Cleveland Cavaliers Hate John Beilein
According to an article in The Athletic, Cavs players are unhappy with Beilein and are starting to tune him out. They have "drowned out his voice" and do not like his college style of coaching. I can't say I'm surprised, but this is still sad to hear.
There are some damning quotes from players in this article as well.
“Our assistants are definitely more prepared for the NBA.”
"For instance, all of the team’s screens, cuts, and pivots are named after wild animals. A curl is a “polar bear” in Beilein’s system. 'You don’t go pro to do that kind of thing,”' one league source said."
"It’s already gotten to the point where players are looking past Beilein to his lead assistant, J.B. Bickerstaff, for guidance, those sources said."
"His players quickly grew frustrated with him for a number of reasons, all centered around the basic charge that he was not prepared for the speed, tempo, and rigor of NBA games and the schedule at large."
Full Article ($$$): https://theathletic.com/1438785/2019/12/06/guys-drowned-out-his-voice-cavaliers-players-unhappy-with-the-college-coaching-style-of-john-beilein/
December 6th, 2019 at 1:14 PM ^
The guy is not an NBA coach, plain and simple. He had a perfect job here, was loved, could have retired a legend.
I feel ambivalent. I still think he's a wonderful human being, but I can't say I didn't want him to regret leaving either.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:18 PM ^
The 24 second shot clock and Beilein’s offensive philosophy are directly antagonistic. I was actually curious to see whether he’d adjust well.
Sad to read these comments.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:18 PM ^
Yep, there are college coaches and then they are nba coaches, hes the former. Imagine Izzo getting into some players face or grabbing their jersey. Hes a college coach. Beilein pays attention to every nuance and detail, these players dont want that. I might even think hed be happier at a smaller University where he can recruit kids to play for four years and di damage in the tourney every year. He would still send kids to the league but he would get 4 years with them first.
December 7th, 2019 at 12:17 PM ^
Can you imagine Izzo coaching Rodman. One would be dead and one would be in prison.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:53 PM ^
Little early to write JB off aint it? This is not a dumb guy
December 6th, 2019 at 2:05 PM ^
Off to a 5-15 start with a roster whose only all star level player is Kevin Love......I don’t care how intelligent a coach you are, you ain’t winning shit with that group.
December 6th, 2019 at 2:11 PM ^
I figured this would be like many of his teams. They start off poorly, get a little better and then players buy in more. Then they get better, and the players listen. Then by the end of the year everyone is happy. Next year, maybe they will be good.
December 6th, 2019 at 2:32 PM ^
I agree with that assessment, I just don't know why Beilein would want to go through that shit AGAIN at this point in his life knowing that he's gone through it at probably every coaching stop he's been at.
December 6th, 2019 at 3:17 PM ^
He went through that every other year here at Michigan, and probably it probably would've happened again this year. He probably felt that if he went to the NBA, he could get to the point where his roster has more stability and it happens less often.
December 6th, 2019 at 4:47 PM ^
Yea, probably
December 6th, 2019 at 2:47 PM ^
They got better because he taught them better. Remember when JB started at Michigan and said he first had to teach the players how to practice? In the NBA, I suspect you don't need to teach fundamentals.
/ We talkin' 'bout practice!?!
December 6th, 2019 at 2:53 PM ^
This is easier to do over the course of a season and also over the course of many seasons in college where they are a bit more locked in. If you lose a locker room in the pros it can get nasty pretty quickly with trade demands, people in FA just not wanting to come to you, people just not listening too you, etc.
December 6th, 2019 at 5:18 PM ^
Yeah, you have to consider your pupils. Belein was going to have an uphill battle with a bunch of young guys who all think they are the next Lebron. He could be teaching them valuable things but these guys have already made up their minds about him. Who the hell cares that he names things after animals...Whoever made that statement sounds like an uneducated child.
December 6th, 2019 at 9:12 PM ^
I thought the same. How are plays named after animals a criticism?
December 6th, 2019 at 2:29 PM ^
Kevin Love is not close to being an all-star level player anymore.
JB's roster sucks. He's luck to have won five games at this point.
December 6th, 2019 at 2:38 PM ^
Yeah you’re right. I though Love was an all star last year. It was 2 years ago when he last made it.
December 6th, 2019 at 8:00 PM ^
This is true and I feel bad for him. But he knew what roster he was getting when he decided to go there. Cleveland is not a destination spot for any free agents.
December 6th, 2019 at 4:04 PM ^
The Knicks fired Fizdale today and it's a similar thing. You really expect Fizdale to win any games with that roster?
December 6th, 2019 at 2:22 PM ^
I wrote him off as an NBA coach the moment I heard the news.
And I never said he was remotely dumb
December 6th, 2019 at 3:36 PM ^
Self-assessment remains one of the human's greatest weaknesses. John believing he would be good at this is exhibit A. It's almost as if the Pistons baited him into this-so there would be at least one team they could beat. A bad move by Beilein.
December 6th, 2019 at 3:15 PM ^
Who would have ever thought that prima dona athletes, being paid millions of dollars and set in their ways, would resent a coach coming in that actually wants to "teach" them the "right" way to run a system? /s
I have utmost respect for JB, but he had to have known this would be an incredibly difficult transition. A college-to-pro coaching transition (regardless of sport) is much harder to do successfully than the reverse (but not impossible).
December 6th, 2019 at 3:25 PM ^
End thread. This is the only comment needed.
December 6th, 2019 at 4:02 PM ^
I feel the same. I'm sad he's not finding success, but there's also a selfish element of "I told ya so"
December 6th, 2019 at 5:03 PM ^
He won’t retire here but he is still a program legend. I want a statue of him on campus someday
December 6th, 2019 at 5:05 PM ^
Honestly, I'm fine with the way things turned out.
December 6th, 2019 at 5:06 PM ^
Ambivalent is a good way to put it. I am forever thankful for what he did, but the way he left wasn’t the best and it felt like a miscue. He did great things with less talent but I feel like Juwan will do greater things with better talent.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:14 PM ^
While not much of a surprise (if accurate), this is nonetheless very sad. I just can't root against the guy -- the worst thing he ever did was "leave us in the lurch," and even that appears to have broken our way based on initial impressions.
December 6th, 2019 at 2:37 PM ^
Yeah, I can't hate the guy for taking a chance at the NBA. At his age, this was likely his last shot to test it out. Even if it doesn't pan out, he gets a nice payday and can retire knowing he tried. Can't fault him for that.
If he keeps coaching after his tenure ends (assuming things don't get better) I wonder if he'd take a HC at a smaller school just to keep going at a place with no pressure and little recruiting needed.
December 6th, 2019 at 3:27 PM ^
ya, i could see him going to a big east school in a few years. smaller schools, not as high profile, basketball is often the #1 sport. yet they can still do damage come march.
December 6th, 2019 at 5:04 PM ^
I was thinking UConn, but they're in the ACC now! He'd be loved at St John's but Mike Anderson is in his first year there.
December 6th, 2019 at 6:45 PM ^
What? UConn is not in the ACC. They're in the AAC--the American Athletic Conference.
December 7th, 2019 at 9:15 AM ^
Thanks for the correction. Not to start a new conversation, but whatever is that conference?
December 7th, 2019 at 10:40 PM ^
Alternate name: Remnants of the Big East Conference.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:14 PM ^
Man, this sucks. I only wish the best for JB. I hope he doesn't regret his decision, because I don't.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:18 PM ^
Wow. Lot of season to go yet.
Have to say this does not surprise me, though. I will never understand why he took that job. I believe there are some things that fans don't know regarding his departure. Not like "scandal" type things, but pieces to the puzzle we don't have. It never made sense.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:20 PM ^
My understanding is that he became disillusioned with the dirtiness of college hoops and that the NCAA did nothing about it (shocker!) And he felt like he was being held back because he had integrity. Problem is, he wasn't being held back. He got to the championship game TWICE.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:22 PM ^
That is why I don't buy that narrative. He was basically reaching his peak at Michigan, like the project he had been working on for years was almost finished, with a really good recruiting class coming in and a returning core of upperclassmen. Doesn't make sense.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:26 PM ^
Look at his resume, the guy started as a High School coach, to Community College, to D3 to D2 to D1 Low Major to D1 Mid Major to West Virginia to a blue blood type Michigan
The NBA was the last itch, and at 66 this was probably one of the last shots he would get.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:34 PM ^
Yeah but Cleveland post Lebron?
That's a clown move bro.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:48 PM ^
you can only take the job you get offered
December 6th, 2019 at 2:14 PM ^
Or you could just show up to a job hoping they offered like Constanta did.
December 6th, 2019 at 2:50 PM ^
"Yes, yes of course. The Penske file. Ho ho, can't wait to sink my teeth into that. Wow that Penske. Well we'll straighten him out."
December 6th, 2019 at 3:46 PM ^
Thought JB would have taken the bigger office.
December 6th, 2019 at 3:20 PM ^
I believe he was offered the Orlando job last year. That roster was a better roster than Cleveland
December 6th, 2019 at 8:06 PM ^
He could have stayed here..
December 6th, 2019 at 1:36 PM ^
I agree. I think it was more a “what the hell” kind of decision to scratch that NBA itch at the end of his caterer instead of believing he was really going to be able to be successful as an pro coach.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:49 PM ^
That had to be an excuse made by him or his camp. He was competing for conference titles on a regular basis, making runs in the tournament, and the success of Virginia and Villanova in the past few years is proof that you're probably better off with 4 stars in their third year than you are with one-and-dones. High level talent identification and development (which JB could do) is better than paying guys to play for one year and then leave.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:26 PM ^
He was done with the grind of college basketball, it sucks. There is a reason when he called Brad Stevens and Donovan they both told him coaching in the NBA was better than coaching in college.
December 6th, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^
The NBA plays nine months out of the year and the coaches and players live at the airport. Not sure he found a successful way out of the "grind."
December 6th, 2019 at 1:31 PM ^
The ol' PJ (or at least a charter) probably takes a lot of the sting out of "the airport" though.