NBA Provides Major J.B. Bickerstaff News During Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Apr 20, 2025 8:39 PM ET

The Detroit Pistons had a disappointing start to the playoffs as they dropped Game 1 of their first round series against the New York Knicks.

Detroit kept the game close in the first half, trailing by just two points at halftime. The Pistons then dominated the third quarter as they carried an eight-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

New York then came storming back as they went on a 21-0 run late in the fourth to secure the 123-112 victory over Detroit and take a 1-0 series lead.

The Pistons will now look to bounce back in Game 2 on Monday as they look to avoid an 0-2 hole heading back to their home arena for Game 3 and 4.

While the Pistons were preparing for Game 2 on Sunday, the NBA made a massive announcement regarding their head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

The NBA announced that Bickerstaff has been named as a finalist for the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year Award.

The three finalists for the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year Award:

▪️ Kenny Atkinson of @cavs
▪️ J.B. Bickerstaff of @DetroitPistons
▪️ Ime Udoka of @HoustonRockets pic.twitter.com/9Co3ZiqAUJ
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 20, 2025

Bickerstaff is joined by Kenny Atkinson of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets as finalists for the Coach of the Year Award.

Of course, Bickerstaff was fired by the Cavaliers in the offseason and he quickly found a new home in Detroit with the Pistons.

In his first season in Detroit, Bickerstaff led the Pistons to a complete turnaround as they finished sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with a 44-38 record, breaking their six-year playoff drought.

This was an impressive turnaround for the franchise as the Pistons had finished with the NBA’s worst record in each of the last two seasons.

With this historic turnaround, there is no doubt that Bickerstaff deserves to be a finalist for the Coach of the Year Award but he has some solid competition to go up against in the voting.

The NBA Coach of the Year Award will be announced at some point over the next couple of weeks during the playoffs along with the other awards and the selections for the All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie teams.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: