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David Blatt is a former NBA coach

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You wonder how much of this is the players just not running the offense or if Blatt has kept it simple on purpose?

Blatt and those long time fans of his who have been with us for months now have always maintained that Blatt always adapts to the situation and to the talent.

There is no one David Blatt offensive system.

Each year that he is in Cleveland you will see more tweaks, more variations, more approaches as he grows with the players and they grow with him.
 
These were always his strengths by reputation. Always comes well prepared for practice and games. It should serve the team well in the post season, but probably a big adjustment for him during the regular season. If he learn or already learnt to use the abundant resources he has at the nba but not in Europe (assistants, video analysts etc) efficiently, it will bode well for the future.

Loved the sets and ball movement today. Well done
Theres assistants and video analysts in europe.... he had 2 assistants in Maccabi and video is pretty common... were not in medivel time here...
 
Blatt and those long time fans of his who have been with us for months now have always maintained that Blatt always adapts to the situation and to the talent.

There is no one David Blatt offensive system.

Each year that he is in Cleveland you will see more tweaks, more variations, more approaches as he grows with the players and they grow with him.

I hope so because I really enjoy Blatt. He handled a very tough situation to begin the year and at least from what we see, the team responds to his coaching with effort.
 
Oh I'm actually amazed at the Cavaliers defense sometimes, I think it's great when the Cavaliers are rested and putting in effort. I'm especially impressed with Shumpert, Irving and Mozgov's defensive contributions. I think Smith really wants to be here and has made considerable effort to contribute on that side of the ball; and that's not something I thought possible.

But... Father Time is looming over the Cavaliers right now.

Guys like LeBron and JR Smith aren't getting any younger and half our bench is ready to retire.

I'm just concerned because while we might have a better system next year, I fear we won't have the same LeBron James at 31 years old. However, I'm pretty sure Kyrie and Kevin will be substantially better next year than they were this year with growth, maturity, and for Kevin a regression to the mean (in the right direction) and a return to normality.

The positive of some of our bench guys retiring is we can have a better team. Marion will be gone, Haywood will be gone, who knows about Miller and Jones, potentially Andy. I think James still has a few (2-3) seasons of high production left in him. If he can get his jumper to be more consistent, maybe even longer. But regardless, we're going to have 3-5 roster spots (currently filled with guys who don't really produce enough) that we can use to add a legit backup point guard, depending on Andy, an effective backup center and a backup small forward. I think money is the bigger issue. We will most definitely be a better team next season.
 
You wonder how much of this is the players just not running the offense or if Blatt has kept it simple on purpose?

I think it's a combination of both.
 
I'm willing to bet that LBJ takes a trip to Germany this summer and has some crazy platelet therapy or something.

He's always doing things out of the norm.
 
Has LeBron not shown enough over the years with his basketball intelligence and skills improvements that you really don't think he'll age well, the way great players like Jordan, Kobe, and Duncan all did?

Jordan? Lol...

No, I don't think LeBron extends his career as they did. And btw, Kobe and Jordan are completely different players, and with that said, Kobe's career should have ended 2 years ago.

This father time thing is beyond my comprehension and I assume(you'll tell me otherwise I'm sure) that it stems from a love for the eternal hope that springs from young potential and draft picks/assets.

Not sure what you mean???

But to reiterate what I said earlier, Father Time wins all battles.... LeBron is undoubtedly not performing to his normal standard, and is surely showing wear and age. He is not playing at his peak level, not even compared to a year ago.

I didn't think this would be a point of contention?

Barring major injuries(which applies to all teams) we are in as good of a position as a team can be for the next 4-5 to compete for titles.

There's a lot more that can go wrong than just injuries... And I personally doubt LeBron is even in the NBA 5 years from now, especially if we win a championship.

I just do not see the concern of us having some sort of short window, especially relative to other NBA legit title contenders.

Our window is predicated on LeBron's age and Kevin Love's presence on the roster, as well as both he and Kyrie's health.
 
Jordan? Lol...

What is laughable about LeBron from 30-34 being able to emulate Jordans stats and impact during that same age range?

No, I don't think LeBron extends his career as they did. And btw, Kobe and Jordan are completely different players, and with that said, Kobe's career should have ended 2 years ago.

I listed Kobe, Jordan, and Duncan all as examples because they share many common traits with LeBron. Champions. Top player at their position in their era. Long impactful careers with championship seasons beyond what would be considered their physical primes. Hyper intelligent players.

It was more of a profile of a certain type of player and less about how similar their specific game was or wasn't


But to reiterate what I said earlier, Father Time wins all battles.... LeBron is undoubtedly not performing to his normal standard, and is surely showing wear and age. He is not playing at his peak level, not even compared to a year ago.

I didn't think this would be a point of contention?
LeBron stats, percentages and per36's are getting eerily close to his first year in Miami. Why would we assume that his first year back in Cleveland with 13 new teammates, a new coach, and mid season roster adjustments would be as efficient and great as his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seasons in Miami? That argument is just as strong as this idea that he is now permanently well below his peak performance level because of age. And to be clear, I do not equate peak physical level as an athlete to be the same thing as peak performance level as an NBA player.


There's a lot more that can go wrong than just injuries... And I personally doubt LeBron is even in the NBA 5 years from now, especially if we win a championship.

Our window is predicated on LeBron's age and Kevin Love's presence on the roster, as well as both he and Kyrie's health.

These same factors affect every other legit NBA title contender. If one of their main guys went down, then correspondingly so would their chance of winning the title that year, regardless of system they played.

Maybe I'm making more out of your statements than are intended to be there? If all you are saying is that father time catches up to all and that injuries can derail championship odds, then I would gladly concede you those points 100/100 times. I just figured behind your thoughts there was some envy of an actual existing NBA franchise that you consider to be in better shape to win championships over any of the next three years, especially when applying the context that father time and injuries also apply to their roster. What other tea combines the elements that gives them a projection to compete for the title in each of the next 4 years better than our own?
 
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There's a lot more that can go wrong than just injuries... And I personally doubt LeBron is even in the NBA 5 years from now, especially if we win a championship.

Baring major injury, there is no way Lebron is retired at the age of 35. Not happening. Mr James cares too much about stats, and being recognized against the all time greats. You don't do that quitting early.
 
Baring major injury, there is no way Lebron is retired at the age of 35. Not happening. Mr James cares too much about stats, and being recognized against the all time greats. You don't do that quitting early.

I'm not seeing it.

There is a sentiment that one should depart closer towards the height of one's career rather than be ushered out by age and obvious to everyone than you decline.

It's purely speculative, but I'd venture to guess that if LeBron won Cleveland a ring, he would consider retirement the moment another ring was not likely on the horizon.
 
I'm not seeing it.

There is a sentiment that one should depart closer towards the height of one's career rather than be ushered out by age and obvious to everyone than you decline.

That sentiment has been mostly spread by writers and fans concerned with the salary cap ramifications of an aging star.

How many premier players have actually yielded to or had the same idea and followed through on it over the past 5 years?
 
Post game interview:
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/video/teams/cavaliers/2015/03/11/150310COACHPostGMmov-3541230

- Calls bench players "second starters".

- Don't care how many points he scored, Iman had a huge impact on the game.

- The players deserve the credit.

- We've been growing as a unit and the guys know how to handle physical games.

- Attributes the great smooth play to the day off and having a good practice. Was very happy with the guys and what we accomplished in practice.

- Were able to mix it up with Love tonight very well. Guys looked for him inside and that was beneficial for us and him.

- LeBron is fun to watch and it's great we could keep his minutes down. Kyrie also played a beautiful all around game.

- San Antonio looks very much like the great SAS team we're all familiar with and it will be a hard game for us. But we're doing what we have to do and will hope to continue.
 
What is laughable about LeBron from 30-34 being able to emulate Jordans stats and impact during that same age range?

Because, as I said, they aren't remotely the same players and don't play the game the same way. LeBron relies more on his athleticism and physicality than Jordan did. LeBron has also racked 41,000 minutes, now eclipsing both Magic and Bird's entire career minutes played.

So, yes, there is room for doubt that LeBron will have another 4-5 years of play at this level.

Again, I'm a bit surprised by this being a point of contention.

I listed Kobe, Jordan, and Duncan all as examples because they share many common traits with LeBron. Champions. Top player at their position in their era. Long impactful careers with championship seasons beyond what would be considered their physical primes. Hyper intelligent players.

Again, Kobe's career should've ended 2 years ago. That leaves you with Jordan and Duncan. But you leave out an enormous number of players whose careers depended on athleticism and then suddenly declined after 30.

To use the exceptional as a way of projecting what is likely, I think, sets oneself up for failure.

It was more of a profile of a certain type of player and less about how similar their specific game was or wasn't

Ahh.. I see. Well, again, I don't think those players resemble LeBron James in any regard other than them having also won championships; which, I don't think extends ones career.

LeBron stats, percentages and per36's are getting eerily close to his first year in Miami. Why would we assume that his first year back in Cleveland with 13 new teammates, a new coach, and mid season roster adjustments would be as efficient and great as his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seasons in Miami?

You realize you're describing a negative slope, right? This is the right-hand side of a normal distribution curve. So, of course there would be an intercept ("looking like the first year in Miami") along a plot of LeBron's career statistics corresponding to an earlier year.

This is self-evident, and surely not evidence that LeBron is somehow on an ascending trajectory.

That argument is just as strong as this idea that he is now permanently well below his peak performance level because of age.

No, it isn't.

LeBron has surely declined athletically; certainly you don't want me to explain in detail how he's regressed, do you?

And to be clear, I do not equate peak physical level as an athlete to be the same thing as peak performance level as an NBA player.

Neither do I, but that's not really the issue. The issue is how much of a contributing factor is athleticism to LeBron James' game? And I think it's fairly significant.

Is it all encompassing? No. But athleticism is a larger component in James' game than Kobe Bryant's.

These same factors affect every other legit NBA title contender. If one of their main guys went down, then correspondingly so would their chance of winning the title that year, regardless of system they played.

Not true....

Teams that heavily rely on isolation to score points depend on those players individual talents to drive the offense. Whereas teams that rely on ball movement, weaves, and screens are less affected by the loss of an individual player.

Maybe I'm making more out of your statements than are intended to be there?

Surely, but I think you and I fundamentally disagree on a few key points. I also think you are the eternal optimist, which for a Cleveland fan, is quite refreshing...

As always though I respect your opinion.

If all you are saying is that father time catches up to all and that injuries can derail championship odds, then I would gladly concede you those points 100/100 times.

That is the gist of my argument, yes.

I just figured behind your thoughts there was some envy of an actual existing NBA franchise that you consider to be in better shape to win championships over any of the next three years, especially when applying the context that father time and injuries also apply to their roster.

I have the Cavaliers as favorites to win the championship, and I've had that stance since we traded for Kevin Love. Prior to the trade, I thought we favorites to win the Eastern Conference.

I project the Cavs as the favorites this year, and likely the next. The math breaks down beyond that point because of the numerous things that need to go right that too many Cavs fans simply aren't willing to consider (like Kevin Love signing a max contract somewhere else, or LeBron James' game plummeting due to him physically breaking down).

What other tea combines the elements that gives them a projection to compete for the title in each of the next 4 years better than our own?

In 4 years Anthony Davis will likely be the best player in the NBA, alongside Kevin Durant. Who knows what could happen in 4 years.

It's hard to see where Kevin Love is going with his individual performance. I expect Kyrie to be right there as Top 5 player in the league. If Kevin gets back to playing as he did in Minnesota, then we'd have a solid team. If not, a team like the Wizards (say, with Durant?) could be conceivably better than Cleveland by that time.

But for me to say we're set for a title for the next 4-5 years while Kevin Love hits free agency twice and we have no draft picks is just not something I'm prepared to do. Maybe if we were Miami in 2010, sure, but not in our present situation.
 
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That sentiment has been mostly spread by writers and fans concerned with the salary cap ramifications of an aging star.

That sentiment is shared by many in and out of sports. You go out when your on top, not when you're on the decline.

Sure this isn't practiced by most folks because most folks need to earn a living.

But LeBron isn't most folks; he isn't even most NBA players. As I said, if he brings a championship to a city like Cleveland, nothing more really could be done to shore up his legacy.

How many premier players have actually yielded to or had the same idea and followed through on it over the past 5 years?

Why the arbitrarily narrow window? You yourself mentioned Michael Jordan who "retired" three times, the first two directly followed winning a championship.

To more directly answer your question, plenty of people asked why didn't Kobe retire. Why doesn't Wade? The answer is pretty simple.... money.

LeBron isn't in the same situation as those guys.

If Cleveland wins a championship, I can genuinely see LeBron James deciding to retire if we couldn't contend a year or two thereafter.

As Jordan put it when he retired from the Bulls: "I woke up and realized I had nothing left to prove."
 
* oracio is inviting @gourimoko for a drink :alc:
Enjoy the victory my friend. When was the last time the Cavs crushed a western conference team like that and was considered as a true contender? years right?
Enjoy the moment, and I'm sure we will have plenty of time to look and digest what will happen here the seasons to come...
:toast:
 
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