Pistons name J.B. Bickerstaff head coach

According to the Canadian Press on Sunday, the Detroit Pistons have signed head coach J.B. Bickerstaff of Denver, Colorado to a four-year contract. The hiring of Bickerstaff comes 11 days after the Pistons parted ways with Monty Williams of Fredericksburg, Virginia. It is interesting that Williams only coached in Detroit for one year of a six-year contract that saw him be the highest paid coach in the NBA at over $13 million per season. The Pistons are still paying Williams over the next five seasons to not coach them, and are now paying Bickerstaff for four years to coach them.

How bad was it for Detroit last season? Well they had the worst record in the NBA at 14 wins and 68 losses. Their 9010 total points were the fourth fewest in the NBA. The only three  teams with less were the Charlotte Hornets (8740), the Portland Trail Blazers (8722), and the the Memphis Grizzlies (8677). Detroit also gave up 9757 points (the fifth most in the NBA).

Bickerstaff has been a NBA head coach for three teams in the past. He was with the Houston Rockets from 2015 to 2016, the Memphis Grizzlies from 2017 to 2019, and the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2020 to 2024. He was fired by the Cavaliers on May 23, even though the Cavaliers reached the Western Conference semifinals after beating the Orlando Magic in the opening round.

In 545 games as a NBA head coach, Bickerstaff has a record of 255 wins and 290 losses. That is a winning percentage of .468. Bickerstaff has also been an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats, Minnesota Timberwolves, Rockets, Grizzlies and Cavaliers.

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