When the Detroit Pistons hired JB Bickerstaff, he was an obvious and immediate upgrade from Monty Williams, a low bar to clear.
The team instantly looked more organized, more confident and secure in roles that were clearly defined.
The defense was noticeably better right away, and kept improving throughout the season, leading to a top 10 unit on that end.
It was clear that JB Bickerstaff was not only a good coach, but the right man for the job, and the Pistons had one of the biggest turnarounds in league history, made the playoffs and more than tripled their win total.
Meanwhile, Bickerstaff’s replacement in Cleveland, Kenny Atkinson, had plenty of success of his own, guiding the Cavs to 64 wins and the best record in the Eastern Conference.
It worked out for everyone in the end, but Cavs fans were still talking for much of the season about how Bickerstaff was not a “championship coach” often calling him a “player’s coach” (coded language here iykyk) or a “bridge coach” who can make a bad team competitive but not take them all the way.
Atkinson got a ton of credit for the Cavs’ improvement and won Coach of the Year over Bickerstaff.
But now his team is on the verge of elimination in the second round again and I am wondering who Cleveland is going to blame.
JB Bickerstaff wasn’t the problem in Cleveland
After getting blown out last night, the Cavs now face a 3-1 deficit against the Indiana Pacers, who are healthy and playing their best basketball of the season.
After being healthy for most of the season and looking like the team to beat in the East, the Cavs have been hit with untimely injuries, perceived coaching mistakes and poor performances from some of their key players.
It culminated in an evisceration last night, with Donovan Mitchell limited to 20 minutes after twisting his ankle.
The Cavs now face an elimination game, possibly without their best player, and another summer wondering how they can take the next step as a franchise after another second-round exit.
Coaches are often made scapegoats in these situations and sometimes it’s deserved, as we saw last year with Monty Williams in Detroit.
But we see a Cleveland team with virtually the same roster getting the same results, some of which are being driven by simple bad luck with injuries, same was it was for JB Bickerstaff.
It worked out well for Detroit, as the Pistons were the beneficiary of JB’s firing in Cleveland, but I do wonder who fans are going to blame if their Coach of the Year “upgrade” can’t get them out of the second round either.