J.B. Bickerstaff blasts 'too big for your britches' Cavaliers after loss to Bucks

Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has suggested his Cleveland Cavaliers may have read some of their own headlines ahead of their current losing streak. 

"We got kind of a fat cat mentality," Bickerstaff said following Cleveland's 113-98 loss at the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night which was the club's fifth-straight defeat, per Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "We went out and won eight games in a row. Everyone was giving us love and praising us. We got really comfortable. We are the team that won those eight games though. We are a really good basketball team. This is about maturation and growth from a team as a whole." 

Bickerstaff was referring to how the Cavaliers improved to 8-1 overall earlier this month via an eight-game winning streak. Since that time, however, Cleveland has dropped five consecutive contests, four of which occurred on the road. 

The Cavs fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 129-124 at home this past Sunday. 

"As soon as you get too big for your britches, no matter who you are, the NBA has a way of doing that," Bickerstaff added during his comments. "Hopefully this has been enough, and we will make the decision to do what’s right by each other." 

Cleveland has been without All-Star center Jarrett Allen for the past two games because of a sore left ankle. ESPN's Jamal Collier pointed out, though, that the Bucks didn't have Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, or Wesley Matthews on Wednesday evening. 

Star guard Donovan Mitchell, acquired by the Cavaliers from the Utah Jazz on Sept. 1, insisted the losing run of form doesn't "emulate who we are, who we've been" and is "nothing to overreact to" so early into the campaign. 

"We won eight in a row," Mitchell continued. "That's great. We lost five in a row. OK, cool, let's get back to the drawing board and get to it. We've done it, we've shown we can do it. Looks great, looks phenomenal. We just have to go out there and do it. It's a long season. This is nothing to sit here, and the sky is falling and whatever ... It's November, we've played a bunch of good teams."

Bickerstaff was singing somewhat of a different tune. 

"We’re not playing winning basketball right now. It’s that simple," the coach said. "We have a formula in place that allows us and will allow us to be successful. Holding each other to that is what we have to do. Right now, we are not. It’s my responsibility to search and find the guys that are most willing to play the way we want to play, that will help us be successful. That’s what we will do. Does this shake the way I feel about our team? No. I love all these dudes the same. But it’s our responsibility to do what’s best by the team and find the guys that are going to play the way we need to play." 

It seems Bickerstaff will make some lineup changes when the 8-6 Cavaliers host the 4-12 Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.