J.B. Bickerstaff is confident he can be the coach to finally revive the Detroit Pistons, a once-respected team that has had the NBA’s worst record over the past two seasons.
The Pistons, who have lost a league-record 14 consecutive playoff games dating back to 2008, hired Bickerstaff after his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played a role in improving the team over four seasons.
Bickerstaff took over the Cavs in 2020 after John Beilein exited with a 14-40 record. Under his leadership, Cleveland made the playoffs in each of the last two years, including a first-round series victory last season.
“I believe the evidence is clear that we have the experience,” Bickerstaff said Wednesday during his official introduction as Detroit’s third coach in as many years.
The Pistons were attracted to the 45-year-old Bickerstaff because of his previous coaching stints with three NBA teams, demonstrating a track record that could resonate with both young players and veterans.
“You want someone who can come in and make an immediate impact, and who has been through this before,” Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said. “Especially with a young team coming off a challenging season, positivity was crucial.
“We felt that experience was essential. The players needed to feel confident that the person coming in understood what he was doing.”
Bickerstaff, twice a top-five finalist for NBA Coach of the Year, compiled a 170-159 record in four-plus seasons in Cleveland, with six playoff wins.
The Cavs dismissed Bickerstaff in May after winning 99 regular-season games over the past two seasons and losing to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Detroit signed him to a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth season. He replaces Monty Williams, who was terminated after just one season of his six-year, $78.5 million contract.
