Pistons Ask JB Bickerstaff Question With Confidence After NBA's Reveal

The NBA is considering JB Bickerstaff for Coach of the Year.
Mar 30, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff looks on during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Mar 30, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff looks on during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
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On Sunday, the NBA revealed three finalists for each end-of-season award. Detroit Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff was considered one of three finalists for the league’s Coach of the Year award.

Shortly after the finalists were announced, the Pistons’ X account confidently asked an important question.

via @DetroitPistons: Is this really even a debate?

Bickerstaff shares the finalist honors with Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, who happens to be his replacement.

After the 2024 NBA Playoffs, a second-round exit caused the Cavaliers to go in a different direction. They parted ways with Bickerstaff and managed to get Atkinson from Steve Kerr’s staff on the Golden State Warriors.

The Cavaliers have seen plenty of success under Atkinson in year one. They finished the season with a 64-18 record, which allowed the Cavs to lock up the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

JB Bickerstaf
Mar 30, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff holds center Isaiah Stewart (28) back during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Bickerstaff and Stewart were later ejected from the game Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, Bickerstaff replaced Monty Williams after one season in Detroit. The hiring for the Pistons received mixed reviews, but Bickerstaff quickly turned the narrative in his favor. Considering the Pistons weren’t receiving any love to become playoff contenders, their ability to clinch the sixth seed in the East shot Bickerstaff up the ranks for Coach of the Year.

Last season, the Cavaliers were 48-34 under Bickerstaff, clinching the fourth seed. A 16-win improvement was impressive for Atkinson’s Cavaliers. The Pistons believe a 30-win improvement for Detroit’s Bickerstaff should be enough to earn the Coach of the Year honors without a question.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA