3 areas the Cavs need to fix quickly for Game 2 against the Knicks

No. 3 area for Cavs to correct against Knicks in Game 2: Coaching has to be better

Coaching can be learned but it also has a lot to do with instincts and anticipation along with experience. While J.B. Bickerstaff has gotten to this level of NBA coaching for numerous reasons, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the best at what he does. There’s been a lot of praise for the Cleveland head coach recently and it has been well-earned, but that still doesn’t excuse the coach’s weaknesses.

One of those weaknesses is his inability to understand what combinations of players to play on the court at any one time. Obviously, the Cavs have a solid starting core of players. However, he’s been running them into the ground too often this season and has been reluctant to play his bench. That has more to do with the fact that the head coach doesn’t have faith in his bench.

And before you once again say that the coach is correct in not playing them because they stink, please remind yourself that a player can’t show his worth if the coach shows no confidence in them.

Beyond the concern of how Bickerstaff is playing his team, he also doesn’t seem to have a good grip on timing and calling good timeouts and adjusting to the opponent’s strengths in general. In Game 1, Bickerstaff called too many timeouts in the first half. He didn’t leave himself extra timeouts at the end of the game when they needed them most.

He also didn’t make many adjustments in terms of play calls or how to defend the Knicks’ best players. Watching Cedi Osman, one of the worst Cavs defenders, guard the Knicks’ best player Jalen Brunson down the stretch was frightening.

Hopefully, these areas can be addressed and corrected by Bickerstaff as they go into Game 2. If they aren’t corrected fast, then this Cavs season could be coming to a close.