Hiring John Beilein Has Set The Cleveland Cavaliers Back Another 5 Years
Leave it to Dan Gilbert and Koby Altman to set back the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise 5 years. In what world is it okay to hire former Michigan head coach John Beilein to lead this team? Here’s just another misfire by the organization.
There’s only one reason you can see Beilein as a somewhat worthy hire. He’s a college coach, meaning there’s the ability to develop young players. The Wolverines have many players in the league, including, Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas, Caris LaVert, Glenn Robisnon II, Moe Wagner, and DJ Wilson. All of these aforementioned talents were coached by Beilein.
Still, just because you can get players to the NBA, doesn’t mean you’ll be a good NBA coach. The college game doesn’t translate well to the NBA level. Unless you’re Brad Stevens, success is hard to come by. We’ve seen Rick Pitino, Fred Hoiberg, John Calipari, Tim Floyd, Mike Montgomery, just to name a few. All of these coaches have failed.
There’s been nothing from Beilein during his collegiate coaching career to suggest he’s ready for the NBA. Sure, he’s regarded as having one of the best offensive systems in all of college ball, but does that fly in the NBA? Beilein is 66 years old. He’s coached 40 years and has no NBA experience
His record of 829-468, as he’s climbed the ranks through every level of competitive basketball, might seem impressive, though, what sets him apart from an NBA assistant?
The Cleveland Cavaliers needed an NBA ready assistant coach. This cute routine didn’t work when Gilbert hired David Blatt, another coach who didn’t know the NBA game. Of course, the European style of play is much different from the collegiate style, the premise remains the same.
When you hire a college coach, go after the best. While Virginia head coach, Tony Bennett, might still be a member of the collegiate ranks, he’s got a system that caters well to today’s NBA. Not to mention, a National Title. Either you get him, or you move on. Beilein came out of left field. Nobody expected him to get the nod as a head coach.
One thing Beilein needs to do, guide the young Cavaliers. Teaching Colin Sexton the In’s and out’s of the point guard position, helping Cedi Osman remain consistent, developing whomever the team takes with their two 1st round draft picks. If he can do that, there might be a chance he succeeds. The odds and history are stacked against him, though. Let’s face it, Beilein isn’t going to work.
Why Gilbert and Altman went this route we’ll never know. Hiring John Beilein, who’s never stepped foot on an NBA court before, doesn’t seem like a good idea. There were plenty of hungry NBA assistant coaches out there. It’s unlikely this move pays off. We’ll just have to wait and see how big of a
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Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
