David Blatt is a former NBA coach

[Benedict_Boozer]

^Blatt mentioned in pre-season he doesn't take losing well. He might be at the point where he might just say "F-it" and take the kids gloves off perhaps even with Lebron and Love.

It could be what this team needs to wake up (or it could be a disaster..)

 

[roozy]

View: https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/535952276402475008

Ok I watched the post game on Cavs.com, and Kevin Love's statement sounds nothing like what Chris is saying. I'm not saying he made it up but just a bit confused.

 

[teamballer]

Blatt will be fine, and so will the Cavs.

Blatt has experienced rough starts with new teams almost every year that he has coached, and almost every time it ended up with a title.

The aspect of his coaching that Blatt is most lauded for is his adaptability to his players, but this comes with a price. It takes time for him to learn his players, for them to learn him, and for a system to be constructed that maximizes the players' talents. But when it does happen, opposing teams rarely have answers to what Blatt throws at them.

Keep in mind that the Cavs are playing in an extremely week East, so they can afford to suck for extended periods of time and will still likely be a top-3 seed. I expect the Cavs to have lots of ups and downs for a while. I think they will really start clicking after the All Star break, which is around the time of year where Blatt's teams usually rise from the dead and start eating alive every team that's in their way.

 

[SVC]

Blatt will be fine, and so will the Cavs.

Blatt has experienced rough starts with new teams almost every year that he has coached, and almost every time it ended up with a title.

The aspect of his coaching that Blatt is most lauded for is his adaptability to his players, but this comes with a price. It takes time for him to learn his players, for them to learn him, and for a system to be constructed that maximizes the players' talents. But when it does happen, opposing teams rarely have answers to what Blatt throws at them.

Keep in mind that the Cavs are playing in an extremely week East, so they can afford to suck for extended periods of time and will still likely be a top-3 seed. I expect the Cavs to have lots of ups and downs for a while. I think they will really start clicking after the All Star break, which is around the time of year where Blatt's teams usually rise from the dead and start eating alive every team that's in their way.

I agree with this, but I'm still worried that someone is going to make a rash decision. So much pressure on the organization with the short contracts. Plus, he can be a genius, but without the players buying in, that's worthless.

I always say in the modern NBA, ego management is as important as any other skill in coaching, particularly on talent-laden teams. I question if Blatt is the right coach for a team like this. I hope the mood is better than the body language suggests.

 

[teamballer]

I agree with this, but I'm still worried that someone is going to make a rash decision. So much pressure on the organization with the short contracts. Plus, he can be a genius, but without the players buying in, that's worthless.

I always say in the modern NBA, ego management is as important as any other skill in coaching, particularly on talent-laden teams. I question if Blatt is the right coach for a team like this. I hope the mood is better than the body language suggests.

Those are legitimate concerns, but having followed Blatt's career, I trust that he will right the ship. He has dealt with crises and always came out of them stronger. He has also dealt with many disgruntled players who ended up becoming his biggest fans.

 

[Real Deal]

Some late night fun on the rotations/minutes

1st Quarter:
PG: Irving 12 mins
SG: Marion 6 mins < Dion 6 min
SF: LeBron 10 mins < Harris 2 min
PF: Love 9 mins < Marion 3 min
C: Andy: 7 min < TT 5 min

Let Kryie play the full 1st quarter to be out there with the 2nd unit.

2nd Quarter:
PG: Dion 4 min < Kyrie 8 min
SG: Harris 4 min < Miller 4 min < Dion 4 Min
SF: Miller 4 min < LeBron 8 min
PF: Love 5 min < Marion 3 min < Love 4 min
C: TT 6 min < Andy 6 min

I'd like if Love started the 2nd by himself so he can be the focal point, get a rythm and keep it going. Run offense through him with a spaced out floor. Not the best defense out there but we have to work with what we have.

3rd Quarter:
PG: Kyrie 10 min < Dion 2 min
SG: Marion 6 min < Dion 4min < Joe 2
SF: LeBron 12 min
PF: Love 9 min < Marion 3 min
C: Andy 7 min < TT 5 min

LeBron plays the all important full 3rd quarter to make sure we finish and don't lose momentum going into the 4th.

4th Quarter:
PG: Dion 3 min < Irving 9 min
SG: Harris 4 min < *Whoever is hot*
SF: Marion 4 min < LeBron 8 min
PF: Love 5 min < Marion 2 min < Love 5 min
C: TT 6 min < Andy 6 min

Total Minutes:
Irving 39
LeBron 38
Love 37
Andy 26
TT 22
Marion 27*
Dion 23*
Harris 12*
Miller 8*

Those last 4 will fight for the remaining minutes which whoever is having the better game should earn them at the 2 guard at finish time.

What I like about this the most is there will always be one of the big 3 on the floor, and I want to see Love be featured for a spurt of action with Bron and Kyrie cheering from the bench. I may or may not have a mistake on this drawn up sheet but I tried my best to even give myself an idea of what should be done to right this ship. I've noticed that Marion can play alot of minutes because of his versatility and our lack of depth when it comes to big man. That's either good or bad. I'd like to see the Miller of last year that played 20 minutes and shot extremely well beyond the arc.

 

[MH32246]

Blatt's rotations don't allow players to develop any type of continutiy with line ups as well as rhythm. He hasn't learned how to stager line ups or put players in a position where they can be successful. Love is a terrific passer who can do a lot from the elbow down. Its troublesome that Andy is the one getting low post or below the free throw line touches instead of Love. The Lebron and Love pick and pop would be deadly but we never go to it.

 

[chuck0609]

Blatt's rotations don't allow players to develop any type of continutiy with line ups as well as rhythm. He hasn't learned how to stager line ups or put players in a position where they can be successful. Love is a terrific passer who can do a lot from the elbow down. Its troublesome that Andy is the one getting low post or below the free throw line touches instead of Love. The Lebron and Love pick and pop would be deadly but we never go to it.

No they'd rather give Andy the goddam ball.

Teams will love if the cavs have AV shooting jumpers every night while KL is uninvolved.

It's early, but where is the effort and focus of this team? If Lebron wants to pout on the court, pull him out. This is the same bullshit he did last time.

There's too much pouting and lack of effort. That's not acceptable guys.

 

[nikolajz1]

The question I have is why do we run such a slow pace? This team with its athletes should be running and gunning like the 2007 Suns. We suck at half court sets and I think we'd be better just running like crazy if we can't defend.

 

[mhi]

I've already beat this point to death, but it bears repeating.

Lebron has to play in space.

The blueprint for getting the most out of him has already been established. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.

 

[stick]

^--

If he has to play in space, will they at least get him a spacesuit? It's a vacuum up there! Don't wanna kill the guy.

(Sorry, couldn't resist ._.)

 

[Kevin Ollie]

The question I have is why do we run such a slow pace? This team with its athletes should be running and gunning like the 2007 Suns. We suck at half court sets and I think we'd be better just running like crazy if we can't defend.

Right now they aren't doing it because they are both bad defensively and a bad defensive rebounding team. Teams get into the paint a ton and they also get a lot of offensive rebounds against the Cavs. Nobody can run consistently when that's the case.

On top of that Kyrie and LeBron are super pokey players that both like to walk the ball up the floor.

 

[gourimoko]

I think the problems have already been laid out, no?

We don't run any PnP/PnR with Love/James like Wolves did with Love/Rubio. We aren't doing it with Irving either. We run sets built around Horns, Weave, and screens, built on this read and react game but to be honest I don't think that works for the players we have.

We've got Anderson Varejao thriving while Kevin Love, of all people, looks pedestrian. Why? Because the offense is built around getting our center involved on cuts to the basket and spot-ups. And that's cool, but not when you've got Kevin Love planted in the corner beyond the arc; at that point, it becomes absurd.

I started having my doubts about our coaching and offensive system a few games ago, but after these 3 straight losses and not seeing any actual changes -- instead, things are just getting worse -- I'm just at a loss for words.

I hope that Blatt will turn this around and start ensuring Love gets more than 8 shots a game (especially when LeBron is shooting below 40%), more looks in the post, and Kyrie - the best player on the floor at the moment - is running the offense.

Also, why is LBJ not playing any PF at all? Last year he literally split his time between SF/PF. Playing LBJ at PF and Love at C could help space the floor for everyone else like Waiters, Irving, and Marion (while giving up defense and offensive rebounding surely).

Lastly.. put Waiters back in the starting lineup. Starting Marion and playing Harris big minutes has netted us nothing. It's a waste of talent to have Waiters just sit there; fucking coach him. Teach him to play the game right, don't just pull him out of the game and forget about him.

 

[JSS2306]

We've got Anderson Varejao thriving while Kevin Love, of all people, looks pedestrian. Why? Because the offense is built around getting our center involved on cuts to the basket and spot-ups. And that's cool, but not when you've got Kevin Love planted in the corner beyond the arc; at that point, it becomes absurd.

The only thing I could think of last night was how bizarre it was that Andy is the one shooting 15 ft jumpers and Love is in rebounding position.

I don't know how much of that is on Blatt. If it's read and react, maybe Love isn't reading and being proactive enough to get himself an open shot. It's hard to say. I've felt bad for Love because he's been kind of screwed over and not just from the coaching staff but also from his own players not getting him involved.

These guys need to realize that getting him going underneath in the flow of the offense will give them space to run wild and that includes LeBron James himself. I've seen LeBron drive, draw 3 defenders in the paint, and not kick to a wide open Love.

LeBron has probably disappointed me more than anyone right now. He's been a sloppy mess for multiple games.

 

[gourimoko]

JSS, to me, everything you mentioned is on the coach. He should be the one directing the offense and the positions on the floor. I don't think K.Love is saying to the media "I've got to find myself in this offense," and complaining about not being in the low post, yet is simultaneously only getting the ball when he's perched at the arc.

I think the bulk of this is on Blatt.

Yes, James has been a mess -- but unlike a lot of Cavs fans, I watched the Heat, maybe just as a self-inflicted sort of torture. But, James has these moments where he plays like shit. I'm not surprised or worried about LeBron at all.. Not a bit.

Irving is playing phenomenally well. But this was to be Waiters' breakout year, and Blatt decided to shelve that. Varejao is getting more FGA than Love half the time. James is taking too many shots while Irving, Waiters, and Love (especially) aren't taking enough.

Blatt has to look at this and correct the problem.