Blatt's issues weren't only with LeBron it was the whole team. Listen, I think the man is a good coach he has a decorated coaching career but I don't know if he's a fit for the NBA. He appears stoic and like the type of coach the players will bump heads with like Hornacek.
Blatt went big against Golden State which was a good adjustment he made. They controlled the boards and slowed the tempo, Delly played some of the best defense on Steph in those first few games to the point of dehydration, LeBron was running that show he put up god level numbers and with Kyrie and Love out took on a ridiculous workload, that's why his efficiency was poor no player would shoot efficiently given the circumstances. I agree the Cavs would be better with Blatt over Lue. Blatt is a better coach than Lue, but Lue is a better communicator and locker room presence. For a Knicks hire we need a strong personality and a coach who can instill culture and trust. I can easily see KP hating Blatt.
He never had a chance with that lockerroom though. It's not just Lebron being unhappy from jump, management killed any influence too by forcing Blatt to bring on Lue as second in command to appease Lebron. From jump the team basically had co-coaches and Bron's choice was clear before anyone took the floor. Blatt had Lebron actively refusing to run his offense, management made it clear they were going to side with Lebron (it's the right decision mind you but needs to be noted) and the second and third best players on that team got hurt during the playoffs. Management took away Blatt's voice from the jump, but looking more deeply into his career you can see that dude is noted for player accountability and development throughout his career. That wouldn't just vanish because he's dealing with American players (he's from Boston). The communication stuff is seriously overstated is all I'm saying.
- The other benefits though...Blatt might not get his due here, but overseas he is one of the most decorated coaches ever. That might not matter to every player but KP and Frank grew up in that environment and a few years wouldn't take away their understanding that Blatt should be respected, and he'll have insights about euro-player mentalities as well.
- Young players in general respond better to a Blatt type than old dogs which is probably why he was originally picked (pre-Bron return).
- The whole "Blatt is friends with Perry and Mills" thing isn't all negative either. Bud is a top coach in the league but beef with management meant he walked. Management left Hornacek alone, so I don't see why anyone would expect them to interfere with their boy's approach when they even gave leeway to a guy they didn't bring in. Getting cohesion from top to bottom should be a goal and while this ain't my preferred way to get there; we're lucky enough that Blatt is the buddy instead of a Mark Jackson politics guy.
I still prefer Bud or Stackhouse. But Blatt and Fiz are on the same level to me, they got results but got dropped over beef with a star. Both guys are quality coaches though and deserve second shots in situations where they can instill their values without a star player challenging them out of the gate.
Blatt runs a Princeton offense I believe.
Yeah, I'd expect some variation of a motion offense.