Are two straight NBA postseason appearances a failure?
Apparently, it is for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who decided to fire head coach JB Bickerstaff a week after their playoff exit at the hands of the Boston Celtics.
Bickerstaff became the Cavs' head coach in 2020, although he was an assistant there in 2019.
The team improved immensely during his tenure through the NBA draft and quality trades.
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They made their first-ever playoffs post-LeBron James era in 2023, although they lost to the New York Knicks in the first round.
Despite the relative success under Bickerstaff, the front office gave him the pink slip, stating that they needed to be more aggressive in this era of the NBA.
"J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human being," the team's president of basketball operations, Koby Altman, said in a statement.
"Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership.
"The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships."
The Cavs are looking to take a leap by changing their coaching staff.
However, with a crucial free agency coming, this might not be a good idea.
Three main reasons why firing JB Bickerstaff was a mistake:
1. Continuity will be lost
Denver Nuggets stuck with their coach, and they won a championship in 2023.
This has been the NBA's blueprint for quite a while, and it applies to coaches and players.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic - two perennial MVPs - won their first ring with the team that drafted him. They were also surrounded by supporting players who had been with them since the time they were struggling.
Boston Celtics have not won a championship since 2008, but they have always been in the top tier, thanks to their decision to build a team and continue to invest in their players and system.
The firing comes at a crucial time as star Donovan Mitchell is at the end of his contract and could make a decision that will significantly affect their next moves in the free agency.
Cavs fans can only hope to land a coach that will vibe well with Spida.
2. Might affect LeBron James lottery
It is no secret that the Cavs still have a chance to lure LeBron James back to the team after leaving them in 2018.
However, the window for James's return is small, as he is already at the tail end of his career (and still playing like he was in his late 20s).
He will look for a competitive team.
If the Cavs can hire a coach King James prefers, then making him wear The Land jersey again might not be far-fetched.
3. He didn't get a healthy roster
The Cavs had a good regular season run only to deal with injuries to key players in those two postseason they played.
That's the story for Bickerstaff in his five-year tenure with the team.
The last season saw Mitchell miss the previous two games with the Celtics.
Jarett Allen also missed a good chunk of the postseason.
What's great about the 45-year-old coach is that he was able to convince four talented players, including Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, to buy into his system.
The players loved him. He connected with them, and they bought into the system and excelled in their respective roles.
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