Former Rockets Coach J.B. Bickerstaff Fighting for Cavs Job in Game 7

The NBA has just one game on its slate today, an afternoon matinee Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic.

However, there's a slight Houston Rockets angle to today's game, as J.B. Bickerstaff coaches what could be the final game of his tenure with the Cavaliers.

Bickerstaff got his first head coaching opportunity with the Rockets in 2015 when the team fired Kevin McHale after just 11 games. Bickerstaff took over in the interim and was able to get the Rockets to 41-41 and the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, ultimately losing in the first round in five games to the 73-win Golden State Warriors.

Bickerstaff joined the Memphis Grizzlies following that season, coaching the team for two years before his dismissal. Then, in 2019-20, Bickerstaff was named the team's head coach after John Beilein infamously resigned. He's been the coach in Cleveland ever since, leading the team to a pair of playoff berths.

However, Bickerstaff's seat in Cleveland could be hot, especially if the Cavs lose Game 7. The team regressed from 51 wins to 48 this year after underperforming in the postseason in 2023. Another first-round exit would be deemed as an unsuccessful season, which could prompt the Cavs to make a change — and Bickerstaff could end up being the scapegoat.

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