Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell appears to be like on in the course of the the primary half of Recreation 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff collection towards the Boston Celtics, Monday, Might 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Picture/David Dermer)
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Earlier than beginning his summer season break, Donovan Mitchell let the Cavaliers know he’s completely happy in Cleveland and excited concerning the future.
With a brand new coach.
Whereas Mitchell didn’t communicate publicly about J.B. Bickerstaff or their relationship, the NBA All-Star guard’s enter seemingly knowledgeable and formed the workforce’s determination to make a training change regardless of the Cavaliers advancing to the second spherical of the playoffs.
A day after Bickerstaff was fired regardless of successful 99 video games the previous two seasons and serving to the Cavs return to relevance following LeBron James’ departure, president of basketball operations Koby Altman tried to elucidate the rationale behind the considerably stunning dismissal.
Bickerstaff didn’t do something flawed. He simply reached his restrict and expiration date with a workforce reshaped by Mitchell’s arrival in a 2022 commerce from Utah.
READ: Cavaliers hearth head coach Bickerstaff after NBA playoff ouster
Throughout a 35-minute media availability on Friday, Altman praised Bickerstaff’s “plain” success, however mentioned the Cavaliers really feel they’re positioned so as to add a pacesetter who can get them nearer to successful a championship.
“Somebody with a brand new method, somebody with a distinct voice, a recent set of eyes to assist us transfer ahead,” Altman mentioned. “We’ve achieved loads in the previous few years, attending to a convention semifinal and we don’t need to be complacent.
“We really feel we’re not far off.”
After all, a lot of that hinges on Mitchell, who can signal a four-year, $200 million contract extension with the Cavaliers this summer season. Altman met with the 27-year-old following Cleveland’s loss to Boston in Recreation 5 of the NBA Jap Convention semifinals.
Mitchell, who struggled with a left knee harm over the ultimate two months of the common season, sat out the ultimate two video games within the collection towards the Celtics with a calf pressure.
Altman mentioned the suggestions he acquired from Mitchell throughout his exit interview was encouraging.
“It is a participant that has had two of the very best years of his profession right here, has had quite a lot of success right here, understands the infrastructure,” Altman mentioned. “I feel he has quite a lot of belief in what we’re doing and understands that our objective is to win a championship.
“From his personal phrases, he says he’s completely happy right here. He likes it right here. And so he’s all the time been very real. He’s all the time been very intentional. He’s been an important teammate. We’ve to take all that at face worth and say, OK, we be ok with the place we’re with Donovan. Clearly, issues might change.”
READ: NBA: Celtics oust Cavaliers, enter third straight East finals
Altman denied Mitchell’s contract or views impacted the choice on Bickerstaff.
The bottom has already begun to shift in Cleveland. The choice to maneuver on from Bickerstaff is a daring one and never with out danger.
Whereas he had his flaws — rotations, changes, third-quarter collapses and put up All-Star break slumps amongst them — Bickerstaff took a 22-win workforce in 2021 to the cusp of a convention title in three years.
And this season, he stored Cleveland among the many East’s leaders regardless of a litany of accidents.
Mitchell performed in simply 55 regular-season video games and guard Darius Garland (57) and ahead Evan Mobley (50) have been additionally restricted by accidents.
Heart Jarrett Allen missed the ultimate 9 video games of the postseason with an harm Altman described as a “pierced” rib suffered within the opening spherical towards Orlando. For weeks, the Cavs mentioned solely Allen was coping with a painful bruise.
Bickerstaff appeared to get essentially the most out of what he had. Nonetheless, Altman, chairman Dan Gilbert and others within the entrance workplace felt as if there’s extra untapped potential in a roster with its share of shortcomings.
The Mitchell-Garland and Allen-Mobley pairings stay works in progress, however Altman, citing statistics, pushed again on the notion they need to be dissolved.
Altman additionally believes Cleveland’s core 4 — Mitchell, Garland, Mobley and Allen — has but to succeed in its potential, pointing to Milwaukee, Boston and Denver as examples of groups needing time to construct earlier than successful titles.
The coach needed to go, however the Cavs might in any other case keep primarily intact.
“I don’t see large main sweeping adjustments,” Altman mentioned. “Extra knowledge speaks to (how) this works than it doesn’t. You’ll be able to’t win 99 video games over the common season, make it to a convention semi and be like, this doesn’t work. That is simply 12 months 2 of this iteration, of this core being collectively.
“I’ve quite a lot of pleasure for the longer term for this group and perception on this group.”
Altman and his workers will use the vacation weekend to decompress earlier than reconvening and starting their first seek for a brand new coach in 5 years.
He intimated he doesn’t have an inventory of candidates but, although exterior names are already being floated, with Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, New Orleans assistant James Borrego and Frank Vogel, who was fired after one season in Phoenix, amongst these talked about most.
Ideally, the Cavs wish to have a brand new coach in place by the draft on June 26. Altman mentioned there is no such thing as a timeline to seek out Bickerstaff’s successor, however that there’s a mandate to make the proper selection.
“Completely have to seek out the best chief,” he mentioned. “There’s stress in all the pieces we do, so I get the significance of this. There was nothing that J.B. did categorically flawed. To say that now we’ve to get this proper.”
