Tag Archives: David Blatt

THE 2015-16 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS BY THE NUMBERS

THE CAVS BY THE NUMBERS 2015-16 REGULAR SEASON

TEAM

Cavs finished 57-25 to win the Central Division and the #1 seed in the East.

 

HEAD COACHES

David Blatt’s record as Cavs head coach was 30-11  (.732).

Tyronn Lue’s record as Cavs head coach was 27-14 (.659).

 

 THE BIG THREE 

Cavs “Big 3” combined to average 61.1ppg – 21.6rpg – 13.8apg – 7.5to/pg.

Cavs “Big 3” shot a combined 47.1%(fg) – 33.4%(3fg) – 79%(ft). 

 

THE PLAYERS

LeBron James lead the Cavs in total points (1,920), points per game (25.3), a team high (37) points in one game, assists per game (6.8), total assists (514), steals per game (1.4), total steals (104),  turnovers per game (3.3), total turnovers (249),  free throws made (359), free throws attempted (491), field goals made (737), field goals attempted (1,416) and minutes played (2,708:33).

 

Tristan Thompson led the Cavs in game started (82), field goal percentage (58.8%) and offensive rebounds (268).

 

Kevin Love and J.R. Smith tied for the Cavs team lead in games started with (77).

 

Kevin Love led the Cavs in rebounds per game (9.9), defensive rebounds (613) and total rebounds (762).

 

J.R. Smith led the Cavs in three point field goals made (204), three point field goals attempted (510) and personal fouls (204).

 

Mo Williams led the Cavs in free throw shooting (90.5%).

 

Matthew Dellavedova led the Cavs in three point shooting percentage (41%)

 

Timofey Mozgov led the Cavs in total blocked shots (57) and blocks per game (0.8).

  

*These were all based on a minimum of 41 games played*

CAVS RELEASE DAVID BLATT FROM HEAD COACHING DUTIES TYRONN LUE NAMED HEAD COACH

Cavs Press Release Logo

CLEVELAND, OH – Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today that David Blatt has been released from his duties as head coach. Associate Head Coach Tyronn Lue has been named Head Coach. The current Cavaliers assistant coaches and staff remain under contract and will continue working with the team.

“On behalf of the organization, I would like to thank David Blatt for his efforts and commitment to this franchise,” said Griffin. “He spent the last year and a half battling intense scrutiny, working to mold a very willful group and we all recognize that is not at all an easy task.”

“But with that said, when you have the clarity of purpose that our ownership has instilled in this entire organization, decisions often make themselves. Every decision made is an answer to the following question: does it put us in the best position to deliver Championships to Northeast, Ohio.”

“So, today, we are elevating Tyronn Lue, from his role as Associate Head Coach to Head Coach. I am more than confident that he will have the pulse of our team and the buy-in required to enhance the habits and culture that will foster the kind of identity and results we must have.”

Blatt was named the 19th head coach in  Cavaliers history on June 20, 2014. During his one and half seasons as head coach, Blatt compiled a regular season record of 83-40 and a 14-6 mark in last year’s playoffs.

“Over the course of my business career I have learned that sometimes the hardest thing to do is also the right thing to do,” said Dan Gilbert, Majority Owner of the Cavaliers. “Our ownership group supports David Griffin’s decision.  We would like to thank David Blatt for his work over these past two seasons where the Cavaliers transformed into a playoff team after a rebuilding phase.  We believe Tyronn Lue is the right coach at the right time to put us in the best position to take the last but most challenging step to complete our mission to deliver Cleveland an NBA Championship.”

Lue is in his second season with the Cavs after being hired as the associate head coach in June 2014. He was previously an assistant coach on Doc Rivers’ staff with the Los Angeles Clippers, who captured the Pacific Division title with a 57-25 record in 2013-14. Prior to the Clippers, Lue spent four seasons as a member of Rivers’ Boston Celtics staff, the last two as an assistant coach. He began his time in Boston as the Director of Basketball Development in 2009-10.

Originally drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 23rd overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, Lue played 11 seasons in the NBA, appearing in 554 career games with the Lakers, Washington, Orlando, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas and Milwaukee. The former University of Nebraska star won NBA Championships in 2000 and 2001 with the Lakers.

 

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CAVS POSTAGAME INTERVIEWS FOLLOWING 132-98 LOSS AT HOME TO THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIRORS

Cavs head coach DAVID BLATT accepts the blame for the lopsided loss to the Warriors:

 

LeBRON JAMES says they just got their butts kicked by the Champs:

 

Cavs point guard KYRIE IRVING on the 34 point loss to Golden State:

 

KEVIN LOVE has no answers to what went wrong in the blowout loss to the Warriors:

DAVID BLATT POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE NBA FINALS GAME 6

Here’s what Cavs head coach David Blatt had to say following his team’s season ending loss in Game #6 of the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors 105-97.

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David Blatt Photo Postgame Presser Game 6 NBA Finals

KENNY’S KEYS TO A GAME #6 WIN FOR THE CAVS

AGGRESSIVE, ATTACKING LEBRON – While he didn’t get the calls in Game #5 at Golden State, LeBron needs to go to the basket strong and frequently because it’s his best offensive weapon and it will put the onus on the officials to make calls if there is any contact. I expect “King James” to shoot no less than 14 free throws in this Game #6 if he attacks the rim.

 

POUND THE BOARDS – The Cavs lost the battle of the boards in Game #5 overall and at the offensive end, that can’t happen again in this series starting with tonight’s Game #6. Even if David Blatt decides to go small again, the Cavaliers as a unit must find a way to hold the Warriors to one shot, while at the other end create second and third chance opportunities on offense.

 

GET PHYSICAL WITH STEPH AND THE WARRIORS – Curry went for 37 in Game #5, if he does that again the Cavs season will end tonight and the Warriors will be NBA Champs. Overall the Cavs must make Golden State feel them from the opening tip to the final whistle. If that means take a few hard fouls and also grab, bump and knock Steph Curry around, then do it. Don’t let him get comfortable. I would also mix in a little zone when trying to play maybe Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov together, putting Lebron, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert on the perimeter and force the Warriors to go inside. Use this to try and catch Golden State by surprise and it may buy you a few minutes so you can play your “Bigs” together.

 

CONTROL THE TEMPO – This series has been all about the pace of the game. When Golden State has scored 100 or more points in the NBA Finals, they are (3-0). When the Cavs have held the Warriors under 100 points, Cleveland is (2-0). A slowdown, slugfest favors Cleveland. An up and down the court, track meet style game benefits the Warriors.

 

A SUPPORTING CAST – LeBron is doing it all and that’s still not enough. He needs a consistent second and third scorer if the Cavs are to force a Game #7 and have a chance to win the title. That means J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert must step their games up on the offensive end and provide at least 35 points between the two of them for the Cavs to have any chance. I expect LeBron to score between 35 and 45 points tonight, but without help from “The Others”, it won’t matter and the season will come to an end.

 

 

PREDICTION:

With the TV ratings at an all-time high, you know the NBA office wants a Game #7 that would feature Steph Curry and LeBron James. With that in mind and this game being played in Cleveland, I expect the Cavs to get more calls tonight giving them a chance to win Game #6, but it will come down to LeBron and “The Others” making shots and free throws. In a game in the 90’s, I expect the LeBron and the Cavs to find a way to win and force a Game #7 Friday at Golden State by defeating the Warriors tonight 95-91 at The Q!

DAVID BLATT AFTER PRACTICE PRESS CONFERENCE 5-31-15 ON FACING THE WARRIORS INT HE NBA FINALS

Hear what Cavs head coach David Blatt had to say about the latest on Kyrie Irving’s injuries, being the underdogs vs the Warriors, his biggest challenge as a coach in the NBA Finals and more.

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David Blatt After Practice Photo 5-31-15

CAVS KEYS AND CONCERNS HEADING INTO GAME #2 vs THE HAWKS IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

KYRIE’S LEFT KNEE – Will he be able to play, and if so, how effective can he be? Is what he gave you in Game #1 vs Atlanta (10pts-6ast on 4-10fg) what we should expect from this version of Kyrie Irving? Or can the ALL-NBA 3rd team point guard adjust his game to where it’s not an attack the rim game, but more of a pull-up and catch and shoot game? We’ll see.

 

HOW’S SHUMP JUMP? – Iman Shumpert seemed to re-aggravate his groin injury in the second half of Game #1 which hampered his jumping and lateral movement. His defense was outstanding, but his offense suffered as he scored just 4 points on 1-7 shooting. Just like Irving, because of the injury, does he have to adjust his game, and if so how effective will he be at both ends of the floor?

 

BENCH BUNCH BE BETTER – J.R. Smith was phenomenal in Game #1 with 28 points, but the rest of the Cavs bench scored as many points as I did….ZERO!  There has to be more consistency than that. Yes James Jones has had one good game in these playoffs with 17 points and Matthew Dellavedova dropped 19 on the Bulls in Game #6 last series, but both of those players have been inconsistent on offense. That has to change, especially with the injury to Kyrie Irving and the fact that both players could be playing more minutes than originally expected.

 

SHARPER EDGE – Whether LeBron wanted to admit it publically or not, the Cavaliers were the underdog heading into Game #1 in Atlanta. Vegas had the Hawks as 1 point favorites. Whenever you’re the dog going into a game, you tend to play with a little more edge and with a chip on your shoulder to prove people wrong and the Cavs did just that in the first contest of the Eastern Conference Finals. But how does David Blatt’s squad keep that edge in Game #2? It’s human nature to come into the next game less focused because of a 1-0 series lead, you stole home court advantage and the Hawks best defender in DeMarre Carroll may or may not play in Game #2. What does “King James” do to make sure that he and his teammates play with the same intensity and focusness (Jim Thome term) that they did in Game #1 and not just be satisfied with splitting in Atlanta? Are the Cavs mentally tough enough where complacency won’t set in? Again, like with Kyrie and Iman’s injuries, we’ll see.

 

DEATH TO THE STANKY LEG OFFENSE – As great as LeBron James was when he was attacking the basket in the second quarter of Game #1, scoring 14 points on 7 of 9 shooting, he was that horrible in the fourth quarter playing iso-ball or as I like to call it running the “Stanky Leg” offense. He got cocky when DeMarre Carroll went out with an injury and Paul Milsap had to try and guard him. Instead of playing through the game plan that helped build an 18 point fourth quarter lead, LBJ started playing the scoreboard and the offense came to a screeching halt that almost cost them the game. James admitted that it indeed was his fault after the game, that it was on him, and that it can’t happen again. That’s great that he recognized that and admitted it, but will it actually change? He’s been doing this for years. It’s one of his few bad habits that he seems to fall back into. The “Stanky Leg” has to disappear if the Cavs want to not only win this series against Atlanta, but also have a chance to win the NBA Championship!

DAVID BLATT POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE – GAME 5 vs BULLS

Cavs head coach David Blatt answering questions following his team’s 106-101 win over the Bulls in Game #5 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

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David Blatt Postgame Photo vs Bulls Game 1  -  5-4-15

KENNY’S KEYS TO A CAVS WIN IN GAME #5

LEBRON 30 FOR 30 – With how hampered this team is with injuries, and even though LeBron James is playing with a sore left ankle, “The King” needs to find a way to get the Cavaliers about 30 points per game even if it means taking 30 shots per game over the next two or three games in order for the Cavs to win this series against the Bulls and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

 

DON’T FALL BLATT ON YOUR FACE – Tyronn Lue and LeBron James bailed out the Cavaliers first year head coach in Game #4. Lue with a better tackle than most Browns players made last year on Blatt so he wouldn’t get a technical for calling a time out he didn’t have, and James for telling Blatt to stick his original out of bounds play call where the sun don’t shine and demanding the ball and then delivering the game winning shot. In my opinion, Blatt has failed miserably in Games #1 and #4 in this series and the Cavs are lucky to be tied 2-2 with the Bulls. He has to do a better job of managing the game with time outs, player substitutions, play calls and having a feel for the game. He has to flat out coach better and not have a relapse of what happened in Games #1 and #4.

 

FIND A SECOND SCORING OPTION – With Kevin Love out for the playoffs and while Kyrie Irving is playing, he’s suffering from two big time injuries that have limited him, so the Cavs need someone to step up and be that #2 scorer. For three games it was Iman Shumpert who filled the void, averaging over 18 points per game, but he ended up suffering an injury in this series and is also playing hurt and it has affected his ability to score. So now it’s time for either J.R. Smith or Timofey Mozgov to rise to the occasion and become the second offensive weapon the Cavaliers need in the remaining two or three games is series.

 

GET TO THE FREE THROW LINE – Cleveland is struggling on offense right now, so the Cavs have to be the aggressor, attack the rim, and force the officials, as horrible as they’ve been, to have to make a call. This way you get a chance at two uncontested shots to put points on the board. Also the more aggressive you are, the better chance you have of getting into the bonus early and that could be a major plus, since as a team the Cavaliers are shooting 86% from the charity stripe in this series so far.

 

BOARD DOMINATION – This one is real simple. Led by LeBron, Tristan Thompson, Timofey Mozgov and whoever else, the Cavaliers must dominate the boards and win the offensive and defensive rebounding battle the rest of this series. They must limit the Bulls second chance opportunities and create as many second chance opportunities for themselves to score easy buckets.

 

VALUE THE BALL – While the entire team must focus on this stat, it is imperative that LeBron James take it to heart and cut his turnovers per game in this series in half. LBJ is averaging nearly 6 turnovers per contest against the Bulls. That number has to come down to 3 or maybe 4 at the most.  James needs to protect the ball better when Jimmy Butler is up on him defensively and not make so many lazy passes.

 

DEFENSE – Another simple one, but it is “Mucho Importante”!  With how bad the Cavs offense has been, the reason they are tied 2-2 in this series with the Bulls is because of their defense. The Bulls are not a good shooting team and the more pressure you apply on the defensive end, the worse they become at trying to put the ball in the basket. So ratchet up your defense in Games # 5,# 6 and if necessary Game #7, and you’re your chances of winning that game, and the series increase dramatically.

 

SHOT SELECTION – The Cavs are shooting far too many 3’s in this series. I know all season they have been a team that feasts on the 3-pointer, but against a good defensive team like the Bulls who are trying to take away that shot, or at least challenge every one of them, you might want to try and dial it back a bit. The Cavs are shooting 28 treys a game, but only making 34% of them and LeBron’s percentage is at a season low 10% from 3-point country. Attack the basket more and get fouled, and to my earlier point, take advantage of scoring points at the free throw line where you are shooting 86% as a team and LeBron is hitting 85% of his freebies.

 

 

PODCAST – GAME #3 – BULLS 99 CAVALIERS 96

My thoughts on the Cavaliers 99-96 loss to the Bulls in Game #3 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in Chicago.

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Tristan Thompson Reaction Shot Game 3 vs Bulls