Recently, reports have surfaced that the Cavaliers contemplated a coaching change earlier this season when the team was struggling, and he is certainly coaching for his job the rest of this season.
The latter is no shock. We have been saying all year long the reality of the 2023-24 NBA season is if the Cavs either didn’t make the playoffs or was bounced again in the first round, J.B. Bickerstaff is going to be looking for employment when it ends.
However, the front office should be call into question if there was a thought of firing Bickerstaff earlier in the season. Why? Because if they weren’t firmly in his corner after the first-round loss to New York in April, they should have cut bait with him then when a couple of solid candidates were available.
Former NBA championship coach Nick Nurse was let go by Toronto after five seasons, four of those being over .500. Ime Udoka, who was let go under odd circumstances in Boston after guiding the Celtics to a 51-31 record and a berth in the NBA Finals, was also available.
And although we aren’t big fans, Mike Budenholzer, who won a title guiding the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020-21, and has a .600 winning percentage in the regular season was also let go by the Bucks following the year.
If the Cavs weren’t “married” to Bickerstaff and were going to think about letting him go in the first half of this year, they should have made the decision after last season. It’s unfair to start the next campaign already second guessing.
But here we are, and the most recent loss on the road for Cleveland just added fuel to the fire of those who have lost confidence in Bickerstaff, and no doubt the front office is included.
The Cavs scored 80 points in the first half and led by 26 with 9:35 left in the third quarter, 89-63. From there until the end of the game, the wine and gold were outscored 57-29.
There were reports the players were unhappy with the lack of any new strategy being deployed while Paul George scored 23 points in the final stanza. By the way, that 23 was more than Cleveland scored in that quarter.
Coaches lose locker rooms when they lose trust. Players know who can play and who can’t play. They also know when an opposing player is on a roll, you have to change up defensive looks.
When a coach doesn’t recognize this, the doubt starts to creep in, and the trust crumbles. Not playing Marcus Morris a game after awarding him in the locker room has to be a head scratcher. Watching Sam Merrill shoot the lights out and then get benched probably has the same effect.
We aren’t around the team, so we don’t know for sure these things caused issues, but players can see what is working and what isn’t. This happens at every level.
So, if the trust is gone between the coach and the players, then the front office either has to change the coach or the players. If the Cavs lose in the first round of the playoffs, we think there will be some of each.
Cleveland Sports Perspective 