[Katz] JB Bickerstaff has won the NBCA Coach of the Year Award. This is the coaches association’s award, voted on by fellow coaches.
He did a great job this year. They didn’t miss a beat when Cade went down either
If they did JB COTY last yr and Mazzulla this year it would’ve been perfect IMO
I was surprised that JB didn’t get it last year. Pistons literally went from worst in league to playoff team if that isn’t COTY material idk what is. I know Atkinson had an impressive regular season and the Cavs overachieved a lot but they were still a solid playoff team the year before
Atkinson winning last year was legit stupid
Eh, usually COTY is some combination of “exceeding expectations” and “being really good.” Pistons won like 20 games more than their preseason Vegas odds, but the Cavs were +15 and got the top seed just like the Pistons did this year.
In terms of exceeding expectations, Hornets should be in the mix but when in doubt they’re always going to look at surprise teams at the top of the standings.
I think partially, we now know that most of that losing streak was Killian Hayes + Monty Williams taking his depression out on the Pistons while getting a bag, so the upswing while very good, isn’t as surprising
The redemption arc from being fired by the Nets probably helped him a lot
Mazzulla wouldn’t have been a bad choice, either.
Yea they both did great. Joe might win the other coach if the year award and neither is a bad choice
Coach of the year this season is an amazing race between Bickerstaff, Mazzulla, Mitch Johnson, all very worthy candidates.
Charles Lee too, the mid-season turnaround they’ve had since the calendar flipped to 2026 is insane and to do it with a team that young, who most of us would have assumed is too immature is impressive.
There’s definitely a few coaches that deserve it: Ott, Mitch Johnson come to mind as well
Nah Ott has been mid of recent. If I were to bet I would say he is going the Jamal Moshley trajectory
Will be interesting to see how he does in the playoffs this year.
He’s got some interesting lineup choices he has to make in his rotation as they’re a diet OKC and they have a lot of guys that they play with not necessarily a clear order to them.
Analytically speaking, the preferences are clear, Paul Reed is better than Beef Stew as the backup big, Javonte Green is better than Holland as the backup wing, and Huerter actually grades out as better than both Jenkins and LeVert.
And yet, I expect the top 3 guys off the Pistons bench to be Jenkins, Holland, and Beef Stew with a little sprinkle of Huerter.
Paul Reed is a phenomenal option to have, but he’s not better than Beef Stew for us. Stew does a whole lot that doesn’t show up on stat sheets, but most importantly he is a defensive powerhouse. Missing Stew for the playoffs last year was a major blow to our chances
The writers won’t vote for JB but it’s good to see he will get some recognition for his job. Mazzulla has also done a fantastic job this season. I just feel the Pistons two year turnaround winning 44 more games in only two seasons without adding an much talent is incredible.
That’s not true: you subtracted Killian Hayes, that’s a very valuable addition of talent
Addition by subtraction!
Jaden Ivey too!
He was pretty good until his leg got broken on a dumb play. I feel bad that he’s so mentally gone.
There are a lot of really good coaches right now to be honest. Glad to have one lol.
Bro if the media don’t vote Bickerstaff as NBA COTY they’re idiots. He won more games than Joe and turned a 14 win team into a 60 win team. Before this season the pistons had only cracked 60 wins twice in their franchise history… and JB was STILL winning games when Cade was on the sideline
Its fine if you think Mazzulla should win, he’s a great coach and the Celtics had a great year despite injuries. But Bill Simmons was making the point that the Celtics pre season over/under was 41.5 and they won 56 games, and never even mentioned the Pistons pre season over/under was 46.5 and they won 60 games. They both over-perfomed expectations about the same.
Cmon man Bickerstaff and Mazulla are both worthy winners. The Celtics shed something like 200 million dollars in salary (counting JTs absence for most of the year) and coming into the season the front court was made up of 2 former 4th stringers on minimum salaries.
In my opinion the guy that got a 14 win core to 60 wins should win it over the guy who brought a perennial two seed to the two seed 🤣
Does every perennial 2 seed lose 5 out of their top 8, including their entire center rotation? 😂
You guys overrate Tatum and underrate Jaylen brown and Mazullas gonna win a COTY because of it, meanwhile JB Bickerstaff manufactured the greatest turnaround in NBA history and will win nothing
I’m not overrating or underrating anyone.
Jaylen Brown has been phenomenal this season but he didn’t carry this team. There were genuine questions over whether or not the Celtics were even going to have a viable center rotation. The vast majority of the time, a team doesn’t lose the majority of their top end talent and maintain their level of success. Brown stepped up this season but don’t get it twisted, this year is a coaching triumph for Mazulla as the last 2 years have been for Bickerstaff. Both are deserving of the award - IMO Bickerstaff should have won last year and maz this year, giving it to Atkins was a mistake.
Give Brad Steven’s executive of the year for finding players who fit your system seamlessly, and mazulla did have a good season coaching, but his accomplishments are nowhere close to the guy who brought the 14-win, 28-game losing streak pistons to 60 wins and the 1 seed two seasons later. Not even remotely close.
Stew are you sure Joe wins? I mean NBCA winners usually win COTY
Just based on mainstream media and polymarket odds definitely seems like Mazzula will get it. I like the guy and I hung out with his aunt in Vegas, but he doesn’t deserve it with JB there
It’s so fucking stupid that the win over the magic (1 game OUT OF 82) all of a sudden made Joe the favourite when JB was favored all season lol
I had Mazulla but I don’t knock this pick at all.
How many votes did Jamahl Mosely get?
3 million votes to mosley immediately
Was between him and mazulla. Deserved
NBCA official press release
Glad he won something he deserves it since hes probably not winnimg the one from the mefia
Means more winning this one than the writers vote.
Not the Jazz coach?!
The Jazz have a coach?
XD
Booooooooooo
I mean, he deserves it, but
Booooo
Mazzula was absolutely deserving too, but I will say with how young our roster is and our Star just hasn’t been there before. Its dealers choice and I see both justifications.
They should have last place votes. I want to know who the coaches think the worst coaches are and why it’s Glenn Rivers.
JB Bickerstaff and Mitch Johnson should be top 2. I did not expect either the Pistons or Spurs to be sixty win teams
I didn’t have them winning sixty either, but I did have Detroit 2nd in the East and the Spurs 3rd in the West and thought both would win 50+.
I’m not that surprised by their general success, I’m surprised they exceeded my expectations.
Can I ask what made you believe in the pistons before the season? I think that’s the highest position i’ve seen a non pistons fan give them preseason
we have always played the Celtics tough, celts fans other than Bill Simmons are generally pretty cool about the Pistons and Cade.
Faith in Cade and the fact that Bickerstaff is a good regular season coach who gets his teams to play hard and his teams generally have a very good defense.
I thought they would have issues in the playoffs though, and I’ve been skeptical about that for about 90% of the season, and I think I’m ready to change my mind on that, as I think they will beat Cleveland and get to the ECF.
pistons gotta win something
Lots of good choices this year, but I think JB deserves it most, especially after getting snubbed last year. Mezzulla would be my close runnner up, with Lee and Rajakovic afterwards
As a Celtics fan I think this was well deserved for JB. He did a phenomenal job from the jump. Congrats, JB!
Thats fair. Detroit are absolute dogs.
Good shit, I feel like it’s really a this year + last year award.
I wish the Grizzlies could sign the kind of coach who can win coach of the year like JB Bickerstaff.
Bet you Mazzulla voted for him lol
Is this the same thing as Coach Of The Year, or are these two different awards?
Two different awards. This is voted on by coaches, whereas the more widely-recognized award is voted on by the media.
Deserved
Still can’t believe he isn’t going to win the NBA COTY after such a historic season. 60 losses two years ago to 60 wins this year, but I guess since we made the playoffs last year there’s nothing more JB could do in the regular season to get respect.
Mazzulla shouldn’t have won it anyway. That Celtics team is good, with or without Tatum.
I think it’s a stupid award.
JB and joe M deserve to win the award, but I would’ve voted for the Suns head coach.
Phoenix season was the most surprising, given that everyone thought they be one of the worst team this season and their two best players Booker and Brooks both missed extended time with injuries.
Well deserved. Hell of a coach.
Coaches actually know what’s up. Media deluded themselves into making it nearly unanimous for Mazzulla
Really don’t think you can go wrong with either choice.
True but you’d expect the voting to be close
Eh, its one of those things where if most voters see it as a like a 53⁄47 race, that’s close, but everyone’s final decision is gonna land the same way.
Like I think most voters I heard last year had the MVP being close, and it ended up 71 1st place votes for Shai to 29. When Embiid won the narrative was that it was close, and he got 73 1st, and Jokic got 15. Even the year that Westbrook won it was 69 1sts to 22 for Harden.
A big gap in vote totals doesn’t mean it isnt a close race in who the voters are deciding between
Going with Mazulla is objectively wrong. He brought a perennial two seed to the two seed. Give Brad Stevens executive of the year for finding replacements who fit the system seamlessly. Bickerstaff brought a 14 win core to 60 wins and the 1 seed two seasons later.
I agree, it’s more the fact he got like 10⁄12 first place votes that I disagreed with
That’s fair. I didn’t see early voting numbers
I assume it will balance out a bit as more votes come in. Boston leaning writers seem to be over represented in the early votes.
There’s not really an objective way to choose one guy over the other - they both would deserve it whoever wins.
Mazzulla was robbed man
Mazzulla robbed
Bickerstaff deserves it, just kinda sucks that JB potentially getting bumped off 1st team All-NBA as well
Nah it’s all good for both cases. I want maximum chips on our shoulders for these playoffs.
The Celtics always always always always get snubbed by the media. It’s not easy being the league villains. Jaylen Brown won’t make 1st team, Mazzulla will probably lose his only chance to ever get COTY. It’s constant nonstop disrespect. When JB wins Finals MVP it’s a chance to dunk on JT. When JT makes 1st team he gets told he’s undeserving. Nothing will ever be enough.
People always point at boogeymen like the “Boston media mafia” when a) several of those guys have admitted not voting for Boston players because they’re afraid of being accused of bias and b) there’s a decent argument that Boston has the most hostile media ecosystem for its local sports teams in the entire country.
No one hates Boston sports more than Boston sports reporters.
You care more about this than Mazzulla 💀
Yes, the man who famously doesn’t care about anything
Flair up
Do you care more about him not winning a pointless award or me not flairing up. The world wants to know!