Propelled to the Cavaliers bench in February 2020 to replace a drifting John Beilein, JB Bickerstaff managed to take Cleveland from last place in the Eastern Conference to the Top 4 in two seasons. An impressive feat that did not go unnoticed by other league leaders.
So after he was let go from the Ohio franchise at the end of the season, he was presented with the same challenge by Detroit, which felt that Monty Williams' method wasn't moving fast enough. The equation was then quite simple for JB Bickerstaff: can he implement the same method and enjoy the same results in the short term?
In terms of the quality of its squad, the situation seems similar. In its first full year in 2020/21, Cleveland already had a Darius Garland – Jarrett Allen axis in its ranks and knew how to use its assets to improve it, by parting ways with Collin Sexton to get Donovan Mitchell. In Detroit too, there is talent, an identified “franchise player” with Cade Cunningham, and a bunch of talent to integrate around him.
“I think the proof is there,” he confided during his presentation press conference, about his previous adventure with Cleveland. “There are high-level players and players with high potential. It is our responsibility to help them achieve it.”
A coach who knows what he's talking about
Detroit already has young players to polish like Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson, and has therefore relied on experience to help them take a step forward, with players like Tim Hardaway Jr, Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris.
Pistons President Trajan Langdon believes that JB Bickerstaff is the ideal coach to ensure that the young talents and veterans get along well.
“We wanted someone who could hit the ground running, and who had done the same thing in the past. Especially with a young team coming off a tough season, it was important to be positive.”did he declare. “We felt the experience was important. The players needed to feel that the person coming here knew what they were talking about.”
After the disappointment of being eliminated by the Celtics in the conference semifinals and the shock of being ousted, JB Bickerstaff also expressed his gratitude to the Pistons. The fact that he quickly found a bench helped him turn the page and avoid thinking too much.
“We are all human, and it always feels good to feel wanted. The fact that Trajan reached out and called me made me realize that he had believed in me right away.”he continued.
It will now be up to him to turn this confidence into results, and the sooner the better.
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Cade Cunningham | 62 | 33.5 | 44.9 | 35.5 | 86.9 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 7.5 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 22.7 |
| Bojan Bogdanovic | 28 | 32.9 | 46.8 | 41.5 | 77.9 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 20.2 |
| Simone Fontecchio | 16 | 30.3 | 47.9 | 42.6 | 84.6 | 0.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 15.4 |
| Jaden Ivey | 77 | 28.8 | 42.9 | 33.6 | 74.9 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 15.4 |
| Jalen Duren | 61 | 29.1 | 61.9 | 0.0 | 79.0 | 3.1 | 8.5 | 11.6 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 13.8 |
| Alec Burks | 43 | 20.9 | 39.4 | 40.1 | 90.3 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 12.6 |
| Isaiah Stewart Ii | 46 | 30.9 | 48.7 | 38.3 | 75.3 | 1.6 | 5.0 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 10.9 |
| Chemistry Metu | 14 | 29.4 | 50.0 | 30.2 | 95.2 | 1.2 | 4.8 | 6.0 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 10.5 |
| Marvin Bagley Iii | 26 | 18.4 | 59.1 | 16.7 | 82.0 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 10.2 |
| Ausar Thompson | 63 | 25.1 | 48.3 | 18.6 | 59.7 | 2.0 | 4.3 | 6.4 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 8.8 |
| Danilo Gallinari | 6 | 14.9 | 54.5 | 58.3 | 87.5 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 8.7 |
| Marcus Sasser | 71 | 19.0 | 42.8 | 37.5 | 87.9 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 8.3 |
| Malachi Flynn | 24 | 14.3 | 43.0 | 31.6 | 68.4 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 8.0 |
| Jaylen Nowell | 4 | 14.4 | 52.2 | 33.3 | 66.7 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 7.5 |
| Kevin Knox | 31 | 18.1 | 46.2 | 33.0 | 90.9 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 7.2 |
| Evan Fournier | 29 | 18.7 | 37.3 | 27.0 | 79.4 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 7.2 |
| James Wiseman | 63 | 17.3 | 61.3 | 0.0 | 70.6 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 5.3 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 7.1 |
| Tosan Evbuomwan | 13 | 22.5 | 57.1 | 41.7 | 68.0 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 7.0 |
| Killian Hayes | 42 | 24.0 | 41.3 | 29.7 | 66.0 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 4.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 6.9 |
| Shake Milton | 4 | 15.8 | 42.3 | 33.3 | 66.7 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 6.8 |
| Quentin Grimes | 6 | 19.2 | 21.4 | 14.3 | 90.9 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 5.3 |
| Stanley Umude | 24 | 12.8 | 44.0 | 45.3 | 90.6 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 5.3 |
| Isaiah Livers | 23 | 20.4 | 34.5 | 28.6 | 66.7 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 5.0 |
| Jared Rhoden | 17 | 14.4 | 50.0 | 38.7 | 62.5 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 4.9 |
| Monte Morris | 6 | 11.4 | 36.4 | 18.2 | 50.0 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 4.5 |
| Taj Gibson | 4 | 9.8 | 57.1 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 4.5 |
| Troy Brown, Jr. | 22 | 18.9 | 29.6 | 28.1 | 86.7 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 4.2 |
| Mike Muscala | 13 | 13.2 | 34.1 | 38.2 | 50.0 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 3.5 |
| Buddy Boeheim | 10 | 8.4 | 31.0 | 32.0 | 80.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.4 |
| Joe Harris | 16 | 10.6 | 35.9 | 33.3 | 50.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 2.4 |
| Malcolm Cazalon | 1 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
