Is JB Bickerstaff one of the best coaches in the league? Not necessarily. Then again barely cracking the Top 20 seems to be a bit disrespectful, but that is where he appeared in a recent list ranking NBA head coaches.
Checking in at number 19 is Bickerstaff. This does seem quite low when comparing last season’s success combined with the talent gap between Cleveland and those teams who made deeper playoff runs. When it comes to evaluating the ability of a coach, it should be those who can get more with less that should be favored higher.
Is JB Bickerstaff without his faults? No, but this applies to most, if not all coaches. Some of those are just general shortcomings in the way he approaches the game. Others come from areas of weakness on the roster that were hopefully addressed this past offseason.
The Cavs are a team on the rise and the tutelage of Bickerstaff is a big reason for it. Cleveland should be able to take another step forward this season and join the group of contending teams. The players believe in him. The front office clearly believes in him. Now is the time to put everything together and show the rest of the league that this team has truly arrived.
