Cavaliers rumors: Cavs could copy Warriors and fire their coach

The Cleveland Cavaliers are having a great season, by far the best season they have had with LeBron James in nearly three decades. As of Monday morning, the Cavs are 45-28 with nine games to go in the regular season, good for fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Even in the midst of such team success, the criticism has continued to flow for head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. He has tightened his rotation and left some valuable players outside of it, has possibly clashed with both Kevin Love and his replacement, Dean Wade, and has lost the confidence of much of the Cavaliers’ fan base.

J.B. Bickerstaff has received some criticism lately for the Cavaliers

The negatives certainly don’t tell the full picture. Bickerstaff has been at the helm as this team has grown from a cellar-dweller to a fringe contender. He correctly chose Darius Garland over Collin Sexton in the pecking order at point guard, he has overseen the growth of Evan Mobley into a budding two-way star, and players like Wade and Lamar Stevens have gone from undrafted to rotation options on his watch.

Bickerstaff has also shown some ingenuity, from the “Tower City” look last season with three 7-footers, to utilizing Mobley at the tip of a 3-2 zone, to creative offensive actions to maximize the abilities of both Donovan Mitchell and Garland. He is certainly not failing at his job, and the Cavs have the league’s best net rating as a result.

The most likely outcome for Cleveland is that they retain J.B. Bickerstaff past this season, allowing him to continue building this team. The organization will prioritize a starting small forward in free agency and on the trade market, and let Bickerstaff cook next year and try to contend for a title.

Yet it’s undeniably true that developing and coaching a rebuilding team into a playoff team is a very different challenge than leading a contender. Can Bickerstaff prove his ability to maximize a rotation? To make playoff adjustments during a series? To give his players everything they need to succeed at the highest levels?

If the Cavaliers disappoint in the postseason, losing in the first round or not being competitive in the second, it’s at least a question that will be asked. Should the Cleveland Cavaliers fire J.B. Bickerstaff and hire another coach?