3 big questions for Cavs as they head deeper into pivotal March stretch

Question No. 1: Will Bickerstaff’s weaknesses as a coach hinder the Cavs chances moving toward the playoffs?

I’ve had my doubts and written about Bickerstaff in the past and discussed how much credit he should be given. Obviously, he should be given some credit because he is the head coach and leading a team for a variety of reasons isn’t a job for the faint of heart.

I was surprised a lot by Bickerstaff playing a different combination of players in the final quarter of play in the win against the Pacers the other night. The group was honestly the team’s best defensive players including Lamar Stevens, Dean Wade, Isaac Okoro, Mobley, and Garland.

Bickerstaff even acknowledged that at the postgame press conference, saying just that, that the group was the best defenders on the team and that he wanted them to be out there with Garland. Garland took charge offensively getting to that career-high of 41 points and the team, who was down by eight points going into that final frame, started getting the stops they needed to claw their way back in the game.

This was one of the few times that Bickerstaff went to such a lineup so late in the game and it honestly was shocking because I’ve been very critical of how Bickerstaff is playing his bench and the rotations he’s been throwing out there.

There have been far too many moments throughout the season where despite the obvious need for a change in rotation or playing or not playing a bench player, Bickerstaff seems to be hellbent on not making the necessary move. So is that because he is stubborn and doesn’t want to make a change for pride reasons or is it that he just doesn’t understand or read the situation and doesn’t have a feel for the game like you’d expect him to have?

Situational basketball is an important part of the game. Also, understanding the strengths of your players is also important when coaching.

In a recent loss to the Detroit Pistons, the team had an unusual ending where the team was in a close game but had a group of players that weren’t built to hit a three-point shot late to try and tie the game up.

Yes, they had their third big man Lauri Markkanen on the floor, but Bickerstaff was trying to have Markkanen try and back down his opponent and get to the rim. Markkanen is a three-point specialist, but he wasn’t asked to do that in this situation and rather messed up and turned the ball over as he tried to attack in the lane. The last moments had players like Evan Mobley and Brandon Goodwin taking open three-point shots. Where were forwards Kevin Love and Cedi Osman in this moment? Or even forward Dean Wade at this point? All three are excellent three-point shooters.

Good coaches give their players the credit, especially when the team wins, and Bickerstaff does that. But Bickerstaff needs to continue to improve in understanding his players’ strengths and weaknesses more and trust some of these different rotations, like the one he played at the end of the Pacers win because it changed the outcome of the game.

If the team is going to keep winning Bickerstaff will have to keep getting better, just as his players are expected to.