CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It’s now been a week since John Beilein resigned and J.B. Bickerstaff stepped in as head coach.
Not all of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ problems followed Beilein out of the practice facility that night when he delivered an emotional farewell. But the early results are favorable.
The Cavs won their second straight game on Wednesday -- a wire-to-wire gem against the Philadelphia 76ers. On Monday, it was a gutty come-from-behind stunner against the Miami Heat. Back-to-back wins against a pair of playoff teams. The last time that happened was about a year and a half ago, when the Cavs must have summoned some kind of sorcery to topple Philadelphia and Houston on consecutive nights.
When this week started, the Cavs had two victories all season against opponents with a record above .500. They’ve now doubled that. They’re 3-1 under Bickerstaff and have won four of the last five overall, matching their best stretch over the last two seasons.
Even with any kind of level head and a healthy dose of perspective -- a recognition that the Heat and 76ers are Jekyll and Hyde when it comes to home/road splits and each was playing without an All-Star -- it’s tough to undersell the impact of the recent coaching swap.
The Cavs are different with Bickerstaff. They’re better -- in many ways. It starts with their collective attitude.
“I think it’s a wake-up call for everybody when your coach gets fired,” Matthew Dellavedova said following one his best showings during Cleveland’s 108-94 win.
Beilein actually stepped down on his own, but it still probably felt like a midseason firing given how disastrous the first few months were and the sudden change when players reconvened following the All-Star break.
“Everybody has to look in the mirror and think about what they could have done better to help the situation," Dellavedova said. “Everyone I guess refocuses and picks it up.”
Following Beilein’s departure, Kevin Love admitted being a s---head. His words. He talked about the role he played in driving Beilein to step down. Love showed empathy that night and explored how he could be better moving forward -- as a player, teammate and leader.
Collin Sexton, already on his fourth coach in two years, did some soul-searching.
“Was I as coachable as I could have been? Could I have been more coachable? Could I have received information and criticism better? Let me step back and survey,” Sexton said. “'Was I as good of a player to coach when he was here?’ Had to just look myself in the mirror and ask myself those things.”
Other players started to reflect earlier. For Larry Nance Jr., it came around January.
Nance was trying to fit a mold, wasn’t playing like himself. He was standing in the corner, spacing the floor, not involved enough on the offensive end. He wanted to have the ball in his hands, show off playmaking skills that he flashed during a breakout 2018-19 season. On defense, he was forced, at times, to play center -- an obvious challenge for a guy listed at 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds. That’s when Nance took his game into his own hands and turned his season around.
Since that moment of clarity, he’s been one of the Cavs’ best -- and most important -- figures, consistently carving a role in closing groups and helping the team turn around its late-game struggles.
On Monday night, the Cavs showed fight and determination, erasing a one-time 22-point lead and executing in crunch time. Two youngsters critical to the organization’s future -- Kevin Porter Jr. and Darius Garland -- were at the heart of the turnaround, while fourth-quarter mainstay Sexton cheered on from the bench.
Two nights later, the Cavs raced out in front early and protected their lead. Even when the 76ers started surging in the fourth, closing to within five points, putting pressure on a team that has thrown away countless games with sloppy closes, the Cavs didn’t wilt. When it was time to respond, Sexton was right there, drilling big shots and making plays on the defensive end. The new-look lineup with Nance at small forward worked once more.
“We got back to doing what we were doing,” Bickerstaff said. “In that spurt, we were messing with the game a little bit. We didn’t do the things that got us the lead in the first place. I think we got a little comfortable. Fortunate for us, we were able to hit the switch. Even through that stretch, it was different guys at different times that were making plays, whether it was a bucket, rebound, steal, assist. We made winning plays."
That’s just one of the many noticeable differences under Bickerstaff. Earlier this season, numerous players used the term “selfish” to describe the team’s play. That hasn’t been the case lately. Is it a sign of what lies ahead or a temporary correction?
“Two things we are kind of preaching right now: energy and unselfishness,” Nance said. “And we’ve really been doing that on both ends, especially the defensive end. Unselfishness is contagious, you see the next guy diving on the floor, getting steals and busting their butt on defense, you’re going to do the same.”
Nance pointed to two specific examples. In the final minutes, Sexton had a chance for a bucket. Two away from the 30-point mark, he looked primed to force a shot, trying to get to that elusive point total while padding his stats. Perhaps earlier this season he would have. Not Wednesday. Sexton drove, drew some attention and dumped a pass off to Nance for an easier, cleaner look.
“It might seem trivial, but that goes a long way,” Nance said. “I just think we’re really making leaps and bounds in that area.”
The Cavs finished with 24 assists. Love and Porter each had six. That team ball helped Cleveland shoot 52.6% from the field and 45.8% from 3-point range.
“We’re playing together," Sexton said. “We’re playing for each other on both ends.”
Defenders consistently took the one-on-one challenge. The Cavs were scrambling around. Even when Sexton was giving up size around the rim, he continued to scrap. His tenacity at one point while battling backup big Kyle O’Quinn led to a steal and breakaway for Tristan Thompson. Following the win, Nance joked that Love, not known for his quick feet or defensive prowess, was making the extra effort. If there was a mistake, the Cavs didn’t call out their teammate. Instead, they hustled to cover it up.
The Cavs held the Sixers to a pair of fastbreak baskets. Philadelphia, which is averaging 108.6 points, finished below the century mark on 40.4% shooting and 34.2% from 3-point range.
“I think there’s been a concerted effort to a man to just go out and try to get after it a little bit harder,” Bickerstaff said. “There is an energy that’s building, and you don’t want to be the one guy that’s not participating in it. So, you see the leadership, you see the young guys, they are pushing one another, they are holding each other accountable, they are having real conversations to fix problems.”
Dellavedova has been through this before. Change is normal. He was talking to someone the other day about how many coaches he’s had since coming to the NBA in 2013. It’s nine in seven seasons.
One thing he knows: There’s always a natural honeymoon phase. Heck, even the New York Knicks went 3-3 in the aftermath of David Fizdale being fired.
Still, internally, there’s optimism that this run can continue.
Bickerstaff knows the NBA in a way Beilein didn’t. Bickerstaff makes quicker adjustments. He communicates in a way that resonates. He’s willing to listen. He’s tried to simplify some schemes, making them more NBA-friendly.
In the process, the level of engagement has picked up and some of Cleveland’s bad habits are slowly being squashed. Players yelling at each other in an unhealthy way isn’t as prevalent. Neither is the incessant, disrespectful shouting for the ball. Bickerstaff addressed those things immediately when he took over. There will still be bad moments. It’s only natural. But Bickerstaff won’t tolerate that behavior.
Take away some of the unnecessary drama and internal conflict and there’s a basketball team here that looks capable of surpassing last season’s win total while playing with a spirit that once seemed elusive.
“The guys have bought into it. They understand what they have to do to get the job done,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s the momentum. The snowball going down the mountain. It picks up speed, it gets bigger and bigger, can create more damage at the bottom. That’s the way they feel right now. They’re enjoying getting after it, enjoying playing hard and they’re enjoying winning and what that feels like."
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