Cavs Mailbag: What Will It Take For A Coaching Change To Happen?

Spencer Davies answers Cleveland Cavaliers fans' questions after the team's 103-95 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at home.

Welcome to Cavs Mailbag! In this daily mailbag, Spencer Davies will respond to fans’ curiosities surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers throughout the duration of the 2023-24 season. In order to submit yours, simply send your questions on X to @SpinDavies or via email at spindavies22@gmail.com.

Just when you think the Cavs have found a groove, a game like Wednesday happens. It's a troubling overlying theme of the first month-and-a-half of the season, and we'll address that shortly. 

Next up for Cleveland is a trip north to take on the Detroit Pistons, who couldn't muster up a single win in the month of November. While they'll reportedly be getting Bojan Bogdanovic back in that game, there will be no scenario in which the Cavs can drop that one. 

The Pistons have made significant rotational changes that have given them a boost, but under no circumstances should it even be close if Cleveland wants to be who the team says it wants to be.

Let's get to the lone burning question after Thursday for good reason:

What will it take for the Cavs to fire J.B. Bickerstaff?

I needed more than two hands to count how many people blew up my mentions with this question. I hear you. This performance hurts a lot more than the rest because it came after Cleveland looked like it had turned a corner. 

There was a convincing short-handed win over the Denver Nuggets followed by a gritty overtime victory vs. the Philadelphia 76ers on their own home floor. Heck, the wine-and-gold even pummeled the Atlanta Hawks just a few nights ago by 23 points.

But, as we've seen in the past, the Cavs reverted to old habits in their loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Turning the ball over in small spaces, lacking urgency with a lead, failing to adjust to a switch-heavy defense after dominating the paint early. It's troubling. We can provide all sorts of examples from the past because it's a constant conversation we've had, and it's only Dec. 1.

Players have to be held accountable. That's on them, as well as the coaching staff. Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was every version of upset one could be. It was a combination of dejection, frustration and sadness. The Cavs held a postgame meeting that delayed his media availability about where the team wants to go and who they want to be. (I recommend reading last night's column to get up to speed.)

Bickerstaff brought up playing with a lead. So did Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, three of the team's key core members. I did a little digging to see how bad it's been in those situations.

According to NBA.com, in the 149 minutes the Cavs have led by 11-15 points, they have -14.0 net rating. They're turnover margin is a situational-worst 19.0 percent, as is their offensive-rebounding percentage (22.0). In addition, Cleveland is allowing 117.6 points per possession in such scenarios.

I don't know how this measures up to the rest of the league, but it can't be favorable. While it's kind of common in human nature to relax a little when you've built a cushion, it's no excuse to take the foot off the gas — not if you want to be a playoff team with postseason success. It's also an indictment on all parties involved and indicates a worrisome lack of focus. 

Nov 8, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J. B. Bickerstaff reacts after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Oklahoma City won 128-120.  / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Another curiosity I have with Bickerstaff is why he's been so tight with his rotations. I figured when the Cavs were banged up, it was circumstantial. But even since Cleveland has been as close to a full bill of health as its been, he's only gone eight deep on his roster. Nine doesn't count if somebody plays a three-minute spurt and gets yanked, does it?

I hate trying to be an armchair coach. These are professionals that have worked their tails off to get to this point. He's obviously done something right to be the guy, and I loathe my mentions after losses calling for his head. I'm reluctant to feel it's always one person's fault because I do not know what goes into leading a group of men on the basketball court. I haven't been in his shoes. 

I will, however, point out the inconsistencies in messaging.

During training camp, Bickerstaff raved over the depth and trust he'd have to go 10 or 11 deep this season. Maybe Ty Jerome is one of those guys, and we're still waiting on his return, but are you telling us Craig Porter Jr. can't get a spot in the rotation after what he's shown? Tristan Thompson can't get minutes when the team needs to refocus on defense? Shoot, Sam Merrill can't give you seven minutes where he takes five shots from deep on a night nobody can make a three?

If Dean Wade is on the sideline, you can't just move along by shortening the rotation. There are options at your disposal. Plus, you shouldn't have to run your starters into the ground in late November — especially against a team that's resetting in Portland.

So what will it take for the Cavs to make a change in the big chair? Well, we're at 20-game mark. Things appear to change, then regression rears its ugly head. They're a 10-9 team who dealt with early adversity and handled it okay. Now, there's no falling back on that. The "same old, same old" won't cut it in this kind of expectation-heavy year Cleveland has on its shoulders.

This is a critical month, maybe even couple of weeks, for Bickerstaff to show he can get a message through to the team that nights like Wednesday are unacceptable. It's about not only making sure the message is heard, but also ensuring that it sticks, because if something like this happens another time, it'll be hard to justify keeping J.B. around.

As Garland said, Cleveland has to start acting like a playoff team. No more playing down to competition, no more "lackadaisical" spells, no more lapses in judgment. Sustained efforts, intentional play, dictating the game — those are all things that the Cavs have proven they can do on a nightly basis if they put their minds to it.

And like Mitchell delivered in his message, it can serve as a turning point. 

But will it?