Tag: J.B. Bickerstaff

Bickerstaff Wins 2026 NBCA Coach of the Year Award

J.B. Bickerstaff
April 2026

J.B. Bickerstaff has been named the 2026 Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year after leading Detroit to a 60-22 season, the best record in the Eastern Conference and one of the biggest turnarounds in franchise history. The award is voted on by fellow NBA head coaches, making it one of the most respected coaching honours in the league. Detroit also posted its first 60-win season since 2005-06, and Bickerstaff became the first coach ever to take a franchise from 60 losses to 60 wins in a two-season span.

Cade Cunningham Returns With Double-Double as Pistons Roll Past Bucks

Cade Cunningham
April 2026

Cade Cunningham marked his return from a collapsed lung with 13 points and 10 assists in Detroit’s 137-111 win over Milwaukee. His comeback gives the East-leading Pistons another major boost as they head into the playoffs with the top seed already secured. Cunningham was set to return after missing 11 games. After the win, he said he felt very good physically, while coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised the medical staff and added that Detroit’s strong run without him had also helped other players grow in confidence before the postseason.

Pistons Back Their Playoff Credentials Even With Cunningham Sidelined

Cade Cunningham
March 2026

Detroit believe they can make a real playoff run despite lingering doubts around their postseason inexperience and Cade Cunningham’s injury setback. The Pistons have already reached 50 wins and remain firmly in the race for the top seed in the East. Jalen Duren has continued to drive Detroit forward with major performances, while the team has stayed competitive even after Cunningham’s collapsed-lung diagnosis. Their blend of youth, depth and confidence under J.B. Bickerstaff has turned them from a first-round team into one expecting more.

Isaiah Stewart Turns Early Posters Into Defensive Identity and DPOY Push

Isaiah Stewart
January 2026

Stewart credits being dunked on early in his career as fuel for becoming an elite rim protector, with strong block production and league-leading rim defense metrics driving Defensive Player of the Year ambition. He describes repeatedly challenging shots without fear, leading to high block totals, low opponent efficiency at the rim, conference monthly defensive honors, and internal endorsements from coaches and teammates.

Mike Brown and Bickerstaff Relationship Spotlighted Ahead of Knicks vs Pistons

Mike Brown, J.B. Bickerstaff
January 2026

A feature revisited the long relationship between Mike Brown and J.B. Bickerstaff, dating back to Brown babysitting Bickerstaff when he first entered the NBA as a video assistant. They meet in a matchup between top East teams. The connection evolved into mentorship and friendship over decades, rooted in Denver when Bernie Bickerstaff ran the Nuggets. The piece highlights how early trust and shared coaching obsession shaped both careers.

Carlisle to step down as coaches’ boss, Bickerstaff to take over NBCA role

Rick Carlisle
December 2025

Rick Carlisle will end a 20-year run as president of the National Basketball Coaches Association at month’s end, with Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff elected as his successor, as Carlisle nears his 1,000th NBA coaching win and shifts focus fully back to team duties. Praising Bickerstaff as a trusted leader who has stabilised difficult situations in Memphis, Cleveland and Detroit, Carlisle called the new role “life-changing” and also used the moment to champion Bernie Bickerstaff’s Hall of Fame case, highlighting the Bickerstaff family’s long-standing impact on coaching and front-office culture.

Ivey returns from fractured fibula as surging Pistons make it 12 straight

Jaden Ivey
November 2025

Jaden Ivey finally returned for Detroit nearly 11 months after breaking his left fibula and later undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, scoring 10 points in 15 minutes off the bench as the Pistons beat the Bucks 129-116 for their 12th straight win. He admitted the layoff tested his patience and perseverance, but said gratitude dominated his emotions on return, while coach J.B. Bickerstaff carefully capped his minutes and team-mates like Cade Cunningham praised his work, noting he already looked comfortable for a contender now chasing franchise-record streaks.

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