Cleveland Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff sent a strong message amid a three-game skid from the Cavs, wrote Right Down Euclid Editor-in-Chief Evan Dammarell in a Sunday tweet.
“I trust these guys,” Bickerstaff said. “I’m around them every single day. I know their makeup, I know their character. I know how committed they are to one another.
“I think it’s comical that people jump ship as quickly as they do.”
JB Bickerstaff said the team would have internal discussions with Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman about addressing the open roster spot based on what the team needs the most, continued Dammarell.
The Cavs took losses to the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks during a back-to-back series after the All-Star break. Despite the slide, they still hold their fourth-place spot in the Eastern Conference, trailing three games behind the Philadelphia 76ers while placing two games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets.
Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell had a stern message following the loss to the Hawks in State Farm Arena.
“I’m not going to go out and make any excuses,” Mitchell said. “Everybody can go out and say we played last night, but I’m not hearing it.
“We all have to take that. We have to find a way to do it. It’s time. It’s that time I was telling you about at the beginning of the year. It’s time to pick it up. We’ve dropped these two. Now we have to go and respond.”
Everyone will be available for the Cavs when they take on the Toronto Raptors, Elyria Chronicle-Telegram Cavaliers beat writer Bob Finnan in a Sunday tweet. Forward Otto Porter Jr. and guard Fred VanVleet were both listed as out.
The Cavs will tip off against the Raptors at 6 p.m. EST on Sunday in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcasted on Bally Sports Ohio.