JB Bickerstaff available
Posted: Thu May 23, 2024 3:14 pm
Anyone who watched the Cavs play during the 2021-22 season knows Bickerstaff had that team playing beautiful basketball. Mobley was a rookie, Markkanen was in his first year with the team, Allen was in his first full year with the team, and Garland was in his first year as the unquestioned point guard. They blended well and developed great chemistry in Bickerstaff's offense. They won 47 games after winning 22 the year before.
So what did their front office do in celebration of such a magical season? They killed the chemistry that had just been created. Traded Markkanen for Donovan Mitchell. The team ball was gone. The balance was gone. Sure, they still won games the last two seasons, but it's a flawed team now. And now they've put the blame on Bickerstaff and fired him.
I'll take him. The guy knows how to coach and run an offensive system with bigs. I would love to see this team 'forced' to play in a structured system. If this group is ever going to succeed, it's what they need. And I can envision how the pieces would fit in Bickerstaff's system.
Oh well. It's not going to happen. But it should.
* There are lessons to be learned from this. Chemistry is a fragile thing. When you're lucky enough to find it, you don't take it for granted and mess with it. The Cavs had just won 47 games (despite a plethora of injuries) with a team playing together for only the first time. You don't break that up. You cultivate it. That group earned the right to run it back. A great individual 'shiny object' player isn't necessarily a great player for your team. There was no need for Donovan Mitchell and his high-usage, ball-hogging 30 ppg on that team at that time. Certainly not at the expense of Markkanen. In addition to killing the team chemistry, you created a void at the 3 while forming the shortest back-court in the league with two guys who want/need the ball in their hands. The front office got greedy and stupid. Now they're starting over.
.
So what did their front office do in celebration of such a magical season? They killed the chemistry that had just been created. Traded Markkanen for Donovan Mitchell. The team ball was gone. The balance was gone. Sure, they still won games the last two seasons, but it's a flawed team now. And now they've put the blame on Bickerstaff and fired him.
I'll take him. The guy knows how to coach and run an offensive system with bigs. I would love to see this team 'forced' to play in a structured system. If this group is ever going to succeed, it's what they need. And I can envision how the pieces would fit in Bickerstaff's system.
Oh well. It's not going to happen. But it should.
* There are lessons to be learned from this. Chemistry is a fragile thing. When you're lucky enough to find it, you don't take it for granted and mess with it. The Cavs had just won 47 games (despite a plethora of injuries) with a team playing together for only the first time. You don't break that up. You cultivate it. That group earned the right to run it back. A great individual 'shiny object' player isn't necessarily a great player for your team. There was no need for Donovan Mitchell and his high-usage, ball-hogging 30 ppg on that team at that time. Certainly not at the expense of Markkanen. In addition to killing the team chemistry, you created a void at the 3 while forming the shortest back-court in the league with two guys who want/need the ball in their hands. The front office got greedy and stupid. Now they're starting over.
.
