The Cleveland Cavaliers announced Wednesday morning that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will miss tonight’s matchup with the Bulls. According to the statement released by the team, Bickerstaff will be out due to “personal reasons” and assistant Greg Buckner will takeover head coach duties.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 21, 2021
Fortunately, the Cavaliers also shared that Bickerstaff is expected to be back with the team for Friday’s game in Charlotte. Whatever the reason Bickerstaff is out for tonight, I’m wishing him the best.
All things considered, it’s a bit of an oddity to see a head coach miss time. While a one-game absence shouldn’t have a major impact on the on-court product, itself, I’m sure it can still change the vibe around the team. After all, it can always be a bit strange when someone else has to call the shots, especially in the middle of a close game. Again, I doubt this will have any significant influence on just this one game, but it’s something worth a note heading into tonight.