The Cleveland Cavaliers have reaffirmed that they will retain JB Bickerstaff as head coach next season.
Absolutely. Absolutely. There’s no doubt about that,” Kobe Altman told cleveland.com and other outlets when asked if Bickerstaff would return for the 2023-24 campaign during a private conversation after his 40-minute press conference at Season finale at Cleveland Clinic Courts on Friday morning. “Look at what he’s done. I haven’t heard this stuff probably because I haven’t been reading or been on Twitter. I haven’t heard the hype. That’s not even a question.”
The Cavaliers won 51 games during the regular season and finished second in the NBA in net rating, but they were eliminated in five games in the first round by the New York Knicks.
“JB has been through this rebuilding process from the ground up and has done an exceptional job instilling a culture of accountability and hard work,” said Altman. “You can’t go on 51 wins and you can’t shoot your way to the #1 defensive tackle rating in the NBA. That’s a drill. I know we have a great defensive team, but you have to get an endorsement from that and that comes from the head coach. We’re very happy with that.” JB and the work he’s done. I think he’ll look back and think about what we could have done better, just as the players look back on what they could have done better.
“We’re always looking internally at how we can make improvements from a front office standpoint to put together the best team we can, but when you look at 95 wins over the last two years, the trajectory of this team and the internal growth from the players, several stars over the last two years, it’s hard. Not to be proud of the work they’ve done.”