With the Wine & Gold making a difficult decision on Thursday morning – dismissing J.B. Bickerstaff after just over four years as head coach – there’s one thing that no rational fan can argue: that he leaves the Cavaliers in a lot better shape than when he arrived.
Just over a week after being eliminated from postseason by Boston in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman made the announcement from Independence on Thursday. Bickerstaff departs with a 170-159 regular season mark, but fell to 6-11 in the postseason after suffering the gentleman’s sweep against the Celtics.
“J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human-being,” said Altman, who hired Bickerstaff late in the 2019-20 season. “Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership.”
No part of Bickerstaff's journey with Cleveland was easy.
The team was already in rebuilding mode following the departure of LeBron James in 2018. After six games the next season, Ty Lue gave way to Larry Drew who, the following season, gave way to John Beilein to start the 2019-20 campaign.
Bickerstaff was hired as the squad’s associate head coach under Beilein, who did not make it past the All-Star Break. Bickerstaff took over 55 games into that season and looked to turn the team around – going 5-6 before the league shut down due to COVID-19.
The following year – Bickerstaff’s first full season in 2020-21 – the Cavaliers won 22 games, a three-win improvement from the previous year. The following season, they doubled that win total. The next season, Bickerstaff led the Cavs back to the Playoffs and, this year, they won their first postseason series since their last Finals run back in 2018.
What proved to be Bickertstaff’s final season in Cleveland was a rollercoaster ride.
Despite lofty expectations following last year’s return to the Playoffs, the Cavaliers struggled to a 13-12 mark – dropping their final three games on a four-game roadie heading into a mid-December homestand. But from there, the Wine & Gold took off – winning 18 of 20 games, and heading into the All-Star Break as the league’s hottest squad.
But Cleveland stumbled down the stretch for the second straight season, and injuries sent the Cavaliers into the postseason with a 12-17 mark over the second half. Some of the lingering injury issues from the end of the regular season – notably Donovan Mitchell’s cranky knee – and some new ones in the postseason – notably Jarrett Allen’s bruised ribs – eventually undid any chances Cleveland expected for a prolonged Playoff run.
In many ways, this postseason was an unfortunate microcosm of Bickerstaff’s tenure. The Cavaliers got off to a strong start, but struggled to close things out. Injuries played a huge role, but the more hobbled they were – down their leading scorer and rebounder in Games 4 and 5 against Boston – the harder they played.
And in the end, nobody can say the young Cavs didn’t play hard for Bickerstaff and, more importantly, that he didn’t leave the team with a lasting defensive culture. This year, Cleveland finished with the league’s top defensive rating (109.9) and 8th-best offensive rating (115.5) and were one of only three NBA teams – along with Boston and Philadelphia – to finish Top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating.
“The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships,” continued Altman. “We owe a ton of gratitude for everything J.B. has contributed to the Cavaliers and his engagement in the Cleveland community. We wish J.B., his wife Nikki and their three children the best in their future endeavors.”
The 45-year-old Bickerstaff is an NBA lifer who’ll land on his feet with an NBA team, and he’ll continue to be successful somewhere in the league. He’s earned that success by being one of the Association’s true gentlemen. He leaves the Cavaliers franchise poised for a brighter future – and deserves Cleveland’s gratitude and respect.
And now, the Wine & Gold head into the offseason with another item on their to-do list: Looking for the 24th head coach in franchise history.