Former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt has found a new home for the next season. Blatt, in fact, has signed a two-year deal with Greek powerhouse Olympiacos, the team announced in a press release. Coach Blatt will replace coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos, who left the team after three years spent there. Olympiacos recently lost the finals of the Greek league against historical rivals Panathinaikos and got eliminated in the quarter-finals of Euroleague, so the front office decided that a new head coach was needed after a disappointing season with no trophies.
David Blatt has coached Turkish side Darussafaka in the last two years and in this season he brought his team to the Eurocup title, thanks, mostly, to the amazing performances of Scottie Wilbekin. Darussafaka will play again in Euroleague next season. Coach Blatt remains one of the most decorated coaches in Europe. He won a Euroleague with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2014, a Eurocup this season with Darussafaka, several domestic league titles in Israel, Italy and Adriatic league. As head coach of Russian NT, he won a gold medal at the European Championship in 2007 and a bronze medal in 2011.
Blatt also reached an NBA final with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2014-2015 season, when the Cavs lost 4-2 against the Warriors, playing most of the series without Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. He was also linked to several NBA openings in this offseason but despite some interviews, he didn’t get a job in the league.
One of the main targets on the summer market for Olympiacos will be American point guard Nigel Williams-Goss, a source told Def Pen Hoops. Williams-Goss, a Utah Jazz draftee, played a strong rookie season in Europe with Partizan Belgrade and David Blatt is a big fan of his game, a source with knowledge of the situation told Def Pen Hoops.
