Is J.B Bickerstaff’s coaching holding this Cavs team back?

Concern No. 2: When Cavs get in playoffs/things can tighten up then

As we just looked at, those last five minutes, when the Cavs are in tight games, are pressure moments and too often the team has struggled. Despite that 20-20 record in those close games the team is 45-28 overall which shows that the team has been good at building leads and keeping the lead. However, we all know that when the playoffs begin in a few weeks, games tighten up, defenses start locking up more on their opponents and we get more nailbiters.

How will these young Cavaliers handle all these new things? It takes time to learn how to win in the postseason. It will help to have a player like Donovan Mitchell, who’s been in the playoffs five times, to be the leader of the Wine and Gold.

As for the team’s head coach, Bickerstaff has only been involved in one playoff series when he coached the Houston Rockets. They played the Golden State Warries in an opening round series in 2016 in which they lost in five games 4-1. That in itself isn’t necessarily bad news but it does also point out that Bickerstaff doesn’t have much coaching experience in these pressure cooker series.

This is also why a change at head coach for the Cavs in the near future seems reasonable when you add up all the things it will take to get them to a championship.

While the Wine and Gold may have a ton of basketball talent on the team, they’ve also got to find the leader that will be able to take them to new heights.