Cleveland, OH
Video: Marcus Morris Says He Saw 'Disconnect' in Cavs Locker Room Under Bickerstaff
David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
Veteran NBA forward Marcus Morris suggested Friday that the Cleveland Cavaliers’ decision to fire head coach J.B. Bickerstaff this week may have been a necessary one.
During an appearance on Run It Back, Morris was asked if he saw any disconnect between Bickerstaff and the players after joining the team late in the season. Morris responded affirmatively:
Run It Back @RunItBackFDTV
.<a href=”https://twitter.com/ChandlerParsons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@ChandlerParsons</a>: “Did you see any situation where there was a disconnect in the locker room?”<a href=”https://twitter.com/MookMorris2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@MookMorris2</a>: “Honestly yeah, I kind of seen it, sorry to say it…I think [J. B. Bickerstaff’s] time just ran out.” <a href=”https://t.co/SH1f85DxsQ”>pic.twitter.com/SH1f85DxsQ</a>
“Honestly yeah, I kind of seen it,” Morris said. “Sorry to say it. He’s been around there for a while. Sometimes time is just a little bit too long. I think he had the locker room. I think his time just ran out. Good dude on and off the court.”
With his firing, Bickerstaff’s five-year tenure as head coach of the Cavs came to an end. He posted a 170-159 regular-season record in Cleveland, reaching the playoffs twice and winning one playoff series.
Morris, 34, is a well-traveled NBA veteran, having played for eight different teams over the course of his 13-year career.
The Cavs signed Morris in March, and he went on to appear in 12 regular-season games, averaging 5.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per contest. He also averaged 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in nine postseason games.
Cleveland was among the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, finishing as the No. 4 seed with a 48-34 record.
The Cavs beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the top-seeded Boston Celtics 4-1 in the second round.
Compared to the Cavaliers’ recent history, it was a successful season for them, as they won their first playoff series since 2018. They also won their first playoff series without LeBron James on the roster since 1993.
Cleveland has a ton of talent under contract next season, including Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Caris LeVert and Max Strus.
There is a window of opportunity for them to go on a deep playoff run and potentially vie for a championship, which may be why the decision was made to part ways with Bickerstaff and get a new voice in the locker room.
Also, the Cavaliers are facing a huge offseason since Mitchell can become a free agent after the 2024-25 campaign if he does not sign an extension.
Mitchell is a five-time All-Star and the Cavaliers’ best player, so it seems likely that Mitchell’s preferences were considered when making a coaching change.
ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said Friday on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast that while Mitchell didn’t ask for Bickerstaff to be fired, the Cavs believe their chances of re-signing Mitchell have “increased” thanks to the move.
Cleveland, OH
’27 DE Munir Lewis Commits to Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Make that a trio of commitment in the Class of 2027 this week for the Louisville football program.
Cleveland (Oh.) Brush defensive end Munir Lewis announced Wednesday that he has committed to the Cardinals. He’s the third commit in the last four days for UofL, Bradenton (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney defensive lineman Kaleb Exume committing on Sunday and Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day two-way athlete Brooklyn Maxey doing so on Monday.
Lewis chose Louisville out of a top seven that also consisted of Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and Purdue. He also held offers from Cincinnati, Minnesota, Wisconsin plus several others, and made multiple visits to UofL’s campus – including this past Friday for the spring game. He’s set to return for an official visit this May.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound defensive end is regarded as the 23rd-ranked prospect in the state of Ohio, the No. 50 edge rusher in the Class of 2027, and the No. 592 recruit in the nation, per the 247Sports Composite.
Lewis was an explosive force for Brush as a junior this past season. He collected 55 total tackles, 13.5 for loss, nine sacks, four pass breakup, a forced fumbles and over 20 quarterback pressures. He helped Brush finish the 2025 season with a 6-4 record.
Lewis is the 12th commitment in Louisville’s 2027 recruiting class, which is on pace to be the best in school history. he joins a class that not only ranks as the best class in the ACC, but the No. 8 class in the nation, per the 247Sports Composite. Four of their commitments are regarded as four-star prospects by the composite.
He’s also the latest in a budding pipeline to the state of Ohio, which has been championed by Executive Director of Football Personnel and Recruiting Vince Marrow. Five of Louisville’s 12 commitments in the 2027 cycle are from the Buckeye State, with three hailing from the Cincinnati area and the other two coming from Cleveland.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram for the latest news.
More Cardinals Stories
(Photo of
Follow
Cleveland, OH
American Cornhole League Cleveland Signature Open | April 24, 2026 | Greater Cleveland Sports Commission
American Cornhole League is bringing the heat to the boards in Cleveland with $150,000 on the line. Join us on April 24-26, 2026, for elite competition where amateurs and pros collide. Whether you’re a backyard ringer or a seasoned veteran, this is your chance to…
Cleveland, OH
Houston Astros at Cleveland Guardians prediction, pick for Tuesday 4/21/26
Garion Thorne gives you a preview, prediction and pick for tonight’s game between the Houston Astros and the Cleveland Guardians.
Few teams needed a win last night more than the Astros.
Houston came into Monday’s action having lost 12 of its past 14 games, while also having lost nearly as many pitchers — at least it feels that way. Just take a quick glance at this club’s IL. Hunter Brown (shoulder), Tatsuya Imai (fatigue), Cristian Javier (shoulder). Those aren’t losses that are easy to survive, and the Astros have understandably been struggling. However, after a dominating 9-2 victory, Houston can at least take a small breath.
Can the Astros make it two in a row this evening? Or will the Guardians bounce back? Let’s preview this AL clash and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Astros vs. Guardians prediction, preview
So, remember that list of injured Astros pitchers I just recited? The consequence of the length of that list, is that you have to start people like Ryan Weiss. That’s not to suggest that Weiss is completely without promise — he was a stud in the KBO in 2024 and 2025 — it’s just that the right-hander’s MLB career has gotten off to a slightly rocky start, and it’s clear that Houston currently prefers the 29-year-old as a reliever. In 14.2 innings of work, Weiss has racked up 18 strikeouts, but he’s also surrendered four home runs, 11 earned runs, and a sixth percentile opponent hard hit rate (54.5%). Weiss isn’t quite built up to be a starter, either. Well, at least not fully, as he threw a season-high 76 pitches in his last outing. That means we’re probably going to have to see a lot of the Astros’ bullpen on Tuesday, which is not a good thing. Houston’s RPs rank 29th in ERA (5.66) and they’ve served up a league-high 1.89 opponent home runs per nine. Yikes.
On the other side of this pitching matchup, we find another starter with little major league experience. That said, Parker Messick already looks like another developmental success story of the Guardians’ pitcher factory. The former second-round pick debuted in 2025, maintaining a 2.72 ERA and a 2.98 FIP across seven starts. If possible, Messick’s looked even better so far in 2026, allowing a mere three earned runs over 25.2 innings. Now, a .200 BABIP isn’t going to sustain. Neither is a 91.4% strand rate. However, when you’re limiting opponents to a 3.3% barrel rate and a 29.5% hard hit rate, you might just get a little “lucky” from time to time. It’s not like the southpaw has been skating by on a soft schedule, either. Messick has faced the Dodgers, the Braves, the Cubs and the Orioles. There isn’t a single cakewalk in there.
That pattern of difficult matchups will continue on Tuesday, as well. For as underwhelming as the Astros’ record is, it’s mostly a byproduct of poor pitching. The offense has actually been one of the best in all of baseball. Houston actually leads all American League teams in wOBA (.350) and wRC+ (124), with Yordan Alvarez leading the charge. He’s been fantastic in left-on-left scenarios, too. In his 36 plate appearances within the split, Alvarez is slashing .448/.528/1.034 with a 315 wRC+. I don’t want to discount Jose Ramirez, who has six homers and 10 stolen bases for the Guardians, yet a healthy Alvarez is easily the best bat in this series. He’s that good.
Astros vs. Guardians pick, best bet
Best Bet: Jose Ramirez 2+ Total Bases (+107)
Weiss has a 6.27 FIP. The Astros’ bullpen has given up the most opponent home runs per nine (1.89). Ramirez probably won’t be in a single bad matchup this evening, and that’s before you factor in that the All-Star is a switch-hitter.
Strong Lean: Ryan Weiss 4+ Strikeouts (+123)
While Weiss’ surface numbers aren’t great, he has managed four strikeouts in two of his three outings where he’s thrown 60+ pitches. He’s struck out 18 in 14.2 innings and I expect he’ll flirt with the 90-pitch plateau on Tuesday.
-
Illinois3 minutes agoArlington Heights Bears fans cheer as ‘Megaprojects’ bill passes Illinois House
-
Indiana10 minutes ago99th Fire Department Instructors Conference draws 38,000 firefighters to Indy
-
Iowa15 minutes agoSee where all 9 Iowa State women’s basketball transfers ended up
-
Kentucky28 minutes ago
Intrepido horse trainer, jockey, owner for Kentucky Derby 2026
-
Louisiana34 minutes ago2 critical, multiple hurt following mass shooting at Mall of Louisiana
-
Maine40 minutes agoSouthern Maine’s 5 boys track teams to watch
-
Maryland46 minutes agoVirginia, Pennsylvania breweries dominate World Beer Cup; MD medals
-
Michigan52 minutes agoLSU big man Jalen Reed commits to Michigan | UM Hoops.com