Former Cavaliers head coach throws subtle shade at core member during interview

Since his dismissal from the Cleveland Cavaliers, J.B. Bickerstaff has held a low profile, but a recent radio interview has hinted toward a quiet resentment toward one of Cleveland's stars.

Following the conclusion of the NBA Finals, Bickerstaff joined SiriusXM NBA Radio for a short interview. The former coach had not made any public appearances before now following his exit from the team. Bickerstaff praised both teams but highlighted the determination Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic for playing through numerous injuries throughout the playoffs.

In the process of praising Luka, Bickerstaff threw a not-too-subtle jab at his own former star player Jarrett Allen for reportedly refusing an injection that would allow him to play through a pierced rib injury that he endured during the first round of the playoffs - a decision that was rumored to frustrate his teammates.

"This was a guy who was taking shots to his ribs so that he could go out and play, he was playing through pain, he wasn't complaining."

- J.B. Bickerstaff

Bickerstaff's comments mirror those of his long-term friend and now ex-Cavalier Marcus Morris, Sr. In an earlier interview, Morris argued that he would have played through the rib pain if he were in Allen's position. The playoff loss tot he Boston Celtics likely cost Bickerstaff his job after four seasons, though he had seemingly been on the hot seat with the organization throughout the regular season, too.

Bickerstaff led the Cavaliers back to the playoffs, but he could not sort out the offense

As the head coach of the Cavs, Bickerstaff led a rebuilding team back to the postseason, improving year by year. In two years with Donovan Mitchell, Bickerstaff's Cavaliers totaled 99 regular seasons wins but struggled mightily in the playoffs. In three rounds, the Cavs only secured one road victory, ending Bickerstaff's postseason tenure 6-11 with Cleveland.

Although the Cavs maintained a top defensive rating under Bickerstaff for the majority of his time, they were never able to break through a stagnant offensive flow. Last offseason, the Cavaliers used free agency to add two veteran shooters to solve their lack of spacing, but Bickerstaff still could not elevate the offensive efficiency into the top 10 during the regular season. With an All-NBA scoring talent in Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland's predictable offensive approach contributed to their postseason failures and Bickerstaff's dismissal.

In an end-of-season press conference, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman thanked Bickerstaff for his years with the team, citing a need for a change in perspective as the reason for the move.

Bickerstaff's relationship with Cavs star Donovan Mitchell reportedly played a significant role in his dismissal, too. Chris Fedor of cleveland.com spoke on their relationship in a recent interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Fedor said that while Mitchell has not tried to dictate every move the Cavaliers make this summer, the Cavs likely fired Bickerstaff as a proactive move to keep Mitchell happy. While Fedor did not claim there were any major disagreements or arguments between Mitchell and Bickerstaff, they did not see things the same way.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have not announced Bickerstaff's replacement yet, as their coaching search is reportedly still in the early stages. James Borrego, Kenny Atkinson and Micah Nori have emerged as finalists, advancing to in-person interviews last week, but other candidates may join the final list ahead of their final determination. All three known finalists have been viewed as a shift to an offensive-minded philosophy, signaling a stark difference from Bickerstaff's mentality.