5 big problems facing LeBron James and the Cavs
By Bryce Olin
3. Wait… Who’s the coach?
Cavs’ coach David Blatt is, supposedly, a good basketball coach. Honestly, I’ve never seen him coach a full game, so I couldn’t tell you either way.
In the clips I’ve seen of his teams, like the Russian National Team and Maccabi Tel Aviv, he seems like a good coach; however, International and European basketball is so much different than the NBA, and that makes me even more skeptical of Blatt and how good this Cavs’ team can be this season.
His coaching pedigree is really impressive, though. In his 21 years of coaching, Blatt has won 17 championships. In his career and spread between three different leagues (Israeli, Euroleague, and Russian Super League), Blatt has also won six different coach of the year honors. As far as I know, they’re still not just giving out those awards to anyone. I’m sure Blatt deserved those awards.
Still, the Blatt hiring makes me skeptical for a number of reasons. Some of the best college coaches in the country have no success in the NBA. I’m looking at you, Rick Pitino. I know college isn’t the same as the professional leagues in Europe. From what Fran Fraschilla said on Zach Lowe’s podcast, The Lowe Post, European coaches are much more demanding than NBA coaches. Is Blatt going to give up enough control to James? Because that’s going to happen regardless…
I just can’t understand why the Cavs didn’t hire an established NBA coach when the Van Gundy’s were out there. Mark Jackson was out there. George Karl was available. There’s plenty of good coaches with NBA experience ready to make a title run, and instead, Dan Gilbert chose a coach with no previous playing or coaching experience in the NBA.
It was such a Cavs’ move.
Blatt might be the next Phil Jackson, or he might be fired midseason when the Cavs are 24-18.