Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff reportedly has discussed the idea of making an addition to the team’s coaching staff with Koby Altman.
Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor shared the thought process for the Cavs and added which coaches could be potential candidates this coming offseason.
“This is still to be determined,” Fedor wrote about the Cavs potentially making an addition to their coaching staff. “Last year, the Cavs hired Sidney Lowe during summer league in August, so there’s time to figure it out. But a change within the coaching staff is something Bickerstaff has already discussed with Altman, sources tell cleveland.com. Bickerstaff keeps a running list of prospective candidates. He keeps adding to that every season. Many of the targets would be the same as last year. Only some have jobs, which makes the process a bit trickier.
“If there’s an addition, sources say Bickerstaff isn’t specifically looking for an offensive coordinator — a topic that came up during Altman’s end-of-season press conference. Bickerstaff would want a well-rounded candidate with experience. Some names to watch: Steve Clifford (Brooklyn Nets), Paul Hewitt (Agua Caliente Clippers of the G League), Chad Forcier (Milwaukee Bucks) and Ty Corbin (Orlando Magic), among others. David Fizdale, a current assistant with the coach-searching Los Angeles Lakers, is very close to Bickerstaff and would be another option.”
The Cavs had one of the best defenses in the NBA in the 2021-22 regular season, but they certainly weren’t perfect offensively.
The Cavs dealt with several injuries in the 2021-22 season that limited their offensive ceiling. Guards Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton both were lost for the season. In addition, center Jarrett Allen missed significant time ahead of the team’s postseason push.
That left an extra burden on third-year guard Darius Garland to carry the team. Garland played extremely well in the 2021-22 season, earning his first All-Star selection, but he was unable to carry the team into the playoffs.
Still, he averaged career-highs in points, rebounds and assists per game and shot a career-best 46.2 percent from the field.
Since the Cavs lost consecutive play-in tournament games to miss the playoffs, it makes sense that Bickerstaff is trying to find a way to improve ahead of next season.
The team should improve naturally on offense with Caris LeVert on the roster for a full season and Evan Mobley getting another year of NBA experience under his belt.
Bickerstaff and Altman certainly will have several options at their disposal if they do decide to make a coaching addition this coming offseason.
