Fellow Blatt Doubters, where R U now?

[tamaraw08]

Not saying that he is turning out to be a great coach but how many of us doubted this guy, ready to crucify him by putting all the blame on him when his team struggled last month.
What about those who proudly proclaim that Lionel Hollins was the best coach available last summer?
That Brad Stevens and Kevin Ollie(13-9 right now) would be great NBA coaches,
Again, Im not saying these guys are horrible coaches I just want to know if some of you are willing to admit that you are wrong about your past opinions on them.

[RedBlackAttack]

Blatt has done a great job in the last month or so, especially defensively. He has those guys humming out there... defense on a string.

Offensively, you can tell when the Cavs run a set play that they're usually really well drawn up. There is still a little too much free lancing at times with James and Irving, but you are going to have that with two extremely talented offensive players. There isn't a ton Blatt can do to tamp it completely down.

I guess that is really the only complaint I have so far with Blatt. It has taken him time to learn how to manage the egos of an NBA team. People calling for his head after 30 games are prisoners of the moment.

[navy]

It was never Blatt. And he's still unproven if we're being honest. Real reasons for turn around:

1) Beating Cancer (trading Waiters)
2) LeBron's Health
3) JR Smith
4) Iman Shumpert
5) Mozgov
6) K. Love's Re-Newed Interest.

I truly think the entire roster didn't like Waiters, and wanted him gone. We know Kyrie and him hated each other's guts. But LeBron didn't like him either. He was a selfish, chucker, who needed to dribble to be effective and constantly ball stopped on offense. The entire roster has shown greater cohesiveness, comrade, and effort since they dumped him on OKC.

Replace him with lights out shooters who don't need to dribble, like JR Smith to get their points. Or guys who can slash off the ball, finish passes, and defend like Iman Shumpert? And you have a deadly team.

Scary to think if AV wasn't injured how great they'd look. Calling it now, Cleveland v.s. Golden State in the Finals.

Pretty much this. Blatt still has a lot to prove.

Anyone could coach this team to a 32-21 record.

As for the rest of your post, I honestly dont remember anyone saying that those guys were good coaches. Lionel Hollins maybe, but I dont remember his name ever coming up as a Cavs coach candidate.

[RedBlackAttack]

Pretty much this. Blatt still has a lot to prove.

Anyone could coach this team to a 32-21 record.

As for the rest of your post, I honestly dont remember anyone saying that those guys were good coaches. Lionel Hollins maybe, but I dont remember his name ever coming up as a Cavs coach candidate.
He interviewed twice for the Cavs job, along with Alvin Gentry, Lue and Blatt. The finalists were Blatt and Lue. I loved the Blatt hire when it was made and still do. It was an example of a franchise thinking outside of the box.

Let's face it... coaching LeBron James is a no-win situation. Either the team is winning and James gets all the credit or things aren't going perfectly and everyone blames the coach. It has happened to literally every team he has been a part of.

That's the nature of coaching a super-duperstar in 21st Century, I guess... but I'm not sure Blatt will ever "prove" anything to the people who'll insist anything good that happens is due to James alone.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

I still think they should be playing a bit faster.

[navy]

He interviewed twice for the Cavs job, along with Alvin Gentry, Lue and Blatt. The finalists were Blatt and Lue. I loved the Blatt hire when it was made and still do. It was an example of a franchise thinking outside of the box.

Let's face it... coaching LeBron James is a no-win situation. Either the team is winning and James gets all the credit or things aren't going perfectly and everyone blames the coach. It has happened to literally every team he has been a part of.

That's the nature of coaching a super-duperstar in 21st Century, I guess... but I'm not sure Blatt will ever "prove" anything to the people who'll insist anything good that happens is due to James alone.
Are they wrong? Look at the coaches Lebron has had....

I would have preferred the Gentry hire myself. Best offensive coordinator in the nba.

[DukeDelonte13]

fans are way to quick to blame coaches when things aren't going according to plan.

Good teams have consistency in coaching. Bad teams have a coaching carousel.

[RedBlackAttack]

Are they wrong? Look at the coaches Lebron has had....

I would have preferred the Gentry hire myself. Best offensive coordinator in the nba.
Yeah, I think they're wrong. I also think people overestimate the amount of control these coaches have over a team once they've taken the floor. You occasionally see Blatt's creativity after timeouts when they actually run his sets, but often it is just LeBron being LeBron or Kyrie being Kyrie. And, that's OK... you're going to have that when you have two of the best offensive players in the league. But let's not pretend like every play or even the majority of plays are drawn up by Blatt. Or, that the tempo the majority of the time is controlled by Blatt.

He has done very well with the defense, imo, and I like the current rotations. But, can you honestly sit here and tell me that, even if Blatt was doing the best job possible, he'd be getting attention for it? We all know where this is headed... the Cavs' success will be about LeBron James and, if they fail, Blatt will be on the hot seat regardless how it goes down.

That's the nature of coaching LeBron James.

[Lebronxrings]

blatt is still terrible. He relies on giving the ball to lebron and letting him do what he wants with the ball. People think scott brooks is bad? Watch some cavs games... goodness

[RedBlackAttack]

blatt is still terrible. He relies on giving the ball to lebron and letting him do what he wants with the ball. People think scott brooks is bad? Watch some cavs games... goodness
^^^Case in point.

[JT123]

He interviewed twice for the Cavs job, along with Alvin Gentry, Lue and Blatt. The finalists were Blatt and Lue. I loved the Blatt hire when it was made and still do. It was an example of a franchise thinking outside of the box.

Let's face it... coaching LeBron James is a no-win situation. Either the team is winning and James gets all the credit or things aren't going perfectly and everyone blames the coach. It has happened to literally every team he has been a part of.

That's the nature of coaching a super-duperstar in 21st Century, I guess... but I'm not sure Blatt will ever "prove" anything to the people who'll insist anything good that happens is due to James alone.
Lebron's coaches don't really deserve any credit tbh. Spo has been exposed big time this season, and Mike Brown hasn't been able to keep a job for more than a season since he lost Lebron. :confusedshrug:

[navy]

Yeah, I think they're wrong. I also think people overestimate the amount of control these coaches have over a team once they've taken the floor. You occasionally see Blatt's creativity after timeouts when they actually run his sets, but often it is just LeBron being LeBron or Kyrie being Kyrie. And, that's OK... you're going to have that when you have two of the best offensive players in the league. But let's not pretend like every play or even the majority of plays are drawn up by Blatt. Or, that the tempo the majority of the time is controlled by Blatt.

He has done very well with the defense, imo, and I like the current rotations. But, can you honestly sit here and tell me that, even if Blatt was doing the best job possible, he'd be getting attention for it? We all know where this is headed... the Cavs' success will be about LeBron James and, if they fail, Blatt will be on the hot seat regardless how it goes down.

That's the nature of coaching LeBron James.
Well I mean he had the chance to prove his prowess when Lebron sat for 10 games. :confusedshrug: Book is still out on him. we shall see.

Also, coaches dont somehow get a pass if players dont listen to them. That's a problem with the coaching as you hire someone the players will listen to.
Lebron and Kyrie arent replaceable. Blatt is.

[navy]

^^^Case in point.
Has he ever made a post where he wasnt trolling?

[RedBlackAttack]

Lebron's coaches don't really deserve any credit tbh. Spo has been exposed big time this season, and Mike Brown hasn't been able to keep a job for more than a season since he lost Lebron. :confusedshrug:
Except, you don't judge a coach in retrospect. Certain coaches and certain teams fit together and others do not. Saying, "That coach sucked during his time in Cleveland because he later didn't win in LA," whiffs on the whole concept of "team."

Mike Brown did about as well with those Cavs teams as any coach in the league could have. They led the league or were at the very top in defense and rebounding every season he coached there. LeBron took a massive leap in defensive prowess from Silas to Brown and that was no coincidence.

That was the right fit for Brown. They ran into bad matchups in the playoffs and they were out-talented at times, but Brown was winning 60+ games a season with teams that probably shouldn't have been winning 60+ games. What happened later with LA and Cleveland are completely beside the point... totally different teams under totally different circumstances.

[bisk]

People finally came around on Spoelstra being a pretty decent coach with the often undersized line-up he had to put out there.

A decent to good coach knows how to tinker with his line-up to get the absolute best out of it and make smart in-game decisions to try and steal a game here and there. Blatt has barely done any of that so far, but I firmly believe you should give a coach in this kind of situation at least a season.

[RedBlackAttack]

Well I mean he had the chance to prove his prowess when Lebron sat for 10 games. :confusedshrug: Book is still out on him. we shall see.

Also, coaches dont somehow get a pass if players dont listen to them. That's a problem with the coaching as you hire someone the players will listen to.
Lebron and Kyrie arent replaceable. Blatt is.
That's silly. The Cavs were headed toward a spiral before James decided to sit out. Do you remember the Detroit game that LeBron played and Kyrie didn't just before James decided to take a couple weeks off? It was arguably their most pathetic performance of the season.

They were 1-2 against bad competition in the three games BEFORE James sat out. Saying the jury is still out is fine... but I've seen this movie before and I feel like I know how it will go down.

Blatt will stay in the background and get little or no praise if they continue to play well. He'll be ground into dust if they don't.

[JT123]

I also think people overestimate the amount of control these coaches have over a team once they've taken the floor. You occasionally see Blatt's creativity after timeouts when they actually run his sets, but often it is just LeBron being LeBron or Kyrie being Kyrie.
If this is the case then why is everyone always criticizing Scott Brooks? According to your logic Brooks could be a genius drawing up great offensive plays, but Durant and Westbrook just refuse to run them. :rolleyes:

[RedBlackAttack]

If this is the case then why is everyone always criticizing Scott Brooks? According to your logic Brooks could be a genius drawing up great offensive plays, but Durant and Westbrook just refuse to run them. :rolleyes:
Yeah, that's probably correct. I seriously doubt Russell Westbrook of all people is out there constantly thinking about what Brooks told him before the game. The guy plays at 1,000 miles per hour for 40 minutes a night. I could see him being pretty much impossible to coach. Seems like the kind of guy you just give the ball and hope for the best.

[hawksdogsbraves]

He's got the Cavs playing really well right now, but I'll withold any further judgement until the playoffs.

[navy]

That's silly. The Cavs were headed toward a spiral before James decided to sit out. Do you remember the Detroit game that LeBron played and Kyrie didn't just before he decided to take a couple weeks off? It was arguably their most pathetic performance of the season.

Theyy were 1-2 against bad competition in the three games BEFORE James sat out. Saying the jury is still out is fine... but I've seen this movie before and I feel like I know how it will go down.

Blatt will stay in the background and get little or no praise if they continue to play well. He'll be ground into dust if they don't.
It's not about winning games, it's about what the team was doing. You say the Cavs where headed into a spiral even before Lebron sat out, then what does that tell you? When Lebron was finally out, can you honestly say Blatt was doing a particularly good job at that time? That was some bad basketball.

Blatt will get praise if he shows tangible coaching decisions. Like to the point that the Cavs wont fear their star players sitting out in regular season games. Like I said, he has time to prove his worth.

[tamaraw08]

Lebron's coaches don't really deserve any credit tbh. Spo has been exposed big time this season, and Mike Brown hasn't been able to keep a job for more than a season since he lost Lebron. :confusedshrug:

If fans are very vocal in putting all the blame on the coach if they struggle, then the same fans should also give credit to the same coach once they start being successful.
I don't think Spoelstra should be crucified this season esp if your best player is only good to play 50% of the season. Wade would play 14 games then will sit the next 10+ games. BTW, Did you know, before Lebron came to Miami, the Heat was a pretty decent team esp defensively, where they ranked top 5?
Im telling you right now, I can't see Kerr coaching the current Heat with the respectable record with all the injuries they have.

[RedBlackAttack]

It's not about winning games, it's about what the team was doing. You say the Cavs where headed into a spiral even before Lebron sat out, then what does that tell you? When Lebron was finally out, can you honestly say Blatt was doing a particularly good job at that time? That was some bad basketball.

Blatt will get praise if he shows tangible coaching decisions. Like to the point that the Cavs wont fear their star players sitting out in regular season games. Like I said, he has time to prove his worth.
It told me that the roster wasn't close to being completed. During that span of games, our frontcourt consisted of Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. That was literally all they had and Love even sat out a couple games. Alex Kirk was getting serious minutes out there for god's sake.

And, not only was James out, but his backup (Marion) also sat for several of those games. It was a total makeshift lineup... being held together with thread and spit. You had guys like Delly, Joe Harris, James Jones and Mike Miller playing a ludicrous number of minutes. Delly was playing, like, 35 minutes a night.

So, no... I don't blame Blatt for what happened during that 10-game span or whatever it was. I don't blame anyone. The roster was still incomplete at that stage. We had no center on the team. The closest thing was a 6-8 Tristan Thompson.

What you're seeing now? This is a legitimate lineup. Nothing makeshift about it. And, it is showing.

[Lebronxrings]

If this is the case then why is everyone always criticizing Scott Brooks? According to your logic Brooks could be a genius drawing up great offensive plays, but Durant and Westbrook just refuse to run them. :rolleyes:
i don't believe sam presti is a stupid man. There is obviously some reason why hes kept scott brooks as the coach all these years where even guys like george karl, lionel hollins and JVG couldn't even find jobs before.

[navy]

If fans are very vocal in putting all the blame on the coach if they struggle, then the same fans should also give credit to the same coach once they start being successful.
I don't think Spoelstra should be crucified this season esp if your best player is only good to play 50% of the season. Wade would play 14 games then will sit the next 10+ games. BTW, Did you know, before Lebron came to Miami, the Heat was a pretty decent team esp defensively, where they ranked top 5?
Nah, I stood up for Spolestra for 2012-2013 because he was showing real coaching prowess that he didnt show before that. In 2011 he was useless and before that he had terrible teams so there was nothing to say either way. However he's been way too stubborn since that second title. Failed to make adjustments in 2014 and now that Lebron and Wade arent there to hide his flaws the team is terrible. Worst second half team in the league means that at halftime he's not doing his job.

I think his time is up. Unless the Heat are lowkey tanking.

[tamaraw08]

Nah, I stood up for Spolestra for 2012-2013 because he was showing real coaching prowess that he didnt show before that. In 2011 he was useless and before that he had terrible teams so there was nothing to say either way. However he's been way too stubborn since that second title. Failed to make adjustments in 2014 and now that Lebron and Wade arent there to hide his flaws the team is terrible. Worst second half team in the league means that at halftime he's not doing his job.

I think his time is up. Unless the Heat are lowkey tanking.
Before that, you mean the pre Lebron and preBosh years where Miami won 48 games, 2nd in pts allowed and 6th best in defensive rating?:confusedshrug:
This season, Wade has missed 17 of 50 games, of some of the games they lost with him, Hassan Whiteside hasn't played and McBobs was barely giving anything. Napier and his 5pts/game, I mean how many teams exactly have been doing great this season with no prolific PG.:(
His time is up? who can do better with this situation? well aside from Pops,Thibs and Carlisle?:confusedshrug:
Im not saying he is elite, but come on man.

[navy]

Before that, you mean the pre Lebron and preBosh years where Miami won 48 games, 2nd in pts allowed and 6th best in defensive rating?:confusedshrug:
This season, Wade has missed 17 of 50 games, of some of the games they lost with him, Hassan Whiteside hasn't played and McBobs was barely giving anything. Napier and his 5pts/game, I mean how many teams exactly have been doing great this season with no prolific PG.:(
His time is up? who can do better with this situation? well aside from Pops,Thibs and Carlisle?:confusedshrug:
Im not saying he is elite, but come on man.
I mean the Heat are like last in defense this year? :confusedshrug:
I think alot of people to be honest. It just doesnt feel like he's getting through anymore. Let me ask you this, what exactly does Spolestra do well these days?