After four full seasons, the Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with head coach J.B. BIckerstaff following a 4-1 loss to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Through his four-and-a-half seasons leading the Cavaliers, Bickerstaff brought Cleveland from a rebuilding team back to postseason contention. Year by year, the Cavs improved their end result, but their limited offensive schemes placed a limit on their ceiling with their current core. Still, given Bickerstaff's ability to navigate the changing expectations with Cleveland's rebuild, it is difficult to consider his tenure with the Cavaliers a failure. Bickerstaff began with a young, inexperienced squad with Collin Sexton and Jarrett Allen at the forefront, quickly shifting to fight for the playoffs when Donovan Mitchell arrived.
With Bickerstaff's success as a rebuilding coach, it may not take long before he is back on the sideline. After one uneventful season together, the Detroit Pistons fired head coach Monty Williams with five years and $65 million left on his contract. The failed Williams experiment led the Pistons to a league-worst 14-68 regular season record. In the midst of their rebuild, Detroit has reportedly turned their attention to Bickerstaff as Williams' successor.
ESPN Sources: The Detroit Pistons have permission to interview Dallas assistant Sean Sweeney and Minnesota assistant Micah Nori for newly vacant coaching job. Pistons are also planning to interview former Cleveland coach JB Bickerstaff, who'll be available to meet sooner than the…
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2024
There has been no official date set for the initial interview, but Bickerstaff may not wait long to return to the bench.
What Bickerstaff's time in Cleveland would give the Pistons
This season, the Pistons ranked 25th in defensive rating, allowing 118 opponent points per 100 possessions. Their -9.0 net rating ranked second worst in the NBA. With one of the youngest teams in basketball, Detroit's inept defensive identity is not uncommon or unacceptable, but Bickerstaff's greatest trait could quickly elevate the Pistons next season.
With the Cavaliers, Bickerstaff built a culture defined by defensive intensity and effort. Cleveland's starting frontcourt became one of the most fearsome big man duos for interior defense. Since joining the Cavs, Mitchell has had the two best statistical defensive seasons of his career, marking career highs in Defensive Box Plus/Minus and steals. If the Pistons hope to unlock their defensive capabilities, Bickerstaff would be the best possible choice.
Additionally, though Bickerstaff's relationship with Mitchell has been called into question, his ability to build a team-first culture with young teams is undeniable. The young Cavaliers showed a unique, genuine love for one another both on the court and in the locker room. Bickerstaff had a true connection to his players. In the early years, players praised him for his cultural leadership and sacrificial personality.
Bickerstaff's time with the Cavaliers may be through, but his years earned him notable recognition in the league. In the 2021-22 breakout season with the Cavs, Bickerstaff finished fifth in Coach of the Year voting, ironically losing to Monty Williams during his time with the Phoenix Suns.
Since exiting the franchise, Bickerstaff has kept a relatively quiet presence, save a seemingly silent jab at Jarrett Allen for his playoff absence. The relationships Bickerstaff built initially seemingly weakened by the time this season ended, as a tell-all release by The Athletic detailed a lack of trust in Bickerstaff's leadership after their round-one loss to the New York Knicks in 2023. Though Bickerstaff could not make the leap from rebuilding coach to contending coach, the Cavaliers leapfrogged with the Mitchell trade, giving the first-time head coach little opportunity to adjust and learn.
Whether or not the Cavaliers and Bickerstaff ended on good terms, he had a success tenure with the organization and deserves to be considered highly for a position with any rebuilding team in need of direction. The Pistons are the poster child for a lost franchise, and it's not just because they are in Michigan (although that helps). If there is any job that could be perfect for Bickerstaff to transition from a rebuild to contender smoothly, it would be this opening.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still searching for the next coach to succeed Bickerstaff, but the former Cavs leader may race out to become the frontrunner for the new Detroit vacancy. No reasonable Ohio sports fan can cheer for anything a Michigan-based team does, Cavaliers fans can still recognize Bickerstaff's fit for a rebuilding franchise and fondly remember the early years that defined the new era of Cleveland basketball under Bickerstaff.