JB Bickerstaff had a phenomenal first season as Pistons head coach and transformed the team culture. With a focus on defense and toughness, he took the Pistons from 14 to 44 wins and finished second in Coach of the Year voting. Bickerstaff was in a position last season where his strengths were able to shine greater than ever before, but his weaknesses in the playoffs could be exposed next year as the Pistons have higher postseason expectations.
Bickerstaff has always been a good regular season coach, especially in rebuilding situations. In Cleveland, he was able to double his team’s win total from 22 to 44 between 2020-21 and 2021-22.