Donovan Mitchell knew this question was coming. The Cleveland Cavaliers star spent three seasons playing for J.B. Bickerstaff before the team moved on and hired Kenny Atkinson last summer. Now Mitchell is squaring off against Bickerstaff in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and the Cavs guard kept his comments respectful and short.
Mitchell told reporters that he has nothing but love for his former head coach, that the two stayed in touch after the breakup, and that the matchup is strange but ultimately just basketball. He praised Bickerstaff for unlocking Cade Cunningham this season and for turning Detroit into a real defensive identity.
That is the public version. The private version is more complicated.
The History
Mitchell and Bickerstaff had a productive partnership in Cleveland. They reached the second round together. They built a real culture. The breakup was not personal so much as practical. The Cavs decided they needed an offensive mind to take the team to the next level, and Bickerstaff drew the short straw.
Atkinson was hired, the Cavs went on a tear in the regular season, and Bickerstaff landed in Detroit on a multi-year deal. He took over a Pistons team that finished with the No. 1 seed in the East and built one of the most aggressive defenses in the league. He has been Coach of the Year in spirit if not in name.
Now both coaches are facing each other in a series that says a lot about how each franchise has evolved since the divorce.
What Mitchell Did Not Say
Mitchell did not say that he wants to win this series partly to validate the Cavs’ decision to move on. He did not have to. Every player on the Cleveland roster understands what is at stake. If the Cavs fall to a Bickerstaff-coached team in the second round, every “Cleveland should have kept JB” take returns with interest.
If Cleveland wins, Atkinson has a justification for the hire, the Cavs have validated their plan, and Mitchell gets to claim a series win over the coach who used to draw up his plays. That subtext is everywhere in this matchup.
Where the Series Stands
The Cavs are up 3-2 with Game 6 tipping off in Detroit on Friday night. Max Strus saved Cleveland in Game 5 by drilling six 3-pointers off Mitchell creating advantages. Cade Cunningham is averaging serious numbers against his old running mate Darius Garland. The series has been tight, physical, and weirdly emotional for a second-round battle.
Bickerstaff has flipped Mitchell’s old book against him. Detroit traps him aggressively. The Pistons send help early. They make Cleveland’s role players win the game. That is the same defensive philosophy Bickerstaff used to teach in Cleveland’s locker room two years ago. He is using it to try to beat the team that fired him.
The Bottom Line
Mitchell is too disciplined to make this about anything other than the series. He praised Bickerstaff, complimented Detroit’s effort, and walked off without giving the press anything spicy to chase.
His play will say what his words did not. He is averaging close to 30 a game in the series and is the best player on the floor most nights. If he plays like that in Game 6 and Game 7, the Cavs win. If he disappears, the Pistons advance and the Cleveland front office has some hard questions to answer.
The next 48 hours decide it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
