The Detroit Pistons are trying to leave their disappointing 2023 season behind them, and that started with hiring J.B. Bickerstaff as their head coach. Next on the list was signing some key players in free agency and the draft that can help elevate the team and help them become a more competitive group.
Bickerstaff has coached winning teams before, so he has a sense of what kind of players are needed to become successful. This upcoming season, he already has the player in mind who will be the leader for the Pistons and name-dropped them while he was a guest on the Road Trippin' podcast.
“I think Tobias [Harris] was the perfect piece for us and where we are, and to be able to get him right out of the gate in free agency was huge for us,” Bickerstaff said on the podcast. “Again, I give Trajon [Langdon] a ton of credit for being able to go out and get that done. The thing that Tobias is, is one, he’s a really good human being. So when you're going through some of the things that young teams go through, like the character of the people who are going to be using their voice matters.”
Adding veterans is always key to building young teams, and Bickerstaff believes that Harris is the guy who can make a change for the Pistons on and off the court.
Can Tobias Harris help the Pistons improve?
Tobias Harris agreed to a two-year, $52 million deal with the Detroit Pistons in free agency. The writing looked to be on the wall for Harris in Philadelphia after they pushed hard to sign Paul George, and now the forward will be playing with the Pistons for the second time in his career.
This time around, Harris will be playing with a group of young players who are looking to win at a high level in the NBA. Over the past several seasons, the Pistons have been near the bottom of the league in standings and had the longest losing streak in NBA history last season with 28 games.
The Pistons have promising young talent on their team with Cade Cunnigham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson, and with a few veterans and a new head coach, they're looking to turn the tide in Detroit.
J.B. Bickerstaff sees Harris as a guy who can help on the court, but also lead them off the court.
“Because he's such a high-quality character person, when he uses his voice in tough times, people are going to be more willing to listen,” Bickerstaff said on the podcast. “The other thing, he plays games too. You look through his career historically he plays games. So being able to show young guys like how do you prepare yourself, what do you eat, how do you recover, what's your routine. Like all those things not on the court, not on the five-on-five, are going to be a boost to our team.”
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