J.B. Bickerstaff Favorite for 2025-2026 NBA Coach of the Year Award

The Detroit Pistons are having an exceptional start to the season with a 21-5 record, propelling J.B. Bickerstaff to the top of the odds for the NBA Coach of the Year award.

A Spectacular Transformation of the Pistons Under Bickerstaff’s Leadership

Bickerstaff (+250) now leads Mark Daigneault of the Thunder (+280) in the race for the prestigious trophy. This meteoric rise of the Pistons exceeds all expectations.

The transformation achieved by Bickerstaff is all the more remarkable considering Detroit lost three important players during the last offseason: Malik Beasley, Dennis Schroder, and Tim Hardaway Jr. Despite these departures, the Pistons improved their offense while developing the second-best defense in the NBA.

Detroit is sitting No. 1 in the East, and they didn’t buy their way there 💵

While other contenders flex max contracts, the Pistons are winning with the 4th-lowest payroll in the NBA.

The numbers tell the story.

Detroit’s total salary sits at $168.7M, with Cade Cunningham… pic.twitter.com/r8aGreNvrE

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 12, 2026

Bickerstaff’s impact is evident in the fighting identity the team now reflects, mirroring their coach’s personality. Cade Cunningham also deserves praise for his progression, but it’s the coach’s tactical and motivational work that enabled this metamorphosis.

READ ALSO

The Pistons Crush the Knicks and Take Control in the Eastern Conference

The Pistons Crush the Knicks and Take Control in the Eastern Conference

Jan 6, 2026

Sylvain Sultat

Competition Remains Fierce with Daigneault and Johnson

Mark Daigneault remains a serious contender with his Thunder posting the third-best record in the Western Conference. If Oklahoma City manages to do better than last season, Daigneault would have strong arguments to win the title.

Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs (+1000) is also one of the surprises in this race. The interim coach, who took over after Gregg Popovich, has kept the Spurs on a 59-win trajectory. Particularly impressive, San Antonio posted a 9-3 record during Victor Wembanyama‘s absence, proving the quality of Johnson’s work.

JB Bickerstaff is the odds-on favorite to win NBA Coach of the Year on @FanDuel pic.twitter.com/CcsvIdVBni

— Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) January 8, 2026

Historical trends show that no rookie coach has won this title since Doc Rivers in 2000, and that no coach has won the trophy two consecutive years since the award was created in 1963. These statistics could work in Bickerstaff’s favor, who had never been in this position before.

If the Pistons maintain their current pace and the Thunder fails to reach its astronomical goals, it will be difficult to contest Bickerstaff’s legitimacy for the 2024-2025 NBA Coach of the Year title.