The Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B Bickerstaff has had a successful season helping to lead his team to a No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and a first round playoff series against the New York Knicks. Those good vibes though are quickly coming to a close as his squad is in a 3-1 hole in this series. While many across the NBA including media personalities close to the team try to defend Bickerstaff’s coaching talents, there is this underlying narrative that is becoming more true with every game that his team plays.
The narrative basically says Bickerstaff doesn’t have a handle on important parts of coaching a team which include things like running out a consistent and productive rotation of players.
Bickerstaff often will send the same players off the bench in this series despite their lack of production. He’s been stubborn in playing other bench players. We see players like Caris LeVert, Ricky Rubio and Cedi Osman out there but we have yet to see Lamar Stevens or Dean Wade back out there in any capacity, aside from a bit from Wade early on.
Those supporting the Cavs head coach, often are quick to suggest these Cleveland players, especially the ones coming off the bench, aren’t very good and thus how can we blame the coach for that, and I say that defense is just not very strong.
A coach is supposed to know enough about his players to be able to utilize them and get the most out of them. There have been too many games this season and the ones in previous seasons where you really have to wonder how much Bickerstaff really does know about his players and their strengths. These players are in the NBA because they are talented and the best.
The constant social media bashing of the bench players for the Cavaliers this season by so-called fans and local media is nauseating. These players aren’t bad at their jobs. Instead, I believe they have a head coach that hasn’t figured out to use these players well.
This is why I believe Bickerstaff could potentially be fighting for his job on Wednesday night. The Cavs might not be able to salvage the series against the Knicks if they win; coming back from a 3-1 hole is going to be extremely difficult. However, Bickerstaff may be able to keep his job for another season.
The heat should be on Bickerstaff to win Game 5, in what’s been an underwhelming series so far for him and the Cavs.
Bickerstaff has supporters that will say that the team got here because of him. Unfortunately, in the NBA, most of the Cavaliers success this season can be attributed to the talent on the floor. The fact too that Cleveland added Donovan Mitchell this past offseason only made that talent grow.
This is where we’re at for the Cavs. How far they can grow and improve from this stage will have more to do with better coaching. I just don’t believe Bickerstaff is the right man for the job.
So come Wednesday it will be interesting to see how his team responds.
A lot of the negativity in the loss in Game 4 has been cast on Donovan Mitchell, who had a lousy game. Mitchell may turn it around in time and help the team win Game 5. That may also save his head coach’s job for another season, with other past successes in mind as well.
If the goal of the team is to win an NBA Championship, though, the Cavs have got to take a more serious look at the whole group from players to coaches and that includes Bickerstaff.