“We went through an awful lot of growing pains this year, and the process was long and arduous until we sort of found our stride and got our roster to where we wanted to,” Cavs head coach David Blatt said.
With sky-high expectations placed upon them, the Cavs started the season scurrying on the NBA floor. Cleveland …show more content…
Will Kevin Love be a Cavalier next season? He’s only stated that he wants to be in Cleveland for the foreseeable future. Will Dellavedova and Shumpert, who are restricted free agents, be back with the team next season? Will J.R. Smith wear wine and gold six months from now? Can the Cavs pay Thompson and Love big money? And one of the most highly speculated topics — Will Blatt be back as head coach next season?
Blatt was asked if he intended on being the Cavs’ head coach next season. He succinctly answered, “Absolutely”.
It’s hard to imagine a head coach whose team advanced to the NBA Finals, missing two of its top three players, could be fired. However, Blatt has been scrutinized throughout the 2014-15 season. Blatt infamously nearly called a timeout in the Cavs’ second-round series with the Chicago Bulls that could have cost them a game or even the series, and his relationship with LeBron James has been thought-provoking to say the least. Through it all, Blatt has taken the criticism in stride.
“I think it’s a special thing to have the opportunity to work with LeBron on a daily basis,” Blatt said. “People sometimes judge things on a game or a period of time, and they forget that we’re in there working together and striving to make the upmost of our team and of our situation day to day. A bond develops over time that is a lot more than what meets …show more content…
“For me, it’s always been about finding ways to help him reach his goals, which is exactly what we want here in the team and the organization. We want to be a championship team.
“The most important thing for me in working with LeBron and working with all the players is finding out what works, what helps them, what makes them tick, what gives them the kind of confidence and the kind of direction and the kind of partnership that’s needed to make this a successful team.”
With the win over Cleveland in the NBA Finals, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr became the first rookie head coach to lead his team to an NBA championship since Pat Riley accomplished the feat with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982. Blatt was two wins away from claiming that distinction for himself, which is remarkable considering the circumstances he stepped into.
“This was a very new kind of thing for me,” Blatt said. “I’ve never shied away from saying that. I went through a pretty radical learning curve in a very very highly charged