Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 reasons to be excited for 2019-20 NBA season
By Ryan Piers
2. Coach John Beilein
New coach. New era. Beilein freshens the Cleveland Cavaliers practice court, locker room and sidelines, while his style fits the contemporary NBA more closely than his predecessors.
His successful Michigan teams thrived on spacing and motion. When it came to shooting, the green light applied for almost anyone. Post players often launched from beyond the arc. Guards were permitted to attack the post. It’s a mantra consistent with that of the top NBA teams.
These highlights from Michigan’s first-round win over Montana reflect such. The Wolverines often positioned four perimeter players equidistant with a post player at the foul line, tactically mirroring the great Spurs and Warriors offenses.
Beilein’s style should benefit Kevin Love, a post player becoming increasingly perimeter based. Athletic guards like Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson will, hopefully, find more room to maneuver.
And Beilein will likely operate on an expedited timeline, already 66 years old and potentially approaching retirement age.
It’s this last point that should excite Cavs fans the most. The franchise inherits a coach with a winning pedigree and a motive to quickly flip the franchise.