David Blatt Cleveland Cavaliers Offense
David Blatt might be new to the NBA but he is no stranger to winning. According to a recent article on Grantland, in 21 years as a Head Coach in the professional ranks Blatt has won 17 championships. Everyone knows in order to win championships at any level you need good players, and Blatt has hit the jackpot during his first year coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers. Blatt hopes that his winning pedigree will help bring immediate credibility and success during his first go-round in the NBA.
The most talked about question surrounding David Blatt and his adjustment to the NBA seems to be the type of offense he will run with the Cleveland Cavaliers and his trio of superstars; LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Blatt is a Princeton graduate and a Pete Carrill disciple of the “Princeton Offense.” However, he doesn’t pigeonhole himself into running a specific offense and actually derives most of his principles from a variety of different offensive concepts.
An NBA offense will undoubtably evolve throughout the season and we can expect the same from the Cleveland Cavaliers. During their first preseason exhibition the other day against NBA competition Blatt’s offense featured a variety of different concepts. The Cavalier’s offense was heavy in NBA concepts such as ball screens and changing sides of the floor multiple times in a possession, college concepts such as roll-and-replace actions and of course there was Princeton concepts with backdoor cuts and handoffs.
Of course any offense featuring LeBron James is going to be near the top of the offensive efficiency ratings in the NBA. LeBron combines such a unique blend of passing, attacking the rim and the transition opportunities he creates lead to make easy baskets for himself and teammates. Over the past 7 seasons of his career dating back to his first stint with Cleveland, LeBron’s Field Goal Percentage has increased every season. This is not only a testament to his incredible skill set but his desire to learn and improve his understanding of the intricate offenses he plays in.
While it is impossible to say whether David Blatt will win a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers, I can say without a doubt that they will be an exceptional offensive team and one of the most entertaining teams in all the NBA.
Coach Zall also has experience as an AAU Head Coach for the Boston Warriors. As Head Coach for the Warriors his team won the 2011 16U State Title and twice competed in AAU Nationals down in Orlando, FL. On top of being a student at Northeastern University, Zall was named Head Coach of the Men’s Club Basketball team for the 2012-13 season. During his lone season as Head Coach, Northeastern finished second in the Northeast Regional Tournament featuring colleges from throughout the East Coast. Coach Zall has also spent time as a Head Coach in the Bay State Games where his team won the Bronze Medal in 2012 and at various camps including: Five Star, Boston Celtics, NIKE, Franklin Pierce University, Hoop Group and The Elite 75.
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