The Cleveland Cavaliers have parted ways with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff after he spent four-plus seasons with the famous franchise, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Bickerstaff, 45, went 170-159 with the Cavs in the regular season. Securing back-to-back playoff berths the last two years, Cleveland was 6-11 with Bickerstaff at the helm.
The Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with head coach JB Bickerstaff, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Pelicans associate James Borrego are expected to be among candidates for the job. pic.twitter.com/PVU0ZUcRGb
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 23, 2024
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson and New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach are expected to be among the candidates for the vacancy.
Cavs Make Decision On JB Bickerstaff
Ultimately, while a well-liked and mature leader, Bickerstaff’s Cavs tenure was a mixed bag.
After acquiring All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland was able to fortify their playoff chances. Nonetheless, Bickerstaff had gotten steady development out of his team, both individually and in the win column. Inheriting a team that went 19-46 in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, Bickerstaff only won 22 games his first year leading the Cavs. However, every core member of their rebuild was under 23 years old. Evan Mobley had yet to be drafted.
After adding Mobley and Lauri Markkanen in the summer, the Cavs won twice as many games (44) the next season. That was even with Collin Sexton —who averaged 24.3 points per game the previous season —playing just 11 games due to injury.
Mobley and Jarrett Allen both formed an excellent pick-and-roll pairing with Darius Garland, who was becoming more assertive and confident. Garland wasn’t the only player developing though, as Bickerstaff had unlocked Markkanen in a way his previous team could not. The seventh overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Markkanen was using his 7-foot frame to be a defensive menace.
Bickerstaff’s Biggest Flaw
That being said, the Cavs didn’t develop much under Bickerstaff.
Lauri Markkanen
Markkanen was playing better defense than ever. However, he was averaging 14.8 points per game on a .582 true shooting percentage. Today, executives believe he’s worth multiple first round picks, as the Finnish forward has averaged 24.5 points per game on a .636 true shooting percentage since being traded.
Collin Sexton
Sexton managed to improve as a scorer every season but his progression as a painstakingly slow. In many ways, this is what led to him eventually being traded. Last season, Sexton averaged 10.0 potential assists per game, outpacing even Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9.8).
Darius Garland
Garland has seemingly regressed and it’s not just because Spida’s in the neighborhood. However, it is notable that Bickerstaff’s usage of Mitchell could be the source of some tension.
Nonetheless, being a true point guard, he always seemed to get a bit out of control when trying to take over as a scorer. This season, Garland was just plain ineffective in that role. He shot 40 percent or lower from the field in eight of the 21 games he played without Mitchell, and the Cavs went 9-12 when Garland played without him.
Evan Mobley
Mobley’s lack of development and toughness has become a legitimate talking point.
He’s a premier defender capable of making game-changing plays in space or in the paint. He’s also a versatile offensive option, scoring from all three levels and flashing guard skills. However, he’s not aggressive, leading him to underwhelm on the scoreboard. In three seasons, he’s yet to average below 15 points or above 17 points per game.
Isaac Okoro
Then there’s Isaac Okoro, the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, shot a career-high 39.1 percent from 3 in 2023-24. Indeed, he’s incrementally improved his 3-point efficiency every season since being drafted. Yet, he’s shown little development in the ways of developing a scoring package. A wing with nascent passing ability, he hasn’t evolved into an offensive playmaker.
