David Blatt went on a two or three-week run there, where he was untouchable. After vanquishing the Bulls and Hawks, Blatt reached the NBA Finals as a rookie head coach.
The pressure and rumblings have started to resurface after the Cavs were bombed by the Warriors at home in game four.
With a beat up roster, decimated by injuries, Brian Windhorst is reporting that the noise coming from the Cavs locker room, is all Blatt’s unwillingness to use his bench in longer stretches.
The Cavs are indeed playing with a lot of grit in these Finals — that the series is tied 2-2 despite their decimating injuries is a statement. But there is also a strong feeling within the team, multiple sources said, that coach David Blatt could rely more on the veterans he’s been leaving unused on the bench.
…With several players, James and (Matthew) Dellavedova especially, looking worn down from the demands in the playoffs, players have begun to privately grumble that Blatt needs to use his whole roster.
“[It] was the third game in five days, including the trip back from the West Coast, and it seemed to have an impact on us,” Blatt said after the 19-point Game 4 loss. “We’re thinner now than we were, but that’s not an excuse. We haven’t used it as an excuse yet, and we won’t start now. We’ve just all got to pick it up.”
I feel what people are saying, but James Jones, Shawn Marion and Mike Miller aren’t going to win you a title playing long stretches. A healthy Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love would have made Blatt’s bench eight or nine players deep last night, instead of the seven he used.
