Poor David Blatt, he never really had a chance. Hard to believe that a sophomore coach, with the best record in his conference and a likely Finals participant, coming off of a Finals appearance in his rookie season, just got fired before the All Star break. Yet, such is the case. If we are to take Lebron at his word, he was not consulted on the decision and he has never actually vocalized his perceived displeasure with his former head coach. However, the writing was on the wall and it read, “I hate David Blatt!” signed Lebron James, 2016. Body language alone was more than enough of an indicator as to the King of Cleveland’s obvious indignation.
Blatt was the right man for the wrong job. He was originally brought in to shepherd a team of young up=and-comers as they blossomed into an eventual team, chock full of delightful exuberance. Once they learned to understand and love their changing bodies and abilities, they would set out to sow their wild oats. Didn’t happen. In 2014 Lebron realized his then Miami Heat teammates, were not up to the task of taking on powerhouse teams like the Spurs at their advanced ages and declining talents. His return to the Cavaliers as Cleveland’s prodigal son was a convenient facade. The story made sense as it was spun. Lebron had studied overseas and learned what it took to be a champion, having received his education, he was fit to return home and bestow the benefits upon his fellow Ohioans. Force a trade here, a max contract there and Lebron was given his team. But all while this was transpiring, there was another course of events taking place in another conference, on another team. The Warriors were forged in the crucible that is the Western Conference, emerging their greatest combatant. Sadly for Lebron, Cleveland’s championship was not to be. A season later, that hasn’t changed.
Yes the Cavaliers are an almost lock to escape the Eastern Conference relatively unscathed. Likely attempting, yet again, to best their Western foe. Predictions in play, they will also probably lose again. The Spurs and the Warriors are that good and they recently showed it by besting the Cavs, the latter in humiliating fashion. Lebron is unquestionably in win-now mode, he is in his thirteenth season and reaching the point of his career when the downslope is within sight. He is indeed past his prime, but remains the second best player in the league, behind Mr. Curry. That is not to say that he is no longer a devastating basketball weapon, anything but, yet the clock continues to tick, as it has done for so many before him. Unwilling to wait and see if his head coach could put it all together and lead them to the promised land, Lebron assuredly made his feelings known in private. He may not have been consulted, but his gigantic fingerprints are all over this.
All time great though he may be, Lebron James has never been a bastion of loyalty and rarely leaves gracefully. Regret is cast aside as are the decimated corpses of the franchises he has left in the lurch, when he and his talents depart for brighter horizons. Cap space and personnel decisions be damned, Lebron rightfully believes his current team is of championship caliber and this, not an opportunity to waste. David Blatt was but a vilified roadblock in the superstar’s eyes and he paid with his employment. On the court Lebron is a coach’s dream come true, on the sideline and in the locker room, not so much. Undermined and undercut, Blatt was a marked man from day one. Cavlier’s owner Dan GIlbert, both financially and emotionally, is fully invested in his current team. He has shown that he will support Lebron and his demands. One wonders though, there simply must be that evil little spark lurking in the shadows of the billionaire’s brain, he’s done it to me before, would he do it again?
Over the cap, overpaid players with difficult salaries to move via trade, leaves the Cavs with little room for upward change. The team is what it is and it doesn’t appear to be better than the top two, maybe three teams in the west. When Lebron signed his new deal, he opted for a shorter term contract. He did so to allow himself the ability to sign a larger, longer deal when the salary cap rises next year. What that boils down to is, he has a player option for next year and could theoretically leave after this season. What if he did it? Admittedly its difficult to imagine, but when Lebron leaves there is little regard for those left behind. He scorches the earth and salts the land, hopefully for Gilbert and the Cavs, Blatt wasn’t the first of many victims.
