Pistons News: J.B. Bickerstaff Slighted in Recent NBA Coach Rankings

Should the Pistons coach be higher than his current ranking?

Feb 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff reacts in the second quarter against the Orlando Magic at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

Following a 2024 campaign with few positives, it was an offseason of change for the Detroit Pistons. Among the many spots replaced this summer was at head coach. Just one year into his historic contract, Trajan Langdon decided to part ways with Monty Williams. After a long search, the Pistons signed J.B. Bickerstaff to take over as head coach.

Bickerstaff, who was dismissed from his head coaching position last summer, has two decades of experience in the NBA. He spent years as an assistant for multiple organization before eventually getting an opportunity to be a head coach with the Houston Rockets in 2016.

Most recently, Bickerstaff was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. During his time there, he helped transform them from a 22-win team to a winning as many as 51 games. The Cavs even won a playoff series last season before being knocked out by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Before the 2024-25 season gets underway, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports compiled a ranking of the NBA's 30 head coaches. Bickerstaff landed towards the bottom of this list, coming in at No. 23. Some of the coaches around him include Doc Rivers, Billy Donovan, and Pistons legend Chauncey Billups.

JB Bickerstaff's teams tend to start out hot, fade down the stretch and underwhelm in the postseason. His Cleveland teams were consistently good on defense, but how much of that was him? He had one of the best defensive front courts in the NBA in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The reporting surrounding his exit was dispiriting. He'd clearly lost the locker room in Cleveland. Perhaps he'll do better in Detroit, but his offenses have always been relatively stagnant, and that's a big problem on a roster with so little shooting.

Heading into this upcoming season, the Pistons hope Bickerstaff can have similar success in Detroit that he did in Cleveland. Fresh off having the league's worst record, the organization is looking to drastically change its trajectory moving forward. Bickerstaff will have some help in leading the young squad, as the front off signed numerous veterans to complement the core.