JB Bickerstaff may make shocking rotation decision to break playoff tradition

Head coach JB Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons has used an expanded rotation all season and may decide to stay with it in the playoffs. 

Traditionally, coaches shorten their playoff rotations to nine players or so, which allows the starters to play more minutes and kicks some of the fringe guys to the bench. 

With everyone making predictions about what JB Bickerstaff will do, he may just go against the grain of playoff tradition and stick with 10-11 guys. And there is an argument that he should. 

The Pistons are still recovering 

Though Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart were able to return for a few games before the end of the season, it’s still doubtful they are back to 100 percent game strength, which may mean they are not ready to play expanded minutes. 

Cunningham averaged over 41 minutes per game last season in the playoffs, and it’s hard to envision him playing that much as he is still recovering from a collapsed lung, especially in the first round. 

That will likely change if the Pistons progress, but in the early stages, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the larger bench rotation. 

The Pistons are deep and need to figure it out 

The Pistons have been using their depth as a weapon all season, often burying teams with bench runs and high energy. 

That depth has led to question marks about who should be playing, as other than Isaiah Stewart, every other bench spot is up for grabs. 

We’re definitely going to see Dannis Jenkins and probably Ron Holland and Kevin Huerter, but you can’t rule out Caris LeVert and Javonte Green. Green played in all 82 games this season, so it would be surprising if he didn’t see time in the rotation. 

LeVert is a guy coach Bickerstaff knows and trusts, so he too will get the call if someone else falters. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if coach Bickerstaff used all of these players at times in the first series to try to find his best options and combinations. 

The bench has to stay ready 

Having 11-12 players who can be part of an NBA rotation is not a bad problem to have, but even if some of these guys don’t play right away, they have to stay ready. 

This is not a concern, as they have done so all season, as just about everyone on the roster has played a role at some point due to injuries. 

This does give the Pistons an advantage, as they can throw fresh bodies in without losing much and don’t have a clear-cut hierarchy outside of their top 6-7 guys, which makes them difficult to plan for. 

It’s no certainty that JB Bickerstaff will get pigeonholed into a short rotation, so don’t be shocked if we see more than nine guys tonight. 

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