2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[Celtics2021]

The Cavs tanked to get an easier first round match up but a guaranteed second round match up with Boston they were never going to win. Then Mitchell and Allen got hurt, but they still fought hard. Now the front office throws Bickerstaff under the buss for an outcome they orchestrated!.

Brutal.

The rumors about Bickerstaff have been around for a bit.  In some thread before the playoffs started we hypothesized which playoff coaches would lose their job.  I said Lue, Bickerstaff, and Vogel I think.  Lue’s extension surprised me, but Bickerstaff was not a shock.

[Moranis]

Living in the greater Cleveland area, I can tell you there are very few of the radio hosts or people that call in that wanted to run it back with JB.  He is fine, but isn't a guy you'd think 5 years from now will have a contender.  There are also concerns that he hasn't developed Mobley well and that some of the issues with Garland and Mitchell are scheme and other coach centered items rather than just roster construction issues. The same things that are said in here re. Mazz are said about JB. 

[celticinorlando]

Living in the greater Cleveland area, I can tell you there are very few of the radio hosts or people that call in that wanted to run it back with JB.  He is fine, but isn't a guy you'd think 5 years from now will have a contender.  There are also concerns that he hasn't developed Mobley well and that some of the issues with Garland and Mitchell are scheme and other coach centered items rather than just roster construction issues. The same things that are said in here re. Mazz are said about JB.

This is 100 percent correct. Cavs fans here in Columbus I know as well as those that called sports radio here wanted him gone.

[Atzar]

I feel like Donovan Mitchell has kinda slickly avoided blame while teams keep blowing up around him.  Utah had roster construction problems, Snyder gets fired, it's all Rudy's fault actually.  Cleveland has roster construction problems, Bickerstaff gets fired, it's all Garland's fault actually. 

He can really score the ball but I'm not sure about him otherwise.  He never seems to fit anywhere.  Meanwhile Gobert got away from him and now has a serious shot at a title.  Could it be because, at 22, Ant is already a better leader than Mitchell has ever been?

[Kernewek]

I feel like Donovan Mitchell has kinda slickly avoided blame while teams keep blowing up around him.  Utah had roster construction problems, Snyder gets fired, it's all Rudy's fault actually.  Cleveland has roster construction problems, Bickerstaff gets fired, it's all Garland's fault actually. 

He can really score the ball but I'm not sure about him otherwise.  He never seems to fit anywhere.  Meanwhile Gobert got away from him and now has a serious shot at a title.  Could it be because, at 22, Ant is already a better leader than Mitchell has ever been?

I don't think leadership really plays in to it, to be honest. He's been a good scorer on a couple of decent teams that were never expected to go very far into the playoffs - I think I have to wonder why you are expecting more than that from those squads?

[Moranis]

I feel like Donovan Mitchell has kinda slickly avoided blame while teams keep blowing up around him.  Utah had roster construction problems, Snyder gets fired, it's all Rudy's fault actually.  Cleveland has roster construction problems, Bickerstaff gets fired, it's all Garland's fault actually. 

He can really score the ball but I'm not sure about him otherwise.  He never seems to fit anywhere.  Meanwhile Gobert got away from him and now has a serious shot at a title.  Could it be because, at 22, Ant is already a better leader than Mitchell has ever been?

I don't think leadership really plays in to it, to be honest. He's been a good scorer on a couple of decent teams that were never expected to go very far into the playoffs - I think I have to wonder why you are expecting more than that from those squads?

Yeah and Edwards is already a better player than Mitchell.  Mitchell at his peak may not even be a top 15 player in the league. He certainly isn't a top 10 guy.  I'm not sure what people really expect. 

How far the Cavs go is almost entirely dependent on how good Mobley becomes

[Atzar]

I feel like Donovan Mitchell has kinda slickly avoided blame while teams keep blowing up around him.  Utah had roster construction problems, Snyder gets fired, it's all Rudy's fault actually.  Cleveland has roster construction problems, Bickerstaff gets fired, it's all Garland's fault actually. 

He can really score the ball but I'm not sure about him otherwise.  He never seems to fit anywhere.  Meanwhile Gobert got away from him and now has a serious shot at a title.  Could it be because, at 22, Ant is already a better leader than Mitchell has ever been?

I don't think leadership really plays in to it, to be honest. He's been a good scorer on a couple of decent teams that were never expected to go very far into the playoffs - I think I have to wonder why you are expecting more than that from those squads?

I think it was fair to expect success from those Utah teams, particularly the later ones.  They had the best regular season record in the NBA in the 20-21 season.  Instead they got bounced in the second round by a Clippers team that lost Kawhi halfway through the series, and then they regressed the next season and Danny hit the red button. 

But even if you believe that Utah was really just a decent team that overachieved for one regular season, then we're talking about a player who has never headlined a team better than 'decent' despite being surrounded by some good talent for several of those years.  And now we've fired a coach (again) and will most likely overhaul a roster to keep him happy and get him on an extension.  Is he really worth this?  Whose fault will it be next?  I get catering to a guy like Giannis or Luka, but I'm not sure Mitchell is in that tier. 

[Roy H.]

No league punishment for Josh Giddey.  They deferred completely to law enforcement, although the considerations are different and burden of proof is much lower.

[Who]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
·
34s
The Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with head coach JB Bickerstaff, sources tell
@TheAthletic
 
@Stadium
. Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Pelicans associate James Borrego are expected to be among candidates for the job.

I keep seeing that guy Borrego linked with just about every job opening going. Feels like it is only a matter of time until someone gives him a head coaching gig.

[Who]

I don't understand criticism of Donovan Mitchell. The guy is an absolute stud. Any team would be delighted to have him.

[BASS_THUMPER]

[Goldstar88]

If you say so, Rick…. 

Asked after the 126-110 loss about why he pulled his starters comparatively early, Carlisle argued that it was not a white flag.

“To look at some guys that I thought needed a look,” Carlisle explained, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “McDermott went in there and played well. Isaiah Jackson brought a lot of fight to the game. Jalen Smith hasn’t had much of an opportunity to play in the playoffs, so I wanted to see where he was at.

“We weren’t giving up,” Carlisle insisted, “but it was an opportunity to get some energetic fresh guys in there to fight. They did some good things.”

[Birdman]

Please take Luke out

[trickybilly]

I don't understand criticism of Donovan Mitchell. The guy is an absolute stud. Any team would be delighted to have him.

Shaky defensive efforts, at or just below league average from 3, takes up a max spot but would be lucky to be in top 15 - top 20 probably.

Now I know someone might say a lot of that about Jaylen, but I know who I want.

[keevsnick]

Actually sort of bummed about the Haliburton injury. The Celtics were on their way to going up 2-0, they are going to win thi series either way, and these games are fun.

Don't get me wrong, I'll take and easy path to the Finals any year. But the annoying thing about these injuries is the Celtics would have beaten a Miami, Cleveland, Indiana path even if all those were completely healthy and now we'll have to hera about how soft the path was.