Cavaliers Star Donovan Mitchell Shares Kind Words for Pistons Coach

Donovan Mitchell praised JB Bickerstaff on Wednesday.

Dec 16, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J. B. Bickerstaff talks to guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Wednesday night marked the first opportunity for Detroit Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff to coach against his former team after parting ways with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ahead of the preseason finale for Detroit, Bickerstaff’s former All-Star, Donovan Mitchell, shared kind words for his former coach.

“I’ve got respect for him,” Mitchell told Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. “Got love for him. I’m glad he found his way to Detroit. He did a phenomenal job here & have no doubt he will be successful.”

Feb 15, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff talks with guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during a break in the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Bickerstaff’s run in Cleveland wasn’t his first go-round as a head coach. After one season on the Houston Rockets and two seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, Bickerstaff was hired to take over the Cavs ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season.

Similar to his current situation in Detroit, Bickerstaff joined a rebuilding organization when he first took over the Cavs. After the Cavaliers missed the playoffs for three straight seasons, they made it to the postseason with a 51-31 record in 2022-2023.

That was the season Mitchell joined Bickerstaff’s system and had a career year.

In his first season under Bickerstaff, Mitchell produced 28 points per game on 48 percent shooting from the field. He averaged 39 percent from three. In the playoffs that year, Mitchell accounted for 23 points, five rebounds, and seven assists per game in five outings.

Last season, Mitchell continued to find success with the Cavs. He produced 27 points and six assists per game in 55 outings. His assist average was the highest of his career.

The Cavaliers entered the 2024 NBA Playoffs with a 48-34 record. They won their first-round series but came up short in round two. At the end of the year, Cleveland called it quits with Bickerstaff. Eventually, he was replaced by Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson.

Bickerstaff’s situation in Detroit put him in a position to lead another rebuild. So far, the Pistons have shown some promise through a handful of preseason games.

After exiting the 2023-2024 season with just 14 wins, the Pistons wrapped up their preseason run with a 3-2 record after taking down the Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

A five-game exhibition run won’t be an exact preview of what’s to come during the regular season, but Bickerstaff seems to be turning the Pistons in the right direction, similar to what he did with the Cavs.