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J.B. Bickerstaff

Central Notes: Bulls Starters, Healthy Cavs, Diallo, Weaver

March 14th, 2021 at 3:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is rumored to be making significant changes to the club’s starting lineup, a source informs Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Veteran Tomáš Satoranský could replace second-year point guard Coby White, and veteran forward Thaddeus Young could be moved in to start ahead of third-year center Wendell Carter Jr. as soon as tonight, in time for the team’s game against the Raptors.

Slow starts have impeded the Bulls lately, losers of four of their last five contests. Mayberry notes that Chicago’s traditional starters have been struggling. The team’s starting five of White, Carter, All-Star Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Lauri Markkanen is averaging a lackluster minus-17.6 net rating. K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago details what the changes – should they transpire – mean for the Bulls.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • The 14-23 Cavaliers have not had been able to field a fully healthy roster for most of the season, but with Kevin Love and Larry Nance Jr. back in the lineup, the team has some rotation decisions to make, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. “I don’t know the last time we had a full, available roster,” Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Been frustrating for us as coaches because it’s been different positions as we’ve moved through it.” Before they returned Friday, Love had been unavailable for 33 games, while Nance had missed the preceding 12.
  • Athletic Pistons swingman Hamidou Diallo, arriving fresh from the Thunder after a deal yesterday, will serve as an exciting addition to Detroit, thanks in large part to his exceptional defensive upside, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.
  • Pistons general manager Troy Weaver may not be done reshaping Detroit’s roster, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News. After adding Diallo this weekend and waiving Blake Griffin earlier this month, it’s become clear that Weaver is prioritizing a younger, more athletic future.
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Central Notes: Sabonis, Nance Jr., Bucks, Bickerstaff

January 26th, 2021 at 4:03pm CST by JD Shaw

An MRI on Pacers star Domantas Sabonis revealed a bruise on his injured knee with no structural damage, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Sabonis, who suffered the injury by banging knees with a player against Toronto on Monday, is expected to be listed as day-to-day, Wojnarowski reports.

In 17 games this season, Sabonis, a 2020 All-Star, is averaging a career-high 20.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists per contest. The Pacers also released a positive update on Caris LeVert on Tuesday and recently welcomed back Jeremy Lamb, who suffered a torn ACL roughly one year ago.

There’s more from the Central Division today:

  • Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. missed Monday’s contest against the Lakers due to a right wrist sprain, per a team release. The injury occurred on Sunday against the Celtics. Nance is enjoying a respectable season to date, averaging 10.5 points and 2.3 steals per contest.
  • Despite slightly changing their approach, the Bucks are still one of the league’s top offensive teams — even as Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s numbers have dipped a little, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. Milwaukee currently leads the NBA in offensive efficiency with 117.9 points per 100 possessions. “It’s weird, it’s weird, but as I said, I’m figuring it out,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’d love to come out and have 30, 35 and it be easy. Easy layups and dunks and all that. But having somebody in ‘the dunker’ might make it a little bit harder. But at the end of the day, you gotta do other things to impact the game. Find your teammates. Set better screens. Go for handoffs. Roll when you set screens. You just gotta find ways.”
  • Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes his team doesn’t receive enough respect, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. The Cavs fought hard against the defending champion Lakers on Monday, ultimately losing the game 115-108. Bickerstaff didn’t seem too pleased with the officiating, however, giving a blunt assessment after the contest. “I think it was some momentum-changing calls that were made or weren’t made,” he said. “I think our guys showed up and gave the effort to deserve the respect that both teams should garner. Tonight, I don’t think that was the case. The Lakers are a hell of a basketball team, don’t get me wrong. They deserve everything they have coming. But our guys scrap and play hard and deserve the same. Were there plays that we made down the stretch where we could have made better decisions? Sure. But it’s hard to overcome the champs plus.”
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Central Notes: Doumbouya, Hayes, Bickerstaff, LaVine

January 1st, 2021 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons second-year forward Sekou Doumbouya has received limited playing time in the early going, Rod Beard of the Detroit News notes.

The Pistons’ first-round pick in 2019 has not played more than 13 minutes in the team’s first four games. Dwane Casey said that Doumbouya has to deal with the fact he’s backing up Blake Griffin, who missed Friday’s game against Boston with a concussion.

“Blake’s going to get the majority of those minutes and (Doumbouya’s) got to make his minutes count. If Blake’s not going, (Doumbouya’s) minutes will get ratcheted up,” the Pistons head coach said. “It’s that situation, where he’s behind an All-Pro guy, and that’s his challenge right now.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Pistons lottery pick Killian Hayes has struggled thus far as the starting point guard and Casey isn’t surprised, Beard writes in a separate story. The lack of practice time due to the shortened offseason put Hayes in a difficult situation, since the Pistons are intent on giving him experience. “We threw him in the fire — which was really unfair to him, because there’s no Summer League, there’s no August or September (workout time),” Casey said. “You’re going right from working out in Florida to going against NBA players.”
  • The Cavaliers have lost two straight after starting out 3-0 and coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes his young unit is still learning to handle adversity, according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “There was doubt as a unit. There was doubt as a team. And you can’t survive playing against good teams without that belief,” Bickerstaff said. “We have good players. … When they play together, with confidence and a belief, they can be a good basketball team. And that’s what we have to get to. But it takes time.”
  • The Bulls defeated Washington on Thursday despite being shorthanded and Zach LaVine feels the team is showing more resolve, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes. “This team is tired of being labeled losers and underachieving,” LaVine said. “Everything is not going to be perfect. We’re not going to go out and win every game. But our demeanor has been a lot better than it has been the last couple of years.”
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Central Notes: Cavs, Giannis Effect, Mad Ants, Pistons

December 20th, 2020 at 2:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Thanks to the intriguing addition of rookie swingman Isaac Okoro, drafted with the No. 6 pick out of Auburn, the Cavaliers will suddenly face some fun wing rotation questions, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Fedor speculates that Collin Sexton will most likely remain the starter at the shooting guard slot, pointing to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s recent praise of Sexton. Bickerstaff declined to officially confirm whether or not Sexton would start.

“I think his performance last year, and at the end of last season, was above and beyond,” Bickerstaff said. “I think he’s one of those guys who earns the opportunity to play extended minutes.”

Fedor opines that the tough, defensive-minded Okoro’s strong showing in training camp and the preseason suggests that he deserves the opportunity to start over incumbent starting small forward Cedi Osman.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • The Bucks are benefiting from a “Giannis effect” merchandise boon, according to Jabari Young of CNBC. “The phone calls started both ways,” Matt Pazaras, chief business development and strategy officer for Milwaukee, said. The team’s sponsored jersey patch is now open for new bidders after its deal with Harley-Davidson expired this offseason. Interest in a sponsorship is strong now that MVP forward Giannis Antetokounmpo inked a record five-year, $228MM contract extension.
  • The G League affiliate of the Pacers, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, intend to take part in the proposed G League “bubble,” according to team president Tim Bawmann in a conversation on 1380 The FAN’s Sports Rush with Brett Rump, (hat tip to Caitlin Cooper of Indy Cornrows). Bawmann notes that the bubble’s locale could be Atlanta or Orlando.
  • With the 2020/21 NBA regular season fast approaching, James L. Edwards III of the Athletic assesses the depth chart for the Pistons and, in a surprise, speculates that oft-injured power forward Blake Griffin and new small forward Jerami Grant could play the most minutes per game (28) for a rebuilding Detroit team.
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Cavs Notes: Wade, Bell, Trier, Drummond

June 29th, 2020 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers, who agreed to new deals with Dean Wade and Jordan Bell today, are using a portion of their mid-level exception to sign Wade to a four-year contract, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com details. Wade gets a first-year salary of $375K, well above the prorated minimum, in exchange for two non-guaranteed seasons and a team option in 2022/23 (Twitter link).

As for Bell, it appears he’ll be signed using the Cavs’ mid-level exception as well, allowing the team to give him $250K for remainder of the season. However, his contract is a short-term arrangement — it’s a two-year deal with a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2020/21, Fedor notes.

Here’s more out of Cleveland:

  • The Cavaliers explored the possibility of signing Allonzo Trier when he cleared waivers on Sunday, but the former Knicks guard was seeking more money and a different contract structure than what the club wanted to offer, according to Fedor. Additionally, Fedor adds that some members of the basketball operations department questioned Trier’s fit alongside guards like Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, and Kevin Porter.
  • While Andre Drummond has long been considered a lock to opt into the final year of his contract, it remains to be seen whether he and the Cavaliers might work out a longer-term deal. Sources tell Fedor that both sides have shown some interest in a contract extension. However, both the Cavs and Drummond may want to take some time to consider their options — especially if Cleveland ends up using its lottery pick on a big man.
  • Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff intends to make at least one addition to his coaching staff, though it might not happen until later in the year, says Fedor.
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Cavaliers Notes: Bickerstaff, Osman, Porter, Gottlieb

March 28th, 2020 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes finishing the season would be important to his young team, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavs still own the worst record in the East at 19-46, but they went 5-6 after Bickerstaff replaced John Beilein as head coach last month, including wins over the Nuggets, Heat and Sixers.

“I would hope to play the final 17 games, to be honest with you,” he said. “Where we are and how important that is to us as a team in building and the taste it can leave as we go into what would have been a summer break — guys wanting to go out, work, prepare and get better because they start to see some things heading in the right direction. That momentum I think was going to be and would be important for us.

“The toughest thing in this league is learning how to win and we were starting to get to the point in fourth quarters. So, for us as a group, that’s meaningful. Obviously the league will do what it deems best for the entire league and our fans, but for us, I would love to have those games.”

Bickerstaff adds that he hasn’t been tested for the coronavirus and all his players remain healthy. Cleveland hosted Utah on March 2, nine days before a positive test by Jazz center Rudy Gobert sparked the shutdown of the league.

There’s more from Cleveland:

  • Small forward may be the primary position the Cavaliers try to upgrade during the offseason, Fedor predicts in a separate piece. Cedi Osman, the starter for the past two years, might be better off as a reserve, Fedor suggests. First-round pick Dylan Windler wasn’t able to play at all because of injuries and will be starting from scratch next season. Kevin Porter Jr. could be the most talented member of Cleveland’s young core, but many in the organization view him as a shooting guard.
  • Three-point shooting and passing are also areas that need improvement, Fedor adds. Center Tristan Thompson leads the team from beyond the arc at 39.1%, while Matthew Dellavedova is clearly the best passer in the organization.
  • It didn’t take long for Lindsay Gottlieb to win the respect of the players in her first season as an assistant coach, Fedor notes in another story. Andre Drummond connected with her right away after being acquired from the Pistons. “I immediately gravitated towards her and have ever since,” Drummond said. “I always preach positivity. She sees that. Any time she sees me get down on myself, she always comes over and gives me a pat on the leg and tells me to stay positive and I will be fine.”
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Central Notes: Pacers, White, Cavs, Bone

March 26th, 2020 at 9:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Thanks in part to the Pacers collecting a $10MM insurance policy on Victor Oladipo, who missed all but 13 games of the postponed NBA season, Indiana’s payroll is scheduled to come in at $104.6MM, the league’s lowest mark. If COVID-19 affects league revenue significantly, the Pacers will be in one of the most comfortable financial situations in the NBA, as J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star reports.

Michael notes that a significant drop in league revenue, such as a 5% drop from the projected $115MM cap ($109.25MM) or a 10% decline ($103.5MM), could impede several teams, but the Pacers are stacked with several players on movable contracts.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • Bulls rookie point guard Coby White‘s late-season scoring streak (he averaged 23.7 PPG while connecting on 39.8%t of his 8.5 three-point looks) was one of the few positives in a generally dismal 22-43 season for Chicago. Morten Jensen of Forbes wonders what White’s performance means for his club going forward.
  • Despite the COVID-19 pandemic putting the NBA on pause this month, Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his assistants have been maintaining their (remote) connection to the young Cleveland squad, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.
  • Pistons rookie point guard Jordan Bone logged time with Detroit’s Grand Rapids G League club and the NBA squad this season, and remains an intriguing player for the team’s future, according to Pistons.com writer Keith Langlois.
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Central Notes: Wood, Brogdon, Cavs, Bulls

March 10th, 2020 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Christian Wood will be reaching the unrestricted free agent market in 2020 on the heels of a career year, and the Pistons‘ big man isn’t pretending that he hasn’t thought about what the offseason might bring, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com details.

“I know it’s a big summer for me,” Wood said on Tuesday. “I actually think I’m one of the best bigs in this free agency coming up with my ability to shoot and space the floor and be able to play the five and be able to guard and switch on the perimeter. I’ve just got to stay focused. I’ve got to keep with the same mindset, same attitude what I’m doing right now.”

While Wood should draw a good deal of interest on the open market this summer, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of remaining with the Pistons. The fact that Detroit is the team that finally gave him an opportunity to play a regular role is something he won’t forget as he considers his options, per Langlois.

“It’s a huge factor,” Wood said. “Especially with this team being one of the first to actually give me a legitimate chance and playing in games and believing in me and believing in what I do. Especially with (head coach Dwane) Casey, with us establishing a relationship early and throughout right now. It plays a big factor.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

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Cavs, J.B. Bickerstaff Agree To Multi-Year Contract

March 10th, 2020 at 4:18pm CST by Luke Adams

4:18pm: Bickerstaff’s new deal will run through the 2023/24 season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

3:01pm: After replacing John Beilein as the Cavaliers‘ head coach last month, J.B. Bickerstaff has received a longer-term commitment from the team, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the Cavs and Bickerstaff have reached an agreement on a multi-year contract.

The Cavaliers signed Beilein to a four-year contract with a fifth-year team option last spring, but the veteran college coach didn’t even make it through the first season of that deal. Beilein’s brief, challenging stint in Cleveland came to an end when he stepped down as the team’s head coach at the All-Star break in February, with Bickerstaff taking over the job.

Multiple reports have indicated that Bickerstaff was viewed as Beilein’s eventual successor when the Cavs hired him as their associate head coach in 2019. While the club didn’t expect the transition to happen so soon, today’s agreement – which comes on Bickerstaff’s 41st birthday – signals that Cleveland was serious about its new head coach not just being an interim replacement.

This is the third time that Bickerstaff has taken over for a head coach partway through a season. He went 37-34 with the Rockets in 2015/16 after stepping in for Kevin McHale, then had a 48-97 record with the Grizzlies across two seasons after he replaced David Fizdale in 2017.

So far in Cleveland, Bickerstaff has done an admirable job with one of the NBA’s worst teams, leading the Cavaliers to a 5-5 record since taking the reins from Beilein. The team has won games against Miami, Philadelphia, and Denver during that post-All-Star stretch.

While details of Bickerstaff’s new agreement haven’t yet been reported, it’s officially safe to say the Cavaliers won’t be one of the teams in the market for a new head coach this spring.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Central Notes: Wood, Dellavedova, Brogdon, Bickerstaff

March 9th, 2020 at 10:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons power forward Christian Wood believes he needs to take a bigger offensive role with Derrick Rose sidelined, as he told the Detroit Free Press and other media members. Wood, an unrestricted free agent after the season, notched back-to-back career highs with 29 points against Oklahoma City and 30 against Utah last week. Rose is expected to miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury. “My mindset has been attack, take advantage of the opportunity,” Wood said. “With D-Rose being gone, I’ve got to be one of the first options for the team. I think I’ve been doing a good job of that and helping my team score.”

We have more from around the Central Division:

  • Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova heads into unrestricted free agency this summer and isn’t secure about his place in the league, he told Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I always feel I have to prove myself,” Dellavedova said. “Prove myself to get here. Prove myself to stay here. I never think that goes away.” Coach J.B. Bickerstaff hopes the club retains the veteran guard to guide an otherwise green backcourt, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic relays. “If you’re in the current situation that we’re in, if you are a championship team, no matter what it may be, Delly is the type of guy you want on your team,” he said.
  • Combo guard Aaron Holiday will start in place of injured Pacers point man Malcolm Brogdon and Edmond Sumner will get rotation minutes off the bench, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star reports. Brogdon is out indefinitely due to a torn quad muscle.
  • The morale around the Cavaliers has improved since Bickerstaff replaced John Beilein and the new coach has noticed, Fedor writes in a separate story. “They just keep pulling for one another and they celebrate other people’s success,” Bickerstaff said. “I think that’s a core value of a good team. That’s where we’re building. It’s fun to watch how they treat each other, how they respect one another. … It’s part of the environment we’re trying to create.”
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