But where's the evidence that the reason we weren't winning was Blatt's (alleged) inability to relate to players, as opposed to other reasons?
Not sure what you're asking... but I thought it was pretty apparent Blatt had strained relations with his Big 3 for the first half of the season..
There are plenty of other known reasons that we weren't winning. Almost complete roster turnover, the need to implement brand new offensive and defensive systems The known (from Miami) issues with integrating a "Big 3". The recognized lack of a center and shooting guard. LBJ's nagging injury that had him playing substandard, plus the league-wide recognition that we were going to be a team that struggled on defense. And then there were the chemistry issues with Dion.
Douglar already addressed this, and I agree with him on that point...
It's been said by other mods that LeBron had other motives besides health for playing in "chill mode" and for his "vacation."
Once those known issues were fixed, the team took off. So I just don't see a basis for assuming that the early season losing was caused by an inability to relate to NBA players, as opposed to all those other factors.
As Doug said, there's quite a few factors involved... makes no sense to discount what we know was an issue only due to team success; I said this earlier up-thread.
There certainly was an adjustment period for Blatt relating to the technical aspects of the NBA, including familiarity with the skills of opposing players in the league, the schedule, more minutes per game, etc., Those are growing pains that he's acknowledged. But Blatt's 55 years old, and at least in my experience, "relating to people" is not something that normally improves suddenly at that age. He is who he always was in that regard.
Numerous commentators have said Blatt needed to work on his ability to relate to players; Windhorst in a podcast went into detail about it, specifically citing an incident between the players (including LeBron) and Blatt after our first win in Chicago.
We can talk about Kyrie's numerous outburts, the "max contract" Kevin Love, or Griffin's "not firing Blatt" announcement. But these issues were very real.
That goes back to October/November. Yes, the team started clicking January 15th. That's a long stretch of the season that the team was rumored to be ignoring their coach. We would we now just decide to ignore it?
Has the situation improved?
Surely. But as you said, everything that we were doing in preseason has been scrapped. We do not run Blatt's offense anymore, we run LeBron's. We're not a team that relies on ball movement as Blatt intended, and implemented early on in the season, but one that relies on isolation plays and pick-and-rolls.
As you said, the system changed, and things got better, because the players (most of them) bought in.... which is my point. I doubt the bullshit offense we run is Blatt's, as even the Blatt supporters here have said is not likely, but instead, is more likely to be LeBron's "player-coach" influence.
So you're saying there is still an underlying issue of him being able to relate to players, but that it is being masked by winning?
No. I said winning masks lots of issues... we wouldn't know one way or the other what's going on until we are again, not meeting expectations.
But there is a pattern of LeBron saying and doing things to undermine Blatt, which I personally think is bullshit. I also do not think Blatt has full support from Kevin Love, but that's another issue.
Again, what's the evidence of that?
That's not really what I said... again, I'm saying we don't know one way or the other
because we're winning.
I know that you had a preseason theory for why he might not be able to relate to some players, but I don't see any evidence that has actually ever happened.
I'm only going off what's readily available in the media and on this forum.