Pistons Notes: Bickerstaff, Duren, Jenkins, Game 1
The Pistons were the worst team in the league when J.B. Bickerstaff was hired as the head coach. In just two seasons, they have become a formidable force in the Eastern Conference, with a chance to get to the NBA Finals this season.
Much of the credit for that success goes to the players, especially Cade Cunningham, who catapulted himself into MVP conversations this season, but Bickerstaff’s approach and emphasis on playing with maximum effort and tenacity have been a massive part of setting the team’s identity, Hunter Patterson writes for The Athletic.
Beyond the grit-and-grind mentality, what makes Bickerstaff special is how he approaches his relationship with the team.
“Everybody feels like they can call him to talk about if they have problems with their girlfriend or if they need something for their kids,” Cunningham said. “He’s just a very selfless and supportive person. Having somebody like that who cares about you on the court and wants you to be great on the court, but then also actually cares about your life and your well-being off the court is huge.”
Bickerstaff was previously the coach of the Cavaliers, but he’s not bringing any baggage from his dismissal to this series, Chris Fedor writes for Cleveland.com (subscriber link). However, that doesn’t mean that his added familiarity with many of the players isn’t helpful when it comes to game planning.
“I just … I spent a lot of time with those guys,” he said, smiling.
We have more Pistons notes:
- After a rough first round against the Magic, in Game 1 against the Cavaliers, Jalen Duren once again looked like the star big man he has been all season, Omari Sankofa II writes for the Detroit Free Press. Whether crashing the offensive boards, making momentum-building defensive plays, or hitting timely dunks, he has made it hard for the Cleveland big men to get comfortable. He said that one thing he learned in the series against Orlando was how much he can impact a game when the offense isn’t clicking, Larry Lage of the Associated Press writes. “My value is on the defensive end,” he said. “My value is crashing the glass. It doesn’t always have to be scoring for me.”
- Daniss Jenkins‘ breakout season has carried over into the playoffs, when he’s been asked to play major minutes in high-leverage situations, including 29 minutes in Game 1 against Cleveland. He repaid that confidence by scoring six points and adding three rebounds and a steal in the final 3.5 minutes of the game, Lage writes. It’s only the latest accomplishment in a season full of them for the former undrafted free agent. “He’s been building for it all year,” teammate Duncan Robinson said. “His journey is unique, and it takes somebody with a special will and character to have that story. He has unshakeable confidence for someone who’s been overlooked his whole career, and he just wears it as a chip.”
- Bickerstaff believes that having to win three games in a row to advance past the first round helped the Pistons learn what it takes to survive in the playoffs, ESPN’s Jamal Collier writes. “You understand how to close and how to finish. How to get to your spots,” he said. “Then you grow belief that you can. That series did a lot of that for us.”
Pistons Sign J.B. Bickerstaff To Contract Extension
The Pistons have signed head coach J.B. Bickerstaff to a contract extension, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
Bickerstaff has led Detroit to a remarkable turnaround over the past two seasons. After finishing with the worst record (14-68) in the NBA in 2023/24, the Pistons improved by 30 wins in Bickerstaff’s first year at the helm, going 44-38 and making the playoffs.
The Pistons continued their upward trajectory in ’25/26, finishing with a 60-22 record, the top mark in the Eastern Conference. Detroit survived a first-round scare against No. 8 Orlando, falling in a 3-1 hole before winning the final three games to advance to the second round for the first time since 2008.
Bickerstaff, 47, reportedly signed a five-year contract when he was hired in July 2024, with the first four seasons being guaranteed. It’s unclear how many extra years his extension will cover.
It’s interesting timing that the Pistons decided to extend Bickerstaff on the same day that the Magic dismissed Jamahl Mosley. Bickerstaff defended his friend and said he disagreed with the Magic’s decision in an appearance on Stephen A. Smith’s radio show, as Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire relays (via Twitter).
Bickerstaff, who took over as president of the National Basketball Coaches Association earlier this season, is a finalist for the Coach of the Year award. The other finalists are Joe Mazzulla (Celtics) and Mitch Johnson (Spurs).
After starting his NBA coaching career as an assistant, Bickerstaff has had previous head coaching stops in Memphis, Houston and Cleveland prior to joining Detroit.
The Pistons will face the Cavaliers, Bickerstaff’s former club, in the Eastern semifinals.
Cavs Notes: Allen, Harden, Mitchell, Flaws, Bickerstaff
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen muffled some of his critics with his performance in Game 7 on Sunday. Allen erupted for 22 points and 19 rebounds as the Cavs closed out the Raptors.
“I always feel like in this league when you get a certain label, it always sticks with you no matter what,” Allen told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “No matter how hard you try to change it, it’s always going to follow you around. I think that if I play on my mind with wanting to change a narrative that was placed on me about prior performances, that’s going to weaken my strengths going forward and always try to weigh me back. I’ve always been the guy that just moved forward. Things happened in the past that go my way, that don’t go my way and that’s just part of playing basketball, being at the professional level. Just be my best going forward.”
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said it was Allen’s best performance that he’s witnessed.
“Really took us over the top,” Atkinson said. “Best I’ve seen him. Coached him a long time. Known him for lots — that’s the best I’ve seen him.”
Here’s more on the Cavs:
- Allen’s outing allowed Cleveland to survive despite relatively modest outings from James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, ESPN’s Jamal Collier notes. Mitchell finished with 22 points on 9-of-20 shooting, and Harden had 18 points on 3-of-9 shooting. “[Harden] and I individually have had big nights,” Mitchell said. “We’ve had 50-balls, we’ve had bad nights, but at the end of the day, we haven’t won. We’re going to continue to be ourselves, right? But in the same focus, it isn’t just about me and him. It’s [Allen], it’s [Evan Mobley] … It’s everybody in that locker room.”
- Joe Vardon of The Athletic opines that the first-round series showed the Cavs’ flaws, which could lead to their elimination in the next round against the top-seeded Pistons. “(It showed) that they are vulnerable,” Vardon writes in an Athletic roundtable discussion. “Extremely vulnerable to ball pressure, to length on the wings, to teams that are willing to grab and claw and get into their chests. I think any playoff team that challenges Cleveland physically has a chance to advance. This is simply not an organization built to bang. But if you give the Cavs space, you see the offensive juggernaut they can be. Oh, we also saw when the Cavs bother to look inside, to Allen and to Evan Mobley, it opens up the rest of the offense.”
- The Cavs will be going up against their former coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, which will make for a juice storyline, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic notes. Bickerstaff will know how to guard Mitchell as well as any coach in the league, Lloyd adds, and the Cavs need the best version of Mitchell and Harden to advance.
Pistons Notes: Bickerstaff, Thompson, Green, Duren, Cunningham
After dropping Game 1 at home to the Magic, the Pistons once again struggled to get their offense going in the first half of Game 2. But things turned around when the third quarter got underway, fueled in part by a passionate halftime outburst from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, ESPN’s Ohm Yungmisuk writes.
“He really got on us in the locker room,” forward Tobias Harris said. “[His message was] there is no more of ‘my bads.’ It’s like they’re out there hustling, getting offensive boards on us. And there’s too many of them for us [to allow] as a group. We know that’s not our standard.”
Bickerstaff loved how his team responded to the adversity, putting together a 30-3 run on the back of good shooting and tenacious defense.
“That’s us,” said Isaiah Stewart, who had a major impact with 10 points and two blocks. “That’s what we were talking about. If we just be who we are, who we’ve been all season long, we’d be just fine.”
We have more from the Pistons:
- While their names might not show up in the headlines as often as some, Ausar Thompson and Javonte Green were heroes in their own right in Game 2, Marlowe Alter writes for the Detroit Free Press. A Defensive Player of the Year finalist, Thompson struggled with fouls in the first half, but came out in the third quarter and shut down the Magic’s offense, registering a pair of big steals that helped the Pistons build their momentum. Green, meanwhile, managed to impact the game without hitting a shot. He had three blocks and five rebounds in 23 minutes, including a huge weak-side block on Magic star Paolo Banchero. Green played in every game for the Pistons this season and showed why he had earned Bickerstaff’s trust with his gritty defense.
- Jalen Duren‘s rise has been a major force helping to propel the Pistons’ ascendance from perpetual lottery dweller to bona fide contender, ESPN’s Michael A. Fletcher writes. The 22-year-old sets the physical, imposing tone that the team prides itself on, and has grown considerably as a defender and offensive creator this season. In doing so, he has helped the Pistons get back to their Bad Boy roots.
- Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley only needed two words to describe Cade Cunningham‘s impact in Game 2. “He’s special,” Mosley said, according to Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News. The talented guard scored 27 points, along with 11 assists and six rebounds, putting the Magic away through off-the-dribble breakdowns and timely play-making. “He’s him, and he understands that,” Bickerstaff said. “To have the size, agility, touch, speed, (and) patience that he has. He’s a matchup nightmare for people. It takes multiple bodies to stop him, and then even that, because he can get to his spot and shoot as many, it’s hard to get to him. So, he’s embraced the moment, and he’s leading us the way he needs to.“
NBA Announces Finalists For 2025/26 Awards
The NBA has announced the finalists for this season’s major awards, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Clutch Player of the Year.
The MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year finalists were announced at halftime of the NBC broadcast of Game 1 between the Pistons and Magic, while the league’s official account tweeted the rest.
Most Valuable Player
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
The leaders of the three top teams in the Western Conference all have strong arguments for MVP. Jokic became the first player to lead the league in rebounds and assists per game while also averaging 27.7 points. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31.1 PPG and led the Thunder to the league’s best record despite the fact that multiple starters missed substantial time this season. Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game while emerging as a lock for Defensive Player of the Year.
Rookie of the Year
- Cooper Flagg (Mavericks)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- VJ Edgecombe (Sixers)
This race is expected to come down to the former Duke teammates. Knueppel played a key role for a resurgent Hornets squad, becoming the first rookie to lead the league in made three-pointers while averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in 81 appearances. Flagg’s Mavs finished well out of the postseason picture, but he showed massive star upside, averaging 21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG while scoring at least 42 points in four separate games. Edgecombe averaged 35.0 minutes per game over 75 contests, posting a well-rounded 16.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 4.2 APG.
Coach of the Year
- Joe Mazzulla (Celtics)
- J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons)
- Mitch Johnson (Spurs)
Mazzulla and Bickerstaff each led massively overperforming teams that managed to dominate the Eastern Conference despite having players in and out of the lineup all year. Johnson helped navigate a tricky guard rotation and spacing issues as the Spurs posted the second-best record in the league.
Defensive Player of the Year
- Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
- Ausar Thompson (Pistons)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
Wembanyama is the overwhelming favorite to win this award, ranking first in total blocks, blocks per game, defensive rating, and defensive rebounding percentage this season. Holmgren was second in blocks per game for the league’s top defense, while Thompson proved himself to be arguably the best perimeter defender in the league with his combination of off-ball defensive play-making and point-of-attack dominance.
Most Improved Player
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks)
- Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons)
Both Avdija and Duren were first-time All-Stars this season, while Alexander-Walker earned a starting spot on his new team and raised his scoring from 9.4 points per game last season to 20.8 PPG this season on .459/.399/.902 shooting splits, all career high percentages.
Sixth Man of the Year
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (Nuggets)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Heat)
- Keldon Johnson (Spurs)
Hardaway cracked 40% from three this season for the first time in his career while shooting 6.9 attempts in his 26.6 minutes per game. Most importantly for the injury-plagued Nuggets, he played 80 games, including six starts, and was the team’s fifth-highest scorer. Jaquez had an impressively well-rounded contribution off the bench, posting career-highs of 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. Johnson was a crucial scoring hub for the Spurs bench units while adding offensive pop when the starters struggled to score.
Clutch Player of the Year
- Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards ranked first and second, respectively, in clutch scoring per game, while Murray was second in total clutch points behind the Thunder star and shot the most efficiently from three of the guards.
Brett Siegel of Clutch Points notes (via Twitter) that the awards will be announced in the coming days and weeks, starting with Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, April 20.
J.B. Bickerstaff Wins Coaches Association Award
Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has won the Michael H. Goldberg award for the 2025/26 season, earning Coach of the Year honors from the National Basketball Coaches Association, according to a press release.
This award, introduced in 2017 and named after longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg, is voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches, none of whom can vote for himself.
It isn’t the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award, which is voted on by media members and is represented by the Red Auerbach Trophy. The winner of that award will be announced later this spring.
Bickerstaff has guided the Pistons to a remarkable turnaround since taking over as their head coach during the 2024 offseason. Coming off the worst season in franchise history, Detroit improved from 14-68 to 44-38 in Bickerstaff’s first year at the helm, then took another huge step forward in 2025/26, finishing the season with a 60-22 record. It was just the third 60-win season in team history and the first in two decades.
The Pistons had the NBA’s second-best defensive rating (108.9) and tied with the Spurs for the league’s No. 2 overall net rating (+8.4) in 2025/26, despite missing leading scorer Cade Cunningham for 18 games.
The NBCA Coach of the Year award has frequently been a bellwether for the NBA’s Coach of the Year honor, which bodes well for Bickerstaff. In seven of the nine years since the award’s inception, the winner has gone on to be named the NBA’s Coach of the Year, including in 2025 when Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers won both awards.
Still, there’s a crowded field of candidates for Coach of the Year. The NBCA noted within its release that seven different coaches earned votes for its award, “reflecting the depth of coaching excellence in the NBA this season.”
Besides Bickerstaff, Mark Daigneault (Thunder), Mitch Johnson (Spurs), Charles Lee (Hornets), Joe Mazzulla (Celtics), Quin Snyder (Hawks), and Tiago Splitter (Trail Blazers) each received at least one vote from their fellow coaches for this year’s NBCA award.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Duren, T. Smith, M. Williams
The 65-game rule has been a hot topic of conversation in recent weeks amid injuries to Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic, all of whom would have been shoo-ins for All-NBA spots prior to getting hurt. Pistons star Cunningham reflected on the rule after Wednesday’s win over Milwaukee, his first game back from a collapsed lung, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
“I feel a lot of different ways about it,” Cunningham said. “What they were trying to do with it is have superstars play and not sit out just to rest, because fans pay a lot of money to come watch us play games. I have a lot of respect for that; I know fans come to watch me play. I want to make sure I’m available and I give them a show whenever they come out. So in that way, I respect the rule. I think it’s a good rule.
“It’s tough for me right now, this year, because I think I did a lot of work to be in consideration for awards and All-NBA. I’m in a tough spot, but I think it’ll all play out how it’s supposed to play out. I’m just trying to do my best to help my team win. I’m hearing all this stuff about exceptions … I don’t know how all that works. I just keep doing my job day by day. Whatever comes will come, whatever is meant to be will be.”
Here’s more from Detroit:
- While Cunningham may not qualify for major postseason awards, All-Star center Jalen Duren met the minimum requirement on Wednesday, Patterson notes. Duren, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, offered some insight into Cunningham’s mentality while he was recovering from the injury. “Time away for him, probably personally, was needed,” Duren said. “It sucks that he was injured, but I think it gave him a mental break, obviously a physical break. He was able to kind of shake back and get his body right going into the playoffs. In terms of the team, I don’t think we really missed a beat because he wasn’t away. We were still around him, he would still be talking, he was still in the facility, still in the group chat, still giving his opinion on games. So it wasn’t really like he was away and today was the first time we’d seen him. His presence was always around.”
- Second-year big man Tolu Smith was converted from a two-way deal to a two-year standard contract earlier this week. The former Mississippi State star said his family was emotional when he FaceTimed them to inform them of the news, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter video link). Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters that the 25-year-old earned the promotion, Sankofa adds (via Twitter). “He’s been great. Over the past couple of years he’s done everything we’ve asked him to and more,” Bickerstaff said. “He plays a similar brand we play … we’ve seen stretches this year where he’s just dominated the painted area and dominated the offensive and defensive boards.”
- In an interesting interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, former Pistons head coach Monty Williams said he still follows the team and remains in contact with members of the organization. “Yeah, I do. I was talking to [Pistons assistant coach] Fred Vinson today, actually,” Williams told Spears. “Those guys have done an unreal job there. … I’ve been on teams that won. I’ve been on teams that didn’t win, and that was a failure for me — Detroit was. And I don’t shy away from that. What J.B. [Bickerstaff] and that staff have been able to do there should be applauded. Those guys are knocking it out of the park, and Cade is exactly what I thought he was. I couldn’t bring it out of him like J.B. has. And Jalen is knocking it out of the park, and Ausar [Thompson] and all those kids, man, they’re awesome. Would I have loved to have been a part of that? Absolutely. … But man, I’m cool with where I am and happy for those guys. I still talk to a number of people up there. … But yeah, I don’t shy away from that. I failed and that’s only going to make me better as a coach. And I’ve been able to share my failures with other people so that they can be better. I think that’s what life is about — or part of living — is to be able to talk about your shortcomings and failures so that you can help another person not go down that road. And that’s how I view it.” Williams has spent the past two seasons coaching his sons in Texas — his older son Elijah Williams, who has committed to Baylor, could be a one-and-done prospect in the 2027 draft, Spears writes. Williams added that he hasn’t ruled out a potential NBA return down the line, but he’s not actively seeking out head coaching jobs.
And-Ones: NBA Awards Picks, G League Awards
Reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander claims two awards on the unofficial ballot of Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports: MVP and Clutch Player of the Year.
To be clear, Devine does have an official vote for year-end awards, but those ballots aren’t sent out until the regular season concludes on April 12. Devine also notes that he may be forced to change some of his picks, depending on which players are eligible.
Victor Wembanyama, for example, needs to play at least 20 minutes in one of San Antonio’s remaining two games to be eligible for awards consideration. The French big man is Devine’s choice for Defensive Player of the Year and is his runner-up for MVP, ahead of Nikola Jokic.
Kon Knueppel (Rookie of the Year) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Most Improved Player) are a couple of Devine’s other awards picks.
Here are a few more awards-related stories and announcements:
- There’s quite a bit of overlap between Devine’s awards picks and the tentative selections of Zach Harper of The Athletic. Both writers have Joe Mazzulla, J.B. Bickerstaff and Mitch Johnson as the three finalists, in order of how they finish, for Coach of the Year, and Keldon Johnson, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr. as their top three picks for Sixth Man of the Year.
- Michael Pina of The Ringer lists his three All-NBA, two All-Defensive, and two All-Rookie teams. Pina’s first-team All-NBA picks are Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown, Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama and Jokic; his All-Defensive First Team selections are Wembanyama, Derrick White, Scottie Barnes, Ausar Thompson and Chet Holmgren; and his top-five rookies are Knueppel, Cooper Flagg, VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper and Derik Queen.
- The NBA G League has announced its All-Defensive and All-Rookie teams, which are each comprised of five players (Twitter links via the NBA). The All-Defensive selections are Jamarion Sharp (Texas Legends), Chris Manon (South Bay Lakers), Alijah Martin (Raptors 905), Andersson Garcia (Mexico City Capitanes) and Jalen Slawson (Noblesville Boom), while the All-Rookie team consists of Raptors 905 standout Martin, Norchad Omier and Sean Pedulla of the San Diego Clippers, Keshon Gilbert (College Park Skyhawks) and RJ Davis (South Bay Lakers). Martin, Manon, Slawson (Pacers), Omier and Pedulla are on two-way contracts with their respective NBA teams.
Thunder’s Daigneault, Hawks’ Snyder Named Coaches Of The Month
Mark Daigneault of the Thunder has been named March’s Coach of the Month for the Western Conference, while Quin Snyder of the Hawks has earned the honor in the Eastern Conference, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
There were no shortage of strong candidates for Coach of the Month recognition in the Western Conference. Daigneault’s OKC squad maintained its spot atop the NBA’s standings by posting a 14-1 record in March, but JJ Redick of the Lakers (15-2) and Mitch Johnson of the Spurs (14-2) also had excellent months. They were nominated for the award too, along with Tyronn Lue of the Clippers (12-6), according to the league (Twitter link).
Snyder, meanwhile, guided the Hawks to a 13-2 record in March, which moved them from play-in territory into the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference standings. That made him the top choice among a group of nominees that also included Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers, J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons, Mike Brown of the Knicks, Charles Lee of the Hornets, and Joe Mazzulla of the Celtics.
Daigneault and Johnson are the only coaches to win multiple Coach of the Month awards this season, claiming two apiece, while Suns coach Jordan Ott also earned the Western Conference honor in January. In the East, five separate coaches were named Coach of the Month, with Snyder joining Bickerstaff (October/November), Mazzulla (December), Lee (January), and Atkinson (February).
Pistons Notes: LeVert, Jones, Division Title, Ivey
After signing a two-year, $28.9MM contract with the Pistons last summer, Caris LeVert has had the worst statistical season of his career. His 7.5 points and 19.5 minutes per game are career lows, as is his 41.8% shooting percentage from the floor. The 31-year-old, who has made 223 career starts, is also on track to finish a season without starting a single game for the first time since he entered the league in 2016.
“It has been up-and-down for me all season,” LeVert told Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News. “Obviously, everyone wants to play well. Everyone wants to play a lot of minutes. For me, the most frustrating part has been all about my game and minutes. But, it is what it is.”
Health issues have contributed to LeVert’s struggles. He underwent surgery on his right wrist shortly before training camp, delaying his preparation for the season, then battled knee problems. He has also dealt with a more unusual health issue since then, as he informed Spencer Davies of RG.org.
“I had a weird, like, vertigo sickness for like a month-and-a-half; I just got over that a few weeks ago,” LeVert said. “So this year’s been kinda weird for me, but I feel really good right now. As far as preparation, I think just doing more as far as table work, stretching on my own, getting my sleep, diet — just to another level.”
While it’s been a somewhat disappointing year for LeVert on an individual level, he tells Davies that he has made an effort to be a positive locker-room leader as one of the elder statesmen on a younger roster. The fact that it has been a hugely successful season from a team perspective has also allowed him not to worry as much about his own struggles.
“We control our own destiny from now until the end of the season. I think it has been amazing for what we have done as a team,” LeVert told Davis. “We are building in the right direction.”
We have more out of Detroit:
- Pistons two-way player Isaac Jones has nabbed NBA G League Player of the Month honors, according to the league (Twitter link). Playing for the Motor City Cruise, Jones averaged 29.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting 68.4% from the field in March. The second-year forward began the season with Sacramento and was claimed off waivers by Detroit when the Kings cut him in November. He was waived by Detroit in early February, but the team brought him back on a two-way deal a week later.
- While winning the Central division is far less important than claiming the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference would be, the Pistons were still pleased about clinching their first division title since 2008, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “You take pride in understanding how hard it is to do any of those things in this league,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You take pride in the fact that you have a group of young guys, young men who collectively have grown and achieved certain milestones. It’s a part of the process, and we expect more. But you just respect how difficult it is to do any of those things in this league. It is a big deal for our guys and this organization to get ourselves back in that position and in position to do more, because you can’t win the level you want to win at if you don’t take those steps.”
- Bickerstaff also spoke on Tuesday about Jaden Ivey, whom he coached for a season-and-a-half before the former No. 5 overall pick was traded to Chicago in February. Ivey was waived this week due to “conduct detrimental to the team,” according to the Bulls. “I know how it’s been extremely difficult for him as far as the way he was playing, the injuries, trying to make the comeback and trying to overcome that. I don’t think we can overlook the human aspect of these things and how that impacts people and their decisions,” Bickerstaff said (Twitter link via Sankofa). “Having said that, I also believe the NBA is one of the most inclusive environments in pro sports. and it’s a genuine thing that celebrates different ethnicities, heritages, sexual preferences, whatever it may be. The NBA brings people together. … This environment should be an environment that supports that and gives people the opportunity to be the best version of themselves no matter who that is or what they believe, or what choices they may make that don’t impact or infringe on other people.”