Coach JB Bickerstaff has a problem that most NBA coaches wish they had. He has 12 players who deserve minutes, but may not have enough of them to go around.
Coach Bickerstaff was asked how he planned on managing a 12-man rotation and his response was that he didn’t know because he’d never done it.
Here’s what the coach had to say to beat reporter Omari Sankofa II:
"We’re going to give guys opportunity, especially in the first half and see how the game progresses in the second half. It may not always be easy but guys are going to have an opportunity because they’ve earned it."
The Pistons are currently a team no one wants to play, as they are not only rolling on a 12-game winning streak, but come at you with relentless energy and defensive pressure.
The question is how JB Bickerstaff will manage all of these minutes, and the answer is that he’s going to have to be unpopular with someone.
Detroit Pistons rotation: JB Bickerstaff has a tough job
With both Jaden Ivey and Tobias Harris returning last night, the Pistons now have more players than spots in the rotation.
This is a clear issue for coach Bickerstaff, who doesn’t want to break up the mojo this team has with guys like Daniss Jenkins and Javonte Green getting minutes, but knows he’ll ultimately have to trim it down a bit, especially as we get closer to the playoffs.
With the number of injuries this team has had, the problem may work itself out, as the Pistons can just use whoever is healthy and allow some of their returning players to ease their way back in as he did with Ivey last night.
If you had to name a nine-man rotation for the Pistons right now it would be tough, as who are you going to bench? It hardly seems fair to Jenkins and Green to pull them from the rotation after they have been such a huge part of this magical start.
Coach Bickerstaff tried to walk the line last night by playing everyone for short stretches and that could be another answer, but eventually Ivey is going to ramp up into more minutes, so someone is going to be left out.
It’s going to be a challenge to keep all of these guys engaged and in rhythm if they are only playing 10 minutes a night, so coach Bickerstaff will have to make some tough choices.
We haven’t even gotten to Marcus Sasser yet, whose option the Pistons picked up for next season, so the front office may have to get involved and consolidate some of their talent.
It’s a great problem to have and should allow the Pistons to withstand injuries during the regular season.