J.B. Bickerstaff Reflects on Coaching Mindset With Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons coach lays out his mindset in new situation.

Mar 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff reacts during the first half against the Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off a season where they finished with the NBA's worst record, the Detroit Pistons decided to make a change at head coach. The organization parted ways with Monty Williams despite his massive contract, and replaced him with J.B. Bickerstaff.

Bickerstaff also saw himself removed from his position earlier this summer following a five-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. During his time there, he helped turn them from a 22 to a 51 win team and reached the postseason twice.

With the Pistons, Bickerstaff finds himself back on a team that's at square one. However, this isn't something that discourages him. While talking with Richard Jefferson on his Road Trippin podcast, Bickerstaff touched on his mindset heading into his tenure with the Pistons. For him, creating a positive environment and helping the guys reach their full potential are his top priorities.

"My mindset is go in and teach, make it as fun as we possibly can," Bickerstaff said. "Put together a great staff of teachers, guys who can reach people on different levels and then help people find their potential. That's the fun part of what we do."

This summer, Trajan Langdon signed multiple veterans to help complement the Pistons young core. That said, Bickerstaff's mind is in the right place. Even though the team is looking to improve from a win total standpoint, development still needs to be at the forefront. If Detroit wants to sustain winning long-term, they'll need guys like Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and Jaden Ivey to grow as players.

Seeing what Bickerstaff was able to do with the young core in Cleveland, the Pistons should feel they found a coach who can lead them into the future.