J.B. Bickerstaff’s Questionable Coaching Decisions Cost the Pistons in Game 5

Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been a hot topic of discussion on Thursday for questioning the officiating in Game 5 rather than taking accountability for an ugly loss.

While many of the Pistons' grievances concerning Game 5 came in the final quarter of the game, our first mishap actually took place in the third quarter with about four minutes remaining.

Caris LeVert is whistled for a foul on an errant closeout on a James Harden midrange jump shot, and Bickerstaff challenges. The call would remain upheld and the Pistons would lose their ability to challenge for the remainder of the game.

This was a questionable play to utilize the Pistons challenge on.

While the call seemed debatable, it is never a good decision to burn your challenge in a playoff game with so much time remaining. The only reason to use a challenge that early is if a star player, like Cade Cunningham, is in early foul trouble and is whistled for the questionable foul.

Fourth quarter timeout management was abysmal

Our next head coaching mishap comes in the fourth quarter with about three minutes and 30 seconds remaining.

For those who are unaware, NBA teams are only allowed two timeouts in the final three minutes of the game. Oftentimes, this prompts head coaches to call a timeout beforehand because they will lose it anyways once the clock hits the three minute mark.

Bickerstaff thought he was using his use it or lose it timeout when he called a timeout with a little over 3 minutes left in the fourth. However, Bickerstaff didn’t realize he only had two timeouts remaining, not three.

This mental lapse by Bickerstaff left the Pistons with only one timeout for the remaining 3:30 in the game.

This is an excruciating amount of time to only have one timeout in the NBA playoffs, especially with so many scenarios that would have benefitted from opportunities to advance the ball by utilizing a timeout.

How these two lapses coalesce

While these both seem like unfortunate circumstances that are unrelated, some fans might have already deduced how they might have affected each other.

Bickerstaff said in his post-game comments that there was a clear foul on Cavs center Jarrett Allen as he and Ausar Thompson raced for the loose ball with seconds remaining.

However, Bickerstaff would have been able to challenge this play for a proximate foul on the out-of-bounds(like the failed Cavs OT challenge on the Harden 3) had he not burned his challenge in the third quarter on LeVert.

Bickerstaff also had no timeouts remaining since he had accidentally called one of his two remaining with a little over three minutes left in the game.

Had Bickerstaff better managed the game, he would have been able to force a review on what he himself says is a clear missed call for Thompson.

A successful challenge would have given Thompson two free throw attempts to win the game in regulation.

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