David Blatt is a former NBA coach

[tocov]

Coach Blatt after practice yesterday:
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/video/teams/cavaliers/2015/04/20/150420COACHmov-3577662

- I wouldn't say we're in control. It's one game out of a potential 7 game series. You have to make adjustments for each game accordingly. Boston is a very skilled team and we have to be ready to make changes and adjustments.

- Kyrie's ability in the first game was a continuation of an already great season for him. It shows his ability, his belief in himself and the confidence his teammates have in him.

- Boston is gonna do what they feel they have to do to stop our offense, and we have to be ready to deal with their plans.

- TT is relentless in his approach to getting to the ball. He's a guy you don't have to specifically play for. He just contributes to the team's overall success and is one of the reasons we've been successfull this year.

- Despite the situation, the first time playoffs for some player, the great expectations etc., we remained calm and poised and we didn't lose our heads and kept to our game.

- Someone asks about LeBron's turnaround fadeaway J and Blatt says "Oh, I wrote that play! Called it!" jokingly. Says it was a huge basket for us and a winning play. It didn't surprise Blatt since LeBron is a winning player who makes winning plays, but that wasn't our go-to play coming up.

- Iman is another guy who understands his role, has embraced it and a guy that we can count on to do the things we need him to. When he's playing his part his a major contributor to our success.

- JR is a big part of our team and will continue to be one. He did his part in Game one and then the game just went in another direction, away from him. But it doesn't change anything nor does it reduce the contributions that he made.

 

[priceFTW]

I know Blatt has said that the three point shooting and the number of shots put up each game isn't exactly how he intended for the offense to evolve, but this team has become one of the most lethal three point shooting teams ever and that's not hyperbole.

To illustrate how ridiculous it's gotten, consider the following: In the last 20 years, 24,600 games have been played. 1,473 times has a team made 13 or more three pointers in those games. That means 6% of all games played in the past 20 seasons had at least one team make 13 threes (yes, we take more threes than teams did in the past but the shooting % is ridiculous). This Cavs team has made 13+ in 14 out of its last 25 games played (56% of their games) and is almost AVERAGING 13 threes per game.

Since the All-Star break (discounting the rest game against the Celtics):

The Cavs are making 12.7 out 31.6 per game (40.2%)

Since the Dallas game, it's 13.2 out of 31.5 (42%)

Keep in mind, in the last 20 years, every team that leads the league in 3point shooting shots at about 39%--40% with Suns shooting 41% in 2007 and the Hornets shooting 43% in 1997. So we're not just chucking them up.

Here is how many three pointers the Cavs have made from greatest to least:

18
17
16, 16
15, 15, 15, 15
14, 14, 14, 14
13, 13
12, 12
11, 11
10
9, 9, 9, 9
8,8

The Cavs have made 16 in a game and 15 in a game and 14 in a game many more times than they have made 8 in a game.

This is just crazy stuff.

 

[Paul]

I wanna see this list

View: https://twitter.com/MarkZinno/status/590518283574452224/photo/1

 

[Adam]

Coach Bud deserves the award, but its the kiss of death for the Hawks championship dreams. COY dont win the Championship (apart form last year)

 

[SVC]

I know Blatt has said that the three point shooting and the number of shots put up each game isn't exactly how he intended for the offense to evolve, but this team has become one of the most lethal three point shooting teams ever and that's not hyperbole.

To illustrate how ridiculous it's gotten, consider the following: In the last 20 years, 24,600 games have been played. 1,473 times has a team made 13 or more three pointers in those games. That means 6% of all games played in the past 20 seasons had at least one team make 13 threes (yes, we take more threes than teams did in the past but the shooting % is ridiculous). This Cavs team has made 13+ in 14 out of its last 25 games played (56% of their games) and is almost AVERAGING 13 threes per game.

Since the All-Star break (discounting the rest game against the Celtics):

The Cavs are making 12.7 out 31.6 per game (40.2%)

Since the Dallas game, it's 13.2 out of 31.5 (42%)

Keep in mind, in the last 20 years, every team that leads the league in 3point shooting shots at about 39%--40% with Suns shooting 41% in 2007 and the Hornets shooting 43% in 1997. So we're not just chucking them up.

Here is how many three pointers the Cavs have made from greatest to least:

18
17
16, 16
15, 15, 15, 15
14, 14, 14, 14
13, 13
12, 12
11, 11
10
9, 9, 9, 9
8,8

The Cavs have made 16 in a game and 15 in a game and 14 in a game many more times than they have made 8 in a game.

This is just crazy stuff.

I guess it's a good sign we won somewhat comfortably (never afraid we'd lose) despite hitting 7/29 from 3. Worst night I can recall of recent memory.

 

[And1]

No such 4 year rule ..

Ha I went back and added Mozgov to add to the mental imagery.
It is something that most people are unaware of.

16 is the legal age of consent in Ohio. The rule you are stating applies to people when one is under 16 and the other is over. I'm not encouraging It. It is the law and people should know.

such s

 

[MaccabiCavs]

View: https://twitter.com/MarkZinno/status/590518283574452224/photo/1

I'm sorry but how is Theabodu rated over Blatt? His Chicago team lost just about every game againta big teams... Pop is there simply out of respect he really did nothing this season

 

[CalBuckeyeRob]

I'm sorry but how is Theabodu rated over Blatt? His Chicago team lost just about every game againta big teams... Pop is there simply out of respect he really did nothing this season

Any votes to someone other than the top 2 finishers are a joke vote. Trying to decide why someone made a stupid choice for one guy over Blatt is impossible because there is no legitimate basis for voting for either one of them this year.

 

[cavsfever]

I'm sorry but how is Theabodu rated over Blatt? His Chicago team lost just about every game againta big teams... Pop is there simply out of respect he really did nothing this season

The ranking seems pretty fair to me. I'd actually rank Doc Rivers ahead of Blatt, though not sure about Snyder. And saying Pop did nothing this season after the ferocious tear the Spurs went on in the second half of the season seems all wrong.

 

[Binkster]

To be honest, the only ones I don't agree with over Blatt on that list are Thibs and Snyder (6 games under .500 = COY?). And I'm a huge Blatt guy.

Monty Williams gets no love either.

 

[supermario21]

To be honest, the only ones I don't agree with over Blatt on that list are Thibs and Snyder (6 games under .500 = COY?). And I'm a huge Blatt guy.

Monty Williams gets no love either.

I wish we had a year where all the NBA bloggers get to coach teams. They all think they can do a better job than 90% of the coaches.

 

[gym]

I wish we had a year where all the NBA bloggers get to coach teams. They all think they can do a better job than 90% of the coaches.

That has to be paired with forum geniuses, serving as the players who always know how to play better than the ones on the court.

 

[tocov]

Coach talks before heading to Boston:
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/video/teams/cavaliers/2015/04/22/150422practicecoachmov-3579570

- Each game builds up the information you gather about the other team and gives you a chance to adjust. The flip side is that they're doing the same thing and they know us better and better as well. It's a challenging situation.

- We got a good contribution from our bench. Maybe it wasn't points but it was other aspects of the game.

- Overall we expected the things Boston did on D. We had several wasted possessions, but on top of that we missed a lot of good looks that we would normally make. We had some bad turnovers.

- In the few losses that we've had since January, one of the key statistics in those losses was poor 3FG%, the fact that we had a poor 3FG% and still won the game is certainly a positive.

- Boston scores heavy from their bench, and we have to do a better job in that aspect. Yet, when you keep your opponent to 91 points, you're giving yourself a great chance to win, regardless of who is scoring, starters or bench. Overall we did a good job on D.

- Regarding JR cold streak coach says that he tells him to keep shooting. Get his good looks and keep shooting.

- JR played a very good game. He played 34 minutes, not because he was making every shot, but because of how engaged and aware he was on D.

 

[Taiter]

Do you guys think Stevens would've been a better coach for this team than Blatt? Nothing against Blatt - he's an improvement on Mike Brown for sure -- but I've been really impressed with Stevens. I hate all Boston teams and their fans' snobbery but it's hard not to like Stevens.

 

[SteelSmack]

I don't really see anything out of Stevens that makes him a better coach than Blatt. He doesn't run awesome sets or have a great defensive structure. All I see is guys working hard for him.

And that's great, but if the Cavs took the Celtics as an actual threat and not just a warm-up for the real postseason, the Celtics would be losing by 30 each night and ESPN would have a hard time spinning Stevens as the great coach they're billing him to be (yay, pandering to big markets!).