The Cleveland Cavaliers have come a long way since J.B. Bickerstaff took over as the team’s head coach on February 19, 2020.
After being hired as Cleveland’s associate head coach exactly nine months prior, the team held a 14-40 record, which was the worst in the Eastern Conference and second-worst in the NBA.
Bickerstaff led the Wine and Gold to a 5-6 record in his first 11 games on the job before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the Cavaliers’ season.
Then, in his first full season at the helm Cleveland went 22-50, which was the third-worst mark in the league. The following season, the Wine and Gold went 44-38 and made it to the NBA Play-In Tournament. After that, the Cavaliers finished 51-31, earning their first playoff appearance without LeBron James on their roster since 1998.
On Monday night, Bickerstaff earned his 150th win as Cleveland’s head coach with a statement 118-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Wine and Gold have now won an NBA-best 10 of their last 11 games, and their 15-4 record since December 16 is the best in the NBA.
After the game, Bickerstaff reflected on his tenure with the Cavaliers so far.
“This has been a long journey here, from when I first took over to where we are now. It says a lot about the wonderful people that I get an opportunity to work with every single day. The partnership that I have with [President of Basketball Operations] Koby [Altman] and the front office. The support of the Gilberts. And that’s at the end of the day what it comes down to.
The wins come because of the people in this building. We’ve continued to put unbelievable, high-character people with immense talent in this building, and that’s where the wins come from.”
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