The Cleveland Cavaliers have fired David Blatt

 The Cleveland Cavaliers have fired David Blatt.

Doesn't makes much sense, does it ? 

At the beginning I doubted this news item from Yahoo. 

But then they accumulated. 

ESPN and SBNATION repeated the story. 

Then came the news of a coming news conference by David Griffin 

And then David Blatt confirmed the news with a very gentlemanly message. 

You couldn't argue with it anymore. 

Just try to make some sense out of it all. 

Why do you fire a coach who - 

• has brought you to the finals last year (and despite losing 2 of the teams 3 stars to injuries, was able to squeeze a 4:2 drama in that series ) ... The only parallel I can recall in the last years is Byron Scott and the New Jersey Nets, but he was fired after two lost finals, and during a rather disappointing third year. 
• has handled a talent loaded team with Lebron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, and was able to orchestrate Irving's come back in a way that brought the young star back to the highest performance level without glitches ? 
• jas brought the cavs this year to a 30 wins and 11 losses balance ?  they are a .732 team! they are leading the Central division and the East. Not to mention that in the year and a half as head coach, blatt lead the team to a .675 percentage and that in this respect he is the best coach in the history of the Cleveland Cavaliers.... 

Some say it is because of the recent losses to Golden State and San Antonio. 

I say: OK. Let's say you reached the conclusion that your team can't beat the Spurs or the Warriors. That you head coach just can't outsmart Kerr or Popovich. 

What do you do then ? 

I would go and bring the best coach that I could. 

Bringing Assistant coach Tyron Lue, someone who was already donating his basketball smarts,  seems like a hysterical move of desperation. That final attempt before admitting that you just don't have what it takes.... 

Giving a 3 year contract to Tyron Lue is the key to guessing the behind-the-scenes calculations of this decision. I suspect that it also indicates deep involvement of a certain superstar in this decision. 

What is quite clear at this time is that Lue agreed to this knowing, just like any one of us, that his only way to retain the job past this summer, is to reach at least as high as David Blatt did last year. 

Do you seriously think that Tyron Lue is going to do that or better ? 

I don't. 

But someone definitely did. 

Looking for that someone, it is hard not to reach the conclusion that Lebron James has had enough. 

When you look at this story, the bits fall into place too quickly. 

The decisive clue is simple. the ESPN report quotes: "LeBron James was not consulted before the Cavaliers made the move to dismiss Blatt and was informed of the decision Friday, sources told Windhorst." 

Why make such a clarification so quickly ? When do people who haven't been accused deny blame? Is someone's pants on fire ? 

It is impossible to believe that Cleveland's management would make such a call without consulting their Superstar. 

Things sound too much like that time in the history of the Lakers, when Paul Westhead was fired  and assitant coach Pat Riley got the job instead, with the rumored magical involvement of a certain superstar.  

Back then, the stated reason was style of play. 

Is it the reason this year ? according to reports all through the last one and a half years, Blatt altered the style of play to fit it to his players and gave his superstar everything he had asked for. People who know Blatt's coaching style saw surprised flexibility regarding his superstar. 

It probably wasn't enough. Now it is going to be Tyron Lue's formidable task of coaching Lebron James. 

But how will the other teammates respond to this change ? 

I for one, don't think that this mid-season change will turn out as a smart move for the Cavs. Time will tell if I will be the one eating my hat, or the Cavs GM, David Griffin... but my prophecy is that by making this decision, management has given up this team's last chance of winning a championship with the current roster. 

What about Blatt? 

He is most probably thinking again about his choice not to join Golden State as assistant coach to Steve Kerr. Isn't it symbolic that just now, that Kerr is healthy and getting back to the coach's stand Blatt is thrown away from his own stand ? 

But we shouldn't worry about him too much. considering his performance in the last year and a half, it is very reasonable to assume that he is going to get a few good offers. 

All that is left is to wait for that interesting first meeting between another Blatt led NBA team and the Cleveland Cavaliers... Wouldn't it be lovely if that new NBA team would turn out to be the Minnesota Timberwolves and that Blatt would coach Andrew Wiggins after all ?