Cleveland Cavaliers Roster Rumors 2016: Cavs Plan on Hiring Mike Longabardi as Assistant Coach
After firing David Blatt midway through the season, Tyronn Lue and his Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly adding veteran assistant coach Mike Longabardi to the team for the purpose of emphasizing defense.
Longabardi is considered one of the best in the league when it comes to instilling effective and successful defensive system to a team, and with that in consideration, the Cavs are not the best when it comes to team and individual defense statistics.
After Lue's promotion, it was kind of expected that he'll reach out to the people who he's worked with in the past and that includes Longabardi. Both coaches actually worked under Doc Rivers during their stint with the Boston Celtics.
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The veteran coach is well-liked and highly respected in the entire league, but that did not stop the Phoenix Suns from firing him as an assistant to Jeff Hornacek this season. However, that move was reportedly meant not to discredit the work of Longabardi but was more on sending a message to Hornacek.
The only thing that is preventing Longabardi from joining the Cavaliers right now is formality, which means that he only is expected to be integrated to the staff after this week. But who knows, everything seems to be quick and immediate in the NBA right now, including firing of coaches and the trade of players.
One of the most sought-after qualities of Longabardi is his straightforward attitude when it comes to forcing players to play defense. That is a kind of thing Cleveland needs right now, especially with regard to their core of veteran players who are oftentimes criticized for their lack of commitment to defense, including Kevin Love and JR Smith.
The addition of another coach who will be focused all year on forcing everyone to run to the opposite side of the court to play defense just may be what the doctor has ordered to give the Cavaliers a fighting chance against the best teams in the league.
