J.B Bickerstaff Has Support of Cavs Players and Organization

Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B Bickerstaff has achieved something with his roster that his predecessor, John Beilein, couldn’t. 

Former head coach John Beilein was hired by the Cavs from college basketball because he was a culture guy. Beilein spoke about instilling an ethos in the entire organization as a springboard for success.

However, he struggled, and the Cavaliers players didn’t buy into his project. It’s this buy in that J.B Bickerstaff in contrast has got from the players right away.

As a result, J.B Bickerstaff has been given a multiyear new contract by Cleveland, which was announced on Tuesday. 

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“They bought in automatically,” Bickerstaff said.

“They’re competing, playing together and doing all the things we’ve been trying to push. They’ve led the way and made it easy for us as coaches. It’s exciting just to be a part of it. They’re obviously the ones that are gonna carry us.

“It’s our jobs as coaches to just steer the ship a little bit.”

Bickerstaff served under John Beilein, who resigned after 54 games. Following Tuesday’s 108 – 103 loss to the Bulls in Chicago, the Cavs are 5 – 6 under him. While still one of the NBA’s worst teams, the mood in Cleveland has been transformed since his appointment.

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“We are very fortunate to have someone of J.B.’s caliber and basketball pedigree lead our franchise as head coach,” said general manager Koby Altman. “His wealth of experience, coupled with the respect he has garnered around the NBA and with this team, has made for a seamless transition from associate head coach to head coach.

“The amount of grit and determination instilled in our players, from both an accountability and attention to detail standpoint over this short period of time, has been met with admiration, respect and overall excitement throughout our entire locker room. We have already observed the impact he has made on our players through his first 10 games as head coach and we are looking forward to seeing just how far he can effectively drive our developing culture and lead this franchise into the future.”