOTHING well), but he is also a snake personality wise (look up his mess in ATL).

http://realcavsfans.com/showthread.php?44287-Assistant-coaches-(Lue-Boylan-Posey-and-now-Drew-)

 

[MirORich]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Former <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bucks?src=hash">#bucks</a> coach Larry Drew has had discussions with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cavaliers?src=hash">#cavaliers</a> about joining staff of new coach David Blatt, sources told the Globe</p>— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) <a href="https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/statuses/489269115605876736">July 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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That would be hands down the worst move of the offseason. I am PRAYING we don't pick this guy up. I mean not only is he one of the worst coaches in the NBA (He absolutely does NOTHING well), but he is also a snake personality wise (look up his mess in ATL).

How he fared as a head coach is hardly an indicator of his abilities as an assistant.
In Boylan and Drew, you would have two coaches who have great experience in terms of advance scouting Eastern Conference opponents, based on there time spent in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Atlanta.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Zach Lowe has a Q&A with David Blatt. SOURCE

I want to have this guy's babies. And I'm willing to get a uterus implanted, in order to do it.

 

[QuadrupleDouble]

It's amazing to see a coach with a following. I'm not sure any coach in the league, other than pop, have such stron supporters.

I don't think Phil even had this much love.

I'm just as excited to see his coaching as I am to see our players play.

 

[LeBro]

I'm just as excited to see his coaching as I am to see our players play.

You know, I was thinking the same thing earlier today. I think I'm just as excited about LeBron returning as I am seeing what Blatt brings to the table. The season cannot get here soon enough!

 

[Mr. MacPhisto]

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2014/07/the_expectations_are_high_for.html#incart_river

Long interview posted by The Plain Dealer. Up close with some great questions. I love how he handled Anthony Bennett. A reporter asked him "When you talked to Anthony Bennett, what did you say to him after being the #1 pick and having a disappointing season?" Blatt's answer started off great and got better from there: "Well, first I didn't mention that he was the #1 pick or that he had a disappointing season."

This up close interview gives us an idea of why players have liked Coach Blatt so much. He clearly respects them, treats them like men, but also has a sense of knowing how to address issues and encourage them to play at a high level.

Usually after you get comfortable with a coach, the excitement dies down a little. Not with Blatt. You can hear the basketball IQ and the love for the game when he talks - but you can also discern a love for the players too. I want to suit up and play for the guy when I hear him talk. And he does it without being ra-ra. I think he builds the family atmosphere that the Spurs created in their franchise.

 

[theSTEREO.]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>One-on-one w/ David Blatt: on his coaching journey, fashion issues, literature, and coaching "that guy": <a href="http://t.co/lPcpxhMjoI">http://t.co/lPcpxhMjoI</a></p>— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/statuses/489447454471761920">July 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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I had no idea it was possible to get this excited about a coach.

And you know what, how GREAT is it for the first time in a decade or more to go into the season with pieces that the rest of the NBA is fawning over?? For years, even when we were good or bad, people were predisposed to hate on Mike Brown, Dion, Bennett, Thompson, or Lebron's supporting players in general.

For once, hoop heads are actually excited about Coach Blatt. About Andrew Wiggins. Even about Irving this year. It's pretty awesome if you ask me.

 

[crabbyshark]

Wow even a full New York Times write-up:

International Coach Prepares for N.B.A. Debut
David Blatt Gets Ready to Lead LeBron James and the Cavaliers
By BILLY WITZ
JULY 16, 2014

LAS VEGAS — J. R. Holden was furious with himself as he headed to the bench for a timeout. Here he was, late in the finals of EuroBasket 2007 — the tournament to determine the champion of Europe — and Holden, a naturalized Russian, was wondering if his citizenship might be revoked.

He had missed his previous three shots, the last of which was an air ball, and Russia trailed by 5 points with a little over a minute left against Spain, the reigning world champion and the tournament host.

Before Holden arrived at the bench, the Russian coach, David Blatt, a fellow American, stopped Holden with a question.

What did he eat for breakfast?

“I’m like, What?” Holden said. “Then he said, Don’t eat that no more.”

Holden is not sure the exchange, colored with a few expletives, helped him strip the ball from the Spanish star Pau Gasol, pump fake against Jose Calderon and, with a kind bounce, sink a last-second, winning jumper.

But Holden said it explained something about Blatt.

“That’s probably the biggest moment in Russian basketball history,” Holden said. “They had been good as the Soviet Union. But since the breakup, Russia had never won anything, and they’re a very prideful people. So it was a big deal. But for him, it was just: We’re playing basketball. Live in the moment. It’s a close game. Enjoy it.”

Now the question is whether Blatt can live by that same Zen-like creed as he steps into the spotlight, with LeBron James, of all people, by his side.

After establishing himself as one of international basketball’s best coaches, the Boston-bred, Princeton-educated, Hebrew-speaking Blatt is returning to the United States not as an end-of-the-bench assistant, as he had long envisioned, but as the first-year coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. As such, he will be a central character in what is certain to be the N.B.A.’s most compelling story line next season: James’s decision to return home and try to win a title for Cleveland.

SNIP

SOURCE

The Cavs are going to be such a huge deal next season. As evidenced by this some of the members posting on this thread, Blatt being an international coach is going to do wonders for the Cavs global exposure. I didn't appreciate how much until now. Ha. This is a big Blatt selling point that certainly won't be lost on the Cavs players.



edit: In the middle of the article, there is a picture of Blatt getting tossed into the air by his players. Pretty awesome.

 

[QuadrupleDouble]

Do you think it's possible Blatt could use his knowledge of Europe to recruit and scout the Euroleagues for us? I'm just wondering if we might be able to draft a few gems and maybe even find out short term big man that way. Not sold on what I see from the US free agent list of centers, maybe he knows someone in Europe? I would trust his decisions on Euro guys more than I would our previous GMs that have drafted there and never brought anyone over.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Do you think it's possible Blatt could use his knowledge of Europe to recruit and scout the Euroleagues for us? I'm just wondering if we might be able to draft a few gems and maybe even find out short term big man that way. Not sold on what I see from the US free agent list of centers, maybe he knows someone in Europe? I would trust his decisions on Euro guys more than I would our previous GMs that have drafted there and never brought anyone over.

Perhaps just as important as his own knowledge of those players are the relationships he has with other coaches and basketball people in Europe. I have to imagine that, on some level, a lot of those coaches want to see him succeed as validation of the quality of basketball in the Euroleague as a whole. And he's probably got a lot of friendships with folks who can refer to him other players they've seen, etc.. Sure, coaches won't want to lose their own players, but there's no reason they'd be averse to giving him player tips that don't impact their own teams.

I have a feeling that Blatt is going to change the way other coaches coach here, at least to some extent. Right now, it is common for coaches to be content to let the clock run out if there are just a few seconds remaining in the quarter, particularly in the first half. Blatt seems like he's going to make every possession count. And if he's scripting all those possessions, other coaches are going to start doing the same when playing him for fear of looking bad in comparison.

 

[Redzone]

I like how Blatt is comfortable enough to at least publically state that he does not know everything (i.e., needs to learn about the NBA), is not coming in with all the answers and will defer to those who do and that of the things he will know soon, he does not now. Yet, he appears quite confident.

He seems far more comfortable in his skin than Mike Brown and less arrogant (and more active on the sidelines) and more personable than Byron Scott (I liked Byron).

I'm quite happy that we do not have another NBA retread nor a pure rookie head coach with no head coaching experience.

While he will need to get up to speed and learn the NBA and will have growing pains with his players, it's nice that he offers a fresh and new experience and, as he said, he's bringing with him some things that the NBA has adopted (i.e., the stretch 4) that originated in Europe.

 

[YuenglingGator]

Zach Lowe has a Q&A with David Blatt. SOURCE

There are coaches that have their system, and they are gonna use that regardless of what the team makeup is. And there are coaches that are adaptive, and take their roster, and play according to their skill set. I’m more from the adaptive school, with a few principles that are consistent throughout my career. But we have to see what the team looks like before I can tell you exactly how we’re gonna play.

I got hired to find solutions. You know what I mean? And I’m not afraid of that challenge. I’ve been finding solutions my whole life. We’ll figure it out.

I’m really excited about working with Dion. I hope I can help make him a better player, and reach the level I know he wants to be at. He’s got great talent. I’ve spoken to him, and I think he’s a really good guy. I’m excited as hell about working with him.

By the way, part of any player’s performance is how the coach works with him, and helps him find his way. Dion Waiters and any other player on the Cavs — it’s my responsibility. It’s my job to get the best out of him. It’s not his job solely to be this, or to be that. That’s my job.

I threw guys off the team in the middle of a timeout.

You didn’t actually throw those guys off the team, though, right?

Yeah. Sergei Monia and Alexey Shved. In the middle of the Olympics, I threw Monia and Shved right off the team, and then I brought them back before the end of that same game. Because I’m not stupid, you know.

We are what we do. It’s not what we talk about, and it’s not what other people perceive us to be. We are what we do, and when you’re doing things right all the time, it adds up.

 

[oracio]

Do you think it's possible Blatt could use his knowledge of Europe to recruit and scout the Euroleagues for us? I'm just wondering if we might be able to draft a few gems and maybe even find out short term big man that way. Not sold on what I see from the US free agent list of centers, maybe he knows someone in Europe? I would trust his decisions on Euro guys more than I would our previous GMs that have drafted there and never brought anyone over.

I'm pretty sure Blatt has good friends who are in the scouting scene who can give him future tips about European players.
But my hunch is that if Blatt will bring a player from Europe to his team, it will be an American who is playing in Europe.
It was always spoken about the love of Blatt to the American players, even though of course he coached and picked players from all around the globe.
But this is not a bad thing, look at Anthony Parker or Will Bynum, they both played in Maccabi Tel Aviv, and they both became solid NBA players.
Again, this is of course just my hunch...

 

[KilgoreTrout]

This was my favorite quotation of all from Blatt:

We are what we do. It’s not what we talk about, and it’s not what other people perceive us to be. We are what we do, and when you’re doing things right all the time, it adds up.

I posted it on my office bulletin board this morning. No joke.