1 stud and 1 dud for Cavs in bad loss to Bulls on 3/26
By John Suchan
Cavs Dud: Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff
I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve probably been more critical of Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff than most over this season. I don’t know why the Cavs signed Bickerstaff to such a lengthy contract when he’s had a track record of being a very mediocre coach.
Yes, the Cavs got off to a great start this season and I’ll give Bickerstaff some credit, sure. But the number of mystery decisions for playing certain rotations and certain players coming off the bench and his ability to coach in situational moments that require making shifts in personnel on the court still have me very concerned for this team long term.
The players win and lose the games but the actions of the head coach and his staff certainly have an impact on his team and in this latest loss to the Bulls, he didn’t have his team prepared to do battle. There seems to be a void in communicating the urgency of the moment as his team continues to sputter along in these last several games.
On your homecourt against a Bulls team that is not playing their best basketball of the season either, your team can’t get down by 18 points and try firing up 18 shots from the three-point line and only making one in the first half. For some reason, Bickerstaff’s message to his team doesn’t seem to be registering. The body language of the players on and off the court also seems to be strained at the moment.
The usually enthusiastic Kevin Love hasn’t been rushing onto the court to congratulate his teammates. Cedi Osman has been placed back on the bench pretty much permanently again by the coach. What is happening behind closed doors is anyone’s guess, but there certainly appears to be a problem with the message from the coach.
This has been my fear with this coach and this young team. I certainly hope they can all get along again, and maybe it’s just the injuries have taken their toll, and the team is still mostly young.
Next. Cavs path to missing the postseason is growing wider. dark
We can say that it seems like the coach is beloved by his players but there’s always a side to the story that we don’t know and that side seems to be winning out at the moment, however. And Bickerstaff’s recent decision-making has not helped this team.