Fear The Sword - Cleveland Cavaliers coaching search: Chris Grant looks for Byron Scott's replacementThe Warriors blew a 3-1 lead - never forget that.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50189/fts-fav.png2013-04-25T08:58:19-05:00http://www.fearthesword.com/rss/stream/40045132013-04-25T08:58:19-05:002013-04-25T08:58:19-05:00It's not you, it's him
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<p>There were some people questioning the Cavaliers' decision to fire Byron Scott. Now that they've hired Mike Brown, it makes a lot more sense. </p> <p>When <span>Byron Scott</span> was fired by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cleveland Cavaliers</a>, I had some questions. I wasn't shy about voicing the fact that I thought it was the wrong decision. We've gone over all of the reasons time and time again -- Byron didn't have enough time, the injuries were relentless, the team was so young, etc. When I looked at all of those factors, something just didn't add up.</p>
<h4>I had some unanswered questions.</h4>
<p>Coach Scott is a good coach and he's had plenty of success in the past. This team is clearly in a rebuilding phase and has pretty obviously not been built to win games over the past couple of seasons. So why would you fire a proven coach that the players like? Was it because they haven't won enough games? Was it purely the lack of defensive progress? Without access to what was really going on behind the scenes, it looked like a poor decision. It looked like Chris Grant and Dan Gilbert were just trying to find a scapegoat and pin it all on Byron Scott. From where I stood, it appeared like the Cavs fired Byron Scott just for the sake of it. And I didn't like that. </p>
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<strong>More</strong>: <a href="http://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/24/4258338/mike-brown-hired-cavaliers-head-coach-officially" target="new">Cavs make Mike Brown hiring official</a> <a href="http://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/23/4242922/mike-brown-cavaliers-coaching-rumors-bad-offense-lebron-james" target="new">What's up with Brown's offense?</a> <a href="http://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/21/4244378/byron-scott-fired-cleveland-cavaliers-free-agency-chris-grant" target="new">Accountability for Chris Grant</a>
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<p>When I started hearing rumors that Scott's job could be in jeopardy, I had a bunch of questions. I outlined several of those already but the biggest one that stood out was: who would you replace him with? In order to justify firing a coach, you have to be able to replace him with somebody that you think is a better fit for the job. I looked at the coaches that were available and I just didn't see that. I love <span>Stan Van Gundy</span> as a coach, but always knew the odds of him coaching the Cavs were quite slim. The effort to get <span>Phil Jackson</span> was never realistic. There were some potential first-time head coaches that could get promoted, but those guys are unknowns and I admittedly have no way of knowing if they are ready for the head coaching gig. So from my point of view, the Cavs were firing a coach who didn't necessarily deserve to be fired <i>and </i>had to be able to find somebody who was a better fit to lead <span>Kyrie Irving</span>, <span>Dion Waiters</span>, and the rest of these young Cavaliers. That didn't sit well with me. I didn't see how that made sense for this team right now. I didn't think a coaching change would magically turn the Cavs around and make them into the team that we want them to be -- but apparently the Cavs' front office had another idea.</p>
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<span>Mike Brown</span> answered those questions.</h4>
<p>As I watched the press conference announcing the firing of Byron Scott, I struggled to pin down the actual reason for the Cavs' decision. And I don't mean all of the reasons that fans and media think they fired him. I mean the <i>actual</i> reason. And I couldn't find that until Chris Grant outlined all of the things that he wanted in a replacement head coach. </p>
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<p>"We're looking for someone with proven success, looking for someone who has a strong defensive system, someone who is a teacher, grinder and a worker."</p>
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<p>Now that's a pretty specific description from someone who claimed to have "not started the process" yet. Looking at it today, it's quite clear that Grant was talking about the newly hired Mike Brown. The swiftness of the decision was telling. As I sit here and write this just one week after Coach Scott got released, the Cavs already have a new head coach. That has to be one of the quickest coaching searches in NBA history. Did they even interview anybody else? I'm not sure. And while the brief "search" may make some fans uneasy, it does the opposite for me. From the day that the coaching vacancy opened (and some time before that, I assume), the Cavs knew what they wanted. They didn't fire Byron Scott as a scapegoat. They didn't fire him just to make a change and then scramble to find a replacement later. They knew <i>exactly</i> what they wanted in a coach and they knew <i>exactly</i> who that coach was: Mike Brown. </p>
<h4>It's not you, it's him.</h4>
<p>I still don't think Byron Scott got a fair shake. I think this team is going to improve with a better roster and more experience core regardless of who is coaching them. I still think Byron Scott is a good coach and will have success in another organization when he decides to coach again. But this was never really about Byron Scott -- it was about Mike Brown. Brown is the coach that they wanted. He's the guy that fits the description Grant gave us. The Cavs never really intended for this to be a "coaching search;" it was a simple swap. They thought Mike Brown was better than Byron Scott, so they made the switch. </p>
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<p>Dan Gilbert made a comment during an interview with Fred McLeod yesterday about how the team was really fortunate that Brown was available and willing to return to Cleveland. He mentioned that if you look around past Brown, the options for potential head coaches weren't all that enticing. I may be reading into it a bit too much, but to me that said that if the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> hadn't fired Brown, Byron Scott would still be the coach of the Cavs.</p>
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<div class="pullquote">I don't know if that philosophy will ultimately lead to the championship banners that we all want. But I'm willing to give it a chance.</div>
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<p>While this probably doesn't help to comfort Scott or the players that were upset when he was released, it makes me more comfortable with the initial decision. As the Cavs have gone through this rebuild, I believe that the front office has had the right mindset. They aren't afraid to tank shamelessly because it's the best available strategy for a team located in Northeast Ohio. They aren't afraid to take chances on players in the NBA Draft that others may consider reaches. Hell, they drafted Dion Waiters without ever working him out. Up to this point, it had been clear that the Cavs were going to do things their way, stick to their guns, and not give a crap about what the fans or media has to say about it. My biggest fear was that the firing of Byron Scott was a kneejerk reaction to three consecutive losing seasons and nothing more-- in other words, not a basketball decision consistent with the Cavs' philosophy. And I don't know if that philosophy will ultimately lead to the championship banners that we all want. But I'm willing to give it a chance. I like people that stick to what they believe to be true, given the idea is well thought out. Chris Grant and Dan Gilbert's plan looks okay with me, so let's see how it plays out. </p>
<p>In the end, the decision to fire Byron Scott wasn't about the media. It wasn't about Kyrie Irving. It wasn't about the fans or win-loss record. It wasn't even necessarily about Byron Scott. It was about Mike Brown. Mike Brown is the coach that they wanted and Mike Brown is the coach that they got. And I'm fine with that. </p>
https://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/25/4264784/hiring-of-mike-brown-makes-the-decision-to-fire-byron-scott-moreConrad Kaczmarek2013-04-24T14:54:07-05:002013-04-24T14:54:07-05:00Cavs introduce Mike Brown at press conference
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<p>After a short search in which it was clear the Cavaliers had their eyes on Mike Brown, the former Cleveland coach was officially introduced as the current Cleveland coach. </p> <p>On Wednesday afternoon the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> made the news official: <span>Mike Brown</span> is back as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cavs fans are likely to be divided on the decision, and it is a debate that won't go away. I didn't want <span>Byron Scott</span> to get fired, and I didn't want Mike Brown to get fired three years ago. I like the signing. The press conference held announcing the move was, in my opinion, a little weird. This sort of thing, with the same owner who fired a coach re-hiring him, is strange. I don't believe there will be unnecessary baggage that makes the situation uncomfortable, outside of the sizable population of fans who really hate the hire. It is a new front office, and aside from <span>Anderson Varejao</span> (who has played a total of 81 NBA games since Brown left) it is a new group of players.</p>
<p>Dan Gilbert kicked off the press conference by saying "Welcome to Mike Brown 2.0", and for fans who didn't like Brown's adjustments, rotations, or offense the first time around, I am sure this is more than enough to calm your fears. It isn't? Oh, well, then I suppose this is still awkward. Brown said that the theme of the year is going to be "commitment to the journey" which sounds like a plea for patience. There will certainly be bumps along the road this upcoming season, and Brown knows the team will have to be much better at weathering the storm than they were this past season.</p>
<p>Dan Gilbert explicitly called firing Brown three years ago a mistake, though it seems most people still think he was right to do it back then. My feelings that summer were mostly of despair. I didn't think LeBron was going to come back, and I doubted any other coach would be as good for the Cavaliers as Mike Brown. I didn't like the firing then, but I believe I was in the minority. One fun part of the press conference was <span>Zydrunas Ilgauskas</span> coming up, and Chris Grant noted that Big Z is actually now Brown's boss. Brown laughed and said that it was going to take some getting used to.</p>
<p>While it has been<a href="http://fanmonster.com/?p=5839"> reported by Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico</a> that Jamahl Mosley will be retained as an assistant, and that <span>John Kuester</span> and Kyle Triggs will be brought back, Brown indicated in the press conference that he has yet to reach out to anyone. There is some hope that the Canton Charge's head coach, Alex Jensen, will find a spot on Brown's bench after winning the NBDL's Coach of the Year award. If you read Sam Vecenie's post on here about Brown's offenses in Cleveland, you know that Kuester would be a real asset to the organization. <span>Bernie Bickerstaff</span>, who has been a head coach before in the league, is thought of as a possibility to come on board in an advisory role.</p>
<p>Many Cavs fans, including myself, think this upcoming year is the time to get out of the lottery and start winning some basketball games. Mike Brown was not ready to commit to this goal just yet, saying that the team has a long ways to go. Dan Gilbert said that the last three years have been difficult and painful. He isn't wrong. I like this hire, I like our young players, and I like our cap space. Improvement, with some health, should happen. Let me know if you heard something I didn't.</p>
https://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/24/4262142/nba-news-cleveland-cavaliers-officially-introduce-mike-brown-as-headDavid Zavac2013-04-24T08:03:36-05:002013-04-24T08:03:36-05:00Cavs officially hire Mike Brown
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<figcaption>Kevork Djansezian</figcaption>
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<p>The Cleveland Cavaliers have found their new head coach. And it's former Cleveland Cavaliers' head coach, Mike Brown. </p> <p><span>Mike Brown</span> is the new head coach of the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Cavaliers</a>.</p>
<p>We had already heard rumors of this happening and then we heard actual reports of this happening. And now, the team has officially confirmed it: Mike Brown is the new head coach to replace Byron Scott. The <a href="http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/releases/hire-mike-brown-130424" target="_blank">team released a statement </a>on Wednesday morning and is expected to hold a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to announce it formally. Here's what Dan Gilbert said about the return of Brown: </p>
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<p>"I am more than excited about Mike Brown's return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mike has done nothing but win in this league since he was a first-year assistant many years ago. He is going to instill a much-needed defensive-first philosophy in our young and talented team that is going to serve as our foundation and identity as we continue down the path of building the kind of franchise that competes at a championship level for many years to come, "</p>
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<p>And here's what Mike Brown said about returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers:</p>
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<p>"I am thrilled to return to Cleveland to coach the Cavaliers. The commitment ownership and management have shown in their efforts to build a successful team and organization is deep and I am excited to lead the team forward," said Brown. "Nothing would mean more to me and my family than to help bring success to this very special community and to all of our committed and loyal fans."</p>
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<p>The deal between Brown and the Cavs is rumored to be for 5 years and $20 million+, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.</p>
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<p>Cavs, Mike Brown five-year deal will be worth $20 million-plus, sources tell Y! Sports.</p>
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/326784979986165765">April 23, 2013</a>
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<p>We'll have lots and lots of new coverage and analysis of the new coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in days to come.</p>
<p>Will the Cavs actually start playing some defense? How will Brown handle having an elite point guard like <span>Kyrie Irving</span>? Who will Brown bring in as his assistant coaching staff? What does this mean for the possibility of a <span>LeBron James</span> return in 2014?</p>
<p>There's a bunch of questions and we'll have some answers for you. But for now, just enjoy the fact that we know who will be coaching the team for the foreseeable future and can now turn our attention back to the 2013 NBA Draft.</p>
https://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/24/4258338/mike-brown-hired-cavaliers-head-coach-officiallyConrad Kaczmarek2013-04-23T14:24:08-05:002013-04-23T14:24:08-05:00Mike Brown back?
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<figcaption>Doug Pensinger</figcaption>
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<p>The Cavaliers fired Byron Scott less than a week ago. And now there are reports that they may have already found a replacement. And a deal could be announced as soon as Wednesday. </p> <p>And just like that, the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Cavaliers</a>' search for a head coach could be over. The Cavs fired <span>Byron Scott</span> last Thursday and after some <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/21/4251200/phil-jackson-coaching-rumors-cleveland-cavaliers">brief flirtation with Phil Jackson</a> and a few other rumored names, Chris Grant seems to have found Scott's replacement, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.</p>
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<p><span>Mike Brown</span> has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Byron Scott as <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Cavs">#Cavs</a> coach. Deal expected to be announced tomorrow</p>
— Jason Lloyd (@JasonLloydABJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ/status/326771701486600192">April 23, 2013</a>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Cavs">#Cavs</a> and Mike Brown have reached handshake agreement on deal, league source tells Akron Beacon Journal. Official announcement expected tmrw</p>
— Jason Lloyd (@JasonLloydABJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ/status/326774358754328577">April 23, 2013</a>
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<p>It broke pretty quickly that <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/18/4240522/nba-rumors-mike-brown-cleveland-cavaliers-reunion-head-coach">there was mutual interest between Mike Brown and the Cavs</a>, but I figured that there would be a little more extensive search. I thought that they would at least interview some of the top hot assistants such as <span>Mike Malone</span> or <span>Brian Shaw</span> before settling on bringing Brown back. Perhaps the Cavs have just always been interested in re-hiring Brown or perhaps they didn't want to wait for the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Golden State Warriors</a> (Malone) or <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Indiana Pacers</a> (Shaw) to lose in the playoffs. Regardless, it appears that we're headed for another Mike Brown-led Cavaliers' team.</p>
<p>Also, we have this photoshop from Boosh. </p>
<p><a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1570643/BIj28I6CEAIHeJw.jpg"><img alt="Bij28i6ceaihejw_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1570643/BIj28I6CEAIHeJw_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p>Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the deal between the Cavs and Brown is for 5 years and upwards of $20 million. Not bad.</p>
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<p>Cavs, Mike Brown five-year deal will be worth $20 million-plus, sources tell Y! Sports.</p>
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/326784979986165765">April 23, 2013</a>
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<p>We have already written about what that <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/23/4242922/mike-brown-cavaliers-coaching-rumors-bad-offense-lebron-james">might mean for the Cavaliers' offense</a> and why <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/21/4248682/cleveland-cavaliers-coaching-search-mike-brown-lebron-james">it's not as bad an idea as you might think</a>. But I'm eager to hear your input. If Mike Brown is truly back, how do you feel about it?</p>
https://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/23/4257840/mike-brown-head-coach-cleveland-cavaliers-hired-nba-rumorsConrad Kaczmarek2013-04-23T11:42:26-05:002013-04-23T11:42:26-05:00Where Did Mike Brown's Offense Go Wrong?
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<p>Rumors have circulated over the last few days that Mike Brown is the favorite to replace Byron Scott as the Cavaliers' head coach. So the question now becomes: where did Mike Brown go wrong as Cavaliers' head coach, and how can he be successful for the Cavs in the future if he is indeed hired?</p> <p>Dan Gilbert wined and dined <span>Mike Brown</span> on Sunday night, <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9200329/meeting-cleveland-cavaliers-owner-dan-gilbert-mike-brown-went-well-sources-say">according to Chris Broussard of ESPN</a>. But re-hiring Brown isn't a universally endorsed notion among Cavalier fans. People are wondering what could possibly make Gilbert, general manager Chris Grant, and the rest of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cavaliers</a>' organization go back to something that failed the first time around in the playoffs (even though Brown is the all-time leader in winning percentage among Cavalier coaches).</p>
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<p>So my goal is to go back and try to figure out where the Brown system went wrong the first time, and how it could be different this time around. This will be a multi-post series. First, I'm going to look at Brown's offensive results with the Cavaliers, and then more generally at his offensive thought processes.</p>
<h4>The "Brown-out" on offense that wasn't in 2010</h4>
<p>The most common complaint that I've seen about Brown is that his offensive schemes lack creativity. However, the problem with saying that is that it ignores the results that Brown's offense brought about. In 2009-10 -- Brown's final year with the Cavs -- the team finished 6th in offensive rating and 10th in points-per-game, despite a pace that was 25th in the NBA.</p>
<p>Indeed, if there was one logical complaint about Cavs' offense during the Brown era, it's that it didn't allow for transition buckets. Only getting out in transition on 11.6% of their offensive possessions, the Cavs in Brown's final season did not get easy buckets despite having the most effective and efficient transition player in the NBA in LeBron James. However, that takes away just how devastatingly efficient they were in the half-court. Finishing 2nd in points-per-possession at 0.99, the Cavaliers offense was actually better than their defense that finished 8th in points-per-possession and 7th in defensive rating.</p>
<p>Specifically, it seems a lot of the offensive credit for the Cavs during that era goes to John Kuester. If Brown is hired, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Kuester to return with him. Kuester is an advance scout for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> right now, and was basically in charge of the offense for the Cavaliers during the 08-09 season, until he was hired by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/">Pistons</a> as their head coach. He also was one of Brown's assistants in Los Angeles after flaming out miserably in Detroit. While the Cavaliers were mostly pretty bad early in the Brown era offensively, after Kuester arrived the team began to become more efficient offensively.</p>
<p>However, even if Kuester doesn't return, the Cavs' offense became even more efficient after Kuester left in 2009. Specifically, from 07-09 (the Kuester era) the Cavaliers were top-half of the league in attempted 16-23 footers, top-10 in three pointers attempted, and bottom 10 in shots at the rim attempted per game. In 2009-10, Brown's offense saw a decrease in 16-23 footers, a slight decrease in three pointers, and a large jump in shots at the rim, and a large increase in percentage of field goals assisted (from 55% to 59%). This can be attributed to a large increase in ball movement and a concerted effort to get easy buckets on cuts, which made up quite a bit of their offense that season.</p>
<h4>What does Brown want to run with the Cavs this time?</h4>
<p>No one knows.</p>
<p>Scott tried to run a version of the Princeton offense, especially when <span>Anderson Varejao</span> was around, that was based on taking advantage of Andy's vision at the top of the key. Assuming a lot of this year's pieces stay intact, that would at least be a half-court offense that they are comfortable within due to some experience with it. The biggest difference the Cavs will see is a decrease in pace. Throughout all three seasons of Scott's tenure, the Cavaliers ranked between 11th and 14th in pace. During Brown's tenure, it was 18th at its' highest point and 25th at its' lowest point -- both in 08-09 and 09-10. Brown likes to slow the pace of the game down, although it's fair to question whether or not he would attempt to bring the Princeton offense that he attempted to implement in Los Angeles (along with <span>Eddie Jordan</span>) with him.</p>
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<div class="pullquote">There's really no telling what Brown will decide to do.</div>
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<p>In that regard, Brown's thoughts on offense within the media have always been pretty rudimentary in nature. Whether he simply isn't an offensive guy -- and he's not, but as a head coach you kind of have to learn it -- or he just doesn't articulate himself well to the media, Brown has never been one to divulge major in-game material. In 2008, prior to giving Kuester most offensive control, <a href="http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/06/cavs_mike_brown_discusses_offe.html">he gave an interview to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer</a> where he seemingly rambled on about a lot of different offensive ideals that he'd like to use:</p>
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<p>The Lakers' Triangle Offense: "It's a terrific offense," Brown said. "So is the Princeton offense that Washington runs, with the ball moving, people moving. But you also need the right personnel to runs those offenses." He added: "At the end of the game, the Lakers gave the ball to Kobe [Bryant] and expected him to make a play. You don't see the triangle much in the final three minutes of the game, and it didn't help them much against Boston's defense."</p>
<p>The Cavs' offense: They need to "space the floor better," meaning have the players spread out to create shooting and passing angles. He wants them to push the ball more, to fast break when possible. He plans some revisions, but not major overhauls. "Look at Boston," Brown said. "There is nothing tricky about their offense. They give the ball to <span>Kevin Garnett</span> on the [inside] block, they give to it Paul [Pierce] on top of the key. They move the ball, and try to put their playmakers in position to make plays."</p>
<p>James getting the ball inside or cutting to the basket: "We do have plays for that, and we should use them more often," Brown said. "But LeBron is very effective when he gets the ball in the middle of the floor. So is Pierce, <span>Dwyane Wade</span>, Kobe and guys like that. It's hard to double-team them." But Brown admitted he may have used that 1-4 offense too much, that it can create stagnation, as teammates watch James dribble and create his own shot.</p>
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<p>So basically what we see is that he's gone with a variety of different things over the years. From the 1-4 offense that led to stagnation early in his Cavs' career to the Princeton offense (pretty much polar opposites of each other in terms of off-ball movement by players and ball movement) while coaching the Lakers, Brown has been something of an offensive nomad. Even though the Cavs' offense was successful under him the first time around, it's worth mentioning that the Cavs don't have a 6'9" Manbearpig running around the floor like a crazed animal anymore. There's really no telling what Brown will decide to do.</p>
<p>The best way to assure that things are different this time around as far as a creative offense that isn't prone to stagnation is to bring in an assistant coach to help offensively. Brown just doesn't look comfortable on that end of the floor. Let's not forget, Brown was <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/266987386435694592">basically fired in Los Angeles because of his offense</a> and his inability to adjust the Princeton system once it was obviously not working <i>{Ed note: the Lakers were 10th in offensive efficiency in 2011-12 and were 7th in offensive efficiency for the 5 games before Brown was fired in 2012-13}</i>. So whether or not it's Kuester or another guy, an coach with offensive prowess should be brought into help Brown.</p>
<p>However, therein lies the problem. In the past, Brown has been <a href="http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/06/cavs_mike_brown_discusses_offe.html">somewhat resistant</a> to getting help on offense. So while Brown's defensive skill may suit what this team needs, he may not be the guy to develop a young offense. I'm all for this hire if Brown brings someone in. But if not, it's really tough to envision a scenario where we don't see a bogged down Princeton set in the inevitability of an Anderson Varejao injury because of a lack of passing acumen from the big men, or a stagnated 1-4 high stack where nobody moves and everyone just watches <span>Kyrie Irving</span>, hoping he creates a shot for himself.</p>
<p>And of course, Brown's offenses here always had a bevy of shooters, from <span>Mo Williams</span> to <span>Delonte West</span> even down to Boobie Gibson that won't be around anymore. It's absolutely impossible to say what Brown is planning on running, but I imagine that his biggest concern moving forward would be to work with Grant and find a way to garner shooters to space the floor. With only Irving and <span>Dion Waiters</span> returning who have shown any skill at all for shooting from distance (<span>C.J. Miles</span> and <span>Wayne Ellington</span> are also possibilities, but Miles' contract option has not been picked up yet and Ellington is a restricted free agent if the Cavs choose to qualify him), finding a way to space the floor will be an essential part of both this offseason and the beginning of the season if Mike Brown is indeed hired as coach.</p>
https://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/23/4242922/mike-brown-cavaliers-coaching-rumors-bad-offense-lebron-jamesSam Vecenie2013-04-21T23:04:40-05:002013-04-21T23:04:40-05:00Cavs reach out to Phil Jackson
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<p>The Cleveland Cavaliers need to find a head coach. What better place to start than with one of the greatest coaches in NBA history? </p> <p>I was highly critical of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cleveland Cavaliers</a>' decision to fire Byron Scott. But if you can replace Byron Scott with one of the best coaches ever, I think that's a move you have to make. We already talked about how <span>Phil Jackson</span> expressed <a href="http://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/18/4239082/phil-jackson-return-coaching-cleveland-cavaliers-byron-scott-replacement" target="_blank">interest in coaching again</a>. But now it appears that Chris Grant and Dan Gilbert <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9198158/cleveland-cavaliers-reach-phil-jackson-open-coaching-position-sources-say" target="_blank">are reaching out to Jackson</a> to gauge his interest in the Cavaliers job, according to ESPN.com. </p>
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<p>The Cavs, who fired coach Byron Scott last Thursday, have been in touch with Jackson to gauge his interest in returning to coaching and in their open position. Last week, ESPN reported Jackson is increasingly interested in a return to the NBA next season, preferably in a management capacity, after two years away from the game.</p>
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<p>As I pointed out last time we wrote about this, I have no idea if this is something that could actually happen. But I am encouraged by the fact that the front office is shooting for the moon. You'll remember that the front office picked up <span>Byron Scott's</span> option before this past season. That means that he will make $4 million from the Cavs, despite being let go. The willingness to approach Jackson, knowing full well that he's going to command serious money, is an indicator that the Cavs are very serious about winning soon. </p>
https://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/21/4251200/phil-jackson-coaching-rumors-cleveland-cavaliersConrad Kaczmarek2013-04-21T17:53:30-05:002013-04-21T17:53:30-05:00Accountability for Chris Grant begins now
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<p>Byron Scott lost his job on Thursday. Chris Grant still has his, and there is a lot of work to be done. </p> <p><span>Byron Scott</span> was hired in the Summer of 2010, largely because Dan Gilbert hoped that his up-tempo offense would appeal to superstar <span>LeBron James</span> as he embraced free agency. An organization that prided itself on defense temporarily set that bedrock principle aside. It wasn't that Scott couldn't coach defense exactly, but it wasn't the primary reason he was hired by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cavaliers</a>. LeBron James wasn't persuaded to stay, and three years later Byron Scott is out. In the press conference held in the wake of the firing, General Manager Chris Grant made it clear that any replacement for Scott will have a strong defensive pedigree. This makes sense. The Cavaliers defense was an abomination this season. They gave up the highest field goal percentage in the NBA and blocked the second least amount of shots. Their defensive rating ranked 27th of 30 teams. As a team, they had the smallest number of defensive rebounds in the league, a symptom of opposing team making such a high percentage of their shots.</p>
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<p>But you all know that the Cavaliers defense was terrible. And there are elements of the futility that can be tied to Scott. The Cavaliers are a relatively athletic team that has guys who can run the floor, and yet they were beat repeatedly in transition. Young players like <span>Tristan Thompson</span> and <span>Dion Waiters</span> made great strides offensively, but not in terms of team defense. <span>Alonzo Gee</span> is no longer a young player, but there was no discernible improvement in his off-ball defense. It is unfair to ask first and second year players to be good defenders; it is fair to ask them to get better as the season goes on.</p>
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<p>Blaming Byron Scott entirely, though, doesn't make sense. Chris Grant deserves a healthy portion of the blame. This isn't really an article meant to criticize Grant. The slow rebuild was almost certainly the correct option for Cleveland in the wake of James leaving. <span>Kyrie Irving</span> and Tristan Thompson appear to be great picks, and Dion Waiters looks like he is on track to become a solid starting shooting guard with time. The trade of <span>Mo Williams</span> that led to Kyrie Irving, the <span>Ramon Sessions</span> trade that continues to keep giving, and swiping a future lottery pick from Memphis and probably Sacramento have been fantastic. But if Grant is going to talk about accountability, the burden is now on him. It is time to use the assets he has to put a winning team on the court. </p>
<div class="pullquote">But if Grant is going to talk about accountability, the burden is now on him. It is time to use the assets he has to put a winning team on the court.</div>
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<p>What am I looking for from Chris Grant moving forward? Let me first explicitly say what I am not looking for. I don't want him to blow the financial flexibility in 2014 the Cavaliers will have. I don't want to make a run at <span>Al Jefferson</span> or <span>Paul Millsap</span> this summer. I don't want to be giving long term money on the downside of their career, especially if it costs serious assets (looking at you, <span>Luol Deng</span>). But if it is time for accountability for Grant, I should be as specific as possible. This is what I have in mind:</p>
<h3>No more developmental league guys getting serious minutes</h3>
<p>The last few years have seen the Cavaliers give real playing time to some guys who aren't NBA players. <span>Donald Sloan</span>, <span>Jeremy Pargo</span>, <span>Samardo Samuels</span>, <span>Manny Harris</span>, <span>Lester Hudson</span>, <span>D.J. Kennedy</span>, <span>Kevin Jones</span>, and Alonzo Gee all played, and it made some sense; the Cavaliers weren't going to be a really good team, might as well have some young players see if they can make it. Gee worked out, maybe, and Kevin Jones has a shot to stick around on the roster next year. Moving forward, though, Grant needs to be responsible for putting Cleveland in a better position to win. This means that guys like Pargo and Sloan can't be the backup to Kyrie Irving. It means that an injury to <span>Luke Walton</span> (who also wouldn't have been getting minutes anywhere else) shouldn't mean an undrafted rookie power forward like Kevin Jones gets run. It means that an injury to <span>Anderson Varejao</span> shouldn't lead to a rookie center taken out of the lottery playing 35 minutes a night. It means that Alonzo Gee shouldn't play the second most minutes of any Cavalier anymore because other than <span>Omri Casspi</span> there isn't a small forward on the roster.</p>
<h3>Be proactive in free agency</h3>
<p>Again, this doesn't mean that I want Cleveland to break the bank on a player who isn't that good. Targeted signings like the one that brought in CJ Miles are good enough; they need to happen more often. Retaining Miles and Ellington would be a start, though if Ellington's deal gets much richer than the $3 million qualifying offer the Cavs can choose to tender there would be cause for pause. <span>Matt Barnes</span> and <span>Martell Webster</span> are guys who can make three pointers and guard. <span>Carl Landry</span> would be a great power forward off the bench. <span>Samuel Dalembert</span> would help the Cavs protect the rim a little better. These signings wouldn't be sexy, but if they give the Cavaliers actual depth it would be a huge step towards the playoffs next season.</p>
<h3>Start using the surplus of draft picks for established NBA talent</h3>
<p>The Cavaliers have 15 draft picks over the next four years, many of which are in the first round. While there is some talk that these picks are not valued around the league, that view is wrong. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> valued their mid first round pick this season so much that they were willing to pay the luxury tax for the first time in Jerry Reinsdorf's history of owning the team - in a year in which there best player won't play a single minute. <span>Gerald Henderson</span> is a pretty good player, and could have been helpful to a playoff team, but the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/charlotte-bobcats">Charlotte Bobcats</a> were unable to secure a first round pick for his services. As punitive luxury tax fines kick in, young talent on manageable contracts are valued, and the easiest way to acquire those players is through the draft.</p>
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<p>I have written about wanting a player like <span>Al Horford</span> or <span>Marc Gasol</span>. Other players may or may not become available. Again, you want to do it in a way that doesn't necessarily hurt Cleveland's flexibility for 2014, but the main point is that it is time to stop collecting future draft picks, and it is time to start getting players that can help now. The Cavaliers don't need to try and win an NBA title next season, but they do need to see their young core take concrete steps towards becoming a winning team. I don't know who will be available when. But between now and the trade deadline, Grant should be trying to make a big splash.</p>
<p>Conrad has written that the Cavaliers are done tanking. I have written in the past that the team is in a state of limbo. With a new coach coming in, free agency and the draft approaching, that doesn't have to be the case. The Cavs can start winning now. Chris Grant, the ball is in your court.</p>
https://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/21/4244378/byron-scott-fired-cleveland-cavaliers-free-agency-chris-grantDavid Zavac2013-04-21T10:41:21-05:002013-04-21T10:41:21-05:00Cavs and Mike Brown should have mutual interest
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<p>It appears that the Cavaliers have interest in bringing back Mike Brown to coach the team. The big question is whether or not the interest is mutual. </p> <p>As you've probably seen by now, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> are trying to get the band back together. After firing Byron Scott, they reportedly <a href="http://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/18/4240522/nba-rumors-mike-brown-cleveland-cavaliers-reunion-head-coach" target="_blank">expressed interest in talking to Mike Brown</a> about a return to Northeast Ohio. It seems as though the Cavs are serious about pursuing that option, but would Brown be open to the idea of coaching the team that he was fired from just a few years ago? It sounds like he would be, <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9194232/mike-brown-open-return-cleveland-cavaliers-according-report" target="_blank">according to ESPN.com</a>.</p>
<p>It's no secret that Mike Brown was moving his family back to the Cleveland area even before the coaching vacancy appeared. We know that his son is going to play basketball at Butler and that his other children are going to finish high school in the area. Of course, this isn't enough to suggest that he'll come back and coach the Cavs. But it might help. </p>
<p>On the surface, <span>Mike Brown's</span> stint with the Cavs was the direct opposite of <span>Byron Scott's</span> experience. Brown went 272-138 and never missed the playoffs. I don't have to remind you about how bad the Cavs have been since Brown left and Scott took over. Obviously there are factors beyond the coaches, but if the Cavs are looking for a proven winner with a reputation as a good defensive coach, you could do worse than Mike Brown. </p>
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<p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; background-color: #ffffff;">"Brown left Cleveland on good terms with owner Dan Gilbert and he's tight with general manager Chris Grant, a close friend since college. Earlier this week, Grant said the team's new coach would have to be defensive-minded, a teacher, hard worker and "grinder," and that would aptly describe the affable Brown."</span></p>
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<p>But would this be a good idea? After all, we all saw those excellent Mike Brown-led teams fall apart in the playoffs. I don't think it's outlandish to say that Brown was outcoached by <span>Stan Van Gundy</span> and <span>Doc Rivers</span> on a couple of occasions. That said, he's not the one that made <span>Mo Williams</span> suddenly forget out to shoot and he's not the one who gave <span>Hedo Turkoglu</span> and <span>Rashard Lewis</span> performance enhancing drugs. Were his rotations a little wonky at times? Yeah. Was there second-guessing that could be done? Of course there was. But you can do that after anytime a team loses in the playoffs. For comparisons sake, go back and watch the last series that <span>Phil Jackson</span> coached with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a>. <span>Rick Carlisle</span> made Jackson look incompetent as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> swept a relatively loaded Lakers team. </p>
<p>And for those concerned about a "retread coach," consider the fact that almost everything has changed since Brown left Cleveland. The only player that is still around from the Mike Brown days is Anderson Varejao. Danny Ferry has been replaced by Chris Grant. Heck, they even changed the uniforms. The only things that are the same are the team name and the fact that Dan Gilbert is the owner. </p>
<p>Furthermore, and I know people don't like this, Mike Brown may still have a good relationship with <span>LeBron James</span>. When asked about the possibility of Brown returning to Cleveland, <a href="http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/227308/LeBron-Mike-Brown-To-Cavaliers-Possibility-Should-Be-Real" target="_blank">James said, "It should be. It should be real."</a></p>
<p>Everybody that I've talked to say that James and Brown have a pretty good relationship. LeBron said this about Mike Brown after the Lakers fired him just 5 games into the season:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Apres RE', 'apres re', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; background-color: #ffffff;">"I just don’t think he got a fair shake, honestly," James said after the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat's</a> victory Friday in Atlanta, </span><u style="font-family: 'Apres RE', 'apres re', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; background-color: #ffffff;"><a style="color: #020202;" target="_blank" href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/sports/basketball/ethan-skolnick-lebron-james-shakes-off-knee-pain-a/nS3dC/">according to The Palm Beach Post</a></u><span style="font-family: 'Apres RE', 'apres re', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; background-color: #ffffff;">. "With the shortened (66-game) season last year, five games into this season, he really didn’t get a full season. I got a lot to say, but I’m not going to say it right now."</span></p>
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<p>We know that the Cavaliers are going to try to get LeBron to come back to Cleveland next summer. If they have a coach in place with a good relationship with LeBron, that'd be an advantage. </p>
<p>If the rumors about Mike Brown and the Cavs heat up a bit more, we'll have more analysis about Brown as a coach. But for now, it seems like the possibility is real. And it seems like he fits a lot of the criteria that Chris Grant is seeking to fill. And he has a good relationship with the biggest free agent target in Cleveland sports history. I know we have some bad memories, but I think we could do a lot worse. </p>
https://www.fearthesword.com/2013/4/21/4248682/cleveland-cavaliers-coaching-search-mike-brown-lebron-jamesConrad Kaczmarek