Stein: Blatt's Job Could Be In Trouble

[Scarface844]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12092 ... tt-sources

There is a growing level of worry within the Cleveland Cavaliers' organization about first-year coach David Blatt and his ability to reach this team, according to league sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that there is rising concern in team circles about the level of response Blatt is getting on the floor, with Blatt himself acknowledging that the Cavaliers "lost our energy and we lost our competitiveness" in Sunday night's embarrassing home loss to Detroit.

The Cavs would naturally prefer not to be forced into making an evaluation of their new coach just 30 games into Blatt's NBA career.

But the Cavs' effort level, especially defensively, is eroding noticeably, raising the volume on questions about just how much the locker room is listening to the 55-year-old Boston native, who has enjoyed tremendous success internationally but still began this season as a relative unknown to NBA players.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has proven in the past that he's unafraid to make coaching changes, dismissing Mike Brown last May with three fully guaranteed years left on Brown's contract in his second stint as Gilbert's coach. Yet it should be noted that Blatt was hired in the summer largely at Gilbert's behest after Cleveland made unsuccessful runs at a number of high-profile college coaches, including Kentucky's John Calipari, Connecticut's Kevin Ollie, Kansas' Bill Self and Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg.‎

Whispers about the lack of attention various Cavs players are paying to Blatt during some timeout huddles, as well as their apparent preference to communicate with Cavs assistant and former NBA player Tyronn Lue, have been in circulation for weeks. And James acknowledged recently that he did not formally request permission to assume the bulk of the Cavs' playmaking duties, which triggered Cleveland's eight-game winning streak earlier this month.

[DG88]

The Cavs implosion is happening. I thought the Cavs would get it together by now but I guess not.

[hell_razor]

R.I.P my israeli brother

[ATLTimekeeper]

Blatt really shouldn't have ruptured Varajao's achilles. Maybe that kind of stuff works in Europe, but this is the NBA.

[Flight33]

Feel really sorry for Blatt. His first NBA job, thought he was getting a young core and a future superstar in Wiggins who he could groom. Instead Lebron comes home, trade Wiggins and undermines the coach at every opportunity. I hope Blatt gets another job somewhere if Cleveland lets him go.

[Rejected]

No team would panic after 30 games like this....unless they had Lebron. Blatt is a proven coach, maybe not in this league but its a learning experience for him too and the Cavs should have known that. Its not his fault the team has no depth, no rim protection and a bunch of chuckers, though he should be coaching them on what shots to take and not to take.

[RapsFanInVA]

Obviously they need to bring back Mike Brown

[Zeno]

Don't know if growing concern = job is in trouble. Most likely not.

[GED Education]

Unlike the Heat situation, I don't think this Cavs situation will end well.

Lebron seems to have aged a lot in the last few years. Love is a non factor. Irving is Irving. Blatt will be the sacrificial lamb here.

What's even worse is you give up on Wiggins, who is having himself a pretty decent-to-good rookie season and has shown signs that he's going to be a really good player, and will hit his stride right around the time he signs with the Raptors! Yeah I said it!

[mtcan]

Mike Brown is available for a 3rd time around...

[JustWin]

They are 18-12, not 12-18... I don't get the panic yet

[Hero]

Considering the team's record and how they have played, it should be in trouble.

[justinmacd]

lol Mike Brown is still getting paid by the Lakers AND the Cavs.

Hilarious.

[vi3t]

lol could they actually bring Mike Brown back, they are still paying him for the next couple of yrs

[Inevitable]

GM LeBron fires him by middle of January

[justinmacd]

I don't know what Blatt is supposed to do.

The bench is horrendous and they have zero presence down low. It's Lebron and a bunch of chuckers who have never won anything.

[Scarface844]

Blatt shouldn't take all the blame for it. A lot of it rests on Lebron. He' playing lazy, uninspired basketball. He came into the season doubting his decision to go back to Cleveland. He had his mind made up about not wanting Blatt as the head coach. He wanted full control of the team.

He traded away a potential superstar for Kevin Love. He chose to make all the comments about how they're soft, and not very good. He's the one who ignores what Blatt tells him, and repeatedly goes iso. He's even making his own subs now. I was reading realcavsfans, and they're not happy with Lebron. Most of them blame him not Blatt.

[duppyy]

Blatt can't get the respect of one player most likely and thats LeBron. The other players just follow what he does.

[Scarface844]

This tells you all you need to. He's doing whatever he wants, probably because he wants Blatt gone.

And James acknowledged recently that he did not formally request permission to assume the bulk of the Cavs' playmaking duties, which triggered Cleveland's eight-game winning streak earlier this month.

"No, I can do it on my own," James said of his role change. "I'm passed those days where I have to ask."

[terryboy]

Lebron had 2 rings Blatt has none. so i guess he gets to call the shots