Bickerstaff's previous successes translate to the Detroit Pistons

Jarret Allen/Evan Mobley-Jalen Duren/Isaiah Stewart 

There has been a lot of talk about Bickerstaff’s success using two bigs and how that will work in Detroit. 

Allen and Mobley are much different players than Duren and Stewart, but the Pistons need Bickerstaff to succeed in the same areas. 

Jarrett Allen was in year three when he came to Cleveland and coach Bickerstaff. He was an All-Star in year four, his first under Bickerstaff, seeing increases in his points, rebounds and blocked shots. 

Bickerstaff needs to coax the same defensive improvement out of Duren, who is already very good around the rim offensively and is an elite rebounder. If he can get Duren up to 1.5+ blocks per game, the Pistons have their center of the present and future. 

Evan Mobley entered the NBA as a very good and versatile defender but also improved under Bickerstaff, making 1st-team all-defense in his second season. It’s not likely that Isaiah Stewart makes this kind of leap, but like Mobley, he is a big who can defend all over the place, so at the very least, Bickerstaff should be able to get the most out of his versatility as he did with Mobley.

Bickerstaff has had success helping to mold young big men into very good defenders and should have a chance to do it again with Duren and Stewart. Hopefully he will ditch the two-big nonsense that Monty Williams couldn’t escape and get the most out of these two young big men in different roles.