David Blatt is a former NBA coach

[Man Called X]

Yay, I share a birthday with David Blatt.

 

[FiveThous]

Yay, I share a birthday with David Blatt.

and my GF

Happy BDay X!

 

[caf]

I don't comment too often regarding observations and conclusions fans make on this forum.
Quite frankly, I don't believe I have the capability to do a better analysis job than the fan next door.
I love the passion that some of the new members bring to this site, and I personally learn a lot from their knowledge and experience. I also admire reading educated and evidence-based arguments that other posters often bring to the table (yes, I am looking at you @priceFTW).
However, looking through this thread recently I can't avoid but thinking of this:

And as a CAVS fan who believes the TEAM comes first, I only ask you this:

Personally, I should state that I couldn't care less about who gets credit and for what. If this team can win the Larry O'Brien for this franchise (and I trust Griffin to make a call on this Q) - then the rings everyone will receive will be of equal size. At that point I wouldn't give a rat's ass what the press says or how people will allocate the glory. Just get us the Championship.

Cleveland fans love to bitch about their sports teams. I mean we've been doing it every year for the past five decades. It's the one constant.

Other cities like Boston and New York get to bask in perennial success (with the occasional down year), Cleveland has had to bask in perennial shit (with the occasional up year).

It's only logical that the average fan focuses on the negative, since that's what they are used to.

 

[enigmatic]

Yay, I share a birthday with David Blatt.

Happy Birthday, Sir!

 

[CBR J.]

and my GF

Happy BDay X!

So... Is 'Man Called X' your GF???

JK, JK
Happy B-Day to all.

 

[DougHeil]

Oh come on. You are baskebtall writer. Relying on players' strengths in iso does not mean that you cannot run an offense. In fact, what I really liked about our offense early in the season was that we would have constant movement and screening creating mismatches late in the shot clock that would lead to Lebron and Kyrie on a bigger defender enabling them to iso without any help under the basket. My favorite play that we ran was the weave into the PnR at the top of the key, giving Kyrie/Lebron a wide open iso to the basket.

Can't help but respond to this. I have refrained until now. So you are saying ISO is not an offense? It most certainly is and at times is a very good one. Many teams run ISO's for players against certain other players if a good matchup.

 

[hitman7742]

Won't be surprised if Delly plays a big game tonight for coach Blatt on his birthday

 

[bigfoot5415]

Blatt
X
& Daniel Bryan all share a birthday today.

Remind me to impregnate my wife 3 months to the day, so that my child has a chance to be born on this day and share a birthday with such great men.

 

[NasstyNate]

Can't help but respond to this. I have refrained until now. So you are saying ISO is not an offense? It most certainly is and at times is a very good one. Many teams run ISO's for players against certain other players if a good matchup.

No.

I am saying iso is a play type and not an offense (though can be used as shorthand to refer to what we are currently running), not the offense that Blatt originally planned, was initiated when Lebron decided we would play that way and that he should not have done that, is effective against lesser competition, and scares me in a potential finals matchup.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

No.

I am saying iso is a play type and not an offense (though can be used as shorthand to refer to what we are currently running), not the offense that Blatt originally planned, was initiated when Lebron decided we would play that way and that he should not have done that, is effective against lesser competition, and scares me in a potential finals matchup.

The last I checked, we ran ISO's about 28% of the time, which was first in the league. Although that still means that 72% of our offense is not ISO. Not sure what % it has been in the playoffs, though.

 

[bigfoot5415]

Mike Miller appears in 54 games, even started in 13. Yet only had 109 pts. I know a lot where in blowouts, or only a few minutes here & there, but wow...he dropped off more than I thought. I take back what I said about Blatt possibly playing him.

 

[NasstyNate]

The last I checked, we ran ISO's about 28% of the time, which was first in the league. Although that still means that 72% of our offense is not ISO. Not sure what % it has been in the playoffs, though.

See the distinction I made between play type and offense. It's why I said it is shorthand for the offense we are running right now, which is more accurately described as through Lebron. Often it results in an iso play, but more often a Lebron iso setup leads to another type of finishing play, be it catch and shoot, dunk, etc. That is not going to be reflected in the statistics you used.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

See the distinction I made between play type and offense. It's why I said it is shorthand for the offense we are running right now, which is more accurately described as through Lebron. Often it results in an iso play, but more often a Lebron iso setup leads to another type of finishing play, be it catch and shoot, dunk, etc. That is not going to be reflected in the statistics you used.

Nor should it be. By that definition, you could classify any traditional PG-centric offense as an "ISO" offense because it begins with the PG having the ball in his hands to set up other plays.

More importantly, I don't think anyone has a problem with either LBJ or KI starting with the ball, trying to break down the defense, and then passing it off to kick off a regular offense. The problem comes about when one of them (usually LBJ, because KI's PPP on iso plays is ridiculously high) doesn't come out of the ISO and forces the ball up. And that does show up in the ISO stats.

The other problem is if he eats up most of the shot clock before passing, and forces someone else to jack up a bad shot before the clock expires, I'd agree that wouldn't show up as an "iso" play either, but that still doesn't constitute the majority of our offense.

Actually, @Chris Parker did an article a bit ago that focused on the amount of time LBJ held the ball, which is a decent proxy for both kinds of "ISO" related problems. And I don't think that data showed LBJ holding the ball excessively was anything close to a majority of the possessions.

Which of course, isn't the same as saying that it's fine when he does that. It's not. I just think we shouldn't exaggerate/blow out of proportion how frequently that actually happens.

 

[NasstyNate]

Nor should it be. By that definition, you could classify any traditional PG-centric offense as an "ISO" offense because it begins with the PG having the ball in his hands to set up other plays.

This, again, is taking a nugget of what I said and expanding it to absurdity. No, you couldn't describe any PG-centric offense as iso the way I defined it above. How many offenses have a guy taking up 35% of possessions and still dishing out 50% of assists? The only one I can think of that comes close is T-Mac, and we all know how far that took him.

I just think we shouldn't exaggerate/blow out of proportion how frequently that actually happens.

Who is doing that? I think you are arguing against ghosts again.

 

[2Fluffy4U]

I really like whats going on here but,
Any chance for some other content or a break from this debate? It is honestly tiring and we get to log on and see the same routine over and over - nassty is liking blatt but has his points taken out of context and he didnt mean to sound so anti - coach..
-human q tip is trying to persuade otherwise providing stats and explanations.. However he is claimed to see what he wants to see argument time and time again..
So:
May i advise to hold it a while for after tonight when we will actually have new info and stuff to talk about?