David Blatt is a former NBA coach

[CosmoKramer]

Yet it still doesn't mean that you can make an intelligent decree on this team's playoff chances 26 games into the season.

Hell, if the playoffs started today, without this team growing or gelling any more, we'd still be favored to make it out of the East--and nearly a lock to make the ECF's.

He didn't. That post started off with "Lebron James is the problem on this team."

Just, no.

 

[theSTEREO.]

Lebron James is the problem on this team. .... [bullshit, etc.]

 

[cavsfever]

Did anyone see what Jason Lloyd wrote after the Memphis game about Lebron appointing himself point guard without consulting with Blatt about it? Reproduced below, article is at http://www.ohio.com/blogs/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-1.275356/cavs-105-grizzlies-91-jason-lloyd-s-14-thoughts-on-big-win-over-western-conference-elite

1. LeBron James turned a little cryptic early in the season when the Cavs were scuffling. He said he spent the early part of the season standing back and observing before coming to the conclusion of what he needed to do. But he wouldn’t elaborate on what that was until Sunday.

2. James finally revealed after Sunday’s game that he realized he had to handle the ball more and play more point guard. In his last 14 games, James is averaging 25 points and 8.8 assists. He’s averaging 7.8 assists on the year, the second-highest total of his career and his highest figure since his final season in Cleveland before leaving for Miami when he averaged a career-best 8.6 assists.

3. James has carte blanche off the court and apparently on it, too. He didn’t consult with David Blatt before electing himself chairman of the ball. “I can do it on my own,” he said.

4. It’s hard to argue with the results. The Cavs are 11-3 in their last 14 games. The losses have been ugly, but some of the wins have been very good. This counts as one of the very good wins even though the Grizzlies were without two starters. The Cavs are now 3-6 against the West.

 

[ice cream man]

So when we face good teams, aka teams we can't stop, teams we can't run against...we'll have LeBron with the ball in hands waiting for a defensive 3 second call that doesn't come, while the other perimeter players (including Kyrie, Love, Dion) become spot up shooters?
Can't wait to watch that...smh

 

[crabbyshark]

So what you're saying is that if you remove LeBron James from this team we'd be better than 16-10? Do you honestly believe that?

Kevin Love was top 3 PER last year at 26.9. It's still early, but this year he's ranked 65 at 18.09. That's trending down recently, btw.

It's clear Kyrie Irving is beginning to take his game to another level. Last year his PER was 20.14 which ranked 27. This year his PER is down slightly at 19.80.

What would happen to those numbers if Lebron were removed?

In the Lebronless game vs OKC, the Cavs cut a 20 point fourth quarter deficit to 4 with two minutes left to play. link

That was at Oklahoma City with the Thunder at full strength. Mike Miller was out and the Cavs found out just before the the game Lebron wouldn't be playing after coming down with knee tendonitis.

The Cavs didn't win but they sure looked a lot better than they did last week at home vs Atlanta.

 

[Rich]

Kevin Love was top 3 PER last year at 26.9. It's still early, but this year he's ranked 65 at 18.09. That's trending down recently, btw.

It's clear Kyrie Irving is beginning to take his game to another level. Last year his PER was 20.14 which ranked 27. This year his PER is down slightly at 19.80.

What would happen to those numbers if Lebron were removed?

In the Lebronless game vs OKC, the Cavs cut a 20 point fourth quarter deficit to 4 with two minutes left to play. link

That was at Oklahoma City with the Thunder at full strength. Mike Miller was out and the Cavs found out just before the the game Lebron wouldn't be playing after coming down with knee tendonitis.

The Cavs didn't win but they sure looked a lot better than they did last week at home vs Atlanta.

LeBron James leaves, the team loses more games in 4 seasons than any other team in the league over that span. He comes back, the team is 6 games above .500, a number it hasn't approached since he was here.

And yet, somehow, this is an actual argument people want to have? I love using the single game, close loss to try and prove this point. Hey, we actually BEAT OKC last season!

I don't want to be dismissive, but if there's an real faction on this board that thinks this team would improve by removing LeBron James, let's just get it out now.

 

[catfish]

That was never the point of my post. Of course we are bette with James than without him. However, James never gave the system that the coach tried to install a chance. Undeniably, the offense that you see when James is on the floor is different than the offense when he is off the floor. If you were happy the last time with ball hog James he came back. Dion was killing it last fourth quarter until James came around to slow things down and take the ball away from his so he could hold it at the top of the key and survey the territory like he likes to do-nothing like the ball movement offense we thought we were going to see.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

That was never the point of my post. Of course we are bette with James than without him. However, James never gave the system that the coach tried to install a chance. Undeniably, the offense that you see when James is on the floor is different than the offense when he is off the floor. If you were happy the last time with ball hog James he came back. Dion was killing it last fourth quarter until James came around to slow things down and take the ball away from his so he could hold it at the top of the key and survey the territory like he likes to do-nothing like the ball movement offense we thought we were going to see.

There's certainly some truth to this -- there are times when LBJ's ball-hogging hurts the team. But the reality is this is not going to change, and he still (obviously) is much more of positive than a negative. But I do think it's a relevant point when discussing Blatt as a coach and his "offensive system." If LBJ doesn't want to adapt, there's really not much Blatt or any other coach could do about it as a practical matter.

 

[catfish]

I wish the young uns here would go and watch tape of 2 of my 3 favorite NBA teams of all times. The Knicks of the late 60's early 70's and the TrailBlazers of the mid 70's. These were teams in the best sense of the word and played a brand of basketball unmatched until last year's Spurs. The passing was superb. I thought when the season started I was going to watch this kind of game. Instead I get to watch more of ball hog James who doesnt respect his coach.

 

[Cavatt]

Lebron would be harder to guard if he ran the offense and the team would be more deadly. The bench has gotten a lot better with Delly because he runs the offense. It's a reason Dion has been tending upwards.

 

[catfish]

Lebron would be harder to guard if he ran the offense and the team would be more deadly. The bench has gotten a lot better with Delly because he runs the offense. It's a reason Dion has been tending upwards.

Exellent post. Members of this forum should ask yourself if what you have seen this year is what you expected to see after watching the exhibition games. It was almost as if after the preseason they junked the office and gave us what we saw in the first game against the Knicks.

 

[AZCavs]

You guys that are arguing that the system changes for the better when LeBron goes to the bench do realize that this team generally still gets smoked when LeBron goes to the bench, yes?

I really don't understand what you guys are trying to argue. The one thing this team preached in the offseason is a tight-knit family atmosphere. Anything you guys read from reporters regarding LeBron's acclimation to the Blatt system is speculation. That's it.

Maybe LeBron is freelancing out there, or maybe, just maybe, Blatt understands LeBron's talent and allows him more freedom than the average player. The great coaches do this as well. Phil Jackson used to let both MJ and Kobe operate outside of the confines of the triangle when they deemed fit.

 

[Ruken]

You guys that are arguing that that system changes for the better when LeBron goes to the bench do realize that this team generally still gets smoked when LeBron goes to the bench, yes?

I really don't understand what you guys are trying to argue. The one thing this team preached in the offseason is a tight-knit family atmosphere. Anything you guys read from reporters regarding LeBron's acclimation to the Blatt system is speculation. That's it.

Maybe LeBron is freelancing out there, or maybe, just maybe, Blatt understands LeBron's talent and allows him more freedom than the average player. The great coaches do this as well. Phil Jackson used to let both MJ and Kobe operate outside of the confines of the triangle when they deemed fit.

Yea I tend to think of there was a real disconnect between lbj and Blatt we'd be more aware of it. Blatt does not seem like he's the kind of coach who would put up with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AZCavs]

Exellent post. Members of this forum should ask yourself if what you have seen this year is what you expected to see after watching the exhibition games. It was almost as if after the preseason they junked the office and gave us what we saw in the first game against the Knicks.

Are they abandoning the system they installed in preseason or did opposing teams adjust to it and now the Cavs have to counter it by adjusting what they do?

It's a bit absurd to point to something a team did in the freaking preseason and use that as a point of reference, especially on a team lead by a new coach and several new key contributors.

 

[Cavatt]

Look at the in bounds plays. Do you like those? I sure do. If like the offense to always run like that.

Lebron is great he is the best. Does he run the best offense? Absolutely not. The Spurs proved that IMO.

We have a top offense running Lebron offense. So I guess that's good enough. If we want to settle for it. I just think he could be a better example, but I guess we will rely on Delly to set the tone.