David Blatt isn't crazy. Let's start there. There was some logic to him wanting to have LeBron James inbound the ball at the end of Game 4. That's the play Blatt initially called for Sunday with the score tied at 84 and just 1.5 seconds left on the clock. After the game, we learned that James changed the play so he could take the shot. Cavaliers fans are lucky he did.
David Blatt was overthinking when he didn’t call the last-second play for LeBron James
The Cavaliers’ coach defended himself by saying James is the team’s best inbound passer. The problem with that logic: he’s also the team’s best shot maker by a mile.
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
On Monday, Blatt was asked why he’d want the best player in the world passing the ball instead of shooting it. “He’s our biggest and best passer,” he said, according to Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick.
Blatt referenced a game-tying three-pointer Kyrie Irving hit earlier this season against the Spurs. On that play, James was the player throwing the ball to Irving.
Blatt’s right about James being the team’s best passer. The assist numbers show this, and so do the eyes. That James is so tall makes him even more of a weapon in these types of situations. If you could choose any player to inbound the ball at the end of a game, chances are you’d choose LeBron.
It’s also worth noting that James hasn’t shot the ball well this series. He’s scoring 26 points per game, but is hitting just 38 percent of his shots from the field. Most of his points have come on driving layups, the types of shots that can’t be created in 1.5 seconds. In Game 4, LeBron was just 4-of-19 on shots from outside of five feet, per NBA.com. As his shot chart below shots, he’s struggled all series from outside the paint.
Blatt’s logic was therefore simple. He had a player built for inbounding the ball in end-of-game situations, and that same player had struggled all series with his jump shot, the type of attempt his team was likely going to get. One can understand why Blatt decided to draw up a play for someone else.
But this is overthinking the matter.
Consider: anyone else Blatt would have taking the shot wasn’t playing well either. In Monday’s press conference, Blatt pointed to that game against the Spurs when Irving scored 57 points. He had 12 on Sunday on 2-of-10 shooting while playing on a bad right foot and bum left knee. Is that really the best person to shoot the ball? Even if Irving got open for a second to catch the ball, would he have been able to rise up over a defender? That he only attempted two shots outside of 20 feet in Game 4 answers that question.
There’s a reason James is the best player in the world. He’s a walking mismatch and the type of player that’s always able to get off a makeabale shot. That’s who you want taking potential game-winners. That’s who Blatt should have been going to all along.
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