Kenny Atkinson. James Borrego. Johnnie Bryant. Terry Stotts. Dave Joerger.
These are the names that have been linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers head coach opening. Among them, Atkinson appears to be the favorite and he likely would be a head coach already had he not turned down the Charlotte Hornets in 2022. Borrego, a hot name this offseason, is considered the No. 2 option for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant, the youngest of the bunch, is a dark horse candidate due to his relationship with Donovan Mitchell. Stotts has the most impressive resume.
Joerger, hired as a coaching consultant for the Cavs this season, already has his foot in the door.
Can Dave Joerger Unlock Cavs’ Offense?
Despite being characterized as an “outside-the-box thinker” by Yahoo Sports insider Jake Fischer, Joerger has typically coached low-scoring teams. So, when colleague Dan Devine mentions that Joerger’s coached the Grizzlies to a playoff series victory, it’s not as rosy a situation as he made it seem. Never mind that he’s talking about one win in three seasons.
Night and Day
The frontcourt duo of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol was one of the best in the league, averaging a combined 32.0 points and 17.9 points per game in their time with the Grizzlies. Capable of knocking down midrange jumpers or banging low with the big boys, the offense all but revolved around them.
In his three seasons with the Grizzlies, Joerger went 147-99, including two seasons with 50-plus wins. However, he was 9-13 in the postseason, with two first-round exits. In his final season with Memphis, he was swept by a San Antonio Spurs team led by Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge. Severely lacking firepower, the Grizzlies were unable to make deep playoff runs. Indeed, out of the four playoff series that Joerger coached, they only scored 100 points per game in one. That series was also the only one in which a Memphis player (Gasol) scored at least 20 points per game.
Coaching Development
With the way that the Grizzlies were constructed, Joerger could’ve just been playing to his roster’s strengths. That’s what any good coach would do. To that point, a team that runs its offense through the low-post is bound to put up fewer points than one with a perimeter-based approach. Yet, even when Joerger was coaching the Sacramento Kings, his teams were behind the curve offensively. It wasn’t until his final season as a head coach that the Kings impressed at that end, ranking ninth in points per game (114.2), in large part to their 3-point proficiency.
Nonetheless, players aren’t the only team personnel that need time to develop. Coaches often do too. As a result, a thorough vetting of Joerger’s background should also take into account the play of the Philadelphia 76ers in his three seasons as an assistant under Doc Rivers.
Rivers has developed a reputation as a playoff choker. However, he’s astute and experienced with a championship under his belt. Joerger would’ve become even better with his X’s and O’s in his time with Philadelphia, as Rivers is regarded as an expert tactician. In assessing the Sixers’ strengths in his three years there, Joerger may have found plenty of ways to generate free-throws as well, as Philadelphia ranked among the top-five teams in free-throws per game every season that he was there.
This is one particular area where Joerger may be able to help the Cavs. Cleveland averaged 20.4 free-throw attempts per game in 2023-24, ranked 24th in the NBA.
As he influenced Cleveland’s approach last season, he may only have to add onto the foundation that J.B. Bickerstaff built. In doing so, he’ll need to improve the Cavs’ offense, and a change in their approach could benefit them. However, he shouldn’t have to recreate the wheel.
