Rumors

Marc J. Spears: Legendary former #NBA head coach and executive Bernie Bickerstaff honored by @BCAWORLDWIDE for his influence on the game and his outstanding coaching tree. JB Bickerstaff, Mike Brown, David Fizdale, Phil Handy, JJ Outlaw and others spoke the praises of the NBA pioneer tonight. pic.x.com/A9kXVnjBzg

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Grant Hill feels the Pistons can take it even a step further entering next season now that the young core has some playoff experience. “J.B. Bickerstaff, the job that he did, Trajan Langdon the general manager, some of the free agents they brought in last summer and then the young players, Cade Cunningham establishing himself as an All Star," says Hill. "It's just a remarkable season. They took a big step last year. I think they have a chance to take another step."

Responsible Gaming

Coty M. Davis: Trajan Langdon on the addition of Caris LeVert: "The special thing about Caris, you can plug and play him with just about everyone... I am confident that J.B. (Bickerstaff) is going to find a good role for him." #Pistons

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Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff seemingly came to the defense of now-former five-year Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, without explicitly naming the team or coach, writes Matt Ehalt of The New York Post. During a conversation on ESPN Radio’s “Joe & Q” on Friday, Bickerstaff appeared to allude to Thibodeau’s recent firing, after he had led New York to a 51-win regular season and its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years. “I don’t want to call it the cherry on top, but it’s the final straw, I think, of what has happened this season and the level of respect that we feel coaches deserve versus what they are getting,” Bickerstaff said. “Some of the decisions made down the stretch with firing coaches, it just shows that there are some places that don’t value what coaching is and what it can bring,” Bickerstaff added. “When you are a coach, you feel like there is a job that you have been told to do. And when you go out and do that job well, you should carry it over to the next year. If you have had past successes, that should envision future successes. You can’t guess what the future is going to look like with somebody new.”

Hoops Rumors

“It saves you a ton of time and just makes your day a little bit easier, because it’s one less decision that you have to make on that day,” Bickerstaff said. “I think people look professional,” Snyder said. “It’s just easier, the decisions. I’d rather think about what we’re trying to run after a timeout than whether my shoes match my belt. To whatever extent, it makes it easier and more functional. I think it’s great. … I would bet that most coaches would agree with me after having gone through it as well. You kind of appreciate the simplicity of it.”

New York Times

Tom Thibodeau's departure from New York marked the fifth coaching firing of the season. However, he joins Mike Brown (Sacramento Kings), Michael Malone (Denver Nuggets) and Taylor Jenkins (Memphis Grizzlies) as the fourth unanticipated firing that continues to highlight the harsh reality of being an NBA coach. "It is not an easy job," Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said on ESPN's First Take Wednesday morning. "Every year, we sit down with our front office, and we lay out a plan on what a successful season looks like. ... We have to do more. We have to overachieve in order to progress and move forward."

Detroit News

"Outside looking in, you make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, that is a successful job Thibodeau has done," Bickerstaff said. "I can't speak enough about the respect he has in coaching circles about the job he is able to do. You know you are in a dogfight every time you face a Thibodeau-led team, and I think he did that with the Knicks."

Detroit News

"I am happy where I am," Bickerstaff said. "For us as coaches, we are trying to figure out, 'What is my job? What are the expectations? And how do I continue to move those expectations forward?' The best organization in this league is the team that is the most consistent. When things get rocky, they hunker down on the things they believe in, the people they believe in and the players they believe in. ... I am truly blessed to be where I am with Trajan Langdon and Tom Gores. They are the type of people who, when things get tough, have my back and have shown that."

Detroit News

Detroit seems unlikely. Coach JB Bickerstaff’s defense-first play style doesn’t suit Jerome’s game and the Pistons are widely expected to prioritize free agent Malik Beasley. One source close to Ty Jerome viewed Detroit as a “longshot” — even though the Pistons need a steady backup behind All-Star Cade Cunningham.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Kendrick Perkins: Donovan Mitchell, we don’t want to hear it, brother. We don’t want to hear it. This is why we don’t want to hear this about—oh, what he said. What did he say yesterday? 'We’re gonna what? And count us out' or something? What are you talking about, Donovan? A Donovan Mitchell-led team has never been to the Conference Finals. Donovan Mitchell, you got a coach fired. You got J.B. Bickerstaff fired. This is a fact. You had no communication with that man while he was there. You didn’t like him, right? Soon as he got fired, you signed a contract extension, right? You extended with the Cavs.

YouTube

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff has developed quite a reputation as a complainer. Throughout the first-round series against the Knicks, Bickerstaff whined to referees about calls and it even shocked legendary commentator Mike Breen while he called Game 6 for MSG, “I’ve been doing this over 30 years,” Breen said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a coach argue this much, nonstop from the opening tip ’til now. If you talk to the players, Clyde (Frazier), they’ll tell you this is part of why they love this guy. They say, ‘He’s a dog, like the players. He’s fighting for it like the players.’ “But there comes a point where (referee) Tony Brothers is gonna say, ‘Another technical and you’re gone.’ It’s nonstop. It’s continuous.”

New York Post

Eric Woodyard: #Pistons owner calls coach J.B. Bickerstaff “a gift to us.” Says he’s thread the needle between “energy, emotions, and discipline.”

Twitter

Eric Woodyard: #Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said “this whole series has been learning us.” He feels his guys have done a great job of learning under pressure. Detroit is seeking their 1st home playoff win 2008. pic.x.com/hR1z4YMUzB

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Omari Sankofa II: JB on if we could see Stewart in Game 7: "He's day-to-day ... He did more today than he did yesterday, and then it's how does he respond tomorrow. We'll have to wait and see."

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