Latest news with #Bickerstaff
New York Post
14-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff rips Knicks for firing Tom Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau's Knicks sent J.B. Bickerstaff into offseason mode earlier than he wanted, yet the Pistons' coach is still sticking up for his former colleague. Bickerstaff joined the growing list of those criticizing the Knicks for moving on from Thibodeau after five seasons following their ouster in the Eastern Conference finals. While Bickerstaff did not specifically mention the franchise, his remarks came after being asked how the Knicks firing Thibodeau and seeking permission to talk to employed coaches is resonating across the NBA. '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 on ESPN Radio's 'Joe & Q' on Friday. '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. 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.' 3 J.B. Bickerstaff coaching against the Knicks in the playoffs. JASON SZENES/ NY POST The Knicks' parting ways with Thibodeau has been a hotly debated topic, although there have been some notable names recently saying the Knicks made a mistake. Charles Barkley said the Knicks are the 'stupidest damn people,' Dick Vitale called the situation 'embarrassing' and suggested they actually re-hire Thibodeau and ESPN analyst and former NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo said the Knicks are their own worst enemy and believe they're smarter than everyone else. 3 Tom Thibodeau is out as Knicks coach. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post The timing of this firing has confused some since the Knicks axed the veteran coach after the franchise's first conference finals run in 25 years and following a fourth playoff berth in five years. Bickerstaff, whose Pistons fell to the Knicks in six games in the first round, said coaches don't like seeing their brethren dismissed following a successful campaign. 'That's the difficult part from a coach's standing,' Bickerstaff said. 'We understand it and we know the job we signed up for is a dangerous job. But, from a coach's standpoint, it is our responsibility to be honest and tell the truth. Our job is extremely difficult. To win in the NBA is extremely difficult. To build teams in the NBA is extremely difficult. To lead guys, who have the superstar power in the NBA, is extremely difficult. So when a guy does a great job at it, from the outside looking in, we want to see that guy get rewarded. And it seems to be cases now where guys that do a great job aren't even being rewarded with a next year.' The Knicks felt they needed to make a change to improve their chances of winning a title, The Post previously reported, and some players did not love Thibodeau's approach. The team's search is off to a bumpy start with five teams — the Rockets (Ime Udoka), Timberwolves (Chris Finch), Hawks (Quin Snyder), Mavericks (Jason Kidd) and Bulls (Billy Donovan) — denying permission to talk to their respective coaches. 3 J.B. Bickerstaff congratulates Jalen Brunson after his shot eliminated the Pistons in Game 6. Getty Images The Knicks instead have now set up interviews with a pair of coaches who were dismissed during the season in Taylor Jenkins, formerly of the Grizzlies, and Mike Brown, who led the Kings.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pistons' JB Bickerstaff Reveals What NBA Coaches Have To Do To Not Be Fired
Pistons' JB Bickerstaff Reveals What NBA Coaches Have To Do To Not Be Fired originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In the NBA, head coaches rarely retire. Usually, they are fired, and, more often than not, hired by a new team before being fired again. Advertisement This season, Mike Brown, Michael Malone, and Taylor Jenkins were all fired before the season even ended, and Tom Thibodeau followed after the season ended. JB Bickerstaff seems to have some job security as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons, although he has been fired twice before, by the Memphis Grizzlies and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He recently revealed what is expected from an NBA coach. Detroit Pistons head coach JB. Bickerstaff yells instructions to his team against the Orlando Magic at Little Caesars Horwedel-Imagn Images In 2023, Dwane Casey stepped down as head coach of the Pistons and took on a front office role. He was replaced by Monty Williams, who was fired after one season. Bickerstaff is by no means on the hot seat, although he knows better than anyone that the tides can change. Advertisement "It is not an easy job," Bickerstaff said on Wednesday. "Every year, we sit down with our front office, and we lay out a plan on what a successful season looks have to do more. We have to overachieve in order to progress and move forward." Seemingly every year, coaches have to build on the successes from the season prior. Thibodeau led the New York Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years and seemingly had the franchise moving in the right direction for the first time in decades, although the Knicks decided to part ways with him. Being a head coach in the NBA is never a permanent position, although finding new employment, it would seem, is easy. Advertisement Check out the All Pistons homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: Detroit Pistons To Test Free Agent Waters With Two Elite Centers Related: Surprise East Team Could Emerge as Potential Trade Suitor For Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pistons' J.B. Bickerstaff Disappointed After NBA Announcement on Monday
The Detroit Pistons' 2024-25 season was a historic one despite the disappointing ending in the first round of the playoffs. After finishing with the worst record in the NBA in each of the last two seasons, Detroit had a complete turnaround this season. Advertisement They finished the regular season with a 44-38 record, which placed them sixth in the Eastern Conference standings as they clinched their first playoff appearance since the 2018-19 season. Unfortunately for the Pistons, their championship hopes would end in the first round after they were defeated by the New York Knicks in six games. While the Pistons were unable to advance to the second round, they gave the Knicks all they could handle in round one ad it is clear that Detroit has a very bright future ahead of them led by their star point guard Cade Cunningham. Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Osentoski-Imagn Images Of course, Cunningham received most of the attention and credit for the Pistons incredible season, but head coach J.B. Bickerstaff also deserves a ton of credit. Advertisement Bickerstaff was honored as being a finalist for the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year award along with Kenny Atkinson of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets. Unfortunately for Bickerstaff, he was not voted as the recipient of the award as Atkinson was named the 2024-25 Coach of the Year This is a great honor for Atkinson, who replaced Bickerstaff as head coach of the Cavaliers and led Cleveland to the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but Bickerstaff also made a solid case. After being fired by the Cavaliers in the offseason, Bickerstaff was hired by the Pistons where he would help turn their franchise into a championship contender after being a bottom feeder in the NBA over the last few seasons. Detroit Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff reacts during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Carchietta-Imagn Images Despite not winning the award, Bickerstaff's contributions to the Pistons' turnaround should not fly under the radar as they now look to build around their core and improve their title odds in the offseason.
Fox News
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Kenny Atkinson wins NBA Coach of the Year in his 1st season leading the Cavs
Kenny Atkinson went through a winless preseason with the Cleveland Cavaliers and wondered if his team would be any good. Turns out, they were better than good. And their coach — he was the NBA's best this season. Atkinson is now an NBA Coach of the Year winner, announced Monday night as this year's recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy. Atkinson led Cleveland to a 15-0 start to the season — one of three winning streaks of at least 12 games this season by his club — and led the Cavaliers to the best record in the Eastern Conference. "I stepped into this," Atkinson said. "I keep saying that, that I stepped into this. It's a little bit of luck too, right?" J.B. Bickerstaff was second in the voting, after pulling Detroit from the basement to the playoffs. Ime Udoka was third, after guiding Houston's path to ending its five-year playoff drought. All three did elite jobs this season. But none better than Atkinson. All were coach of the year candidates previously. Bickerstaff has gotten votes now in each of the last four seasons, Udoka has gotten votes in all three of his seasons as a head coach and Atkinson finished fifth in the voting for the 2018-19 season, when he coached Brooklyn. This was the best finish in the voting for each of this year's finalists. And for Atkinson, it was a sweep: He also won the National Basketball Coaches Association's coach of the year award, one that is separate from the official NBA award and is voted on by other head coaches. "I almost broke down when I got that," Atkinson said. "Like, to think (Rick) Carlisle voted for me, that (Erik) Spoelstra voted for me ... that's like the pinnacle." Atkinson won the NBA award, unveiled Monday night on a TNT broadcast, by a comfortable margin — getting 59 of the 100 first-place votes and appearing on 99 of the 100 ballots. Bickerstaff got 31 first-place votes to finish second, while Udoka got seven first-place votes to finish third. Oklahoma City's Mark Daigneault (two first-place votes) was fourth. Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers got the other first-place vote and finished fifth, and JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers was sixth. Atkinson went to the Cavaliers after spending the most recent three seasons as an assistant with Golden State under Warriors coach Steve Kerr. Atkinson said he learned a ton from that experience, lessons he applied this season in Cleveland and obviously had great success with. "My time with Steve, I call it finishing school," Atkinson said on the TNT broadcast. "I was your typical, kind of hard-nosed coach. And just being around Steve and observing how he conducted practices, how he communicated with his stars, how he included the whole roster in his thought process, it just made me a better coach. Really thankful for the experience and it's made me who I am today." Atkinson and Bickerstaff both flourished in Year 1 of their current stints. Atkinson led Cleveland to a 64-18 record and the No. 1 seed in the East — doing so after Bickerstaff got fired following a run to the second round in Cleveland last season. Bickerstaff was then hired by Detroit and turned a 14-win team into a 44-win team that earned the East's No. 6 seed. Udoka led Houston a 52-30 mark and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The NBA Coach of the Year award, like several other honors, was voted on by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league and cast ballots shortly after the end of the regular season. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
News18
06-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
Cavaliers HC Kenny Atkinson Wins NBA Coach Of The Year Award For 2024-25 Season
Atkinson led Cleveland to a 15-0 start to the season and led the Cavaliers to the best record in the Eastern Conference. Kenny Atkinson went through a winless preseason with the Cleveland Cavaliers and wondered if his team would be any good. Turns out, they were better than good. And their coach — he was the NBA's best this season. Atkinson is now an NBA Coach of the Year winner, announced Monday night as this year's recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy. Atkinson led Cleveland to a 15-0 start to the season — one of three winning streaks of at least 12 games this season by his club — and led the Cavaliers to the best record in the Eastern Conference. 'I stepped into this," Atkinson said. 'I keep saying that, that I stepped into this. It's a little bit of luck too, right?" — New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 24, 2025 J.B. Bickerstaff was second in the voting, after pulling Detroit from the basement to the playoffs. Ime Udoka was third, after guiding Houston's path to ending its five-year playoff drought. All three did elite jobs this season. But none better than Atkinson. All were coach of the year candidates previously. Bickerstaff has gotten votes now in each of the last four seasons, Udoka has gotten votes in all three of his seasons as a head coach and Atkinson finished fifth in the voting for the 2018-19 season, when he coached Brooklyn. This was the best finish in the voting for each of this year's finalists. And for Atkinson, it was a sweep: He also won the National Basketball Coaches Association's coach of the year award, one that is separate from the official NBA award and is voted on by other head coaches. 'I almost broke down when I got that," Atkinson said. 'Like, to think (Rick) Carlisle voted for me, that (Erik) Spoelstra voted for me … that's like the pinnacle." Atkinson won the NBA award unveiled Monday night on a TNT broadcast, by a comfortable margin, getting 59 of the 100 first-place votes and appearing on 99 of the 100 ballots. Bickerstaff got 31 first-place votes to finish second, while Udoka got seven first-place votes to finish third. Oklahoma City's Mark Daigneault (two first-place votes) was fourth. Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers got the other first-place vote and finished fifth, and JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers was sixth. First Published: May 06, 2025, 07:34 IST
