Why Pistons JB Bickerstaff should be leading candidate for NBA Coach of the Year
02/13/2025 12:28 AM
While the announcement of NBA regular season awards is still months away, candidates are already building their cases. As the Detroit Pistons’ winning turnaround continues, new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is a major reason behind it. Detroit’s 29-26 record and playoff positioning are just the start for his credibility. Bickerstaff is firmly positioning himself as a top candidate for NBA Coach of the Year honors.
The Pistons hired Bickerstaff this past summer after being dismissed by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He helped lead Cleveland to three postseason appearances during their rebuild phase. Pistons’ President of Basketball Operations, Trajan Langdon, was impressed with Bickerstaff’s leadership qualities and chose him to help lead this young franchise.
FanDuel oddsmakers currently have Bickerstaff third in Coach of the Year odds. The award regularly goes to the coach of one of the elite teams of the league. Even with stronger teams performing in the Eastern and the Western Conference, the Pistons are succeeding at a pace where Bickerstaff should be viewed as the top candidate for the award.
Quickly surpassed expectations
Detroit entered 2024-25 with their regular season win odds at 24.5. The season has about two more months of games remaining, and the Pistons have already cleared that prediction. They could hover around 40 victories if their momentum continues, which could favor Bickerstaff heavily in the voting.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coach Kenny Atkinson is the current favorite. While the Cavaliers have been consistently impressive all season, the success story of the Pistons is impossible to ignore, as Bickerstaff turned Detroit from finishing last place with a record-setting losing streak into a legitimate playoff threat is a tremendous development. A turnaround of that magnitude is extremely rare in the NBA.
It should not take the Pistons finishing as a top-three seed for Bickerstaff to garner serious consideration. Head coach Tom Thibodeau earned the award in 2021 after the New York Knicks finished fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 41-31 record. New York finished 11th in the East the year before with a 21-45 record. Detroit could be in line for a greater leap after finishing 14-68 under former head coach Monty Williams.
Tougher circumstances to overcome
Detroit’s road to recovery has not been an easy path for Bickerstaff. Transitioning from leading a championship contender to a brand new roster hungry to learn how to win is not easy. Bickerstaff has cleared many expectations, and he has done so with plenty of roadblocks in front of him.
Langdon supplied him with a Pistons roster with developing young talent and flexible veterans. It was an offseason priority for Langdon to add new wing depth for the Pistons. Langdon acquired Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, and Tobias Harris to complement the young core. While none of these players are elite-level stars, Bickerstaff has pulled an impressive level of production out of their acquisitions.
The veterans have provided useful spacing on offense and valuable defensive contributors for the Pistons. That spacing has created an opportunity for the young talent to thrive, and Bickerstaff has put them in a position to ascend.
Detroit has become one of the best stories in the league courtesy of the leadership of their coach. Bickerstaff said before the season he wanted fans to recognize Pistons basketball by February. He has far exceeded that goal and has this franchise in the middle of the playoff picture as the sixth seed. This has been accomplished with a unit that doesn’t have the star power or long-tenured continuity that other teams in the East do.
A budding potential Pistons core
Langdon and Bickerstaff stated they did not want to rush the development of the focal point players on the roster. One of the biggest objectives for Bickerstaff was to see how these young pieces could fit together. In only 55 games, the team’s young core is gelling victoriously at a rate quicker than expected.
The Pistons head coach helped elevate point guard Cade Cunningham to his first NBA All-Star berth. Bickerstaff helped prove that the backcourt of Cunningham and Jaden Ivey could produce winning basketball. Ivey was putting up career-high scoring averages with 17.6 points on 46% shooting from the field and 41% from 3 before his gruesome leg injury.
Bickerstaff is also maximizing the blossoming potential of his frontcourt role players. Center Jalen Duren’s defense prowess and offensive contributions have steadily improved all season. The Pistons have also seen strides from forward Ausar Thompson, who has become a valuable piece for the franchise in his second professional season. Malik Beasley has been one of the most dangerous shooters in the NBA and Isaiah Stewart’s defensive energy has become a key piece of the team’s identity.
Heading into the NBA trade deadline, Langdon said his plan was to add to the roster without breaking the core up. As they find success despite injuries and limited experience, the Pistons are showing how dangerous they can be. The most steady piece of this equation has been the leadership of Bickerstaff. He has orchestrated a winning product after taking over the worst team in basketball last season. If they remain in the playoff picture by the end of the season, Bickerstaff’s efforts should be rewarded by winning his second Coach of the Year trophy.
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