INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – J.B. Bickerstaff walked into the Cavaliers practice facility Wednesday with a clear message to deliver to his team, and then to reporters.
They are not failing.
A day after being unable to capitalize offensively down the stretch in a 100-97 loss to the Miami Heat, which has become a reoccurring theme in recent weeks, Bickerstaff reminded everyone of where the team stands.
“I think in all the noise and chatter, people forget how much this group has accomplished,” Bickerstaff said. “We're the number one ranked defense in the NBA still. Prior to last night, we were the 10th ranked offense in the NBA [and] this morning we're 11th now. I think we've got the second-best net rating in the NBA. There's seven teams that have more than 30 wins in the NBA, and we're one of those teams [and] none of those teams in the Eastern Conference start a 21-year old, a 22-year old, 23-year old, a 24-year old, and a 26-year old.
“The teams that are ahead of us are teams that have been weathered and been through things that have built that. Sometimes I think people want to skip steps in getting where we all want to go. We're not putting a roof on our guys, but what they've accomplished at this age is above and beyond what is standard.”
Bickerstaff, who took nearly four minutes to respond to the first question after practice, said the same thing to his players before their workout.
“I think they need to know that, and they need to appreciate it,” Bickerstaff continued. “Building a team is not easy. It takes some bumps; it takes some bruises; it takes some failures.
“Have we left some food on our plate? I think for sure, but I think that's part of growth and that's the NBA. I just don't [want] the negativity that's surrounding the group as if something wrong is happening. There's too many positive things that this team has accomplished to allow any negativity around our group. The guys are too good of guys. They work their tails off.”
Bickerstaff also noted the Cavs have played a whopping three games to date with a fully healthy roster available.
The loss to the Heat dropped the Cavs, who have a firm grip on the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference standings, to 31-22.
A year ago, they were scratching and clawing for a shot at the playoffs before slipping late into the play-in tournament. For a perennial lottery-bound, asset compiling franchise amid another post-LeBron James rebuild, it was a gigantic step forward that raised expectations among pundits and fans.
The blockbuster acquisition of All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell in the offseason and an 8-0 start to the season drove expectations into the stratosphere, but this is not an NBA championship or bust season for Bickerstaff and the Cavs.
After finishing the month of January 8-8, Cleveland hasn’t had a losing month this season, a first through the first four months of a season since James’ final campaign before joining the Lakers.
Again, a step forward, but that doesn’t mean Bickerstaff and the Cavs are satisfied.
“We're not done getting better and we will continue to get better,” Bickerstaff said. “I'll get better, the players will get better. But it's always about this: nobody has started from here [the bottom] and then just jumped to here [the top].
“Teams take defeats in the first round of the playoffs. They come back next year, they're better. That's how this thing works. Again, this is not to stunt our guys' expectation and growth, but I want them to understand all the things that they have done and how positive this place is and how we are moving [forward.]”
The big picture reality is the Cavs are right where they are supposed to be.
