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Soon after posting my article on the Cleveland Cavaliers – playing without both Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving – and their stunning Game 2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks last Friday, a tweet was sent my way with some feedback. Why, said user asked after reading all of the reasons why the Cavs’ blowout win was such a surprise, was there no mention of coach David Blatt?
Now, to be fair, I’ve noted the credit Blatt deserves a few times in the past couple months. At the same time, the point wasn’t wrong. Why would high praise be doled out to everyone in a short-handed, but dominating win except for the team’s head coach?
If you Google his name, you’ll note the kudos for Blatt remains few and far between, even as his team prepares for what could be a sweep victory in the Eastern Conference Finals. He’s guided Cleveland through the rigors of the NBA Playoffs — his first, by the way — and has them on the brink of the franchise’s second ever Finals appearance. He’s done so without Love for all but four games. He’s done so facing the top team in the east despite Irving only logging minutes in one game.
Despite all of this, nobody seems to be rushing to give Blatt any legit credit. In his first season in the league, he and his team only need five more wins to bring home a title. Yet, you’d never know he had the slightest impact in any of it.
Why? Where is the deserved acclaim? What does Blatt, who appears to be on the verge of heading to the Finals, have to do to get any sort of credit?
I wish I knew the answer. I also wish I knew why it’s so much easier to pile on Blatt when he’s doing something wrong as opposed to praising him when things are going right.
Seriously, how much vitriol was being thrown Blatt’s way after the Cavs’ Game 4 victory against the Chicago Bulls last round? His team won, yet the critiques were coming in by the second towards Blatt. As we know, he committed the one-two punch of almost calling a timeout he didn’t have in the dying minute of the contest, then tried to draw up a game-winning play which featured LeBron James inexplicably taking the ball out of bounds.
Did he deserve some heat for this? Of course. Had he been caught calling the timeout, you struggle to believe Cleveland ends up winning the game. You also struggle to believe Blatt keeps his job if such a blunder would’ve helped end the Cavs’ season.
But, neither gaffe resulted in Cleveland losing the game or the series. In fact, the Cavs haven’t lost a game since Game 3 in Chicago. And yet, while critics everywhere threw out their “Blatt’s an idiot” takes after almost blowing a game, nobody wants to praise the coach for guiding his roster of walking wounded to the brink of the Finals.
It’s a shame, really, that Blatt can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to getting credit. He was presented three star players to work with at season’s open, only one of which has put in significant time during the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite this, his team has outplayed the top-seeded Hawks from the get-go.
Again, though, you’d hardly think Blatt had anything to do with Cleveland’s success these days. It’s essentially been the storyline with him since the season kicked off. When the Cavs struggled, it was because of Blatt. When they excelled, it was in spite of him. This is how life was for Blatt in the regular season, and it pretty much feels like it’s the same case in the playoffs.
Yes, James deserves credit, as do key role players like J.R. Smith, Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson. There are multiple factors which have helped put the Cavs where they find themselves today, one win away from the final round. To pretend Blatt isn’t one of them, while also very quickly blaming him if things go wrong, is thoughtlessness defined.
It all brings me back to the initial question. What does Blatt have to do to get the credit he deserves? A trip to the Finals? A championship?
Who knows. I’d hardly be surprised if Cleveland were to win a title without Blatt getting any props for it. You can ignore it all you want, you can claim James is calling all the shots.
Just know, though, Blatt is a big reason why the Cavs are succeeding right now. Maybe one day he’ll actually start getting praise for such a thing.
Casey Drottar is the Cleveland Beat Writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter or “Like” him on Facebook
