The Cleveland Cavaliers season took a huge turn in mid-January when the club decided to fire head coach David Blatt and replace him with Tyronn Lue. Social media erupted, coaches and players around the league were puzzled, and the media as well as the fans blamed LeBron James for his departure.
Blatt was a terrific coach in a tough situation, everyone will admit that. He never had the chance to grow up with an NBA team as he was immediately thrust into a championship-or-bust situation. He helped the Cavs reach the NBA Finals, but the shorthanded team out of Cleveland couldn’t overcome the injuries it had late in the series.
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Three months later, Ian Begley of ESPN is reporting that Blatt is a top candidate to coach the New York Knicks next season.
One name that the Knicks are considering, according to league sources, is former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt.
Jackson views Blatt favorably, according to sources. It’s also worth noting that Blatt played basketball with Knicks GM Steve Mills at Princeton.
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Jackson’s interest in Blatt is evidence that he’s open to considering candidates who don’t have experience running the triangle offense. Running the triangle remains a priority for Jackson, but having experience running the offense is not necessarily a prerequisite for the job, according to league sources familiar with the team’s thinking.
With the Knicks out of playoff contention and headed towards an important summer in free agency, finding a good head coach may very well be a make-or-break point for the franchise. Begley reports that President Phil Jackson is also considering some of coaches expected to be available like Mark Jackson, Scott Brooks, and Tom Thibodeau.