John-Blair Bickerstaff: Currently The 6th Longest Tenured Head Coach

[redscoon]

I still don't think he'll be fired. I'm not advocating for him to keep his job. They should have replaced him last year.

But too many people aren't seeing it in the eyes of the Cavs and Koby.

1.) Koby clearly believes him in. Does that make him an idiot? Maybe, but he does.

2.) Coaches rarely get fired, after one fuck up of a year.

We as fans may have see this as long deserving, but that's us fans. I seriously doubt he gets canned.

And most importantly of all, once Koby fires him, he puts himself on the hot seat. If the next season is a disaster, HE'S gone.

Koby is not that stupid. He's going to keep JBB IMO. He's going to make some some moves. And when that doesn't work, JBB is definitely gone.

Koby may be too, but possibly could be saved. If he fires JBB, and next year is a bust, he just canned himself.

So ask yourselves, is he stupid/ballsy enough to do that?

The only way JBB is fired, if everyone is fired after the season. Which, I'm not suggesting shouldn't be on table, I just doubt that is the case.

I think the Cavs were just too scared to take the PR hit of firing JB last season. There would have been national backlash for firing a coach who had a good regular season and made the Cavs relevant for the first time without LeBron in two decades. They had a bunch of good metrics to point to and the overall youth of the roster. Plus, it gave them an easy out for this season not going as expected.

Koby is already on the hot seat. He's staring down a 2nd half and playoff collapse for the 2nd straight year on the heels of him sitting out both deadlines. Two years of Mitchell with zero playoff success is going to be difficult to explain. He has no choice but to fire JB. If he endorses JB as a good coach, then that means he has failed at assembling a good enough roster and he has blown through pretty much all the assets at his disposal.

I think there is a decent amount of uncertainty surrounding the Cavs future, but I think the one certainty is that it does not include Bickerstaff. He is getting fired unless they make the ECF and spoiler alert, they are not making the ECF.

 

[Smooth]

Dan Gilbert just came out and said he is confident Donovan Mitchell will re-sign..

You really think he is going to let John Blair Bickertsaff eff that up?

And if Koby chains himself to that tree, he knows it likely means unemployment for him.. Koby isn’t that dumb..

It really ain’t that complicated..

 

[godfather]

I think the Cavs were just too scared to take the PR hit of firing JB last season. There would have been national backlash for firing a coach who had a good regular season and made the Cavs relevant for the first time without LeBron in two decades. They had a bunch of good metrics to point to and the overall youth of the roster. Plus, it gave them an easy out for this season not going as expected.

Koby is already on the hot seat. He's staring down a 2nd half and playoff collapse for the 2nd straight year on the heels of him sitting out both deadlines. Two years of Mitchell with zero playoff success is going to be difficult to explain. He has no choice but to fire JB. If he endorses JB as a good coach, then that means he has failed at assembling a good enough roster and he has blown through pretty much all the assets at his disposal.

I think there is a decent amount of uncertainty surrounding the Cavs future, but I think the one certainty is that it does not include Bickerstaff. He is getting fired unless they make the ECF and spoiler alert, they are not making the ECF.

I hope he's fired, I just doubt it, because I think Koby really believes in him.

Unless the Cavs miss the playoffs (it's not happening), yeah, he's gone if that happens.

Make the ECF? Really, that's crazy expectations to put on JBB. This team is not good enough to make it that far.

There's no one outside the Cavs circle, that believes this is the second best team in the East. lol. That's crazy to fire a coach for that.

I think it's more likely Koby makes a big trade. Maybe he will can him. Obviously a change is going to be made. I'm looking at it from the optics stand point.

If Koby believes in JBB as a coach, for whatever reason, I doubt he goes that way. Maybe Koby doesn't believe in him anymore, and does can him.

It's fine with me, I'm just don't think fans should count on it.

If I were the Cavs, I'd clean house. I'd send both packing. That's not happening though.

Because you are right about one thing. We are having no success in the playoffs with Mitchell. Again, whose fault is that?

I blame Koby for that.

 

[willglam]

He’ll use the “injuries” excuse that he lost Michell, mobely, and strus for periods of time after all star break and unfortunately get one more year.

 

[godfather]

Dan Gilbert just came out and said he is confident Donovan Mitchell will re-sign..

You really think he is going to let John Blair Bickertsaff eff that up?

And if Koby chains himself to that tree, he knows it likely means unemployment for him.. Koby isn’t that dumb..

It really ain’t that complicated..

That's just tactics, he said the same thing about LeBron, before he left. haha. I don't blame Gilbert, wanting to show strength and confidence in obtaining his best player. Sorry, I wouldn't put much stock into that either.

I doubt Mitchell has made his mind up. And players minds change all the time.

If Mitchell, comes out, and says fire JBB and I'll sign. Well, yeah, bye, bye JBB

 

[eChameleon]

He’ll use the “injuries” excuse that he lost Michell, mobely, and strus for periods of time after all star break and unfortunately get one more year.

This is what I'm thinking as well. Then when this happens again next season, everyone is gone, from the GM on down to Mitchell.

 

[bushwick_bill]

That's just tactics, he said the same thing about LeBron, before he left. haha. I don't blame Gilbert, wanting to show strength and confidence in obtaining his best player. Sorry, I wouldn't put much stock into that either.

I doubt Mitchell has made his mind up. And players minds change all the time.

If Mitchell, comes out, and says fire JBB and I'll sign. Well, yeah, bye, bye JBB

I think the Lebron decision and this is a little different here...I also agree, I don't think Don knows what he wants to do yet but ultimately cash is normally king with most...

 

[cavsfever]

You waltz into LA and coach a 12:30pm game and manage to take it all the way to the wire like this…

We should have lost this by 50….

But we didn’t….

To bring the team back from a 19 point loss, in another early afternoon game after we had an early afternoon game just the day before, and keep us in the lead through 98% of the game? Trail less than one minute out of 48 minutes? Incredible job by JBB. As he said in his press conference afterwards we played well through most of the game, and he deserves credit for that!

 

[Smooth]

That's just tactics, he said the same thing about LeBron, before he left. haha. I don't blame Gilbert, wanting to show strength and confidence in obtaining his best player. Sorry, I wouldn't put much stock into that either.

I doubt Mitchell has made his mind up. And players minds change all the time.

If Mitchell, comes out, and says fire JBB and I'll sign. Well, yeah, bye, bye JBB

The point is, if Gilbert feels like a coach is standing in the way then by all means that coach is gone..

Gilbert is more active than in recent years as evidenced by his latest comments..

He's a shrewd businessman, he's not going to let things go by the wayside as Mitchell's future hangs in the balance..

 

[redscoon]

Make the ECF? Really, that's crazy expectations to put on JBB. This team is not good enough to make it that far.

I'm saying I think the decision to fire JB has already been made. The only thing that can save him is an unexpected playoff run.

I would have said the Cavs needed a competitive 2nd round exit for JB to keep his job at the ASB. With the wheels falling off in the 2nd half, I think he has used up all of his buffer and now needs a miracle to stay on.

 

[Sebastian]

Barring some species of miracle, I would be quite surprised JBB is back next season.

Every indication is a loss of confidence in him in the locker-room and from the Front Office.

He was among the walking dead before this game.

But if there was ever a catalyst for Altman or Gilbert IF they were wavering, this is it.

Beyond embarrassing loss.

Expect his dismissal or resignation following the conclusion of the season.

 

[Jscc]

He’ll use the “injuries” excuse that he lost Michell, mobely, and strus for periods of time after all star break and unfortunately get one more year.

The FO can say injuries, injuries, injuries until they are blue in the face. Fortunately for us fans, Mitchell isn't going to give a $#!+ about the excuses when it comes time to sit down for extension talks imo. It will force serious changes that this FO was too complacent to make and Don will likely ask for a no-trade clause to re-sign [like Beal did].

Ideally, I'd re-sign Don, bring every player back next season, and get Don's input for a new coach. If we see the same results under a new coach, it's time for a rebuild.

 

[bushwick_bill]

To bring the team back from a 19 point loss, in another early afternoon game after we had an early afternoon game just the day before, and keep us in the lead through 98% of the game? Trail less than one minute out of 48 minutes? Incredible job by JBB. As he said in his press conference afterwards we played well through most of the game, and he deserves credit for that!

Cleveland and I may be wrong here is the only team to lose this year that has scored that many points in a half is the major problem... I put this in the game thread... PG13 was also freaking a machine.

Pretty hard to believe, I think we are the only team on this list that lost...

Most Points Scored By One Team In One Half In A Single NBA Game Of The 2024 Season | StatMuse

The Los Angeles Lakers have dropped the most points by a team in a first half this season, with 87 points against the Pelicans on February 9.

www.statmuse.com

 

[Dr No]

JBB’s future depends on the locker room. The players will always say they support the coach and didn’t ask for his firing - and there is technically some truth in that. The players don’t say a thing. But they let their agents know and the agents talk to Koby very regularly. If DM’s agent hints that his client would be more likely to extend with a new coach, JBB is gone. If DM’s agent says JBB is the one he wants, JBB is staying. The same is true with other high profile players like DG & Mobley. Unless you are just so terrible that everyone knows you need fired or untouchable like Pop, the players have a huge amount of influence in situations like ours.

 

[bushwick_bill]

Barring some species of miracle, I would be quite surprised JBB is back next season.

Every indication is a loss of confidence in him in the locker-room and from the Front Office.

He was among the walking dead before this game.

But if there was ever a catalyst for Altman or Gilbert IF they were wavering, this is it.

Beyond embarrassing loss.

Expect his dismissal or resignation following the conclusion of the season.

A mutual agreement with JBB leaving would be ideal for me, no matter of the outcome in the playoffs... JBB is a smart guy and has grown up in the NBA. He has to understand the writing is on the wall, regardless of the amount of injuries the team had to endure this season and the fact that the starters are only going to play like a 1/3 of the season together...