Warriors’ depth, health will let them hoist NBA trophy
You have never heard of Jim Stamos, which is why his nickname is “Famous.” He is a statistician, and he has worked with every NBA playby-play guy in the business.
His job is to hand little notes to the announcers, notes that say things like, “Carmelo Anthony’s shot-topass ratio is 14-1 so far in the fourth quarter,” and “DeAndre Jordan has missed 147 of his past 215 free throws.” There are precious few sports geeks who can actually make a living at this. Stamos has, for decades.
I was laboring to break down a 1993 first-round playoff series between the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets, and Stamos offered a helpful tip: Lay the rosters side-byside, weigh head-to-head matchups 10 deep, give a check mark to each player who has an advantage. Then, count up the check marks on either side.
Do not be so quick to say,
Michael Arace
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references to “my team” in his comments, it is Blatt who has coached the Cavaliers to seven straight wins, a 12-2 playoff record and the team’s first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2007.
Blatt inherited a 33-win team that added James and overhauled its roster in January with two trades. He has the Cavs winning despite a season-ending shoulder injury to Kevin Love and foot and knee problems dogging point guard Kyrie Irving.
Does Blatt, who spent the previous 22 years coaching in Europe, deserve more credit for the Cavs winning the Eastern Conference and being in Game 1 on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif.?
“I don’t think he cares about that,” said James, a four-time MVP. “It doesn’t really matter. Getting credit from other people, who cares? It’s all about how we credit each other.”
Blatt received a public vote of confidence from general manager David Griffin when the team stood 19-20 in January, but he doesn’t feel somehow justified now that has the franchise four wins away from its first championship.
“I told somebody recently I’m not a vindictive person, so I don’t feel the need for vindication in any way,” Blatt said.
Yet the perception persists that Blatt, a Massachusetts native who played for Pete Carril at Princeton, is nothing more than a caddy for James.
“A lot of people are going to say things that don’t mean much, but that’s what they have to do,” James said. “It helps sell (in the media). People love the negative things more than the positive things. I think he’s handled his situation unbelievably, being a rookie coach in the NBA and being able to take his team to the Finals. He’s done a hell of a job.”
Blatt, 56, isn’t fond of the term “rookie coach” because he spent more than two decades coaching in Israel, Greece, Turkey, Italy and Russia before taking the Cleveland job last June.
Blatt posted a record of 225-55 the previous four seasons with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, where his wife and four children still live. Last year, he led that team to the Euroleague title in an upset of Real Madrid.
That championship persuaded Blatt, whose resume includes coaching the Russian national team to a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics, to consider jumping to the NBA for a new challenge.
“The best things for me about coming to Cleveland have been the people who have embraced me and been so generous and so warm,” Blatt said.
Blatt, who speaks four languages, must not have listened very long to the screeching criticism aimed at him for two controversial moments in Game 4 of the conference semifinals against Chicago.
Late in that game, Blatt tried to call a timeout the Cavs didn’t have, and then he was overruled by James on a play call that resulted in the star’s game-winning jumper. Victory brought only criticism to the coach, which he shrugged off.
“It is just part of the drama,” Blatt said the next day.
His unshakeable demeanor has been noticed by those who count the most — his players.
“Coach Blatt has just stayed even-keeled, which I appreciate from him,” Irving said. “When he first came in he was an amazing player coach already. He’s been able to listen and be receptive to what the players are saying and go out and make changes.”
Irving said the Cavs respect Blatt. Outsiders don’t seem to hear it.