Memphis Grizzlies Rumors: J.B. Bickerstaff Is A Candidate For Cavaliers Opening
By Chris Kern
The Memphis Grizzlies fired J.B. Bickerstaff after the season ended and it seems as if his next job could come quickly. He is reportedly a candidate for the Cleveland Cavaliers opening.
The Memphis Grizzlies make shocking changes after the season when they fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and reassigned Chris Wallace to a scouting role. Wallace kept a job, but it seems as if Bickerstaff could have a job again soon as well.
The Cavaliers have interest in former Grizzlies coach JB Bickerstaff and may formally add him to their coaching search, which is still in its early stages, according to league sources
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 23, 2019
J.B. Bickerstaff received a lot of hate during his time in Memphis, but he did a very good job with what he was given this past season. They dealt with a lot of injuries and he had to experiment with different lineups all season long.
He was the interim coach after David Fizdale was fired and he was hired as the full-time coach heading into this season they seemed to be comfortable with him going forward. They decided to make big changes to the organization and when you make changes to the front office the head coach often gets let go as well.
During his time with the Grizzlies, he finished with a 48-97 record. That isn’t a good record, but he certainly did a good job with some of the new players such as Delon Wright and Jonas Valanciunas. It will be interesting to see how those two deal with Memphis hiring a new coach.
The Cavs have some good young players who would benefit from Bickerstaff taking over. He has guys in Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman who can be key pieces for the future, but they also have a star in Kevin Love.
Bickerstaff also did a good job with Jaren Jackson Jr. in Memphis as he helped him develop and have a successful rookie season. At times maybe he held him back a little bit, but overall he did a good job getting the most out of him he could.
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With the Cavs looking to find a coach to help build for the future, it’s no surprise that J.B. Bickerstaff is a candidate. With their current roster and the potential to add a young star such as RJ Barrett or Zion Williamson to the mix, they could become a very good team faster than anticipated.