Season review: J.B. Bickerstaff

Despite year-over-year improvement, time may have run out for J.B. Bickerstaff in Cleveland.

Believe it or not, J.B. Bickerstaff has been the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for five seasons. He took over the John Beilein just before the COVID-19 pandemic, which may come as a shock to some, and navigated a lottery team to the playoffs. Bickerstaff has been with the Cavaliers for a while, getting a longer leash than most head coaches get nowadays in the NBA. But the sun may be setting on Bickerstaff and his time in Cleveland.

There is one big caveat that must be kept in mind when assessing Bickerstaff’s season: the Cavs dealt with myriad injuries to key players throughout the season. This includes Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, and, in the playoffs, Jarrett Allen. The Cavs had no true backup point guard virtually all season. Wing and big man depth were once again tested due to injuries or just ineffectiveness.

Bickerstaff made do with what he had, which is commendable. The Cavs were without Garland and Mobley at the same time, and not only weathered the storm but won an NBA-best 22 games from mid-December to the All-Star Break. It's inarguably the best stretch of coaching from Bickerstaff in his career. The issue is, like last season, the Cavs regressed afterward by going 12-17 which included emphatically bad games.

The reason there has been such fervor about Bickerstaff’s job security is because the Cavs may have simply hit their limit under him. Similar to how in 2010, the Cavaliers moved on from Mike Brown. The team had reached their limit with what he could provide with this group and it was best for both to move on.

Bickerstaff is in the same boat. The Cavs showed they could overcome his poor coaching decisions, such as not staggering the frontcourt or backcourt enough or playing Georges Niang for too long in the regular season. But at this point, the Cavs need great - especially if they convince Donovan Mitchell to extend his contract. Bickerstaff has been good for what the organization needed five years ago, but they have evolved past that.

The post-mortem to the Cavs’ season came minutes after their Game 5 loss to the Boston Celtics. The Athletic reported that players were disgruntled with Bickerstaff’s seemingly nonchalant approach to coaching, oftentimes wondering why they were practicing a certain way. Veteran players had their doubts, as did Mitchell. The offense was still far too bland, despite a preseason vow to be more dynamic with movement. Sometimes a new voice is what an organization needs to take the next step, and that is what the Cavs are searching for.

One of the challenging parts for the Cavs is finding that replacement level. Championship-caliber coaches do not grow on trees, and the best ones are likely hired already. Mike Budenholzer, who recently joined the Phoenix Suns, would have been the type of hire that makes sense for the Cavs. With a shallow pool of coaches, it's no wonder the Cavs are waiting to make a decision on Bickerstaff in the hope that someone suddenly becomes available.

There is no question that Bickerstaff helped right the ship for the Cavs over the last half-decade, but it's also unquestionable that something is clearly missing on the coaching front. For two seasons in a row, the Cavs showed a startling regression post-All-Star break. For two seasons, the Cavs finished fourth in the Eastern Conference. They won fewer regular season games this year than last. Players are more doubtful of Bickerstaff than ever before. With the organization at a crossroads, the Cavs have to determine if “good enough” is acceptable. Unfortunately for Bickerstaff, it likely won’t be.