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David Blatt is a former NBA coach

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breaking bad said:
hold it against me if you like, but no stats are going to convince me that dion waiters is a better defender than avery bradley, or even close to his level.
somehow I got a feeling I'm not alone in this once you go outside a cavs forum.

but it's not just defense in general, and I couldn't care less about how waiters defends small forwards - it's about guard ball pressure.
that's what blatt loves more than anything from his backcourt, that's where bradley is elite, and that's where I think waiters falls short.
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Give me a better way to measure someones defensive prowess then. I'm not going to trust the infamous RCF "eye test" when it can be biased, nor will I trust "outside opinions" who have maybe seen Dion play twice so far in his career, but I damn sure will trust what their opponents put up on them and how their teams performed when they were on/off the court. Over the entirety of their career, yes Bradley is the better defender, you will have no trouble convincing me of that, but he was not as good as years past last year while Dion made large strides on that side of the ball. Show me any stat from last season that shows Avery Bradley was a better defender than Dion. You'll have trouble finding some. And if you don't trust 82games stats for defenders, here is the order of the top 5 defensive SGs (at stopping opposing SGs, according to opponent PER) from a season ago according to them: Danny Green (8.8), Thabo Sefolosha (10.7), Jimmy Butler (11), Lance Stephenson (11), Gerald Henderson (11.1)...and the guy everyone believes is one of the better young perimeter defenders in the league, Klay Thompson, went 8.4 vs PGs, 12.4 vs SGs, and 10.5 vs SFs. To me, an opinion doesn't make sense if the stats don't back up the opinion in sports. Then it just becomes a preference. Also, that is a pretty good list of guys regarded as good perimeter defenders around the league...for anyone not familiar with the site, go to it...82games.com

This is not to say Dion is without his faults. Where Dion lacks is his attention to detail on rotations, getting lost starring at the ball too much when he is guarding off the ball, and letting a previous poor trip on the offensive end distract him on the defensive side of the ball. Those are all cleared up with maturity and a strong veteran voice, which we finally have on this team for the first time, something Dion has been missing during his time in Cleveland. But as others have alluded to, he made great strides as an on ball defender last year, and the stats back up what others saw from him when he was locked in on defense.
 
I think the bottom line is that if you are an adequate on the ball defender you should be an adequate overall defender. Defense is not just effort as some would suggest. It is lateral quickness and length. It seems Dion is good enough in these areas. Not sure why I would want Avery Bradley.
 
Source: http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/features/mr.-cavalier-copacabana

It’s also been fun to watch David Blatt run a Cavaliers practice. I like the way he does it. The whole practice is about teaching, because he’ll stop practice and correct a guy – while it’s fresh on your mind. And he never raises his voice on a guy. Instead, you know by the tone of his voice how serious he is.
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It’s like a European system, something the Spurs have brought to the league. You use all five men – instead of three guys working and two guys watching. Or one guy isolated. That’s going to make a huge difference this year. And I just think it’s going to help us get off to a good start. All five guys are live in Blatt’s offense, and we have the talent to see that system through. It’s a beautiful thing.
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As it was already been told here, Coach Blatt really loves using a stretch 4:
Kevin Love is already a superstar in this league, but I think he’s going to benefit big from Coach Blatt’s system. He’s going to keep his man in space -- and most 4’s don’t want to be in space. And that’s going to really open up opportunities for him and others. It’s interesting watching him in practice. He doesn’t jump high but he knows how to position himself for rebounds. He’s very good at that, among other things.
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David Blatt reveals competitive fire in hotel lobby, confirming he's the right coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers: Chris Haynes' Brazil blog
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Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt yells at his team in the gris quarter of a preseason exhibition basketball game against Maccabi Tel Aviv Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan) (Mark Duncan)
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By Chris Haynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group

All Stories | All Photos | All Videos
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The lobby in the Cavaliers' hotel overlooking Copacabana beach is overflowing with family and friends of the team.

There are even a few fans who managed to make it past security hanging around, trying to be discrete. Soccer rules in this country, but they realize the magnitude of this professional basketball team.

Head coach David Blatt, fresh from a brisk walk along the beachfront, pushes through the hotel's revolving door and upon entering, immediately notices the huge gathering. He smiled and waved hello from afar.

This is what being a coach of a rock star team can look like on the road. It may be overwhelming for some, but Blatt has the unique skill of adapting to whatever environment he puts himself in.

And leading the Cavaliers against the Miami Heat in South America is no different.

"Most places you go and most cultures that you meet, you fall into the pace of the place," Blatt said as he sat and took a breather with me in the lobby. "That's what's happening here. It's a warm climate with warm-blooded people and we're going accordingly with the spirit. We're enjoying our experience, but we're still trying to get the most out of it professionally."

Last year Blatt was coaching Maccabi Tel Aviv, one of the most prominent European clubs out of the Israeli Premier League. He recently led the franchise to a Euroleague championship, the sixth in the franchise's history.

He's had his share of high-pressure coaching gigs. This isn't unfamiliar territory for Blatt. On the other hand, he hasn't fully experienced the enormity of what is about to come his way in coaching a team that consists of All-Stars LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.

"I would have come to the NBA regardless of the roster," Blatt said. "I wanted to come home. And when I came, it wasn't the same roster obviously. I had a pretty good job before. I wanted to come here."

When Blatt accepted the head coach position in June, James and Love were not in the picture. Expectations were nowhere near what they are today.

Blatt is a charming, personable individual. He always tries his best to address the media by name. We knew he could coach is tail off and that he had an endearing spirit.

But what became clear in that lobby was his ultra-competitive disposition when asked if he thought he would have been brought on if the coaching search had concluded in late July opposed to June.

Blatt snickered and slumped his head before responding.

"Look, I came to Cleveland and they chose me to come to Cleveland because they thought I could do a good job," Blatt said sternly and confidently. "Regardless of the roster, I believe that's what I'll do."

The manner and way in which he retorted sold me. Blatt is unquestionably the man for this job.

It was a side of him that we media folks have not seen up to this point. James mentioned earlier in camp that Blatt could flip it to serious-mode real quick and without notice. Blatt has some heart.

"Coach Blatt has been awesome," said Cavaliers forward Mike Miller. "Even though he hasn't been a coach in the NBA before, he has coached a ton of basketball and has been through every situation imaginable. He has been doing a great job with us."

The Cavaliers are in good hands. He's not intimidated by the stage nor is he shying away from it. He understands that this is going to be a process, a process that will be under an intense microscope.

He's not uptight about it at all. In fact, he is relishing it.

Blatt shakes my hand and says, "Thanks for the time Chris. I'll see you at the game." He heads off with assistant coach Phil Handy and they share a laugh on the way to their rooms. That's appropriate.

I have a good feeling that with all the scrutiny that will come with this position, Blatt will ultimately get the last laugh. Blatt is ready.

source:
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2014/10/david_blatt_reveals_competitiv.html
 
ESPN The Magazine also printed a long profile of Blatt: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11671498/david-blatt-cleveland-cavaliers-coming-america

David Blatt is coming to America
The first coach to jump straight from Europe to the NBA needs to win now
Originally Published: October 10, 2014
By Jordan Brenner | ESPN The Magazine

Two tidbits:

Blatt's former players universally rave about his ability to relate to them, a skill he began to hone at a young age. Watching his mother teach learning-impaired and physically challenged students helped Blatt understand the importance of handling each individual differently. "I learned empathy from my mother," he says. "Not everybody can achieve the maximum. Some people can achieve what their maximum is. It's not always the same."

...

Whereas the curmudgeonly Carril used a small number of players at a plodding pace, Blatt utilizes a deep bench to push the tempo. But more important than any strategy or system, he puts a premium on building relationships with players. He is almost pathologically honest with them; it has worked because of his knack for lacing straight talk with humor, often self-effacing. In practice, Blatt has become known over the years -- much to his players' delight -- for stumbling and falling when demonstrating concepts on the court. The reaction was similar when the coach once chided his players to work on their games instead of watching "Yo! MTV Raps," a show that had gone off the air a decade earlier.
 
i remember seeing this clip posted here, so TT successfully do this about 3 times i think tonight

 
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