The Cleveland Cavaliers made a huge move earlier this week, announcing that they have fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Bickerstaff had been head coach since he took over for the final 11 games the team played during the 2019-20 campaign.
He oversaw their entire rebuild, going 27-56 in his first season-plus on the job. But in the 2021-22 season, things started turning around. The Cleveland Cavaliers won 44 games, a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference.
J.B. Bickerstaff then led the team to back-to-back playoff appearances in the last two seasons. The last time that happened without LeBron James on the team was 1992-1996. 1993 was the last time the Cavaliers advanced beyond the first round without James before this year.
Alas, that wasn’t enough for him to keep his job. The Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking for a head coach who can lead them on a deeper playoff run. Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson has been floated as a possibility.
This decision is one that surprises a lot of people. In the opinion of former NBA player turned analyst Chandler Parsons, it was an awful decision. He did not hold back when sharing his opinion on a recent segment of Run It Back on FanDuel TV.
“Donovan Mitchell you got what you wanted, so now all the pressure is on you…this is a bullshit firing,” Parsons said.
Almost immediately after the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated by the Boston Celtics, rumors swirled about issues the team faced. Donovan Mitchell reportedly didn’t see eye-to-eye with J.B. Bickerstaff and wanted him gone.
He has now gotten what he wants, as Parsons noted. If Darius Garland is moved at some point in the NBA offseason, it would be another sign indicating that Mitchell is getting all he wants to remain in Cleveland.
That is a risky way to do business for an NBA team. Especially when you consider that Mitchell has never advanced beyond the semifinal round of the postseason. But, this is the route the Cavaliers have opted to take, as they seem determined to retain Mithcell on a long-term deal, including firing J.B. Bickerstaff.
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