NBA review: Cavaliers fire coach J.B. Bickerstaff after five seasons

Despite the Cleveland Cavaliers reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time in six seasons, the team dismissed coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Thursday morning.

Bickerstaff, 45, led the Cavaliers through a rebuilding phase, winning 99 regular-season games over the past two seasons. The franchise is now searching for a coach who can take them further in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Bickerstaff, who took over as interim coach in 2020, had a 170-159 (.517) record with the Cavaliers. This season, Cleveland was the Eastern Conference’s fourth seed with a 48-34 record. They defeated the Orlando Magic in a seven-game opening-round series but lost to the Boston Celtics 4-1 in the conference semifinals, with center Jarrett Allen and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell missing the final two games.

Cleveland is seeking a new direction, and president of basketball operations Koby Altman and general manager Mike Gansey will lead the coaching search. Among potential candidates is Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, who previously led the Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs with current Cavs players Allen and Caris LeVert.

The Cavaliers have a strong talent base, including All-Star guards Mitchell and Darius Garland, and frontcourt players Allen and Evan Mobley. Under Bickerstaff, Cleveland ranked seventh in defensive efficiency, despite Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Allen only playing 28 games together this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

In the 2024 NBA Finals, the 64-win Boston Celtics, featuring the most efficient offense in NBA history and led by Jayson Tatum and Eastern Conference finals MVP Jaylen Brown, face off against the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks, bolstered by midseason acquisitions of center Daniel Gafford and forward P.J. Washington, have become a formidable contender alongside stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Boston aims to secure its 18th championship, setting an NBA record, while Dallas seeks its first title since 2011, when coach Jason Kidd, then a player, helped the Mavericks to their only championship. Game 1 tips off Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, with NBA insiders providing breakdowns of key players, matchups, and strategies for the series.