Hall of Fame Guard Gives High Praise to Detroit Pistons Coach

Despite only being one year into a historic deal, the Detroit Pistons decided to move on from head coach Monty Williams last offseason. Upon taking over in the front office, Trajan Langdon wanted to bring in a new voice to try to resonate with the team's young core. He'd zero in on J.B. Bickerstaff for the job in a move that would yield massive dividends.

Last summer, Bickerstaff was removed from his position as coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers after a five-year run with the franchise. In that time, he helped turn them from a meddling young squad to a potential contender in the Eastern Conference. Now, he's attempting to pull off a similar feat with the Pistons.

Bickerstaff's first year with the Pistons shattered any and all expectations. The roster quickly bought into his systems and philosophies, resulting in Detroit being a far more competitive squad in 2025. They'd end up pulling off a historic turnaround, becoming the first team in NBA history to triple their win total in just one year's time. The Pistons' 44-38 record was good for a top-six seed in the East, landing them back in the postseason for the first time since 2019.

Heading into his second year on the job, Bickerstaff spent a good amount of time in Las Vegas soaking in Summer League action. While there, he received some high praise from Pistons legend Isiah Thomas while the two were on a broadcast together.

"We didn't like the way they were being coached. But you are a perfect fit for everything that the Pistons are and trying to be and continue to be," Thomas said of Bickerstaff. "You definitely have raised the standard and kept the standard so thank you for that."