On the same day Cade Cunningham was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month, his head coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, received a similar honor as a result of the Pistons’ first-place start to the season.

Now in his second year leading Detroit, Bickerstaff has helped cement a tough, aggressive and hard-working mindset to the Pistons, one that is reflective of the fan base surrounding Motown. Bickerstaff helped lead the Pistons to a 13-2 lead in the month of November, and it was a remarkably impressive coaching job considering the massive amount of injuries that the Pistons had to deal with.

At one point, the Pistons were missing four of their five regular starters for a game against the Chicago Bulls, and Detroit was still able to cobble together a starting lineup that could finish the game with a victory. During that timespan, the Pistons compiled a 13-game winning streak with injury absences from Cunningham to Jalen Duren along the way, so the quality of Bickerstaff’s coaching job should not be understated.

Cade Cunningham Wins Eastern Conference Player Of The Month Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham received a big award on Tuesday

Here is an excerpt from the press release from the NBA about Bickerstaff’s prestigious honor:

“Bickerstaff led the Pistons to a conference-best 16-4 record including a franchise-tying 13-game win streak. The 16-4 record also matched the second-best start in franchise history after 20 games. Detroit went 8-2 in home games, 8-2 on the road and joined the Oklahoma City Thunder as the only teams in the NBA this season to record eight-plus wins in both home and away games.

The Pistons ranked top 10 in both offense (7th) and defense (8th) while ranking tied for second in blocks per game and fourth in steals. Seven of Detroit’s 16 wins were by 10-plus points and the Pistons led the NBA in points scored in the paint (58.4)”

READ MORE: Cade Cunningham Has The Word Clutch Written All Over Him

With Cunning winning Eastern Conference Player of the Month and Bickerstaff earning the coach’s version of the award, the Detroit Pistons are the talk of the town in the Eastern Conference. Even with an injury-riddled squad, the Pistons have found new ways to win each night out, and they look to be legitimate contenders in an Eastern Conference that is very much up for the taking this season. 

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