Cavs interested in making David Blatt their next head coach?

Jason Lloyd confirmed that Blatt is going to meet with the Cavs officially sometime next week. If he really wants a headcoaching job I'm suspecting he'll be the choice or he'll want to coach since all the other places he could go are assistant jobs.

It's just Amico, but who cares?
[QUOTE]
Sam Amico @SamAmicoFSO
Source familiar with coaching search defines Cavs and David Blatt talks as "heating up."[/QUOTE]

Make it happen.

[QUOTE=Uncle Drew]It's just Amico, but who cares?


Make it happen.[/QUOTE]
WEll it's pretty obvious they're heating up. Amico doesn't need to report that. The Cavs and Blatt haven't officially even met yet, they are going to meet sometime next week formally.

Just some updates on the Blatt situation from the Cavs camp. Officially Blatt will either be the Golden State assistant coach, or he's going to be the Cavs head coach. There's no other jobs on the table. The Cavs recently interviewed Mark Price recently and if Blatt signs on, Mark Price would probably be on the coaching staff as well as an assistant. Also it's stated if Blatt interviews well and the Cavs like what they see, they will offer him the position and if the rumors are true, Blatt prefers having a head coaching position over an assistant position.

Interview is sometime next week, I suspect we might have a new head coach next week.

I'm not sure on Blatt, I know he did some great things over in Europe and won the cup over there, but I'm not sure how the players will react to him. On one hand I think someone needs to come in and say "This is what needs to be done." Sort of a Coach Pop situation. On the other hand the players might totally turned off to that.

[QUOTE=RedBlackAttack]Here are the most recent tweets regarding Blatt...

David Pick
@IAmDPick
Spoke to David Blatt. Said he interviewed for Cavaliers head coach job via phone. Will talk with GM David Griffin again soon.

Adrian Wojnarowski
@WojYahooNBA
Warriors want Blatt for Kerr's staff, but uncertain how much longer they'll wait for Blatt to let head coaching process play out w/ Cavs.

Allon Sinai
@AllonSinai
Blatt says recent reports have been more or less accurate and that his decision regarding his destination will be made very shortly.

Steve Kyler
@stevekylerNBA
Hearing Cavs coaching process down to three guys -- Ty Lue, Alvin Gentry and David Blatt -- ownership will chime in on final hire.

@cavspdinsider
#Cavs will interview David Blatt next week, source says. Source also confirms Yahoo report of Tyronn Lue second interview Friday, and Gentry


It sounds like he is waiting for the Cavs to make him an offer before he commits. :applause:[/QUOTE]
Hopefully Cavs do the right thing and hire him.Not sure why they would hire any of the others over him to be honest.

I'm cautiously optimistic that the Cavs are leaning toward Blatt... and I think the way the Finals have played out may have helped his cause. They've shown that the NBA isn't all about talent, but maximizing your talent with an Xs and Os guy on the bench.

There is no better offensive mind available for the Cavs than Blatt.

Fact is, they could have hired Lue or Gentry by now. They're waiting for a reason and I don't think Blatt will disappoint in his interview this week. I'm hoping they sign him right on the spot.

It would be a nice, out of the box hire. I hope they do it. I like that NBA teams are hiring out of the box guys more (Quin Snyder, Joerger, Fisher, Kidd, etc.) and not just regurgitating the same old coaches anymore

I would imagine the language barrier would be an issue. I know most europeans coaches can talk english, but they still have horrible accents. Can't see irving respecting someone like that.

He's definitely a good coach, and by NBA standards, he would probably be very good.

[B]But he is being MASSIVELY overrated by US sports media.[/B] "One of the two best coaches in Europe"....

:lol :oldlol: :roll:

:facepalm :rolleyes:

:biggums:


My god, these Marc Stein articles are absolutely ludicrous. This guy is the biggest hack sports writer in the whole world.

The articles last year about Gal Mekel, and now this bullshit about Blatt and Messina - this guy is absolutely HORRIBLE.

[QUOTE=franchise#3]I would imagine the language barrier would be an issue. I know most europeans coaches can talk english, but they still have horrible accents. Can't see irving respecting someone like that.[/QUOTE]
You do realize that David Blatt is a Boston native right? There is no language barrier.

David Blatt team speech: [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBVH707GzGY[/url]

[QUOTE=franchise#3]I would imagine the language barrier would be an issue. I know most europeans coaches can talk english, but they still have horrible accents. Can't see irving respecting someone like that.[/QUOTE]

David Blatt is not European. He's American. If I remember right, he is from Boston, or somewhere like that.

Your comment is dumb as hell.

[QUOTE=Euroleague]David Blatt is not European. He's American. If I remember right, he is from Boston, or somewhere like that.

Your comment is dumb as hell.[/QUOTE]

yo euroleague, trolling aside, i know youre one of few knowledgeable poster in this site

who's the best coach right now? is that pop?

who's the best euroleague coach right now?

and whos the best euroleague coach right now who is available for cavs?

[QUOTE=irondarts]It would be a nice, out of the box hire. I hope they do it. I like that NBA teams are hiring out of the box guys more (Quin Snyder, Joerger, Fisher, Kidd, etc.) and not just regurgitating the same old coaches anymore[/QUOTE]


I'd like to think that in this scenario we are thinking "out of the box hire" as in the box is a talent pool that is currently unexplored or familiarzied by the majority of the league.

I wouldn't consider Quin Snyder, Joerger, Fisher, Kidd, as "out of the box hire" because they've been in the NBA.

But then, I guess the other way of thinking "out of the box" would be to get someone to coach for your team, who had previously insisted that they wouldn't coach or have "retired".

I don't know how much people here know about him but he isn't that strict of a coach. In fact he is a very relaxed person who has friendly relationship with his players and the media.

From what I heard his practices are very short and easy so in short the way NBA players are used to.

His teams don't always play good as espected during the season but when playoff comes they start playing much better which is the case with many great coaches.
He isn't that good of a tactical coach in my oppinion but the thing he is great at is feel for the game. He just knows when to call a time out, play small ball, make a subbstitution, change defense.

I think Clevland is very good fit for him because his game is almost always centered around a slashing pg and Irving is perfect for that role.

[QUOTE=Euroleague]He's definitely a good coach, and by NBA standards, he would probably be very good.

[B]But he is being MASSIVELY overrated by US sports media.[/B] "One of the two best coaches in Europe"....

:lol :oldlol: :roll:

:facepalm :rolleyes:

:biggums:


My god, these Marc Stein articles are absolutely ludicrous. This guy is the biggest hack sports writer in the whole world.

The articles last year about Gal Mekel, and now this bullshit about Blatt and Messina - this guy is absolutely HORRIBLE.[/QUOTE]


If I gave you the opportunity to write. Would you like a clean sheet of paper, or a paper that has been rolled up and tossed away.

Everyone is an artist to their own right, and everyone likes to paint a picture differently.

My bad guys.

[QUOTE=franchise#3]My bad guys.[/QUOTE]
:cheers:

[QUOTE=Fiba basketball]I don't know how much people here know about him but he isn't that strict of a coach. In fact he is a very relaxed person who has friendly relationship with his players and the media.

From what I heard his practices are very short and easy so in short the way NBA players are used to.

His teams don't always play good as espected during the season but when playoff comes they start playing much better which is the case with many great coaches.
He isn't that good of a tactical coach in my oppinion but the thing he is great at is feel for the game. He just knows when to call a time out, play small ball, make a subbstitution, change defense.

I think Clevland is very good fit for him because his game is almost always centered around a slashing pg and Irving is perfect for that role.[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure about that but I'll check. My friend plays for him on Maccabi. I'm gonna email him and see what he says.

[QUOTE=chocolatethunder]I'm not sure about that but I'll check. My friend plays for him on Maccabi. I'm gonna email him and see what he says.[/QUOTE]

About what ? The practice part ?

I read that in a column of best basketball reporter in ex Yugoslavia and he got that from players that played for Baltt ( One even said he never practiced less than during his time in Maccabi )

[QUOTE=Fiba basketball]About what ? The practice part ?

I read that in a column of best basketball reporter in ex Yugoslavia and he got that from players that played for Baltt ( One even said he never practiced less than during the his time in Maccabi )[/QUOTE]
haha yeah sorry I was in a rush. Yes about how he runs practice and that stuff.

Seems like a nice fit for Cleveland, but they have to be patient if it doesn't start well.

Reports are that Blatt will meet with the Cave this Wednesday.

[QUOTE=Meticode]Reports are that Blatt will meet with the Cave this Wednesday.[/QUOTE]
Here's the Woj article released today...

[QUOTE]The Cleveland Cavaliers plan to interview David Blatt for their head coaching job on Wednesday in Cleveland, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

One of the most successful European coaches of this era, Blatt resigned from his job as the championship coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv to pursue his longtime goal of coaching in the NBA.

Unless the Cavaliers move quickly to hire Blatt upon meeting him, there's a strong belief within the Golden State Warriors and some close to Blatt that he'll accept a job as Steve Kerr's top assistant. Kerr seems willing to give Blatt the opportunity to push his process with Cleveland into mid-week, but it's doubtful that Kerr will go much longer than that without pushing Blatt for a commitment, sources said.

Nevertheless, Blatt will fly to the United States to meet with Cavaliers officials about the job. Cleveland has narrowed its known field to three candidates, including Los Angeles Clippers assistant coaches Alvin Gentry and Tyronn Lue, but owner Dan Gilbert has continued to pursue high-profile college candidates in a far less public, far more clandestine process, sources said.

Blatt, 55, was born and raised in the United States, playing his college basketball for Pete Carill at Princeton before embarking on a hugely successful head coaching career overseas.

Blatt coached an undermanned Macabbi Tel Aviv to a dramatic upset victory over Real Madrid in the Euroleague championships. Blatt has had tremendous success across two decades overseas, winning the 2007 Eurobasket championship with Russia and a bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics.[/QUOTE]

[url]http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--david-blatt-will-interview-with-cavs-on-wednesday-200546634.html[/url]


It doesn't sound like the Cavs will have much time to weigh their options following the meeting. I'm hoping they offer him the job on the spot. If they let him walk out the door, he's probably going to end up in Golden State.

On paper, this looks like a perfect fit. Blatt's offense is all about slashing guards putting pressure on a defense and getting them in scramble mode. We have arguably the best young tandem of slashing guards in the league. I would also expect Karasev to explode in his system.

Defensively, his teams are aggressive, relying on 7-footers to protect the rim if it breaks down.

Kyrie/Embiid/Waiters/Bennett/Thompson/Karasev + Blatt = :applause:

Bumping this thread since it's buried after the Finals conclusion. The meeting is supposedly today, I hope to hear good news. I'd like them to get a head coach hired before the draft.

[QUOTE=Meticode]Bumping this thread since it's buried after the Finals conclusion. The meeting is supposedly today, I hope to hear good news. I'd like them to get a head coach hired before the draft.[/QUOTE]


i thought the meeting was tomorrow. I know they have wiggins coming in tomorrow as well.

[QUOTE=DukeDelonte13]i thought the meeting was tomorrow. I know they have wiggins coming in tomorrow as well.[/QUOTE]
I got my days mixed up, you're correct. In any case bump anyway. :oldlol: It's been a hard last week.

Any news on this? I saw Lloyd post an article about the meeting supposedly taking place today, but no details on what's happened. Nothing coming out from Cavs about Wiggins workout either. Maybe not until tomorrow?

Doesn't sound especially promising for Blatt...

:(

I wouldn't totally scrap the idea despite those tweets. I get the feeling that he wants the Cavs to make a decision ASAP. That GSW job isn't going to stay open for him indefinitely. His livelihood is on the line, here.

With that perspective, it would make sense for his people to put out there that he's leaning toward GS, who has made it clear they want him as an assistant if he wants the job. By doing that, he is sending a message that the Cavs need to make a decision promptly.

There are also rumors swirling about a "mystery" coach now in the running for the Cavs job. Most are assuming it is one of the college guys, although they have floated out David Fizdale's name recenlty (Miami assistant).

Personally, I wish they'd just hire Blatt tomorrow. If they don't choose him by the end of the week, I'd assume he's out of the running and will likely take the GSW job.

[QUOTE=RedBlackAttack]I wouldn't totally scrap the idea despite those tweets. I get the feeling that he wants the Cavs to make a decision ASAP. That GSW job isn't going to stay open for him indefinitely. His livelihood is on the line, here.

With that perspective, it would make sense for his people to put out there that he's leaning toward GS, who has made it clear they want him as an assistant if he wants the job. By doing that, he is sending a message that the Cavs need to make a decision promptly.

There are also rumors swirling about a "mystery" coach now in the running for the Cavs job. Most are assuming it is one of the college guys, although they have floated out David Fizdale's name recenlty (Miami assistant).

Personally, I wish they'd just hire Blatt tomorrow. If they don't choose him by the end of the week, I'd assume he's out of the running and will likely take the GSW job.[/QUOTE]
Who's your next pick after Blatt? I want them to hire him as well, just as an outside the box type of deal.

[QUOTE=Meticode]Who's your next pick after Blatt? I want them to hire him as well, just as an outside the box type of deal.[/QUOTE]
Well, if we're to believe the three finalists are Blatt, Lue and Gentry, I'd rather have Lue over Gentry.

But, if we're including potential college coaches as the "mystery" candidates? I'm still hoping Billy Donovan is in the picture.

I'd rate them 1. Blatt, 2. Donovan, 3. Lue, 4. Gentry.

This Amico article just went up and, like I've been telling you guys, while I have little respect for him as a journalist, he's being fed information directly from the Cavs. He is basically what Windy and Lloyd used to be in terms of access.

[QUOTE][B][SIZE="4"]Cavs Report: Wiggins impresses; coaching decision may be near [/SIZE][/B]

Some news and notes about the Cavaliers as we move closer to the NBA Draft, free agency, and perhaps a coaching hire:

-- Andrew Wiggins worked out for the Cavs on Wednesday, and sources said the Kansas swingman looked very good. That's not necessarily a surprise. Like KU center Joel Embiid and Duke forward Jabari Parker, there's a reason Wiggins is under consideration for the No. 1 overall pick.

-- Embiid worked out for the Cavs last week. Parker is in on Friday. The top overall pick remains wide open.

-- Despite the multiple reports, the 76ers have not made a concrete offer for the first pick. The Cavs, however, believe that will change between now and next Thursday.

-- Staying with the draft, the Cavs are exploring the idea of using their second-round pick (No. 33) as part of a package and moving up to nab another pick in the first round. Teams in the late first have been receptive to such a potential deal, sources said.
[B]
-- The Cavs interviewed David Blatt for the head-coaching position Wednesday. It was their first face-to-face talk with the former Maccabi Tel Aviv coach. According to sources, the interview went well. It's quite possible the Cavs will hire a new coach this weekend.

-- That said, the Cavs may still talk to Heat assistant David Fizdale before making a final call on the coach. Fizdale said he has not yet been contacted by the Cavs.[/B]

-- On the free-agent and trade front, the Cavs had previously ruled out a possible deal for Timberwolves star Kevin Love. They are, however, again considering making a run at him. Again, a lot would come down to Love's willingness to remain in Cleveland beyond next season.

-- Heat star LeBron James, who can opt out of his contract, is well aware of the Cavs' interest. James has not made any decisions and has not yet gotten into deep discussions with his people.

-- Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, of course, can also opt out of their Heat contracts. It is believed at least Wade is likely to opt in. Either way, sources close to the situation believe the decisions of Wade and Bosh will not have an impact on what James decides.

-- Perhaps playing a bigger role will be James' wife, Savannah. Sources said Miami is not on the top of her wish list when it comes to places to live. San Diego and her hometown of Akron are said to be higher. Savannah does not want to live in New York, sources said.

-- James has heard the "Come Home LeBron" campaign from factions of Cavs fans, but it is believed no one could pull him back like the students of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, his alma mater. As silly as it may sound, sources said if St. V supporters and kids started asking him to return, it would weigh on him heavily. "That school and those kids get to him," a source said.

-- In other coaching news, sources around the league believe former Cavs coach Byron Scott has emerged as the frontrunner for the Lakers' coaching job.[/QUOTE]

[url]http://msn.foxsports.com/ohio/story/cavs-report-wiggins-impresses-in-workout-coaching-decision-may-be-near-061814[/url]


If they do make a decision this weekend, I'd say it is very likely Blatt is the choice. If we go through Sunday and there is still no announcement, I'll assume he's not. This is encouraging news for the pro-Blatt camp, however.

Remember how the Mavs lost Deron Williams to the Nets?

[QUOTE=GimmeThat]Remember how the Mavs lost Deron Williams to the Nets?[/QUOTE]
What's your point?

[QUOTE=GimmeThat]Remember how the Mavs lost Deron Williams to the Nets?[/QUOTE]
... ?

Hope Blatt is their man.

Let me just say that if the Cavs choose the less experienced coach whether it be T. Lue or Alvin Gentry.. I will be pissed.

From what ive been hearing David Blatt is a great coach, but sometimes Cleveland's front office decisions canbe questionabLe.

[QUOTE=VIntageNOvel]yo euroleague, trolling aside, i know youre one of few knowledgeable poster in this site

who's the best coach right now? is that pop?

who's the best euroleague coach right now?

and whos the best euroleague coach right now who is available for cavs?[/QUOTE]

Best NBA coach is probably Popovich. He's very overrated though. Every single US sports writer and analyst takes that to "best coach in the world", which is just ridiculous.

Best coach in Euroleague for me would be Dusan Ivkovic.

Best Euroleague coach that is available right now? Hard to say. I mean, I'm not sure about availability issues.

The only reason Blatt and Messina are getting all this hype in US sports media is because CLEAR AS HELL they want to coach in the NBA, so they are doing everything they can to get to that point.

And so they are obviously just having their agents load the hell out of US media with this endless hype and bullshit, and pushing themselves like crazy and trying at every possible chance to push their names and go for every job.

I think Zeljko Obradovic is pretty damn aggressive in it also, because the last couple of years, he's been doing the same stuff.

All this "best coaches in Europe" bullshit just translates to, "guys with agencies that are paying us the most money to write fluff pieces".

The same as all the "Rubio is the next Maravich or Nash" articles, "Mirotic is the next Dirk", etc. crap that the same exact people have said similar such bullshit.

You know they are TOTALLY FULL OF SHIT, because for example, these ESPN articles have now called both Blatt and Messina, "offensive innovators" and said that they are coaches that are primarily known for the offense.

[B]That's absolutely laughable, since they are almost 100% defense only coaches.[/B]

I'm not saying Blatt is a bad coach, he's a good coach and everything, but these articles and the stuff being said is just comical. It's almost like an intentional setup or something.

Like the NBA wants to bring some "elite Euroleague coaches" in and have them bust and fire them, and use it as more NBA gimmick marketing or something about best in the world, blah, blah, blah.

No one could possibly think Blatt or Messina are offensive innovators. They are purely nothing but defense coaches.

So already we see from NBA only fans tons of stuff about Blatt being said in NBA sites that is complete imaginary made up bullshit.

[QUOTE=Fiba basketball]I don't know how much people here know about him but he isn't that strict of a coach. In fact he is a very relaxed person who has friendly relationship with his players and the media.

From what I heard his practices are very short and easy so in short the way NBA players are used to.

His teams don't always play good as espected during the season but when playoff comes they start playing much better which is the case with many great coaches.
He isn't that good of a tactical coach in my oppinion but the thing he is great at is feel for the game. He just knows when to call a time out, play small ball, make a subbstitution, change defense.

[B]I think Clevland is very good fit for him because his game is almost always centered around a slashing pg and Irving is perfect for that role.[/B][/QUOTE]

You have to remember though that Blatt's whole coaching is on defense and stopping penetration and having guards that defend.

None of that happens in the NBA, where with the rules and refs, and just style of the game there is almost zero defense. Even these days in the NBA finals there is basically zero defense for the most part.

So basically every single thing Blatt does or knows as a coach is complete useless and gone from his style and system in the NBA. Which is totally defense based, despite what clowns at ESPN are claiming in saying he's an offensive guru.

So none of anything that teams like Russia or Maccabi did is going to work in an NBA team. It's simply impossible to do that in the NBA.

The closest thing to it would be the Bulls with Thibodeau, which would be his most similar coaching comparison, but the Cavs do not have the players like that for such a style, and someone like Irving is a horrific defender, even by NBA point guard standards.

And even then, what the Bulls do, only works to a certain point because of the NBA rules. Every year they eventually can't go past a certain point because playing as a defense first team isn't going to work in the NBA, which is fully an offense based league.

So the style he has is not what works in the NBA, and the players he has won't even work for his style, if he does coach the Cavs.

So you could not make any correlation to Maccabi, nor anything like that, which is what everyone is trying to do.