Guess I didn't think that was as apparent as you did. Or at least, it didn't seem any different (or worse) to me than what happened between Spoelstra and the Big 3 in Miami.
Huh? I guess, but that's pretty bad in itself. Spolestra almost got fired.. Wade and Riley had to step in and have a meeting with LeBron to tell him Spo wasn't going anywhere.
That's basically what happened here with Griffin. But there's no Dwayne Wade figure here, with a ring, holding everything together as the team's spiritual leader. Kyrie doesn't have that gravitas or influence over LeBron or the organization.
In any case, I'd say that difficulties of figuring out how to get those three to mesh is different from the much broader attribute of being able to relate to players in general. That's where I don't see him having a problem, although again, I'd agree that getting the Big 3 to mesh is not easy.
Hmm.. ok.
I think there's a difference between what actually happens and what an indignant media may insinuate.
Unfortunately, we don't have any other sources to go by.
In any case, the point you made above about winning covering up problems (though not always) also works in reverse. All of the other problems -- personnel/injury/Dion/etc. -- this team had would have created tension with any rookie coach.
Riiight... but again, the other issues I mentioned were specific to Blatt and his approach. I guess you could say they'd have happened to anybody, but I dunno if that course of thought leads us anywhere.
I will say, as I always have, that there is a transition period, and Blatt went through his.
We still do both, depending on the situation and who is on the floor. Heck, the weave even makes an occasional appearance.
You obviously see the difference, right?
But as I said in response to Douglar -- LBJ isn't going to listen to any coach when LBJ believes the best play is him in isolation, or him initiating the PNR. But that's just LBJ, and I don't think it's fair to draw from how LBJ occasionally behaves a negative inference regarding Blatt's ability to relate to non-LBJ players in general.
Yeah, again, this isn't true... LeBron deferred to Wade/Spo/Riley in Miami for at least 2 years. There's a remarkable difference between LeBron on the Heat (not in the first year) and LeBron here in Cleveland.
A difference in maturity, playstyle, approach to the game, respect for his coach, his media presence. It's like we got LeBron from 2009 instead of grown-man LeBron that was a two-time champion.
I'd agree about LBJ here. His ego simply will not permit anyone to criticize him, even by inference.
But, he did take plenty of criticism in Miami, up to the point that his contract was up... lol!
And that may be related to the Love issue as well. We know that Blatt wants to see more ball movement and fewer 3's, which is something LBJ doesn't want to hear.
LeBron and Blatt differ on the analytics of it, I think. LeBron wants a more Houston-esque approach to maximizing eFG/TS% rather than utilizing the midrange game to space the floor and keep defenses honest.
They both have good points.
But of course, LeISO or him doing a PNR with someone else often cuts Love out of the offense. And I think LBJ prefers to see Love spreading the floor by standing out at the 3 point line, not posting up and "congesting" the paint for LBJ himself.
I don't agree with this though.
LeBron used to play a 2-man game with Wade and Bosh(designed by Spo/Wade) of multiple screens PnP/PnR from the top of the arc to the elbow and back out to the corner.
When they had it going, it was unstoppable, and it's one of the reasons LeBron was easily one of the most efficient NBA players until just last year.
Love and Kyrie would fit better in Miami's offense with LeBron than any of the three do with this silly ISO-heavy one-dimensional system we're running now.
I agree it's bullshit, but it's part of the inevitable price of having LBJ come back.
We totally agree on this.. I just thought we'd get back a more matured LeBron, the guy who we saw in Miami, not the kid who left to "go to college" in 2010.