When Bickerstaff took over, the Cavs won 19 games in 2019-20 in a season in which he was thrust into the head coaching role after John Beilein was fired.

Under Bickerstaff’s leadership, the Cavs made steady progress over four seasons, each year building on the last. Progress was evident not only in their regular season records, but also in their postseason performance, as they rose from the play-in tournament to a first-round appearance and ultimately reached the second round in the final campaign of Bickerstaff. This upward trajectory cemented Bickerstaff’s impact, leaving a legacy of resilience and growth as he led the Cavs back to relevance.

“I think we’ve done a great job here, from where we started when our staff took over to where we ended up in a rebuilding situation,” Bickerstaff said during his pre-game press conference on Friday. “If you could ask for this to happen, every GM in this league, every owner in this league, every player in this league would sign up for it.”

The Cavs’ preseason clash with Bickerstaff eased the initial awkwardness of facing their former coach on the opposing sideline.

After being fired following Cleveland’s second-round exit to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics, Bickerstaff took to the radio to praise Luka Doncic for battling injuries in the playoffs. His comments were widely interpreted as a subtle criticism of Jarrett Allen, who, after suffering a punctured rib in Game 4 of the first round, missed the remainder of the Cavs’ postseason run.

“Jarrett and I have a great relationship and always will, and no outside noise will affect that,” Bickerstaff said Friday, denying any speculation. “Those comments had absolutely nothing to do with Jarrett Allen.

“I love Jarrett Allen. We have a great relationship. …I would never say anything to belittle or question him, and I think these are a lot of foolish people who are just looking for something to be found, who have nothing better to do and are looking for clickbait.’

Allen and Bickerstaff reconnected as the Cavs traveled to Little Caesars Arena for their first road preseason game of the year. The two embraced for a huge pre-match hug, catching up on family and life outside the match.

As Allen and Bickerstaff face off for the first time at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Allen has a clear message for Cavs fans about the welcome he hopes his former coach receives.

“I hope there’s a lot of cheering for him,” Allen said, expressing his appreciation for everything Bickerstaff has contributed to the team. “He has taken this organization very far, so I hope the fans cheer for him.”

While the two may still be close, Allen understands that their two worlds are separated when they step foot on the ground and the move away from Bickerstaff was made for a reason. One that they hope to exhibit on Friday.

“It’s a little extra for us to play against him,” Allen stated. “I mean, the only reason you get rid of a coach is if you think you can improve yourself. That’s the reality of the situation, so it’s like we want to show how far we can go and how much we can improve, and I hope it’s an umph for him too. He’s playing us. It’s a new team. Show what he’s got.’