The Detroit Pistons have their new head coach. After firing former Coach of the Year Monty Williams, they had a vacancy at the position. Their new head coach is someone who's been in the league for some time now. After being fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Pistons are hiring J.B Bickerstaff as their coach, per Adrian Wojnarowski.
“ESPN Sources: The Detroit Pistons are hiring J.B. Bickerstaff as the franchise’s next coach. Bickerstaff comes to the Pistons after consecutive trips to playoffs with Cavaliers —- including the Eastern Conference semifinals.”
It's a five-year deal for Bickerstaff to coach the Pistons. For reference, Detroit signed Williams to a six-year deal, only to cut him two years later.
The Pistons are coming off one of the worst seasons in NBA history. At one point, the team lost 28 straight games. While they've shown signs of life after that horrible streak, the stench of that infamous losing streak will linger. It's never been this bleak for Detroit, even at their worst in the last few years.
How much of a game-changer will Bickerstaff be to the Pistons? Bickerstaff's tenure with the Cavs was a mixed bag, to say the least. His first two full seasons as a head coach, Cleveland failed to make the playoffs. In his last two years, he's led the team to the playoffs. However, one could definitely argue that those Cavs teams way underperformed the expectations set upon them.
At the very least, the Pistons needed a massive change of scenery after that disastrous season. Monty Williams never quite worked out for them, and they're hoping that with Bickerstaff, the team sees some much-needed improvements.
Pistons' outlook for 2024-25 season
Despite the horrendous 28-game streak, the Pistons do have some good things going for them. Cade Cunningham is a highly underrated young guard that has been buried due to, well, being on the Pistons. He's shown the ability to lead a team to victory with his playmaking and scoring.
On the wings, they also have Ausar Thompson. Thompson's offense is not quite there yet, but his defense has the potential to be one of the best in the league. The Pistons forward's mobility and length on the perimeter makes him a menace already even after his rookie season. Jaden Ivey has also shown some promise from the two guard position.
They also just added another wing with tons of potential in the NBA draft. Despite failing to get the first overall pick with the worst record, the Pistons were able to make do with what they have. Ron Holland is an athletic slashing wing who can blossom into a serious scoring threat alongside Thompson on the wings. They are getting better day-by-day.
It will certainly be interesting to see how JB Bickerstaff molds this Pistons team into a threat next season. The reviews for the ex-Cavs coach are pretty bad (and have some validity, considering how their seasons ended). Still, Detroit would love to be proven wrong and to see some success in the 2024-25 season.
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