Report: Cavaliers Players Became Frustrated With JB Bickerstaff Due To Inconsistent Offensive Flow

According to NBA reporter Evan Dammarell of Right Down Euclid, Cleveland Cavaliers players became frustrated with former coach JB Bickerstaff due to inconsistent offensive flow.

The Cavaliers were 20th in the NBA in points per game and 18th in offensive rating last season. 

Bickerstaff went 170-159 in the regular season and 6-11 in the playoffs with the Cavaliers, who hired Kenny Atkinson to a five-year deal this offseason. 

“Sources have previously told Right Down Euclid that players were frustrated with Bickerstaff at times last season, especially with Cleveland unable to find a consistent offensive flow during the regular season and playoffs,” Dammarell wrote. “The Cavaliers need to become a more modern team offensively, which Bickerstaff’s tactical shortcomings wouldn’t allow. So, when two ugly playoff rounds left Cleveland going home early, it was clear that a fresh perspective was needed to take what Bickerstaff had built up a few notches.”

Hoops Wire senior writer Sam Amico reported that Bickerstaff wasn’t happy the Cavaliers fired him. He felt he deserved “a few more seasons.”

“I can tell you Bickerstaff was none-too-pleased that the Cavs decided to part ways,” Amico reported. “He seemingly felt as if he deserved a few more seasons to finish what he started — much like the seven years Michael Malone got with the Denver Nuggets before finally winning a title. The Cavs felt otherwise and hired former Brooklyn Nets head coach and ex-Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson.”

Bickerstaff is the new head coach of the Detroit Pistons. The Cavaliers will see their old head coach multiple times next season since Detroit and Cleveland are in the same division. 

According to NBA insiders Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, Cavaliers star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell didn’t have great confidence in Bickerstaff.

Mitchell, who signed a three-year extension with Cleveland this offseason, signed off on the Atkinson hire, sources told Hoops Wire. 

“Multiple league sources have said, for months, that Mitchell did not have great confidence in Bickerstaff, and he was not alone,” Charania, Vardon and Lloyd wrote. “Several players questioned Bickerstaff’s strategies, game management, practice habits and accountability measures, privately and publicly, throughout the season.”