David Blatt wants another crack at coaching in the NBA. Fortunately for him, the New York Knicks have an opening and might maybe, just possibility, be willing to give him a shot.
And it’s a shot he oh-so-desperately wants:
David Blatt talked to Israeli newspaper Haaretz. He was asked if his relationship w/ Steve Mills played role in getting an interview, & talked about NBA return.
"I want to try to return to the NBA, because I feel like I hadn't realized my potential there."https://t.co/PHmdk5O4fT pic.twitter.com/Q85EMhjsSo— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) April 20, 2018
Some people will immediately respond with the question of whether Blatt deserves another shot in the NBA. My answer: This isn’t another question. He deserves another chance.
Maybe that shot won’t come with the Knicks. That’s fine. It doesn’t need to. But we cannot sit here and pretend his stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers informs us of his coach’s ceiling. The team he took over was not the team he was hired to coach. LeBron James returned to Cleveland and accelerated the franchise’s timeline, which in turn prompted an overhaul of its roster.
Instead of the free-flowing, movement-heavy, read-and-react system he intended to install. Blatt was left to work around LeBron’s ball-dominant strengths. Indeed, adaptation is part and parcel of coaching in the NBA. You adjust to your personnel. End of story. But, again, Blatt was hired to guide a rebuilding squad from the ground up, not to play babysitter for a veteran-heavy faction that revolved around the talents of one player. He and LeBron just weren’t a good fit. It’s as simple as that.
Blatt’s demeanor with the media was a different story. He was clearly dead set on proving he wasn’t just another rookie head coach. That no doubt grated on those inside and outside the Cavaliers organization. But things could be different for another team. They could be differently simply because Blatt understands what he’s up against. Either way, while his time with the Cavaliers ended fewer than two years before it started, he should be considered a legitimate option for the handful of teams int he market for a new head honcho.
