JB Bickerstaff On Taking Pistons Job: ‘Hadn’t Planned On Getting Back So Quickly’

Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers after five-plus years on the job, and when that happens, you usually prepare yourself for a break.

But Bickerstaff has moved just up the road, to Detroit, hired fairly quickly by new president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon. So you have a former Cavs coach (Bickerstaff) and player (Langdon) attempting to save the Pistons.

“I just thought the situation was awesome, to be honest with you,” Bickerstaff said on the Road Trippin’ Podcast with Richard Jefferson. “I hadn’t planned on getting back in as quickly as I did because there were no jobs open. But as soon as Trajan reached out, the conversations that I had with him just put me in a place where I was confident that he was going to be able to lead us and help build something special.”

Bickerstaff will have his work cut out. The Pistons lost an NBA-record 28 straight last season. They return Cade Cunningham, the new face of the franchise, but it’s some of the veteran additions that have them excited. Newcomers Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. are all expected to add winning experience.

 “Tobias was the perfect piece for us and where we are,” Bickerstaff said. “To be able to get him right out of the gate in free agency was huge for us. Again, I give Trajan a ton of credit for being able to get that done. Tobias is a really good human being. When you’re going through some of the things that young teams go through, the character of the people who are going to be using their voice matters.”

Bickerstaff was officially hired as Pistons coach on July 3. He compiled a 170-159 record in the regular season and a 6-11 mark in the playoffs in Cleveland.

Under Bickerstaff, the Cavs took the next step in the playoffs in each of the last three years — from play-in tournament to first round to the Eastern Conference semifinals this past season. But the Cavs’ struggles after the All-Star break in each of those seasons were part of what led to his dismissal in Cleveland.

In Detroit, he takes over for Monty Williams, fired after just one year. The Pistons still owe Williams $65 million.

Former Cavs forward and assistant coach Luke Walton is joining Bickerstaff with the Pistons.