Bickerstaff wins east Coach of the Month for February

[flow]

First pistons coach to win a coach of the month since 2008.

Well deserved is an understatement.

.

[zeebneeb]

He has done a fine job for sure. Can't really complain, save for I would really like to see Klintman getting even an ounce of burn. Not much, just a few reps with the starters if a game is in hand.

[GreekAlex]

He has done a fine job for sure. Can't really complain, save for I would really like to see Klintman getting even an ounce of burn. Not much, just a few reps with the starters if a game is in hand.

I wonder why we didn’t see him when Fontecchio was out. Maybe he’s not ready since he missed a lot of the beginning of the season.

[bstein14]

It's a bummer Cade lost out on it to D Mitchell.

[Kalamazoo317]

It's a bummer Cade lost out on it to D Mitchell.

Just like he'll likely miss out on first team All-NBA to Mitchell.

I hold that Cade deserves to be second team this season, though!

And Bickerstaff has done a heck of a job. Coach of the year is down to him and Atkinson, imo.

[flow]

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[Cowology]

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I cannot properly express how much I love this. This is everything.

[tmorgan]

JBB is the best parts of Casey (leadership) and Carlisle or Brown (tactics).

I don’t care what these overly defensive Cavs fans think, Bickerstaff is a great coach. Maybe he was overmatched in the playoffs with Cleveland these past few years — I don’t care. Coaches learn just like players do.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve looked a roster, Pistons or otherwise, and thought “Why are they playing this way? It doesn’t fit their personnel.” Not this year. A young, athletic team should gamble some on defense and try to run. We do. A team with a maestro in the half court should run their whole offense through him whenever he’s on the floor. We do. A team with multiple lob threats should slip screens and set back screens. We do.

JBB deserves a ton of credit for this extreme change in culture and results. I keep hearing that going from good to great is harder than going from bad to good, and that Atkinson is a shoo-in for CotY. Screw that, man. We didn’t go from bad to good, we went from unbelievably awful to good in just one season. Sure, Beasley and Tobias and THJ are a big part of that, and I hope Langdon gets recognized for it, but it isn’t just the new guys. Stewart got his role reduced and is absolutely thriving in it. Duren’s in-season improvement is amazing. We lost our second leading scorer on New Year’s Day and proceeded to get better as a result. Ausar’s role is perfect for his current skill set. Cade leveled up. All of those things and more.

[Cowology]

JBB is the best parts of Casey (leadership) and Carlisle or Brown (tactics).

I don’t care what these overly defensive Cavs fans think, Bickerstaff is a great coach. Maybe he was overmatched in the playoffs with Cleveland these past few years — I don’t care. Coaches learn just like players do.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve looked a roster, Pistons or otherwise, and thought “Why are they playing this way? It doesn’t fit their personnel.” Not this year. A young, athletic team should gamble some on defense and try to run. We do. A team with a maestro in the half court should run their whole offense through him whenever he’s on the floor. We do. A team with multiple lob threats should slip screens and set back screens. We do.

JBB deserves a ton of credit for this extreme change in culture and results. I keep hearing that going from good to great is harder than going from bad to good, and that Atkinson is a shoo-in for CotY. Screw that, man. We didn’t go from bad to good, we went from unbelievably awful to good in just one season. Sure, Beasley and Tobias and THJ are a big part of that, and I hope Langdon gets recognized for it, but it isn’t just the new guys. Stewart got his role reduced and is absolutely thriving in it. Duren’s in-season improvement is amazing. We lost our second leading scorer on New Year’s Day and proceeded to get better as a result. Ausar’s role is perfect for his current skill set. Cade leveled up. All of those things and more.

Nothing to add, just wanted to say awesome post.

[Kalamazoo317]

Heh, Duren calls Holland "Little Ron?" That's hilarious