Last Friday, the Cleveland Cavaliers made the shocking decision to fire head coach David Blatt. What makes the move especially surprising is that the Cavs had just won both games of a back-to-back against the Nets in Brooklyn and at home against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Cavs were a team that lasted six games against the 67-win Warriors in the NBA Finals last year. They were first in the Eastern Conference with a 30-11 record. And yet, they still chose to replace their coach.
The Cavaliers recovered nicely from their blowout loss to the Warriors the Monday before, and were coming off of a big win against the Clippers. It was a strange time to fire their coach, as it was in the middle of the season, and they were playing so well. It certainly wasn't an urgent move, as the Cavs were the favorites to win the East.
The firing of Blatt was more about the Cavaliers not getting as far as was expected of them. But a head coach shouldn't be fired after his team makes the finals. It also wasn't Blatt's fault that the Cavs couldn't make it past the Warriors. Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were both injured, so the Cavs were playing at a disadvantage. They still played hard despite the odds being stacked against them. This season, without any other big challengers in the East, they might be the most likely team in the NBA to advance to the finals. While they might not be able win a series against the Warriors or Spurs right now, there is still time to make a roster move.
Maybe David Blatt wasn't the perfect coach for the Cavs. He wasn't getting along well with his players, including LeBron James. But continuity is very important in sports, and if Blatt was given more time, he could have developed a better relationship with his team and figured out how to best use his roster. Now, his replacement Tyronn Lue only has a few months to prepare for the playoffs. Without the whole summer to figure out a gameplan, the Cavs might not be able to adjust in time.
The Cavaliers didn't figure out how to get Love involved in the offense, which they will have to do because of his poor defense. There are many players that can stand outside the three point line most of the time, but Love is not one of them. His post-up and rebounding skills are not being utilized like they should be. He is not getting the opportunity to be a star player.
LeBron might already be starting to decline. He isn't playing defense at a high level anymore, and his jump shot has been worse this season. His playing ability likely won't drop off suddenly, but he won't be able to improve much after this season. The Cavs need to improve on their depth, possibly adding more defense and shooting. Unless they make a couple trades, it is unlikely that they will be able to match the Spurs or Warriors. But it would be tough to make a big move, especially after just making a coaching change.
Maybe Tyronn Lue turns out to be a great coach and figures out how to work with his players. Or maybe the Cavaliers make the necessary roster moves to match or surpass Golden State and San Antonio. But the way things are going, Cleveland won't win the NBA Championship.
Where Should David Blatt Go Next?
David Blatt was hired a few weeks before LeBron James announced he would be returning to Cleveland. He became the unfortunate victim of a win-now situation, where "good enough" wasn't good enough. But Blatt wasn't originally hired to take the Cavaliers to the top. He was supposed to coach a young team and take them to the playoffs as lower seed. Which is what he needs to do for his second coaching job, where he won't have as much pressure to succeed immediately.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are a great fit for Blatt. He'll be able to earn the respect of the league there and perhaps get another chance at the postseason. Right now, they are in need of someone like Blatt to take over for interim head coach Sam Mitchell, who the Timberwolves are not happy with. The Wolves have a solid young core which has a lot potential. The biggest piece missing is a coach who can take them to the next level. David Blatt could be that coach.
All-Star Reserves
Yesterday, the 2016 All-Star reserves were revealed. The selections were mostly pretty good, but with some notable exclusions. I think Damian Lillard should have made it over James Harden. Harden is a great scorer, but he turns the ball over too much, and he doesn't play defense. His Rockets have disappointed, while Lillard's Trail Blazers have performed better than expected after losing four starters and their sixth man. The other selection I disagree with is Chris Bosh instead of Kevin Love. Bosh is a better defender, but Love is on a better team that deserves to be represented in the All-Star Game besides just LeBron James.
I'm also very happy that Isaiah Thomas became an All-Star for the first time. He is finally on a winning team in his first full season in Boston. He's a player that at just 5'9" is proving that skill matters more than size. He's someone that normal-sized people can look up to, and an inspiration to many, beating the odds after being drafted just 60th overall in 2011.
Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts? Feel free to post a comment.
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