Head coach JB Bickerstaff and the Cleveland Cavaliers have enjoyed a dominant beginning to the second half of their 2023-24 season. In fact, the Cavs have dropped just two (!) contests since the calendar flipped to 2024, and Bickerstaff has led the team’s success all while navigating a slew of injuries, including to franchise cornerstones Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, both of whom are now thankfully back in the lineup.
Recently, Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman spoke on the admirable job that Bickerstaff has done in keeping the ship afloat despite all of the turmoil.
“I really want to give J.B. a ton of credit, and his coaching staff a ton of credit,” said Altman, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Navigating the early adversity of the season, certainly with the injuries, figuring out the way to play really successful basketball and really sort of changing how we play. We had the personnel to do it. And so figuring out a way to get up those 3s and play at a faster pace, a lot more spacing out there.”
Of course, Cavs fans probably won’t be content with just a nice regular season if it doesn’t translate into postseason success. The Cavs had home court advantage last year against the New York Knicks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, but both Garland and Donovan Mitchell flamed out in epic fashion, putting the pressure on the franchise to make a deep inroad on the postseason picture this year.
However, for now, Cavs fans can sit back and enjoy the team’s success.