The Case for Kibitz
2016-01-23
https://soundcloud.com/ctb-5/podcast82-davidfiresdavid
Editor’s Note: The dismissal of David Blatt struck the sports world like a 8.0 on the Richter scale, and the reverberations and aftershocks will be felt on Cavs:TheBlog in the coming days. Above you will find an emergency Cavs:ThePod with instant reactions from Nate Smith, Tom Pestak, and Cory Hughey on the situation. Below is an article on Blatt that Cory named months ago, and is surprisingly fitting with yesterday’s news. Â
When news broke in June of 2014 that David Blatt was in the running for the Cavs head coaching job, maniacal fans went to Google and Youtube to break down what Blatt could bring to the table. The more I read, the more I liked him as a possibility, not just because of what he had accomplished in his diverse coaching career, but also, because of what he wasn’t. Blatt wasn’t another retread coach with numerous NBA playoff failures on his resume. He wasn’t a member of the old boys club that permeates American sports where executives play their own brand of buddy ball securing their pals gigs. He achieved success everywhere he had been, and didn’t pigeonhole himself to any specific scheme to feed his own narcissism. He got players to overachieve as a whole and play better as a unit than the sum of their individual parts led you to expect. There are multiple faces to David Blatt, and I don’t think we ever got a chance to witness his genuine self, where he could coach the team in his own vision.
Before the 2014-15 campaign, we ran a 5 on 5 previewing our expectations for the seminal season in which the Cavs were to transform from a rebuild with no exit strategy to a team with “Championship or Bust” on the letterhead. Nate, Tom, David, Ben, and I eagerly anticipated a free flowing offense with a ballet of off-ball movement that would make the Cavs appear to be a cross blend of the Spurs’ pulverizing-perfection offense with a talent level the Heat had showcased in the previous two NBA Finals. We expected both Love and LeBron to take turns operating out of the post and perimeter, and to run pick-your-poison pick and pops with weak side wings flaring into shooting position for uncontested threes in the holes that the stars opened for them. The possibilities of what LeBron, Love, and Kyrie could achieve in Blatt’s offense with their passing ability and three point range seemed limitless at the time.
That summer of 2014 provided an ever-flowing dopamine drip along the lines of a Schedule I Drug, and we were so high on our own imaginations that we couldn’t see the potential for abuse until months later. Anderson Varejao was given a contract extension that almost immediately looked terrible with his rough fit with Love in the front court. Dion and Kyrie were still playing a childish game of “it’s mine” with the ball. The worst part was that bad LeBron surfaced so soon after the honeymoon. He hijacked the offense like he hijacked the summer and largely ignored Blatt. Words are a funny thing. We revere them as a milestone on our own evolutionary progress as a species, and we pick them apart to find their perfect employment. In reality, they are simply our failed attempt at conveying emotion. You can throw #Ipromise at the end of a tweet, and even drop a line in a blockbuster film about how you see Cleveland’s face in the clouds, but if your actions don’t match the words, it’s all  just foreplay, and you were really just looking up to see your own reflection in the pillows of precipitation.
As a self-admitted Blatt guy, and sometimes apologist, I genuinely felt sad at the news of his dismissal. Those visions of a future that I believed would come true hit me like a relationship that had come to an end. All of the promise and time I invested into what it could have been was really just fleeting moments of my youth that I wasted. I could have learned Spanish, or how to play the piano instead, but instead I day dreamed about a basketball team. The future that played out in my brain so many times was rewritten in a instant.
So why was Blatt fired, and why didn’t his tenure with the Cavs work? A few hours after General Manager David Griffin’s press conference, Adrian Wojnarowski provided the blood stained glove that snugly fits LeBron James’ massive hand, which has controlled the puppet strings to the Cavaliers franchise since the moment Dan Gilbert’s private jet touched down in Dade County on July 6th of 2014. Woj begins that Blatt never had a chance from the rip. That LeBron’s dismissive attitude towards Blatt had trickled down and spread to the rest of the roster. While Tyronn Lue wasn’t Klutch Sports first choice to be the hand of the king, he was a compromise they would get.
As much as LeBron vows his reverence for Tim Duncan, and his fascination with the Warriors, it means nothing with his personal dismissal of David Blatt from day one. Blatt was the perfect coach to turn the Cavs into a monster, and LeBron made a conscious decision to put himself ahead of the team, or any of the PR lip service he has spewed since returning. The fear I have for the franchise going forward are thus. The reasons Duncan is Duncan and the Warriors are so feared is because they’ve bought in completely, checked their egos at the door, and sacrificed entirely for the good of the tribe, and that LeBron James’ fatal flaw is that he’s incapable of that.
Which brings us to that funny yiddish word in the title. Like most words, kibitz has a different meaning to different people. To some, it’s jovial joking around that can boarder on being intrusive. To me it’s a gathering of people to share a piece of themselves informally, once they’ve let their guard down, and it allows them to experience the world together. That’s what I felt while I shared my life with my collection of misfit toys at The Kibitz Room. We all knew that we had been broken by society, but we fit in here, in this moment with one another because we understood one another’s journey, and because we had lived it in our own way. We survived a loop reel of rejection, and while we didn’t necessarily prosper, we grew personally from it together. We kibitzed and understood one another on a level that I’ve never experienced elsewhere, and probably never will again.
This article was conceived three months ago, and was going to tie in Blatt’s roots, his Jewish faith, some of my experiences at the Kibitz, and the seemingly growing camaraderie that seemed to be taking root on the Cavs bench. The players appeared to be the tallest group of cheerleaders on the planet as they’d root on zoo crew members during blow outs. In the end, Blatt was fired for a lack of kibitzing in the locker room. Was Blatt the root of that lack of fellowship, or did LeBron poison the well against Blatt?
Blatt’s firing certainly changes the narrative on the Cavs quest to end Cleveland’s half-century and counting title drought. If they don’t win a title during this incarnation of the team, his firing will be one of the primary plot fulcrums we’ll dissect on Cavs:TheBlog, along with Andy’s extension, the Wiggins’ trade, whatever goes wrong from April-June, and the Cleveland failure package will get a fresh cut.
The fact Tyronn Lue was already in house for this entire run is encouraging to me that this won’t be a Trainwreck in the coming months. The team knows him and vice versa. When Avery Johnson was fired by the Mavericks, his .735 winning percentage was the highest in NBA history at the time, and it was the right move. I looking forward to seeing Blatt on a team that is open to his leadership, and watching him succeed from afar because I believe in him. Hopefully for our sake as Cavs fans, Lue is the right man for this team, and this transition won’t be looked upon as yet another failure.
There’s a part of me that feels good for Blatt as a person, and that his termination in a way was merciful. There has to be some sense of liberation for him in all of this. He’s no longer the media monster’s punching bag and scapegoat. He doesn’t have to suppress himself and his talents to appease an ego fit for a king. He didn’t sign up for the media circus that fluffs LeBron around the clock as click bait spam for idiots. I get depressed when I don’t see my dog for two days. Blatt’s family has been 6,000 miles away the entire time, in the matchbox in a bag of dynamite that is Israel. Blatt was deflecting charged barbs that questioned his credentials to lead an NBA team. I’m happy he takes that flush retirement plan that only a former Cleveland coach can attain, which will provide for his family for generation.  He’s earned the right to spend some time kibitzing with his own tribe.
Finally got to listen to the Podcast and was really glad I did. Great stuff all around. Some reactions: Totally agree with Tom that Griffin’s press conference opener was amazing. He is a true artist of that form. I dub him The Human Mission Statement. Best of luck with upcoming changes to CtB — you guys are great and I wish you success. I wish there could be a CtB meet-up sometime. I would totally come in for it, assuming I could swing the schedule. Maybe we could do a kickstarter to get plane tickets for Cols as guest of… Read more »
Wait? What changes are coming to CtB??????????
Nuts, OK OK I’ll listen to the podcast. But I won’t live blog it, it’s too long. NExt short one though….
They didn’t say what the changes would be. Just that they were coming. Nothing earth shaking but maybe some new technology. Hopefully we won’t have to endure horrible walls of ads and a zillion moron commenters…
If they need to put ads up, I say go ahead. If something catches my eye, I’ll click it, if not I’ll ignore it. They gotta pay the bills somehow.
Blatt was in an impossible situation. He was expected to make Lebron happy at all costs so he would sign another year given his 1 year at a time contract but yet expected to hold him accountable without pushing too hard . Lue faces that exact same expectation . Does Lue get called to Griff’s office every time he corrects Lebron from this point forward?
I should say “Near impossible”
I don’t think it was impossible. I think he could have won over LeBron, somehow. There was a way, but he couldn’t see it. He couldn’t square his vision of himself as a coach and the person that could connect with LeBron James superstar. Oh well, it’s such a unique situation, how do you know how to make it work?
Locked in Podcast with Zach Lowe react to Blatt Firing https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-nba/id1076474471?mt=2&i=361170266
Not very long podcast only 20 minutes
One interesting tidbit: After Kyrie got hurt and would miss the rest of the Finals, some GSW people said, “This series just got harder for us.”
We’ll miss David Blatt’s Blattfaces: deadsp.in/4HB5mDq
I hated the crossed arms and indifferent Bryon Scott far worse. After game pressers will be much different. I expect flowers and roses for Lue even though he is a rookie coach.
Maybe the Tribe can build a Byron Scott “arms folded” statue next to Jim Thome?
Besides all the opining I could deploy, my only thought is this:
CAVS, please start playing world class two way team ball EVERY GAME–that shows us that this team could beat the improved Warriors or Spurs in June.
Consistent ferocity would fit the necessary bill.
Just finished listening to podcast. Great job!! I’m glad I listened because I feel I have some closure. I know , weird. Went through the 5 stages of grieving. I was shocked, couldn’t believe it, sad, angry and now acceptance to move on. I still hate how this was done . But it’s out of our control. I agreed on the Udog take too. It made more sense than what we heard that resembled babble at times in Grif’s presser. Many had the same reaction Barkley had on the prosperity , not galvanized enough after wins. Tom had some solid… Read more »
Now that you mention it, Blatt started Mo ahead of Delly at the start of the year. He should have been fired for that. You can argue if Mo is better than MDN, but he is no where near Delly.
Somebody yesterday pointed out the fact that Ty Lue is more of a defensive minded coach, and that even as a player his game had a lot more Delly qualities than Mo qualities… That said, Lue seems like a smart guy, and it doesn’t take a genius to see that Delly is the guy you want on the floor if you actually want to have a chance of preventing the other team from scoring… I think we’ll see Mo a bit more and the biggest change will be fewer DNP-CDs… And, I sincerely hope that it’s because Lue has a… Read more »
Well said Mo still has something to contribute in different game situations.
Totally agree… there are definitely situations that could benefit from having Mo’s ballhandling and shooting present… He showed early in the season that he still has a lot of ability in both areas…
Just ran into former #Cavs HC- David Blatt at The Q during Monsters game. Told me he’ll be fine & thanked me for my professionalism. — Kenny Roda
That was cool! I wish fans could buy him a beer!! I know I certainly would!! Last year was great joy!
Guys, I am a little late to the party today, but just wanted to say that was a terrific pod, and an excellent piece of writing by Cory. On one hand, David Blatt got way more than he ever bargained for, and instead of getting a young team with good building blocks that he could gradually mold into a winner, he got instant championship expectations thrust onto his plate with LBJ’s return. I still think he’ll make a good head coach in the NBA with a team like the one he thought he was getting. On the other hand, while… Read more »
Agree Nate! We needed that podcast because yeah we feel sad about it & confused as to why. Yes Thank God for the upcoming Game Thread for tonight! Feel talked out!
EG, the reality is that there’s no way ( or means) the firing of Blatt could have been broken gently. Heck, it might have been much, much worse if he was fired after last year- people would go,’ How the hell do you fire a coach who took the team to the finals without their 2 and 3rd best player. He is just in his first year, surely he will be better with more seasoning and a healthy line-up.” And if he was fired after this season, people would be like,’ How could you have not seen it all year… Read more »
Don’t disagree, but I was thinking more in terms of how prepared the team would be for dealing with the change… The offseason, even though it still would have raised eyebrows externally, would have given them more time to adjust and plan. That’s all I really care about… how it impacts the team on the court and their ability to win a title. The outside stuff is just noise, and would be no matter when they fired him… which seemed like an inevitability from the moment LBJ decided to return… For some interesting reading… take a look at this Chicago… Read more »
I hear you, EG. But the Cavs case was little different in that they went to the finals and nearly won. I can recall a similar case in 1969 when the Lakers lost to the Celtics and had second year coach Butch Van Breda Kolff fired thereafter. Willt Chamberlain was blamed mostly for the firing. In subsequent years of coaching other teams, Breda Kolff proved inept and yet it was always Wilt who remained at fault. I see Lebron in the same boat.
Well, let’s hope more for the Bulls outcome than the Lakers… no?
My question is how people think things are going to change? From everything that has come out, it appears that Lue and James were already essentially running the team. I mean supposedly Lue was in charge of defensive assignments and they were running Doc Rivers sets through Lue. What changes strategy wise other than rotations? Can anyone explain to me the cognitive dissonance between the aforementioned evidence and the idea that things will change strategy wise? I don’t know maybe increased effort alone and some set rotations are enough to win, but i think it will take an entirely new… Read more »
If the reports are true, then you can at least expect better efforts from players. You can expect a more harmonious locker room which hopefully will translate to less noise from outside which in turn will make for a better product.
I don’t think much will change, other than rotations and how certain players are utilized… This system, even with the apparent disconnect or dysfunction between Blatt and at least LBJ (at most the team), still got them to 30-11, so it will most likely get them to 60-22 and the top seed in the EC. It will also most likely get them to the Finals… and then the only difference that will matter, will be what Lue and the gang can gameplan to stop either the Spurs or the Warriors for four games out of seven… I know that sounds… Read more »
Yes @richie and Evil, both fair points. Defensively I am less concerned, though obviously the recent warriors game was troubling in that regard. Offensively is where I have always had issues and serious concerns with this team and I am concerned that if nothing does change they simply will not be able to put enough points on the board against those teams no matter how good they are defensively. I also think the players would not have sabotaged their own chances at a ring by putting forth no effort just to spite Blatt in the playoffs. My biggest issue is… Read more »
I don’t think much will change, other than maybe the team won’t be no shows for games like the Blazers and the Warriors. Sounds like we will get more Mo et al, so yay? We’ll see if there is improvement, or if Lue gets tuned out, too.
Had the Cavs waited to pass judgment on Blatt until mid-March of this year (having had a healthy team together for 2-3 months), it would have been too late to make a change until after the season. Part of the thinking may have been make the change now while there is still time to work out the kinks (and there is).
Rick Carlisle should shut up. He has the nerve to say this when he got his job taking over for a coach who was fired after going 178-68 in his three years of coaching (Avery Johnson). Good call or not for the franchise, they are still paying Blatt a lot of money – that is one reasons coaches get multi-year contracts – knowing that they could get fired at any time.
I just don’t get the blame LBJ angle. The Cavs would be irrelevant if not for him.
Well different situation since Avery choked in the first round after having the best record in the NBA. Plus Carlisle is head of the coaches association, so he has the right to say what he wants. He’s also a very respected coach. Whether or not LeBron is to blame can be debated until we are blue in the face, and I’m sure none of us will change our minds. Ultimately, if they win a championship then this will be mostly forgotten. So if this team/franchise wants to put all of this behind them, then win the whole thing or it… Read more »
He’s a colleague . He should have Blatt’s back especially with the winning season he had. His fiery statement was good for Blatt to get another HC position. Even Griffin wouldn’t have a problem with that Most likely he expected it. . As hard as it may for some us to believe, other competing coaches respected and genuinely liked Blatt. There are some really nice stories coming out from other very young coaches how much Blatt helped them in the off season.
Chris Fedor keeps saying more or less that we all were told the LeBron we were getting back from Miami was the one with championship acumen, the one who knew what it takes to win, and points out that he’s the leader of a team that just fired it’s head coach and has the new assistant-turned-coach saying that he needs to hold the whole team, including LeBron, more accountable. It’s a fair point. I just think the LeBron and Blatt relationship was doomed from the beginning. Look at LeBron’s background coming from an impoverished home in inner Akron, where he… Read more »
Ain’t buying it. LeBron is probably better educated than half the players in the NBA. I bet senior year at SVSM is a lot tougher than freshman or sophomore year at half of the basketball powerhouses that most NBA players come from. There is a big recent scandal where UNC had fake classes for athletes, where they did nothing. This is UNC, not somewhere in the deep south!
I just wish Bron would channel his inner Lou Boudreau and just formally announce himself as player/Coach… If Lou could take the Tribe to a championship in 1948, why not LBJ in 2016?
Nothing Lebron will say would ever placate the mob. What you’re suggesting will only create an even bigger controversy and louder noise. So it’s best to simp[ly ride along with the cliche.
Sorry man… forgot the /s at the end of my post…
I find Tyronn Lue’s comments about David Blatt to be classless, disrespectful and wholly unnecessary. Frankly, he should know better — Brian Geltzeiler, Hoopscritic.com
Yeah… but at least his comments are honest…
And it;s funny that when Lebron actually says nothing, he is being passive aggressive. And when he says the palatable thing, people say say he lies . LeBron goes into hibernation, people like Adrian Woj comes out with all of these vile conjectures that feeds into the hungry mob.
It ain’t exactly conjecture…Lebron is Lebron, always has been, always will be. Fans are fine with it as long as he’s bringing them wins.
Of all the things Adrina Woj reported, name me one damning item that is a fact a not conjectures and surmises. Have you ever wondered why his columns are filled with sources says and basically opinions rather than stating facts? Have you ever wondered how come Woj in all of Lebron’s 13 years in the NBA has never, not even once, gotten a personal interview with Lebron? Have you ever wondered how Woj somehow managed to turned notable knuckleheads lIke Dwight Howard, Josh Smith and Reggie Jackson into sympathetic victims of circumstances?
I know it’s fashionable to pile up on Lebron and articles like this is a fodder for the mob. People were saying the same thing about Mike Brown- oh he won 66 and 61 games, was Coach of the Year , many teams would be lining up to get Mike Brown and Cavs are making the big, big mistake of releasing him just because Lebron supposedly didn’t like him. Turned out the mistake was not releasing him much earlier. And an even bigger mistake was taking him back. Why is nobody talking about the fact that Cleveland had 6 coaches… Read more »
Actually, the team performed and overachieved way way more than anyone thought during the playoffs last year than during the regular season. Nearly the entire sports world had them getting swept by the warriors, and I think a lot people thought they would lose to the bulls after love went out. Certainly don’t think many if anyone had them sweeping the hawks, maybe cols.
What you stated are facts but you’re missing the point. It’s title or bust and the Cavs, despite a winning record in the regular season are not likely to win the title. It was reported that despite winning big against Clippers, the Cavs locker room was utterly joyless, what does that tell you? Are we hoping that somehow, come play-off time, the Cavs will somehow resurface that magic that got them to two wins from a title despite missing Kyrie and Kevin? Again, I ascribe to the notion that it is very much possible to stay winning and actually get… Read more »
I get completely what your point is. It is a good point, but I suppose my view is that it is not title or bust this season. I see the cavs as having at least two more years of contention, especially if they stopped playing 1 on 5 on offense. Also do you really think that if James thought it was title or bust that come playoff time they wouldn’t play hard and put forth maximum effort, even for a guy they did not necessarily love? If they didn’t, if it was quitgate 2.0, then James would have to know… Read more »
I hear you John. You could actually say that the Cavs have improved and are in better position this year compared to last year at a similar stage. But the thing is, Golden State has improved exponentially and the Spurs reloaded and is possibly even better than the Warriors. While I have no doubt that Lebron and co. will play their utmost best if they get to the championship round, you could not expect to win at that stage while having a dysfunctional locker room all season long. You could not allow dysfunction to fester long which could possibly even… Read more »
I see where you are coming from with that particular case, but I would hope that if James realized that he was stuck with Blatt in March and April he and subsequently fall in line again as they did last year. After all time was on his side back then and he could afford to literally waste a playoff series. It isn’t any longer. I mean it is hard for me to believe James would allow the discontent to continue if they realized that no changes were coming. Once they begrudgingly accepted this I think they would make due. Again… Read more »
Fair points. Clearly Mike Brown 2.0 was one of the worst seasons as far as the chasm between expectations and the end result. That said, MB inherited a roster that was swept in the second round under Phil Jackson and at least won a game in the second round.
Are you seriously putting so much stock on that one won-game improvement Mike Brown over Phil Jackson? The Lakers have not only aged but were also mentally worn down in 2011 after 3 straight appearances in the finals and a back-to-back titles. Phil, not only was an old guy fast tiring from a long and successful grind was also locked in a feud with Jim Buss. And what have you to say about Kyrie, under Brown,
having his worst season ever at a time when he is supposedly tracking upwards?
I have many, contradictory thoughts on the firing of David Blatt. But I give David Griffin credit for decisiveness and guts. I believe that it was Griffin who suggested and advocated for David Blatt as coach in the first place. I cannot imagine that he enjoyed giving him notice. And if the team somehow does worse than expected, Griffin will probably be gone as well. I did not think that the team was living up to its potential even before the MLKM, but if I were general manager, I would probably not have the guts to fire the coach of… Read more »
This thread is missing something.
What we really need is Cols to live-comment while he listens to the podcast. one line at a time.
Make it happen, Cols.
We just need a button to launch more Cols…
You know how they request Batman with the Bat Signal? With Col’s, the signal would be for someone to post something like “Boy Delly sure is playing like an All-Star”
I think Cols likes to judge the book by the cover and would find that the pod isn’t that terrifying for him.
I dunno. Cory caught NBA Jam fire and we couldn’t put him out.
Cols #NBAVote!!!!!!!!!
I wanted to stand up and cheer when Cory ignited.
Cory’s bit was absolutely amazing. I was pumping my fist and screaming yes in my head.
Quoting COLS for likely the only time in my life –
“Lost in all this is that Lue sounds like a great head coaching prospect.”
Browns hire Hue.
Cavs hire Lue.
Indians looking for a manager name ending in “ue.”
Lou Brown is the GM at Tire World. He might be interested.
Need someone named Dewey.
Then we’d have Huey, Dewey, and Louie.
Vida Blue? (for you old timers…)
Yea, but he put his first name on the back of his jersey. Can you imagine those Oakland A’s team’s from the early 70’s in the present time. Twitter would break.
Something that I’ve been thinking about ever since LeBron returned to the Cavs. If you’re a Cavs fan, is LeBron your favorite player on the team? My answer is no, for the reasons that we’ve all discussed ad nauseum. I feel like many will agree. If that’s the case, isn’t that a weird phenomenon?
Lue says he will hold lebron accountable. Biggest take so far..
Biggest take or biggest fake?
In his daily journal… “Dear Diary… Bron was mean to me today at practice. Thinking about growing the cornrows back…”
Lol. One bright spot, out of the handling of this has been the humor that has come via this site and the rest of the internet.
Talk is cheap. We’ll see if it’s more than lip service.
Lue has been there for the past year and a half. Why hasn’t he been holding him accountable during this time? If it’s to avoid stepping on Blatt’s toes, then that doesn’t bode well for his ability to speak up fearlessly or to confront personalities bigger than his own.
LeBron James sounding like he’s not sad at all that David Blatt is gone and that Tyronn Lue is the new head coach. #Cavs #KeepingItReal — Kenny Roda
There’s always this: the Warriors are 39-4 with Luke Walton on their sideline.
It’s not all about the coach.
Dubs also had a great system in place. What’s our identity? What’s our system?
Right. We had none. Which is a good reason to find a new coach who can maybe instill an identity to the team.
Cavs identity is that the play super tough physical D in the playoffs. Beyond that there isn’t much. With Kyrie and Love playing they don’t have an identity.
Yeah I don’t think Love at the elbow or playing Mo Williams will solve their problems vs. Golden State or the Spurs – Anthony Lima
Mo Williams will solve scoring droughts for opposing guards
Rimshot!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LeBron: “We’re a team that gets fragile sometimes.” #Cavs
LeBron James says he was surprised and caught off guard with the news of David Blatt’s firing. Said it was unfortunate. – Haynes
Yep. But this won’t stop people from believeing whatever they want to.
Is this self reflection???!!!
King of irony……………..
Or the King of wishful thinking?
He may not have been consulted about the firing, but there’s no way in hell that he actually believes that it is ‘unfortunate’. He’s trying to show sympathy for Blatt, but no way he really feels that way.
Would you rather he say I’m glad he’s gone?
I kind of would… I’d love to hear LBJ just come out and own it… I mean, if most people are going to blame him anyway, why not just go there?
Yes I hate passive aggression. Man up and say what you mean. Wish more players had a mouth like Charles Barkley. Look at it this way, if the reports are accurate and James did not actually say specifically he wanted Blatt gone, well then it was a mistake in that instead of getting rid of him sooner, it led to this unfortunate scenario. Do I care they fired Blatt? Only because of the timing, but not because I feel bad for Blatt, or even because I thought he was the best coach. Do I care about more than this season… Read more »
Ty Lue just said he wants to try and play 10 guys going forward. Mo getting back into line up.
Weren’t people complaining about the short rotations? And the lack of Love at the elbow?
We will see how the rotations look with Mo now. No excuses with his defensive problems. They should look at it like trying out for the team and cut him if he can’t perform.
Is that the exact quote? Or you just assumed Mo will be added back? I mean it could be Andy. We are weaker on the center position atm..
Here’s the quote from Jason Lloyd: Lue said he wants to use 10-man rotation, bring Mo Williams back into rotation
Mo still shouldn’t be the 10th man. Bron, Love, Kyrie, TT, Delly, Shump, Moz, JR, RJ, then maybe Mo, Andy, or JJ.
Totally agree. If Mo’s not hitting shots, he’s useless.
Lost in all this is that Lue sounds like a great head coaching prospect.
Maybe, but Cory Snyder was a great prospect too…..
He was the runner up choice for the Cavs back in 2014…
OMG an even better Dave Mc tweet- Tyronn Lue on his conversation with Kevin Love today: “I’m going to use him more at the elbows”
Please let it be true!!!
The firing is still a shock and I think that lends itself to a lot of speculation. We have no way of knowing what is true with all these reports smearing both sides and all the locker room and film room drama. We have been able to observe, though, that something was afoul with the team and I believe one thing Haynes wrote to be true: that the team had lost hope. Maybe not in Blatt or each other, but the loss of hope that they could beat the Warriors or Spurs hung over their heads like a little black… Read more »
It seemed like they had lost hope. And you’re right – that is reason enough to make a leadership change.
No more excuses!
Real good comment, CZSwagger. I, too, am disappointed the veteran players didn’t help Blatt more. Life experience tells me that Blatt is partly to blame for this. I just knew Blatt’s days were numbered the night Lebron forcefully pushed him away from the refs. The night he threw the ball at him. I like Blatt, but don’t think he was going to get us there. We also learned a lot about the real Lebron – who didn’t accept him from the very beginning and defied him at every turn (Le-Iso). Actions speak louder than words. Looking forward, though, I have… Read more »
Tremendous post.
Dave Mc tweet- Tyronn Lue on what he’ll do differently than Blatt: “I wouldn’t say ‘differently,’ I would say ‘better.'”
Alrighty then!!
That didn’t take long.
Straight fire from Ty… good, I’d rather hear guys be straightforward than dance around with false platitudes…
As Colin once said, we’re amateur documentarian here. We’re never going to have enough information to do anything other than read the tea leaves to fit our Individual world views. I think some of us are overreacting. Maybe we’re in the anger stage of grief. None of us know what is going to happen. If the team comes.out and busts its butt and they play fantastically the rest of the way, then it was the right move – maybe for all the wrong reasons, butt Griff has a job to do. In retrospect, the Woj piece was a hit piece,… Read more »
Very well said Nate! The best opinion on this that I’ve read so far.
Twitter is fabulous some times, like when it produced that pic. Love it.
Great stuff Nate!! One of your best takes ever (IMO).
Great take Nate. Maybe your best ever.
Nate, excellent summary of the moment. Woj’s piece was mostly a hit job indeed with just a few particles of truth, and Haynes was the Cavs apologist view. I think the Windy/McM co-authored lenghty summary of why Blatt was fired is perhaps the closest to the truth. Your take on LeBron coincides with mine, but his petulance is often hard to take. Also, I think there is truth to what Riley said in his veiled comment about LBJ to paraphrase, “There are hidden agendas behind the smiles.”
I think it’s one of the best pieces with Windy’s name attached. Probably because McM sprinkled in truths where Windy would have sources quoting things Lebron said in his home bathroom.
Great note Nate. I think we are all starting to get over the move. I’m a bit excited to see what they look like. One day is a quick turnaround but if Lue was as involved as the stories make him, we might see his imprint right away.
We are all over the map here. Good addition, Nate.
Since you’d have to tie me down and strap headphones to my face to get me to listen to that podcast, what is your take on this?
I am a rare listener to the podcasts, but it was pretty wild. Surely you’ll want to listen to the ‘blood on his hands’ Lebron take, lol.
Oh goodness, did someone really say that?
People are really going overboard.
Cols, you always have time to respond continually on the blog !! Listen to the podcast it was very good.
I was initially shocked by the Blatt firing but pretty much everything Griff said in his prepared statements is how I felt about the team.
They were underachieving and a malaise was setting in.
I was most disappointed by the lack of discipline, lack of identity, and the mental mistakes that I thought were getting more pervasive.
So I’m not against the firing at this juncture.
Just not sure if the changes that need to be made can now be made with Lue at the helm.
I agree with this. The Cavs have a nice 30-11 record but we’ve been squeaking by some bad teams, and really not playing very good basketball on a consistent basis. I watch almost all the games and have not been blown away with how the Cavs have been playing this year – despite the record. Not going to say it’s Blatts fault – hopefully this action wakes the team up and refocuses them as a group – which I think is Griffins intention.
Spot on, Nate. Except!!! Belichick didn’t flame out in Cleveland. Art Frickin Modell fired him only AFTER Modell moved the team to Baltimore. It is a common mistake made by the media. Cleveland didn’t love the guy, but he didn’t get run out of town like is so popularly suggested now. The whole darn team left. He got canned during that offseason. LeBron is seemingly a good dude at heart. Family, community etc. That doesn’t affect my view of him in these matters. For better or for worse. He is the King. Completely now. Fortunately for Cavs fans, his legacy… Read more »
I mean, Belichick wasn’t all that great in Cleveland. And he was going to be fired in NE too until Tom Brady emerged from nowhere. He’s a really good coach, but he almost didn’t make it.
Nate… that was great!
Excellent recap. I am going to try to shut up.
Well apparently guys were at the gym late last night and early at the guy this morning.
New schemes! Here’s hoping…
“They popped a bottle of Don P.” — Execs from ABC on their launch of the Saturday night games with Cavs.
Very nicely written. After listening to many radio stations, reading various internet stories ; I just went to bed. WHen I woke up, it just felt like Slime on what the Cavs did to Blatt. I’ll paraphrase Griffin, ” I know what that looks like and that is what it was” . People on the outside see it too, laughing, “This is SOOO Cleveland” . I hope the Cavs do win a title but when it’s all over said and done, this is a black eye to the Cavs organization in the way in was done. Make no mistake, it… Read more »
A quote of Pat Riley comes to mind, “No more smiling faces with hidden agendas” This is true for David Blatt
I don’t really care what the national media has to say about the Cavs. I trust Jason Lloyd, Dave Mc, Sam Amico and even Windy because they are there day to day with the team and/or have excellent sources within the organization. Not really into the PD writers. All the above seem to be on the same page in saying that their was a disconnect between Blatt and most of the roster, and that this was not just Lebron’s doing. Brendan Haywood’s comments, for what they’re worth, are pretty illuminating as well.
True trust Haywood’s comments over reporters.
This isn’t a black eye. If they win the title this was a great move.
I actually agree with you Cols. But do you understand how difficult that will be?
Yep I actually do! LoL It happened to me on the polarizing comment. But It’s easy for us on the inside to say it isn’t. We have our blinders on. We are fans. But it isn’t a good look. It just isn’t. They should have fired him before the season. I will not change my mind as both of you won’t
And if they don’t????……..
I think the common thread of SOO Cleveland is that both the Browns and Cavs owners are very impatient about winning a title. Maybe they’re overly decisive, but they make changes and move on when something is not working. And winning a title is pretty darn hard in the NFL/NBA — where you have a 1/30 chance of doing that every year.
I find the SOOO Cleveland meme pretty annoying in the national media. Screw them.
TV63: The Cavs didn’t “do something” to Blatt.
Repeat after me: He was not getting the job done. He was not getting the job done. He was not getting the job done.
You want to waste the season so that Blatt’s feeling don’t get hurt?
“Repeat after me” okay Dad! LoL Ooo Am I in trouble for not doing my chores too?? Its okay to disagree but c’mon on the Dad tones. I didn’t like the way they did it . So What!!
Good stuff, Charlie. I agree that the narrative you describe is at the heart of a lot of the fans’ debates about the viability of the Cavs.
One thing that pervades this is the selfish/unselfish playing style thread. I have deep reservations about the ‘warriors play unselfishly and thus win and the Cavs play selfishly and thus lose’ narrative. The Warriors have a unique weapon in Steph Curry that can consistently make shots from 30 feet, and they combine that with a team that plays terrific switching defense that neutralizes the size disadvantage through physical play and quick double teaming. Having a guy who really can hit from 30 but can also accelerate to the paint makes your defense look bad. The Cavs have a number of… Read more »
As usual, the majority of the answer lies at the defensive end. Yes, the Warriors’ offense is incredible and very much propped up by Curry’s shooting. But like you said, that defensive flexibility is what separates them from other high octane teams of the past. They are unselfish about minutes, defensive assignments, guarding bigger guys, chucking roll men with all of their energy, hard rolls to the basket, limited touches for certain guys, amazing dedication to gameplan, basektball IQ… The list goes on. If you think about how good Iggy and Livingston have been for them, and then look at… Read more »
Sure, but iggy was always a terrific defensive player, who was never that successful as a one-on-one scorer. Livingston was barely hanging on to an NBA job before coming to the Warriors.
The Warriors had a vision of a team and found piece after piece to fit that vision. Then they brought in the best coach to coach it. Their superstar player (Curry) hasn’t had to sacrifice anything about his game to thrive in their system. He is also 3 years older than Kyrie.
THE RUMOR MILL THAT I AM HEARING IS LOVE / TRADE EXEMPTION / MOZ ( POSSIBLE DRAFT PICK) FOR COUSINS AND KOUFUS ANYBODY ELSE HEARING THESE RUMORS ?—” AS THE CAVALIERS TURN “
I haven’t heard that rumor. I’m not sure the Kings would do that.
NOMAD – Did you read that somewhere? Just curious where you heard it. SOunds very high-risk, but high reward.
Someone on the radio just roasted Blatt for playing Delly over Mo… Cols is that you? Lol!
I want Minny to win the lottery and draft Ben Simmons, then Minny to hire Blatt.
Well usually when these things happen the players respond by playing hard. But I think we have some emotionally fragile players on this team, which doesn’t bode well playing GS/SAS.
The next move should be to trade Kyrie and Love for Chris Paul and some change then use the change to get Ryan Anderson and Markief Morris.
I sure hope we don’t do that.
I actually might like that move. Seems like this is all a temporary situation for Bron anyways. Reports were out last year by SCREAMIN A SMITH that LeBron would go to NYK to help Melo win a title after he got his title in CLE. He wants a statue in as many arenas as possible. He may end up without any.
If he wants a divorce, then sure.
I’ll take the work of the hot dog vendor outside the Cleveland Clinic, who said unequivocally:
1) “He’s coming home, and for good. His wife got family here. She wants to come home. Dat the end of dat.”
2) “Stadium sauce is the business. Fo real.”
Was this the guy that told us to draft Johnny Manziel.
It’s possible. That would explain his absence recently.
Amazing quote, Simmo. “Dat the end of dat.”
haha
Agree with Simmo.
It’s interesting how polarizing Blatt is with the fans.
He’s not polarizing. It’s the people that are going to the mat for him even though there is no evidence he was a great coach for the Cavs. It’s not like they fired a beloved long time coach or someone that had shown a genius for the Cavs. They fired what seems to be the wrong guy in the wrong situation. It happens. I’m not exactly thrilled with changing coaches mid stream, but I’m not exactly going to be heart broken over losing a guy who seemed over his head for his first head coaching job. Blatt will get another… Read more »
I don’t think this is entirely true. I think people hoped that the players would allow Blatt to coach them, because of his success in the Euroleague. Remember he was considered a god over there. People also don’t like when players pout and tank games to get their coach fired. They come across as petulant unlike able divas.
He was an unknown in the NBA and a huge risk for this team once they signed some veterans. Maybe he would’ve fit perfectly with a younger team but he clearly wasn’t working out now that we know how bad the players didn’t respect him.
Well that falls on Gilbert then, who continues to prove he’s only good at throwing money at things, not making sound discussions.
@Arch – But I think this is Cols point. If people believe the things you are saying (i.e., that the players SHOULD have loved Blatt), they are incredibly naive. It may be frustrating, but there is no way in hell players were going to play for Blatt because of his success in Euroleague. He needed to win them over HERE. I was hoping he would, because I think he is very smart. But the truth is that, for whatever reason, he never did it. Maybe it is because LBJ and KI are petulant (I think its a lot more complicated… Read more »
This is very well said Mr or Mrs Sauce.
It’s actually Mr. Dr. Hot Sauce ;)
I agree that ultimately they need to win, which is funny because they were winning. But they need to win when it matters, which means June. I’m disappointed in the dysfunction mostly. I thought we were past this after the Bynum years of sleeping with coaches wives. Apparently it’s a lot more difficult to change culture. Look at the Browns. I’m not just going to buy in because the franchise and some media members are telling me to do so. Like I wrote yesterday, they need to prove it to me, because I don’t trust this franchises track record.
So go root for whoever Blatt coaches next then. I root for laundry
Your laundry reaks of reefer!
Fair enough. I am like Cols. My sole objective as a sports fan is to root for Cleveland teams. That’s it. So when they make a move, I just root for the best. I share your skepticism about whether this IS the best, but I am embracing the Belichikian notion of “onto Cincinnati.”
Cols, I’m curious. Who was your favorite Cav before LeBron’s time, or during his Miami college years?
Mark Price first
Then Terrell Brandon
Then Andre Miller
Then LeBron
Then Kyrie
Then LeBron
What about Delly?
Cols loves point guards! Except Delly.
Get Lebron out of the equation and I’m sure you’ll never ride whoever the Cavs had as the coach even if it’s Phil Jackson. Because everything will just suck for you if there’s no Leb. I find it annoying just how Lebron can do no wrong for you just like how you accuse anyone critiquing(rightfully so) him being a hater.
I agree with Cols. Blatt was not polarizing with fans. Not fans! The media yes because he didn’t belong in their “good ole boys club pedigree club” Blatt did what few NBA coaches do , Give it right back to them. He didn’t let them imtimidate him
Obviously he didn’t ‘give it right back to them’ if he never called Lebron out for any of his antics. He let them intimidate him right out of a job. He should at least went out on his own terms.
Oh brother…. Straw man argument.. Okay the topic is Blatt , fans and reporters. Not Lebron. That is another post. Scroll down further for that one.
Right you are. After rereading, my comprehension was obviously off, my apologies.
But to your actual point, I think that until you cement your rep as a coach, ala Pop, it’s not too smart to act combative and confrontational with the media. You know the old saying about not picking a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.
I like Blatt just fine, and hope he does well. I think he can make it in the NBA, but not with a loaded veteran team. But as much as most of us (including me) tried to deny it, the Cavs were having major problems. Before yesterday, I thought the Cavs had at best a 10% chance to win this year, despite getting a free trip to the finals. Maybe these issues were not Blatt’s fault, but he is the only person who could have fixed them. Let’s see how the next few weeks go. I hope to up my… Read more »
Blatt’s name also linked to Wolves and Lakers. Seems he could be more sought after than expected. — Steve Kyler
Wiggins, Blatt and TWolves fans who hate Kevin Love. Popcorns.
than who expected? The dude is one of the best coaches in the world. When Pop, Kerr, and Carlisle all want to hire you and/or ask for YOUR consultation, you are probably a pretty good coach. The Wolves would be a perfect place for him. Wiggins and Blatt could take revenge on the Cavs together.
I had no idea that much of CtB reafers were Blatt fans first and Cavs fans second.
I thought you were the only C:tb reefer?
Cue rimshot!
That was pure gold, Arch. The Cols/commentariat interplay is what keeps me coming back for more. That and the great writing.
Maybe Lue will announced that they’ve traded Mopey Mo for yesterday’s donuts?!?!?!?
Mo + Mozgov + AV + Love + Expiring Contract for Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson (I can dream, right?)
That seems reasonable!!!!!!!!
Haha. But can you imagine that team? WOW.
We’d still probably lose to GS, because this is Cleveland and Davis would probably fight with Lue.
Recall that the lottery for first pick somehow had like three ties between the Pelicans and the Cavs, and finally went Pelicans #1, Cavs #4, resulting in Dion Waiters. Waiters and a first round pick later turned into Mosgov. So, if you want to dream, a slightly different outcome would give the Cavs Davis and that pick back!
It is good to laugh! Love this.
New #Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue & players expected to speak to the media today around 10:45am @ Cleve. Clinic Courts
I’ll be tuned in for this one!
“Griffin sat in on a film session and jumped on James for not getting back on defense against the Nuggets, one of his bad habits. James accepted the criticism in stride, sources said. But this moment only inspired less faith in Blatt because it is supposed to be the coach — not the GM — holding the players accountable.”
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14629892/nba-final-unraveling-david-blatt
These film sessions seemed pretty interesting. Next we will learn that the towel boy was calling James out in film sessions.
All of this “inside the locker room (after the fact)” story telling is the worst. I am sure some of its true. But I am also 100% sure that the exact way it is written, and the narrative imposed on it by the journalist, is NOT true. Woj’s hit piece on LBJ was the worst. The only way that it could have been accurate was if he was best friends with all of the interested parties, and was a fly on the wall of hundreds of conversations. Of course, the truth is he has spent zero time in the Cavs… Read more »
It is nauseous that this stuff all comes out after the fact.
But the thing is, when Windy was reporting dysfunction last year he got KILLED from all of us and the Cavs and David Blatt.
Beat writers are in a tense position – there is more interest when they can report drama, but it really turns off the players/coaches from wanting to share insight.
Sherwood has the best job in the world right now.
He can just slobber all over the Warriors.
It’ll be really great to re read these comments once Cavs win the title and Lue turns out to be a good coach.
Can we go back and reread your comments about Delly?
Go for it. Have fun with that.
How about we make fun of your comments about beating Golden State?
Or Waiters. “Young players always get better”
And it’ll be great to reread your comments if it turns out that the Cavs finish the season 24-17 and lose in the ECF…….
It’ll also be interesting to go back if they lose to the Raptors in the playoffs or get swept by the Warriors in the finals. Very interesting, indeed.
People are acting like they fired a Pat Riley level coach. And all this LeBron hate is nutty. Get a grip people. Blatt was a mediocre NBA coach with the potential to be better. We don’t have time to wait. If the players respect Lue more then let’s see what happens.
This outpouring of grief over a 2nd year coach is absurd. I’ll back the Cavs over a coach.
NBA coaches are largely irrelevant anyways.
I hope you are joking.
Pat Riley wasn’t easy to get along with either. Shaq hated him and torched him publically whenever he could.
What is happening when Cols is one of the more sane posters?
But don’t you always agree with Cols? So does that then mean you are usually an insane poster?
Do people really think Doc Rivers is a great coach? Clipper fans seem to curse him regularly, and mostly because he plays his D-League son too much. I thought he did well in Boston, but he also had great assistants like Thibs. Maybe it’s just that he’s a horrible GM, and should only coach in LA.
I think he’s is a great leader of NBA players. Dudes seem to love him, and are very loyal. But I think he is NOT a great X’a and O’s guy. Pop and Carlisle, for example, are both.
He’s the one calling shots on that boston championship team not Thibs or anyone. He makes the plays. He definitely is a horrible GM but also a top 10 coach right now alongside Pop, Carlisle, Kerr, Spo and the one who just got fired yesterday..
Also, one thing I read in multiple places was that the team thought that Griffin was calling a meeting to say Love had been traded!?!!? Fascinating. I am going to keep an eye on that one. If Love gets dealt, Griffin has some very large stones. It’ll be all on him if stuff collapses.
I liked Blatt, but I love the Cavs. Time to hope Griffin made the right choice, and Lue can take the Cavs to the next level. Big game against the Bulls tonight. It will be interesting.
After reading a lot of the articles about the locker room “drama,” the thing i am most curious about is whether Mo, Andy, Jones and/or Jefferson get a few more minutes with Lue. Make the bench deeper.
I don’t understand the LeBron hate.
I don’t understand the word ‘hate’ in this context. Are non binary opinions so mysterious?
My opinion on Blatt is, I trust Griffin to do his job. If he felt it was time to make the switch than I trust his beliefs. There is too much stuff that happens inside the team that we don’t have access to. Was Blatt a good coach? Was he a good play caller? Did he garner any respect from the players? Was he out of his league? Were the players primadonnas who didn’t give Blatt the proper respect and didn’t give him a fair shake because he wasn’t one of ‘them’? Did Lebron disregard 90% of what came out… Read more »
You’ve saved me the trouble of posting – thank you taximike for expressing exactly what I wanted to say.
*googles “Soap torrent”*
“This is a very interesting case.”
Thank you for posting a sane remark.
And, by the way, top notch piece there, Cory….I forgot to say so earlier.
In the next couple games, I think it will be only natural to see the Cavs playing with extra effort. It’s just human nature. Everyone will be on their best behavior, running the plays called, getting back on D, boxing out, etc. As for the long run we’ll have to wait and see. It will be especially interesting to see if there are any trades, and who gets shipped out. As far as the bench goes, that’s going to be a very interesting thing to watch tonight. Does anyone receive a big uptick in minutes? At the expense of who?… Read more »
They play the Bulls next, and the Spurs next week…I agree that it will be interesting how the bench is used going forward, but both of those teams are certainly capable of beating the Cavs (with the Spurs capable of running them out of the building), so if the bench guys think they are going to get tons of minutes in the near future, they might be disappointed…
Why in the world would Mo play more? Mo is the worst player on the team! There is no way he should get in before the Ninja. MDN is better already, and will improve with more minutes. Mo will not.
Great piece, Cory. Well done.
I will listen to the pod now. Waking up to all of this nonsense from across the pond is a real downer. Blatt Is a fantastic coach. I echo the sentiment. Hopefully he will actually be allowed to coach during his second NBA gig.
OK LeBron. You got what you want. Cleveland will love you like no one in history if you succeed. If you fail. You will be rightly despised.
I think it’s a little strong to say that he will be despised if he doesn’t win a ring here. Even if Red Auerbach were the coach of the Cavs, they would be big underdogs to win vs the Spurs or Warriors. If Lebron continues to get to the Finals, but comes up short, it will be surely disappointing. But he will be despised? And ‘rightly’ despised at that? He should be taken to task for the things he does on the court a ton more than what he does off the court. Playing lazy defense, if he decides to… Read more »
“You take the good with the bad” is an important thing to take to heart in a marriage.
I’m upset it didn’t work out with Blatt and that the team didn’t work harder to let him coach. But then again I subject myself to authority. NBA players aren’t forced to do that. The high character ones choose to: Duncan.
Yeah, there’s a lot to be said for the Spurs’ philosophy of seeking out players who have “gotten over themselves.”
@Phil
Spot on!!! LBJ may be the best, or at least a top 3 player in the league but certainly not in the locker room.
He talks the talk about team and all in but his actions tell a different story.
Isn’t Markieff on a Low contract like 2 mil per? And it’s clear both him and Phoenix isn’t expecting a longer partnership after this season. He could be had. Griff has shown he could do a win for us trade. But I won’t give anything for him outside of Mo and RJ.
He’s making over 4 million because he signed RFA tender.
He’s actually making 8 million this year as part of a 4 year 32 million dollar extension that kicked in this year. Still a very team friendly contract.
And he’s not a scorer… he’s a 38% FG shooter this year… can’t shoot 3s. He is pretty much useless and malcontent.
Yeah and my stance is that im against a trade that involves this guy. I just think now its a little possible because of things that happened.
Also, I should add…. the Cavs still need bench scoring. Mo is their only true offensive threat off the bench and who knows what his status is with his hand.
If the Cavs make a trade, I think it will be for a bench scorer. I don’t think the pu pu platter of RJ/Varejao/Mo/Champ is going to provide enough punch against the GSW bench and especially not against the SAS bench.
About Coach Lue..
– Will he be the coach that will bring us the title? It’s inevitable that we all will be critical of him but he will get a pass if we fail this year.
– Is that “connection” with Lebron true/enough to make them fall in line? Or Klutch is just using that as an alley in the case of firing Blatt? Or if we don’t win at the end he will be replaced by Mark Jackson?
– The thing I’ll be most critical about is how he’s gonna handle Lebron and all the egos around.
Everything’s been written and said good and bad. Whatever the truth behind all of this is a thing of the past. First of all, THANK YOU VERY MUCH COACH BLATT. You’ve given us everything you’ve got and we wish you the best going forward. Few thoughts.. – Lebron runs everything. You can give any reasons to dispute this but that is the truth. And in relation to that.. – I thought Griff has balls. But he folded when squeezed in the testicles by Bron and the Gang. He assured security of Blatts job last year if all remember. By that… Read more »
Mo has absolutely no trade value. He’s on a two year contract where the second year is a player option. He brings nothing defensively.
RJ also has no trade value as he is only on a one year deal and is too old to be a major factor on a team, even for just the next two/three months.
Yah. I’m no expert on trades. I’m just assessing on values on the team. I don’t have concrete idea about our BHE. But I know it could be used this season. This that I don’t know.. But I also said that I still believe in the team and its abilities the way it’s constructed.
One day, oh man one day. I greatly hope that one day we can hear Blatt’s sincere, honest side of the story. About everything. About what it was like to coach this circus. His honest perspective into his experience as head coach of the Cavs. His perspective has never been told. Never. And with how incredibly bias the media is and how they come together to create their own narrative that serves their economic purposes rather than the cause of honest journalism, it likely won’t be told any time soon. Blatt will be brushed aside and forgotten. But one day,… Read more »
Like why the hell should I cheer for this team? I’m literally trying to find a reason right now, trying to convince myself. I really don’t mean to put myself on some sort of moral pedestal or live in some fairy-tale daydream, but I’d like to value the character of the team I cheer for just as much as their results. I wish Cleveland could have a team that succeeds at both.
You may have meant something else, but I think “character of the team” is harsh.
History will be the judge – if they kick ass increasingly from here and counter the incredible play of whoever they face from the West, this will be defined as one of the winning moves. If not, well…
But the owner and GM make the calls. T’was ever thus. I don’t buy into the easy (and very sellable copy) that James is pulling the strings.
For the record, I was a big fan of Blatt.
Lebron James was not the leader of the locker room in Miami. That was Dwyane Wade. Lebron has always been the best player of every team he has been on. But he has never successfully been the leader of a team that won everything in June. He is not proven in that regard. From a limited fan’s perspective, he has not shown sound leadership qualities up to this point in his second run in Cleveland. This Woj article completely rips apart every “team-first” statement Lebron has ever made and portrays him as a massive narcissist who is only interested in… Read more »
Woj is a known Lebron hater though, so it’s not surprising to see the hatchet job that came out. Haynes of the PD is just the opposite, a Lebron apologist as well as a member of Klutch’s pr team. Somewhere in between the two lies the truth, I believe.
Excellent observation.
Woj has always looked to turn the knife in LeBron. That doesn’t mean he’s making stuff up – but he goes to town on those antiLeBron pieces.
The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle.
I enjoyed the podcast gentlemen. Probably the best one I’ve heard and I’m not just saying that because you gave a shout out to the commentariat! At the end of the day, LBJ is lacking self-awareness right now. He demonstrates this lack of self-awareness when he talks about “team” and “buying-in” while he yells at teammates and singles them out on the court for TEAM failings on the court or ignores Coach Blatt religiously. He demonstrates his lack of awareness whenever he talks about “moving the ball” yet consistently tries to go isolation without moving the ball. He doesn’t even… Read more »
Lebron is a leader in the Kobe/MJ fashion. I don’t think they had many fans in the locker room. But the lockerrom understood the dynamic and followed them. The difference is the “seeming” power that Lebron has. But we don’t know that for sure.
Absolutely right. And that is why Lue is now the coach. Blatt would never tell LeBron to cut it out.
Read Brendan Haywood’s interview about this. He has no reason to lie. He said a common occurrence in film sessions was Blatt would go right past LeBron or KI screw-ups without saying a word, and Lue would back up the film and point out what they did.
This does not mean LeBron is a diva, just that he needs someone mentally tougher to call him out. Hopefully Lue is that. We will see. If LeBron ignores him, Lue can go back to the cornrows. That should scare LeBron!
I enjoyed listening to that. Thank you.
According to Windhorst’s piece from the beginning of the season, it was the Cavs staff that shut LBJ down for the two weeks last year due to seeing some swelling in his back (or something) that they didn’t like.
Thanks guys, I needed this. I am only part way through, but Tom mentioned the report that Blatt told friends that “it’s either going to be Love or me”. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t meant as an ultimatum, i.e., “it’s either him or me”, rather that one of them was going to be scapegoated. Seems pretty perceptive to me. I think it’s at least even odds that Love is shipped out in a trade somewhere, too.
Im not sure about trading Love.
You don’t usually deal max players a few months after signing them.
Yeah, I don’t know about the trade, either…just nothing would surprise me now. And congrats, guys, on buying the domain. You are all such good writers, and I appreciate the work you put in to the site. On your podcasts it frequently feels that you are saying what I want to say, but usually better expressed. It is nice on a night like tonight, or after a really annoying loss, to listen to you guys be just as irritated as me.
If they trade Love…. then I’m done with Griffin/LBJ… it would be a mistake of colossal proportions.
Why would they trade Love? They are working to get better, not worse.
Good stuff Cory and great podcast Nate, Tom, and Cory. One topic that wasn’t brought up, or at least not discussed heavily, was that is Blatt only the first domino to go? Is KLove next? It certainly feels like the inmates have taken over the asylum. I just hope those inmates can play defense *cough* *cough* Mo. And that those inmates can evolve from Le-ISO and Tweaker Kyrie. Otherwise I fear another Cosmic Sans letter on the horizon.
“Like an 8.0 earthquake”
Kevin Love AKA Shane Battier
Except Battier was a tremendous defender.
Only in the NBA can a coach who was in a final, who is 30-11, who won the last 2 games, and whose team is 5th in offense and defense get fired. One thing is for sure, any team that has players that blame the coah will never win anything. Its laughable, he is over his head. Poor guy never had a chance. Lebron James is no leader. And we know he isnt loyal. When the shine wears off in a couple months with Lew, and they realize they are the same leaserless disloyal bunch, Lebron will leave faster than… Read more »
Only in Cleveland, not NBA.
Guess you’ve never heard of a player called Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson then. I believe he went on to win a WC after getting Westhead fired. Took him all of a few months to win one too.
Earth to Kevin: The plan is to win. Did you think an NBA season is a popularity contest, fair to all the coaches? If Lue is better than Blatt, you have to make that move rather than waste a season! Anyone could see that things were not going well with Blatt! Maybe Lue is not any better. Then try someone else. How does this make the organization look bad? The organization would have looked bad if they got thumped in the finals without making a move. And so what if LeBron wasn’t happy about Blatt? Did you notice that Jordan… Read more »
This is the Cavs’ version of Miami Heat but instead of Dwayne Wade’s old ass, we have Kyrie