Hello from Israel, first post here...
A few short notes on what I've seen so far from David, and what to expect according to my 10+ years of watching his teams:
1. David never sits down during games. He's always active on the sidelines, shouting out, calling plays etc. You can see him sometimes go to guys sitting on the bench telling them "you see that, that's what I was talking about" after some play on the court.
2. Blatt will open with the same 5 starters, but he will finish games with whoever was good. You won't see the same patterns where everyone knows exactly when they're coming in. Every minute is up for grabs. He had no problem finishing with Cherry who was on fire. No problem sitting Wiggins and Bennet for most of the 2nd half for whatever reasons.
3. He will always take a timeout on the last possession of every quarter. "Finishing quarters" is where he uses set plays and even if the score isn't close, those are the chances he's got to practice for when games are on the line.
4. Full court pressing. David is a master of the press. If he has the material (long, smart, athletic players), he'll press. With LeBron, Wiggins, Kyrie - I guarantee you'll see LOTS of full court presses.
5. Zone to man-to-man defense. It's a defensive strategy he's practically invented and mastered throughout the years. Defense starts at zone, and after the first offensive "move" they change to man-to-man. If implemented correctly, it creates havoc for the set offense, who need to actually think what they're doing. It's beautiful to watch.
6. European habits - expect habits like fouling when you're up 3 at the end of a game. Zone defenses, box and 1, etc. Euro-ball with the NBA's best.
7. A master of matchups. Last night he had no problem playing Cherry and Dellavedova together. Don't expect "normal" rotations. Players will move around and need to be able to play multiple positions. At Maccabi, for example, I remember this one time he even got to playing Anthony Parker at Center (!). If the matchups are favorable, he'll play them.
8. Rotations. There aren't any. 5 starters will start, and that's about it. If a guy is tired, or getting torched, he'll get pulled. He'll try many MANY different lineups, using practically all the roster, until he gets who's good today, who's not, and where he's got advantages. He'll then build the rotation strategy DURING the game so he finishes with his best lineup for that specific game.
9. Personal relationships with players - if you notice he'll physically touch each player coming in or going out of the game. Kind of a ritual, maybe his only one... Players love him, and he usually gets to them. There can be several "leaders" that he huddles with during games. Similar to Pop-Parker huddles that I've seen a lot.
10. LeBron - From whatever I've seen of LeBron, he's the perfect fit. LeBron is smart, likes to share the ball, and is receptive of coaching. I'm sure LeBron will develop new "team" aspects under Blatt. I also expect LeBron to become less of a vocal leader, as it's not his strength. It will have to come from somebody else, TBD.
11. Kyrie - Without LeBron I was pretty sure he'll buy in to Blatt's philosophy, which is quite different than how he's been used to playing. A lot less iso's, a lot more movement on and off the ball. With LeBron, I'm 100% sure of this. You will see a new Kyrie Irving this season. Poised, team-oriented, and clutch. Kyrie will "make the leap" to Tony Parker level, and next year he'll surpass Parker as he's more talented.
12. Young guys - Thompson, Bennet, Waiters, Wiggins (whoever stays) - Blatt is NOT a coach to just hand out minutes so the yougsters "develop". They will need to prove themselves to get minutes, which I'm not sure they can right off the bat (specifically Wiggins and Bennet). I expect Wiggins/Bennet to struggle getting playing time up until mid-season, unless they show some skill worth giving them minutes (Wiggins may have a defensive speciality if he's ready). However, they WILL, after some time, "get it". Wiggins definitely. The others will be usesystd sparsely in roles that complement their current skills and abilities. By next season the real growth will occur, as the kids will already be familiar with the system, the expectations, and they will also have developed better individual skills. Bennet, for example, in year 2, can turn out to be a Boris Diaw type player (which, if you ask me, is a lot better than a poor man's Kevin Love, which is his current "destiny").
13. Luck - I don't know how to put it, but the guy's star is shining so bright. The most I can say is that somehow basketball miracles have attached themselves to his teams. I can't explain it, but it's fact.
14. Confidence - There's that reassuring feeling that win or lose, you have the advantage on the sidelines. VERY different than the other way around...
Personally I've been waiting for an NBA team to jump on him for years. The talent, proffesionalism, charisma, honesty, hard work, and now also experience puts him as one of the best coaches I've ever seen, and I've seen plenty. Combine that with the best player in the world, and some pretty good (and young) supporting cast - prepare for good times Cleveland!
