David Blatt is a former NBA coach

[MirORich]

How in the hell are people arguing about putting Love back in the game after his pitiful performance. One of the worst defensive games from a single player I've ever seen, didn't even have the audacity to box out with his lazy ass.

Because the game moves in ebbs and flows. Yes he played poorly in this game but for three quarters so did most of the team not named LeBron or JR. I have no issue with him sitting on the bench for 8 minutes while the other guys made a run and brought energy to the whole game. But you can't ride the same 5-6 guys or same small ball strategy for 15 straight minutes. You have to take risks and anticipate the subtle changes in the game. At about the 4-5 minute mark of the 4th, the role players who had helped support LeBron and JR started to run out of steam or show their warts over time. You bring Love back in because no matter how poorly of a game he had been having, he is still capable of doing what we needed to do in the final 3-4 minutes which is make some baskets. Or be capable of finishing off a putback. At some point, you can not go 15 straight minutes shuffling through Marion, Miller, and Jones. Love and/or Mozgov should have gotten into the game near the end as as that point, the game that was being played was not the game that was played for the final minute of the 3rd and the first 6-7 minutes of the 4th

 

[kookoo]

Where are you getting this James Jones hot hand thing from? You could have the water boy in there and he'd make the same impact on the game.

 

[bob2the2nd]

How in the hell are people arguing about putting Love back in the game after his pitiful performance. One of the worst defensive games from a single player I've ever seen, didn't even have the audacity to box out with his lazy ass.

because there are many posters that just want blatt gone. for one reason or another. its become a blind judgement for them

 

[deadddilly]

so its okay to lose if you have love playing. but its not okay to bench him, ride the hot hand, and try and win the game.

brilliant

James Jones wasn't the hot hand. Also you're missing the point. The momentum stopped for us and we needed big plays and consistent rebounding. You ride with your best players, regardless.

 

[TwoPistols]

I can forgive Blatt for the mistake of leaving James Jones in the game, but only one time. He could probably get away with not making situational substitutions in EuroBall when playing with lesser athletes and where the talent gap isn't as discernible. Having a strong assistant like Lue was necessary for Blatt to mitigate these small adjustments. Hoping he takes this as a lesson learned. Someone needs to get in his ear.

 

[Notorious]

thats right ladies and gentlemen, we have 2 posters here saying flat out its okay to lose a game to teach kevin love a lesson as long as he is on the court.

but to try and win a game, with love on he bench, while playing the hot hand is entirely unacceptable.

take a bow guys. take, a bow

The hot hand was smothered with 6 minutes to go in the 4th.

 

[bob2the2nd]

The hot hand was smothered with 6 minutes to go in the 4th.

so blatt should go back to the guys, that put them in the original deficit?

once again this game doesnt fall on blatt, it falls on kyrie and love.

 

[Notorious]

because there are many posters that just want blatt gone. for one reason or another. its become a blind judgement for them

Look I get David Blatt is obviously your dad, but...

All this bitching about no one to play and you have a "max player" and a center on the bench for James Jones in crunch time. There's no defending that without looking like a biased asshole. It's not just this game. It's every game. The lineups suck. The rotations are awful. The timeouts are head scratching. The team looks lost.

 

[MirORich]

so its okay to lose if you have love playing. but its not okay to bench him, ride the hot hand, and try and win the game.

brilliant

The hot hand was not whoever was playing C or the small ball PF in the final 6 minutes.

Riding a hot hand or hot lineup is something you do for stretches. 6 minutes. 8 minutes. Maybe even 10 minutes. not 14-15 straight minutes to close the game when they clearly had started to lose some of the energy towards the end.

Players have bad games all the time. But if you've got a guy you're building around as one of the foundational pieces, you don't sit him out for the final 16 minutes of the game when the players playing in his place are Tristan, Jones, and Marion. The run had ended, the dynamic of the game was different, it was time to bring in Love and/or Mozgov and attack with a counter punch instead of trying to just block off punches(literally) for the final 4 minutes while the unit out there was spent. We scored 3 points in the final 3:53 of the game.

 

[Rich]

so blatt should go back to the guys, that put them in the original deficit?

once again this game doesnt fall on blatt, it falls on kyrie and love.

So you're ok with leaving Love out for Jones, but Kyrie actually staying in the game and doing everything he could to lose the game is ALSO not Blatt's fault? If it was a good idea to bench Love, why not bench Irving too?

Frankly, I was also fine with Love being benched, but I was not fine watching Irving continue to do whatever it was he thought he was doing tonight.

 

[Notorious]

so blatt should go back to the guys, that put them in the original deficit?

once again this game doesnt fall on blatt, it falls on kyrie and love.

Lebron never has 3-11 first half's? Should we bench him the rest of the game too? Love could have come back in amped watching the team and shot 10-10 and grabbed 8 boards.

James Jones doesn't even have the potential for 6 points and 2 rebounds in the same time.

 

[bob2the2nd]

So you're ok with leaving Love out for Jones, but Kyrie actually staying in the game and doing everything he could to lose the game is ALSO not Blatt's fault? If it was a good idea to bench Love, why not bench Irving too?

Frankly, I was also fine with Love being benched, but I was not fine watching Irving continue to do whatever it was he thought he was doing tonight.

have you totally missed where i have been calling for both of them to be benched until they learn to play defense?

 

[mhi]

This isn't high school basketball.

Kevin Love and Mozgov were brought here to finish games. Regardless if they are having bad games or not they need to finish games in order to establish this team's identity.

Bingo, I was gonna say college but same. Look at the Mavs vs SAC game in OT right now. Mavs starters have been there since mid 4th, playing from behind.

Also in the playoffs, it's the role players that are interchangeable, because you always want to have your best players out there. Howard and Shaq were/are always in despite their FTs.

It's simple. You put them out there and they figure it out (you know since, they're your BEST players). If they don't, they've got nowhere else to look but the mirror.

 

[Rich]

have you totally missed where i have been calling for both of them to be benched until they learn to play defense?

So then how can you also say Blatt shouldn't be blamed tonight? He's the guy who decided to leave Kyrie in the game the entire fourth quarter.

 

[Cavatt]

Can't blame Blatt for benching Love. He was getting embarrassed. The lineup sucked, but it was the only one so night with any momentum. These players are embarrassing.

I have plenty to blame Blatt for don't get me wrong. I just knew one we got Love we could only win or underachieve. I really wish we had gone for win now next year when we knew what we had. Just a mess