Cavaliers fire head coach J.B. Bickerstaff after five seasons

The Cleveland Cavaliers have reported fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff after five seasons, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Bickerstaff was dismissed after a season during which the Cavaliers finished fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 48–34 record and advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 2017–18 season.

Cleveland eventually lost in five games to the Boston Celtics with star guard Donovan Mitchell missing the final two games of the series and center Jarrett Allen missing eight consecutive playoff games, going back to the team’s first-round matchup with the Orlando Magic

Bickerstaff took over as Cavaliers head coach following the firing of John Beilein during the 2019–20 season. In 2021, he agreed to a new contract that extended him through the 2026–27 campaign. Previously, Bickerstaff had head coaching stints with the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies.

Overall, Bickerstaff compiled a 170–159 record with the Cavaliers including two playoff berths.

Adding Donovan Mitchell raised expectations

The Cavs improved during Bickerstaff’s first two full seasons, but the stakes raised considerably after the team acquired Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton and the rights to six first-round draft picks. Suddenly, Cleveland had its biggest superstar since LeBron James, an addition expected to lift the team to compete with the Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers at the top of the East.

However, a promising first season with Mitchell resulting in a 51–31 record ended with a surprising first-round playoff loss to the New York Knicks in five games. That defeat may have hinted at the problems to come, as players questioned Bickerstaff’s approach with a young team and his offensive strategy, according to The Athletic. Those issues continued into this past season, with Bickerstaff also being scrutinized by general manager Koby Altman for playing Mitchell so heavily.

Yet injuries to point guard Darius Garland and forward Evan Mobley likely forced Bickerstaff to increase Mitchell’s usage, creating a challenging situation…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/cavaliers-fire-head-coach-jb-bickerstaff-after-five-seasons-142409490.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-05-23 14:24:09

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