David Blatt is a former NBA coach

[Adam]

There is no arguing whether blatt is a rookie NBA coach, its a fact and his ego about it makes it a bigger a deal than it is. Its abitlike when a class finds out a teacher first name, if the teacher makes a big deal out of it then it has power to taunt him, if they just accept it then it quickly dies down.

personally i would think it advantageous for blatt to own up to being a rookie as he could use it to imply that he will get better over time, because he aint perfect, but over the next few years could grow into one of the best coaches in the league as he improves his game management and increases the buy in from the players. I really hope we dont burn through him as quickly as the rest of our coaches

 

[Zen]

Im sorry i just dont see kerr as being a great coach, they are winning because of the team they have not because of kerr. Hes always laughing and playing around on the bench like he isnt taking it serious. Also when we face them and he was arguing with the refs, it kinda seemed like he was forcing it/acting it Just to seem like he was stickin up for his guys. It wasnt genuine. And the few times the games get close for gs it seems like he doesn't know what to do just shoot 3's. Idk something about him. Mabey thatll bite em in the butt come playoff time

I actually think Kerr has the ability to be a top 5 coach in the league. I don't get the laughing part... I'm pretty sure he is one of the league leaders in technicals. He might bring some levity but he is a fiery competitor.

I got the chance to hang out with Kerr on 3 or 4 occasions. My aunt lives in the pacific palisades in California. It is essentially on the side of a mountain and the houses go up with narrow streets along the way. Kerr lives directly looking up from her place.

The guys is ridiculously smart. He just gets it, simple as that.

 

[gourimoko]

You're complaining about a rookie NBA coach (which blatt is, a rookie nba coach),'

But I'm not complaining about a rookie head coach...........

Wtf?

and then prefer a rookie coach who never ever coached a single basketball game in any level whatsoever before this season started, and had the benefit of having a playoff experienced NBA roster that ran together successfully for several years,and still didn't prove anything (personally i think that coaches, including Blatt and Kerr prove their abilities come playoff time, when they need to prepare a team for a series of post season tough games), and you think that he is a better coach than a coach that had experience coaching for 20 years (even though in an inferior level than the nba), and had to adjust and integrate 11 entirely new players to his roster, 3 of them in the middle of the season.

Err.. I think Kerr's NBA coaching is a bit more impressive. He'll win coach of the year most likely, and for good reason.

I mean, Blatt is not perfect at all, and european basketball isn't the nba, but it just baffles me.

What baffles you? That Kerr could be better than Blatt? That's... baffling...? Seriously?

 

[gourimoko]

On a side note I can't believe Carlisle is that low on your list @gourimoko I thought he was widely considered top 3 in the league.

He was higher, I actually moved him down considerably because of the Rondo fiasco. I felt that was something guys like Pop, Doc, and even Kerr (in his own way) would've handled better.

I do think Carlisle is a phenomenal coach though.

And btw, I actually agree with your assessment of Steve Kerr. I think he'll be one of the best coaches in the NBA very soon indeed.

 

[teamballer]

I don't disagree that Kerr could turn out to be a great NBA coach. What I don't understand is how you can have so much confidence in Kerr, who has yet to coach a meaningful game in his career, yet be so skeptical of Blatt, who has won numerous titles, albeit not NBA titles but still important ones (European NT title, Euroleague, Olympic bronze medal. He literally has won a championship in almost each of the main European domestic leagues), a lot of them as the clear underdog. Does Kerr's 3/4 of an NBA season with an already established team trump Blatt's record so thoroughly? If so, what is the criteria by which one trumps the other?

 

[gourimoko]

I don't disagree that Kerr could turn out to be a great NBA coach. What I don't understand is how you can have so much confidence in Kerr, who has yet to coach a meaningful game in his career, yet be so skeptical of Blatt, who has won numerous titles, albeit not NBA titles but still important ones (European NT title, Euroleague, Olympic bronze medal.

Couple of points:

1) I've not been skeptical of Blatt, but supportive. I'm not sure why you think I've been anything but. Remember, this conversation was started because I said Blatt is surely a "rookie NBA head coach," and will need to go through a "transition?"

2) Like many others have said, Euroleague and other international leagues is/are not the NBA. We can go in circles about this singular point all night, but frankly, while his international credentials are surely stellar, none of that happened in this league. I'm sorry, but I don't consider international basketball of equal caliber to the NBA. Not even close.

 

[teamballer]

2) Like many others have said, Euroleague and other international leagues is/are not the NBA. We can go in circles about this singular point all night, but frankly, while his international credentials are surely stellar, none of that happened in this league. I'm sorry, but I don't consider international basketball of equal caliber to the NBA. Not even close.

So what is Kerr's history as an NBA coach? If merely being present in the NBA as a player and executive trumps winning numerous international titles, then surely NBA finals experience as a head coach would trump being a non-coach in the NBA, in which case Mike Brown would have to be ranked above Kerr.

 

[gourimoko]

So what is Kerr's history as an NBA coach?

Is this a rhetorical question?

If merely being present in the NBA as a player and executive trumps winning numerous international titles, then surely NBA finals experience as a head coach would trump being a non-coach in the NBA, in which case Mike Brown would have to be ranked above Kerr.

Errr... I'm not saying that Kerr was an immensely better coaching prospect than David Blatt in the offseason. I'm saying he has a better coaching track record in the NBA; which he does, and this is undeniable.

I'm quite serious in saying that I don't really understand what you're trying to get across? That Blatt is a better coach than whom?

Where would you rank him in the NBA?

 

[teamballer]

I am not trying to convince you that Blatt is better than Kerr. I just think that your confidence that Kerr is definitely better than Blatt is misguided. Why is it undeniable that Kerr's track record is better than Blatt?

If your argument is W/L record, then you have to rank Blatt clearly above SVG and Spo, wouldn't you?

If you say you have to take into account that SVG and Spo have inferior rosters, then you also have to take into account that Blatt had to play the likes of Harris, Miller, Haywood, Jones, Price, and Waiters heavy rotation minutes for much of the season.

If you say GS's ball movement is better than the Cavs', you are: a) ignoring the times when the Cavs showed they are capable of beautiful ball movement; b) ignoring the fact that the Cavs are a new team, that was reconstructed in the offseason and again midseason, while the GS roster has been together for several seasons; c) ignoring that GS's roster consists of players that are natural passers, as opposed to LeBron and Kyrie, who are great players but also very iso-prone; d) ignoring the fact that GS, too, has struggle with ball movement when they were forced to play a half court game throughout the season; and e) ignoring the fact that GS's leading players have proven to be much more coachable throughout their careers than the Cavs' leading players.

Again, Kerr may prove to be a basketball genius, but he has yet to prove anything. He has done a good job so far this season, but all things considered it is certainly debatable whether or not he has done a better job than Blatt. On top of that, just because you have decided that Blatt's 20 years of international coaching record means nothing to you doesn't make this a valid argument by default. If you want to take it with a grain of salt and wait to see how this will translate in the NBA playoffs, that's a legitimate approach. But to say that 20 years of non-stop winning at the highest non-NBA levels mean absolutely nothing while pegging Kerr as a basketball genius for doing a decent job for 3/4 of a regular season is problematic to say the least.

 

[teamballer]

Where would you rank him in the NBA?

As for this question, I don't know yet, but my point is that just as I can't say that he is better than this coach or that coach, it is ridiculous to label coaches who barely have any head coaching experience as clearly superior to him. I honestly don't think any coach in the NBA, including Pop, would have this team sitting on a significantly better record. This team as currently constructed (since the trades) has the best record in the NBA. It's showing flashes of great basketball. What would Kerr have done better with this team?

 

[MaccabiCavs]

Couple of points:

1) I've not been skeptical of Blatt, but supportive. I'm not sure why you think I've been anything but. Remember, this conversation was started because I said Blatt is surely a "rookie NBA head coach," and will need to go through a "transition?"

2) Like many others have said, Euroleague and other international leagues is/are not the NBA. We can go in circles about this singular point all night, but frankly, while his international credentials are surely stellar, none of that happened in this league. I'm sorry, but I don't consider international basketball of equal caliber to the NBA. Not even close.

San Antonio Spurs vs Alba Berlin Highlights (8/10…: http://youtu.be/POokGZrKZXw

קדם עונה 05/06: הדקות האחרונות בניצחון מכבי בטורו…: http://youtu.be/iE9Fom5axdI
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Toronto Raptors

Madrid Real vs. Toronto Raptors 104-103: http://youtu.be/2j4SOZ0NLw8

CSKA Moscow - Cleveland Cavaliers 90:87 - 10/16/2010: http://youtu.be/AWZ6Adr9R9I

I can bring more examples but I think that the margins are not as huge as you think, ofcurse NBA is a higher level and top NBA team are better than top Euroleague teams, but not in the level that you can say that europian experience means nothing in the NBA, the europian basketball is much more technicgal and defense oriented than the NBA, less highlights but more ball movement, passing, trust me, don't diminish our basketball.

 

[gourimoko]

As for this question, I don't know yet, but my point is that just as I can't say that he is better than this coach or that coach, it is ridiculous to label coaches who barely have any head coaching experience as clearly superior to him. I honestly don't think any coach in the NBA, including Pop, would have this team sitting on a significantly better record.

Then we are really too far apart. But I appreciate your honesty.

 

[gourimoko]

San Antonio Spurs vs Alba Berlin Highlights (8/10…: http://youtu.be/POokGZrKZXw

קדם עונה 05/06: הדקות האחרונות בניצחון מכבי בטורו…: http://youtu.be/iE9Fom5axdI
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Toronto Raptors

Madrid Real vs. Toronto Raptors 104-103: http://youtu.be/2j4SOZ0NLw8

CSKA Moscow - Cleveland Cavaliers 90:87 - 10/16/2010: http://youtu.be/AWZ6Adr9R9I

I can bring more examples but I think that the margins are not as huge as you think, ofcurse NBA is a higher level and top NBA team are better than top Euroleague teams, but not in the level that you can say that europian experience means nothing in the NBA, the europian basketball is much more technicgal and defense oriented than the NBA, less highlights but more ball movement, passing, trust me, don't diminish our basketball.

I'm not trying to make fun, but these are meaningless exhibition games. You realize NBA players give less than two shits about these matchups right? It's not serious.

I highly doubt these foreign teams could compete in the NBA playoffs in either conference and make it out of the first round.

When you say "don't diminish our basketball," well, that's more or less what you're doing here by saying that these teams are equivalent to NBA squads. It's simply not true and it does indeed diminish the vastly superior talent that exists in the NBA.

I'm not trying to hurt feelings or be controversial, and I'll leave it at that since I can see where this is going and it's getting late.

 

[MaccabiCavs]

I'm not trying to make fun, but these are meaningless exhibition games. You realize NBA players give less than two shits about these matchups right? It's not serious.

I highly doubt these foreign teams could compete in the NBA playoffs in either conference and make it out of the first round.

When you say "don't diminish our basketball," well, that's more or less what you're doing here by saying that these teams are equivalent to NBA squads. It's simply not true and it does indeed diminish the vastly superior talent that exists in the NBA.

I'm not trying to hurt feelings or be controversial, and I'll leave it at that since I can see where this is going and it's getting late.

I never said that they are equivalent, and I remember saying that those teams can compete with non-playoffs teams and like I said there are level differences. Its just diminishing of you to think that "the worst NBA player is better than the best Euroleague player" that's simply not true, and saying that european experience means nothing is a uneducated remark as well, there is less talent in europe but the basketball itself is more technichal and less highlights, so to coach in europe in the really high levels in need to know the game throughoutly, because in europe there is no Lebron or Kyrie types of players that can score from practically any situation.

NBA is obviously the highest level of Basketball in the world, it's just that the differences are not as dramatic as you think or want to belive.

 

[oracio]

I understand that labeling people is something that is deeply rooted in human consciousness.
It makes us comfortable and familiar with our surroundings.
But I've just read 3-4 pages in this thread in which the main subject is around a simple equation if Blatt = Rookie Coach.

But the question is - does it makes a difference?
You can label Blatt as a rookie coach and you can label him the Jewish Pop but what he is - the sum of his deeds.
You should look sincerely on the situation he came into, did any of the players had previous experience with each other? with the organization? how does he perform in this state? his success rate? how the scenario influenced his ability to coach, did he have healthy or near full roster when he lost? how does he cooperate in closing games? how did he cooperate with his main player going chill mode for some time? is he a leader? do players look up to him? does he gain respect? how is the chemistry? his sets? his timeouts? is he perfect? is anyone perfect? isn't even the great Pop has a difficult season? does he makes mistakes? how often? how do they influence the game, the results? Of course he is not criticize-free or mistake-free as anyone else...

What I'm trying to say is that every person in the world and even the Cleveland Cavalier's coach are more complex than a single label.
Does it do you good to sum someone with two or less words - good for you, but it won't change the fact that David Blatt is currently the head coach of the team you root for and we should all wish him all the success in the world!