Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt eventually wants to become a diplomat, but first he’d like another shot at the NBA, writes Allon Sinai of The Jerusalem Post.
Blatt got just a season and a half in Cleveland, guiding the Cavs to a 53-29 record in 2014/15, then a 30-11 mark before being fired in January of the following season. Tyronn Lue took his place and led the Cavaliers to their first NBA title.
Blatt spent last season as the coach of Darussafaka in the Turkish Super League, leading the team to the Euroleague quarterfinals and Turkish league semifinals. The Israel native recently committed to the team for another season, turning down a three-year offer from Maccabi Tel Aviv because he envisions an NBA return before that contract would expire.
“I have an end game and that end game is that I would really like to go back to the NBA,” Blatt said. “There were no changes in the NBA this year from a coaching standpoint and my real goal is to try next year to get back into the league as a head coach. It may happen and it may not happen. But I wanted to leave that door open for myself if the opportunity arises.”
Blatt got close a year ago, finishing among the final candidates for openings with the Knicks, Rockets and Kings. However, all three teams went in other directions, leaving Blatt’s NBA return on hold.
“Sometimes you can be right there and at the last moment you don’t get it and that’s life,” he said. “That is the realistic and competitive environment of trying to get a job of that nature. There is no guarantee.”
Lmao I forgot this guy existed
The NBA remains confident in their decision to keep him as an assistant or over seas
The dude is a good coach and deserves another shot.
hard to say if he’s a good coach or not. With LBJ and the talent they have you don’t have to be a genius to win. Where I definitely think he needs to work on is commanding an NBA team filled with egos, especially in the day an age where a team needs 2 or 3 stars to compete. He also needs to work on the way he uses his bench. It’s no coincidence the team flourished better under Lue. If I were him I would gladly accept a job as an assistant coach hopefully one a decent team. Learn the NBA coaching lifestyle from the bottom up.
I personally know somebody on the cavs and he told me blatt had a bloody nose in the finals because he was so nervous and he would sometimes mistakenly draw a play with 6 players. Maybe he is a good coach, but he was definitely not ready for a championship caliber team.