Outsiders perspective.

[Leprechaun18]

Hello;

I am a Celtics fan and wanted to share my outsiders perspective on the Cavs. I thought that this might be the Cavs year, but they are doing stupid things at the GM level. First they hire Blatt. Then they sign Lebron and Love. By themselves these are good moves. Blatt would have been good coaching a young team, but when you signed Lebron and Love, you committed yourselves to going for a championship. At that point you needed a championship coach, not a nba rookie coach. Your GM waits a year and a half to realize this and fires Blatt, but he then replaces him with another rookie head coach. That was stupid IMO. These are critical years for the Cavs, not to be spent developing a rookie coach. If the Cavs management is serious about being champions they need to get Thom Thibs. immediately. Thom Thibs. is a proven top level NBA coach. He may not be the favorite of your players, but he will get them to play better.

[Dupp]

Thom would run our team into the ground

[McKenna]

Being a young team I wouldn't see that as a bad thing. LBJ's overall minutes speak for themselves, but as a whole the team is young and Lue is currently proving them to be out of shape for space and pace (they are getting there though).

Those first few games created arguments on the sidelines between LBJ, Kyrie and Lue when he decided to pull them. Kyrie for messing up mostly and Lebron due to fatigue.

I expected a proper hire and Tibbs looked to be the man for the job. The hiring of Lue was awfully quick. Perhaps the rumours of a white coach not being the answer to a Lebron led team are correct. I genuinely thought a grinding defensive minded coach was an obvious choice for a team that can score at will - even if it's ISO ball.

Those first few games of fast paced action at both ends of the floor didn't last long, though to be fair Love has been incredible since the change at both ends. He built himself for this kind of pace this season and it's paying off now that they run and gun.

[lambchop]

Though imo thibs plays his main guys way too many minutes, I think he's a pretty good coach. Difficult to gauge if he can coach at a championship level, cause his 2011 bulls ran into the heat and after that d-rose was injured. But he always kept his teams competitive

[TheOUTLAW]

I'm sorry, I like Thibs, but didn't he get outcoached by Blatt last year in the playoffs?

[truth18]

I'm sorry, I like Thibs, but didn't he get outcoached by Blatt last year in the playoffs?

Nah, the Bulls lost but Blatt made a bunch of small errors. The largest being when he tried to have LeBron inbound to ball at the end of one of the games.

Gl on the season.

[TheOUTLAW]

I'm sorry, I like Thibs, but didn't he get outcoached by Blatt last year in the playoffs?

Nah, the Bulls lost but Blatt made a bunch of small errors. The largest being when he tried to have LeBron inbound to ball at the end of one of the games.

Gl on the season.

That was an error, no doubt but other than that I thought Blatt outcoached everyone in the playoffs except the second half of the Finals.

[truth18]

I'm sorry, I like Thibs, but didn't he get outcoached by Blatt last year in the playoffs?

Nah, the Bulls lost but Blatt made a bunch of small errors. The largest being when he tried to have LeBron inbound to ball at the end of one of the games.

Gl on the season.

That was an error, no doubt but other than that I thought Blatt outcoached everyone in the playoffs except the second half of the Finals.

Idk, man, I never liked Blatt as a coach despite him being from New England. I think the heavy minutes he played Kyrie contributed to his injury. I think you guys could have run a better zone on the Bulls. He did out coach Bud I will give him that.

But all of this is a moot point. Y'all have to roll with Ty until the end of the season, for better or worse.

[lambchop]

Nah, the Bulls lost but Blatt made a bunch of small errors. The largest being when he tried to have LeBron inbound to ball at the end of one of the games.

Gl on the season.

That was an error, no doubt but other than that I thought Blatt outcoached everyone in the playoffs except the second half of the Finals.

Idk, man, I never liked Blatt as a coach despite him being from New England. I think the heavy minutes he played Kyrie contributed to his injury. I think you guys could have run a better zone on the Bulls. He did out coach Bud I will give him that.

But all of this is a moot point. Y'all have to roll with Ty until the end of the season, for better or worse.

No disrespect to bud, but hes never coached prior to coaching the hawks. Hes was an assistant his whole career, except for coaching in denmark, which is one of the lowest levels of play in europe.
Of course he was pops assistant for years, but that alone wont make up for his lack of experience in big games

[JonFromVA]

If the Cavs management is serious about being champions they need to get Thom Thibs. immediately. Thom Thibs. is a proven top level NBA coach. He may not be the favorite of your players, but he will get them to play better.

Thibs is certainly an experienced coach, but he's never coached a team past the ECF, and his playoff record is 23-28. There's also a thought that the league has caught up and surpassed his defensive schemes and he may not have another answer.

For instance, his last Bulls' team finished with the 11th best defense in the league whereas the Cavs D improved rapidly the second half of last season and in to the playoffs. They've fallen back some since Lue took over, but they're still at 6th best in the league.

How much more D could Thibs squeeze out of them and how is he supposed to bring their offense to the next level that would compete with the Spurs/Warriors?

Not too many proven coaching geniuses out looking for jobs at the moment. Plus Steve Kerr's ascendance from the broadcast booth to NBA champion would seem to argue that being able to relate to the players and being able to identify important changes and achieve buy-in for those changes may be what matters most from a coach.

Lue's lack of experience certainly introduced uncertainty, but that doesn't look all bad compared to the certainty that Thibs will be stubborn, stick to what he knows, and will not find adjustments to elevate his team above a peer.

btw, asking LeBron to inbound the ball with 1.5 on the clock was tactically the right move. James is a great passer, has the height to see the court, and had been missing badly from deep. Yes, he knocked that deep fadeaway jumper down, but he was just beating the odds which would inevitably catch up with him later in the playoffs. It was a nice can't lose situation for James because if he missed, the game would have gone in to over-time, but it was not a high percentage shot.

[gflem]

If the Cavs management is serious about being champions they need to get Thom Thibs. immediately. Thom Thibs. is a proven top level NBA coach. He may not be the favorite of your players, but he will get them to play better.

Thibs is certainly an experienced coach, but he's never coached a team past the ECF, and his playoff record is 23-28. There's also a thought that the league has caught up and surpassed his defensive schemes and he may not have another answer.

For instance, his last Bulls' team finished with the 11th best defense in the league whereas the Cavs D improved rapidly the second half of last season and in to the playoffs. They've fallen back some since Lue took over, but they're still at 6th best in the league.

How much more D could Thibs squeeze out of them and how is he supposed to bring their offense to the next level that would compete with the Spurs/Warriors?

Not too many proven coaching geniuses out looking for jobs at the moment. Plus Steve Kerr's ascendance from the broadcast booth to NBA champion would seem to argue that being able to relate to the players and being able to identify important changes and achieve buy-in for those changes may be what matters most from a coach.

Lue's lack of experience certainly introduced uncertainty, but that doesn't look all bad compared to the certainty that Thibs will be stubborn, stick to what he knows, and will not find adjustments to elevate his team above a peer.

btw, asking LeBron to inbound the ball with 1.5 on the clock was tactically the right move. James is a great passer, has the height to see the court, and had been missing badly from deep. Yes, he knocked that deep fadeaway jumper down, but he was just beating the odds which would inevitably catch up with him later in the playoffs. It was a nice can't lose situation for James because if he missed, the game would have gone in to over-time, but it was not a high percentage shot.

Great post. With health in last years playoffs all of this would likely be moot though.

[kiwibrindle]

Thibs would have the same troubles as Blake. LBJ listens to no one. I love the cavs but I have said this before:

We will because of Lebron and

We loss because of Lebron

I doubt Lebron would listen to Pop

Blatt's only mistake was not standing up to LBJ early. I doubt it would have helped but there is a 0.01% chance that LBJ would have respected him, if he put his foot down and said this is my team and not yours.

Prediction: Lu will be gone at the end of the year too.

[kraytinprime]

Why would Lebron respect Thibs?

Thibs got destroyed by Lebron every year in the playoffs.

IMO, its better that Cleveland has a puppet head coach. Lebron really is the head coach and a guy like Thibs would only get in his way. Blatt tried to wrestle control from Lebron and look what happenned.

Lebron will only respect coaches that have TITLES. Thibs does not. Blatt does not.

I think the only coaches Lebron would respect would be Popovich, Phil Jackson, and Spolstra. And since none of those are available its better to have a puppet coach and allow Lebron to control the team.

[mbsnmisc]

Being a young team I wouldn't see that as a bad thing. LBJ's overall minutes speak for themselves, but as a whole the team is young and Lue is currently proving them to be out of shape for space and pace (they are getting there though).

Those first few games created arguments on the sidelines between LBJ, Kyrie and Lue when he decided to pull them. Kyrie for messing up mostly and Lebron due to fatigue.

I expected a proper hire and Tibbs looked to be the man for the job. The hiring of Lue was awfully quick. Perhaps the rumours of a white coach not being the answer to a Lebron led team are correct. I genuinely thought a grinding defensive minded coach was an obvious choice for a team that can score at will - even if it's ISO ball.

Those first few games of fast paced action at both ends of the floor didn't last long, though to be fair Love has been incredible since the change at both ends. He built himself for this kind of pace this season and it's paying off now that they run and gun.

Was this really a rumor floating around the team ?

[truth18]

Being a young team I wouldn't see that as a bad thing. LBJ's overall minutes speak for themselves, but as a whole the team is young and Lue is currently proving them to be out of shape for space and pace (they are getting there though).

Those first few games created arguments on the sidelines between LBJ, Kyrie and Lue when he decided to pull them. Kyrie for messing up mostly and Lebron due to fatigue.

I expected a proper hire and Tibbs looked to be the man for the job. The hiring of Lue was awfully quick. Perhaps the rumours of a white coach not being the answer to a Lebron led team are correct. I genuinely thought a grinding defensive minded coach was an obvious choice for a team that can score at will - even if it's ISO ball.

Those first few games of fast paced action at both ends of the floor didn't last long, though to be fair Love has been incredible since the change at both ends. He built himself for this kind of pace this season and it's paying off now that they run and gun.

Was this really a rumor floating around the team ?

I don't believe that at all honestly.

[McKenna]

I seen it get a run but wouldn't consider it 'news' by any stretch.

[Agnostifarian]

IMO, late March is not the best time for Lebron to muse about the players he'd rather play with than his current mates. It is a poor expression of leadership and demoralizing to Cleveland. Whose back does King James have? Unbridled arrogance.

[Leprechaun18]

I think the white coach thing is BS. Lebron played for Spoelstra. Lebron has been on championship teams and sees things being done differently now on his current team. The Cavs need to Ball Hard. They cannot be a bunch of guys just getting their stats and paychecks. If they want to win a title then they need to act like it. Thibs would have brought that intensity. I think T. Lue will eventually become a top notch coach, but hes not there yet.

If you Cavs are gonna win a championship then you better hurry, because the Nets are feeding my Celtics with lottery picks and they may soon become a dynasty.

[Sleepy51]

IMO, late March is not the best time for Lebron to muse about the players he'd rather play with than his current mates. It is a poor expression of leadership and demoralizing to Cleveland. Whose back does King James have? Unbridled arrogance.

According to Bomani Jones, the interview Beck quotes in his recently released article is not a recent interview. The interview lebron gave to Beck for this story, largely about the disparate paths lebron and melo's careers have taken since they became close friends in high school was apparently conducted around all star weekend, NOT in March. The article was just published now because it was a lengthy think piece that Beck has been putting together and crafting for some time, but the interview where lebron rattles off the friends he would love to play with before his career ends was given in the context of currently hanging out with and playing with those friends at the all star game.

[Agnostifarian]

IMO, late March is not the best time for Lebron to muse about the players he'd rather play with than his current mates. It is a poor expression of leadership and demoralizing to Cleveland. Whose back does King James have? Unbridled arrogance.

According to Bomani Jones, the interview Beck quotes in his recently released article is not a recent interview. The interview lebron gave to Beck for this story, largely about the disparate paths lebron and melo's careers have taken since they became close friends in high school was apparently conducted around all star weekend, NOT in March. The article was just published now because it was a lengthy think piece that Beck has been putting together and crafting for some time, but the interview where lebron rattles off the friends he would love to play with before his career ends was given in the context of currently hanging out with and playing with those friends at the all star game.

Late March, all star weekend... semantics. Unfollowing CLE is another example of petulant attention seeking. Let's see if The King can deliver for Ohio. It looks like he's paving the road for his departure. I wonder if he'll take Tristin Thompson and his $84 million contract with him?