Cavaliers coach David Blatt: LeBron James has freedom to call plays
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt says that he allows forward LeBron James to call plays during the game.
Blatt commented on an ESPN podcast that discussed the relationship between James and Cleveland’s first-year coach.
[daily_cut.nba]
“At times, according to the flow of the game, somebody may call out a play,” Blatt said to Cleveland.com. “I don't think that's unusual, no. Certainly if you know what you're doing, you have a plan going in. That's obviously not an all-the-time case, but it's going to happen during the course of the game, sure."
James says he has the “right” to call plays if he finds something that the opponent is doing and can take advantage of it.
“If I see something, I have the right to call plays. Kyrie [Irving] as well," said James, who is averaging 25.7 points, 7.3 assists and 5.9 rebounds this season.
SI's Best NBA Portraits
Michael Jordan, 1998
Walter Iooss Jr.
Kobe Bryant, 2014
Robert Beck
Joakim Noah, 2014
Todd Rosenberg
Lebron James, 2006
Michael J. LeBrecht II
Kevin Garnett, 1999
Walter Iooss Jr.
James Harden, 2014
Robert Seale
Bob Cousy and Bill Russell, 1957
Richard Meek
David Robinson, 1995
Walter Iooss Jr.
Shaquille O'Neal, 2001
Walter Iooss Jr.
Dennis Rodman, 2013
Clay Patrick McBride
Scottie Pippen, 1998
Walter Iooss Jr.
Julius Erving, 1981
Walter Iooss Jr.
Charles Barkley, 1986
Manny Millan
Chris Bosh, 2008
Peter Gregoire
Blake Griffin, 2011
Peter Read Miller
Carmelo Anthony, 2006
Walter Iooss Jr.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1969
Neil Leifer
Phil Jackson, 1999
Walter Iooss Jr.
Jeremy Lin, 2012
Robert Seale
Walt Clyde Frazier, 1970
Walter Iooss Jr.
Vlade Divac, 2002
Peter Read Miller
Larry Bird, 1989
Walter Iooss Jr.
Steve Nash, 2006
John W. McDonough
Rajon Rondo, 2012
Clay Patrick McBride
Shaquille O'Neal, 2004
Michael O'Neill/SI
Andre Iguodala, 2007
Al Tielemans
Kevin Garnett and Karl-Anthony Towns, 2015
Todd Rosenberg
Scot Pollard, 2003
Todd Rosenberg
Rik Smits, 2011
Al Tielemans
Allen Iverson, 1996
Heinz Kluetmeier
Dwyane Wade, 2006
Walter Iooss Jr.
Kobe Bryant, 2001
Walter Iooss Jr.
Wilt Chamberlain, 1974
Tony Triolo
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1973
Walter Iooss Jr.
Patrick Ewing, 1985
Manny Millan
Chris Paul, 2006
Jeffery A. Salter
Dirk Nowitzki, 2004
Darren Carroll
Sam Cassell, 2006
Clay Patrick McBride
Vince Carter, 2006
Al Tielemans
Antoine Walker, 1997
Walter Iooss Jr.
Kevin Garnett, 1999
Walter Iooss Jr.
Kobe Bryant, 2000
Walter Iooss Jr.
Michael Jordan, 1995
Walter Iooss Jr.
Bob Cousy, 1955
Hy Peskin
Bill Russell and Larry Bird, 1984
Andy Hayt
Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, 2014
Al Tielemans
Dwight Howard, 2004
Clay Patrick McBride
Magic Johnson, 2001
Peter Read Miller
Frank McGuire, 1961
John G. Zimmerman
Magic Johnson, 1996
Walter Iooss Jr.
Charles Barkley, 2002
Walter Iooss Jr.
Ryan Anderson, 2014
Daymon Gardner/SI
Shaquille O'Neal, 2002
Walter Iooss Jr.
Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, 2012
Peter Read Miller
John Starks, 1994
Walter Iooss Jr.
Tommy Heinsohn, 1964
Neil Leifer
Tracy McGrady, 2004
Walter Iooss Jr.
Walt Clyde Frazier, 1973
Walter Iooss Jr.
Magic Johnson, 1978
Lane Stewart
Yao Ming, 2008
Gerard Rancinan
Charles Barkley, 2002
Walter Iooss Jr.
Amare Stoudemire, 2003
Robert Beck
Hakeem Olajuwon, 2007
Joe McNally
Chris Paul, 2013
Walter Iooss Jr.
Dennis Rodman, 1993
John W. McDonough
Julius Erving, 1978
Lane Stewart
Michael Jordan, 1987
Walter Iooss Jr.
"We kind of do the play-calling. Coach Blatt does the play-calling obviously throughout the game and timeouts, but it's great to be able to have some type of freedom out there with Kyrie to be able to call sets that we feel best suit our team."
• NBA playoff race: Projected matchups
Heat guard Dwyane Wade said James did the same thing during their four years together in Miami.
“Sometimes on the floor, you just have to be a player and call certain plays," Wade said to the Sun-Sentinel. "It's not like, 'Oh, he's the coach.' It's not that. You have a feel of the game. You see how the defense is playing. You know what can work."
Cleveland (48-27) has already clinched a playoff spot and sits three games ahead of the Toronto Raptors for second place in the Eastern Conference with seven games remaining in the regular season.
- Scooby Axson
