In this post, I'll write about the Cleveland Cavaliers decision to remove J.B. Bickerstaff as head coach following their elimination in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
Bickerstaff spent parts of five seasons as the Cavaliers head coach, took Cleveland to two playoffs, and this year led the Cavaliers to their first playoff series win without LeBron James in over two decades, so on the surface one could think that Bickerstaff received a raw deal.
One could look at the opposite and say that it took him that long to win a series, Cleveland was taken to seven games by a team that it was favored to defeat in six or less, and perhaps the worst sin- he had begun to lose his club.
Some players made mild digs at Bickerstaff after playoff losses for lack of adjustments and personnel decisions and for a team that is involved with a looming decision by Donovan Mitchell that could affect the franchise's immediate and long-term future, keeping Bickerstaff could have been a key factor in Mitchell deciding to accept or reject his extension offer.
Keeping Donovan Mitchell happy enough to sign his extension is paramount at this point over just about anything in the organization and if he's disenchanted with J.B. Bickerstaff, then a change is needed.
I'm not usually in favor of allowing the star player to rule the franchise but allowing Mitchell to leave (even if by trade, Cleveland wouldn't get anything nearly as enticing as what they sent to Utah to acquire him) when the Cavaliers haven't even given the Jazz any of the three first-rounders that they owe for Mitchell yet would be foolish.
The Cavaliers improved under Bickerstaff but I think they plateaued and Darius Garland and Evan Mobley have reached a point where if they have not regressed, they certainly have yet to progress.
Garland's team is rumored to have told the Cavaliers that should Donovan Mitchell sign an extension Garland would ask to be traded.
Evan Mobley ranks only behind Mitchell as a core player he played very well in the series defeat to the Boston Celtics, Mobley's game has yet to develop offensively as the Cavaliers have hoped and some of that has to fall on J.B. Bickerstaff.
J.B. Bickerstaff did a fine job in his time in Cleveland but coaches of his level are fairly easy to find and have a certain shelf life.
Bickerstaff reached his time with Cleveland and this is a move that makes sense to make now rather than wait for a slow start to next season to replace him.
Good work from a good coach whose time had come.
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