The Cleveland Cavaliers have parted ways with John Beilein and associate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will be his replacement.
At least this time it seems like the replacement in Cleveland wants the job. J.B. Bickerstaff will be replacing the now departed John Beilein as the head coach of the Cavaliers.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski a succession plan existed for the Cavaliers.
J.B. Bickerstaff will be the full time coach and not just an interim. A title that Bickerstaff has held before. The fact that this plan existed shows that there may have been uncertainty about the success of John Beilein in the NBA. While it is great to be prepared, having this plan set in place before things even go started is a bit curious.
Cleveland is getting a coach with plenty of experience. With stops in Houston and Memphis as their head coach, Bickerstaff has a career 85-131 record. While that is not great, the fact he has been in situations similar to this previously should help. Any help while attempting to navigate an ocean of uncertainty will be beneficial for Cleveland.
Will Cleveland be searching for another head coach after the year is over? Probably. There should be a large pool of quality coaches available for the Cavaliers to interview and it would be foolish to disregard outside options. While they should give their now full time coach a chance, it is not a guarantee that he returns next year in that capacity, even with the pre-existing succession plan now in effect.
