3 takeaways from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2021-22 season

Takeaway No. 3: Coach J. B. Bickerstaff has a lot to improve on

I’ll be the first to say I don’t believe the Cavs head coach is the right guy to lead this team to a championship. They may be able to get to the playoffs a year from now, but that will be more because of the talent that is out on the floor than because of Bickerstaff’s coaching genius.

I’ll give Bickerstaff his deserved credit on the improved season, but if it weren’t for some exceptional play by individuals throughout the season, like Darius Garland, Kevin Love, or Jarett Allen, this team would have likely had a sub .500 record in the end. There were far too many games when situations called for better use of the bench players or the rotation of players that kept me up late at night with nightmares.

I’ll begin and end with forward Dean Wade. Wade has played coming off the bench numerous times and has started many games this past season. The fact that Bickerstaff either ignored what was right in front of him on purpose or simply can’t appreciate what he actually has in a player regarding strengths and weaknesses and never quite figured that the entire season likely cost this team a playoff run.

Wade is one of the best defenders on the team. Anyone who sees anything different doesn’t recognize good basketball. I’ve always believed that defense wins championships. The fact that there were countless games where Wade was out of the game riding the bench for long stretches of games is inexcusable.

Now, some of you at this point will immediately go to the idea that Wade wasn’t a very good offensive weapon. Wade was a very accurate shooter and can score but he was reserved in being aggressive and that may have limited his minutes. But I also heard that Wade was instructed a time or two or three to stay out on the perimeter and not be more aggressive. If that strategy was the case, that was another example of not knowing your player’s basketball skill sets.

Not utilizing players, the right way or in key moments of games by Bickerstaff was all too apparent, even early on when the team was still learning to play together. The continuous excuse by some of the injuries that plagued the team wasn’t the reason the team lost games.

Basketball is a game of runs and streaks and putting out fires at key moments. This team improved over previous years but unless Bickerstaff can better utilize his players and understand in-game situations better than this, the team will not be much better a year from now.

Let’s hope my assessment on the head coach is wrong. Nonetheless, this team now has an offseason to get better and we can’t wait to cheer them on next season.