Sometimes, NBA teams just need a minor tweak to fulfill their true potential.
That might be the case with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
They barely made any transactions in the offseason, yet they went from being a streaky team with a second-round playoff exit as their ceiling to a legitimate NBA championship contender.
Of course, that happened after they replaced J.B. Bickerstaff with Kenny Atkinson.
Notably, it seems like the players are enjoying this tenure much more than what happened in the past, at least judging by what Ty Jerome said.
When asked about the biggest change of this season, the Cavs’ backup point guard seemed to bite his tongue about the previous regime, simply claiming that the new coaching staff has been very different.
“We got a new coaching staff and that has helped tremendously,” Jerome said.
The Cavs Players hated JB Bickerstaff LMAOOO pic.twitter.com/3ZwdnlPcuh
— ‘ (@GroomedByCavs) February 22, 2025
This isn’t the first time it has seemed that the players weren’t on board with Bickerstaff.
Reports stated that several players were frustrated with him, as they felt like he was holding them back as if they were still in a rebuilding era.
Other reports stated that the players felt like the practices lacked structure and the offense was too outdated.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Bickerstaff was a bad coach, and he’s actually doing just fine with the Detroit Pistons this season.
He just wasn’t what this group needed at the time, and props to the front office for realizing that, and more importantly for finding the perfect guy to take the reins of the team.
NEXT: Details Emerge About How Cavs Landed Javonte Green
