The Cleveland Cavaliers had been steadily on the rise under head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, but he was fired this week after five seasons of coaching the team.
This past season was a good one for the Cavaliers as they finished in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, and they won their first playoff series against the Orlando Magic. They fell in the second round against the Boston Celtics. It was surprising to see Bickerstaff go, and it could have something to do with Donovan Mitchell.
Donovan Mitchell is the star in Cleveland, and the Cavaliers want to do whatever it takes to keep him there. There have been some talks about him potentially leaving this offseason, but the team getting rid of J.B. Bickerstaff might've been a tactic in hopes of keeping Mitchell aboard.
Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst recently discussed the situation in Cleveland on Hoop Collective, and they seemed surprised that Bickerstaff was let go. He had made a lot of progress with the Cavaliers and the team was getting better every year.
Tim MacMahon: I feel bad for Just Business Bickerstaff. This is bull. I’m sorry, dude. The man did a damn good job in Cleveland, and just because somebody doesn’t like him, he gets the boot.
Brian Windhorst: It’s a little more complicated than that, but I could certainly see why a lot of people feel that way. I mean, if you look at the last four years, they were lottery, play-in, playoff, second round, coach fired.
Tim MacMahon: Wait, progress, progress, progress, peace out.
The Cavaliers have certainly come a long way in recent years under Bickerstaff. It wasn't too long ago when they were one of the worst teams in basketball. Then this season, they were one of the best teams in the East. Bickerstaff did a great job in Cleveland.
Donovan Mitchell is the top priority for the Cavaliers
It's not a secret that Donovan Mitchell is priority number one for the Cavaliers. He is their star player, and they want to build their team around him. It seems like the team knew how he felt about J.B. Bickerstaff, and that went into the decision to let him go.
Brian Windhorst: They will completely protect Donovan, and Donovan himself, you won’t find anything on the record, and you won’t eventually see anything on the record, I doubt.
Tim MacMahon: I mean, Donovan might not even know about it yet. Has he checked his phone today? (Sarcasm)
Brian Windhorst: I think Donovan knew about it before he left Cleveland.
Tim MacMahon: Oh, how could that be. (Sarcasm)
Brian Windhorst: Let me just be clear, I don’t think they decided or told him. It was just the writing was on the wall, and Donovan was certainly aware.
Brian Windhorst: Look, at the end of the day, Donovan didn’t ask for him to be fired. I see this all the time. I hear this from fans, and it’s never that cut and dry. You know how a star player feels about a coach by the way they interact over six months, not over a six-minute exit interview.
The Cavaliers now have a big offseason ahead of them as they have to find a new head coach, and they have to keep Donovan Mitchell happy.
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