The Detroit Pistons will be looking for spark from the Lions’ Dan Campbell

On By Littum

Since 2021, Dan Campbell has established himself as one of the most notable coaches in the NFL. In a league that sees a lot of changes at the head coaching position year in and year out, Campbell is carving out a long-term role for himself in Detroit as he has helped coach the Lions into a solid contender.

The Detroit Pistons are hoping to turn their rebuild around in the NBA. They can find motivation in Campbell’s Lions, and soon Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff hopes to get Campbell into the building to soak up some of the motivation the Lions get every day.

“I reached out to him when we first moved over here,” Bickerstaff said on FanDuel TV’s ‘Drive it back‘ this week.

“We went out to watch some of their training camp. I want to let him have his time and focus on what he needs to focus on because they got an opportunity here to win a Super Bowl — win a championship. When their season is over, we’ll definitely pull together and have him here and talk to the guys to see if he can give us a little bit of that spark as well.”

Bickerstaff’s Pistons tenure is already off to a good start. After spending several seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bickerstaff was replaced by former Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson.

Coming off a winning streak in Cleveland, Bickerstaff took on a big challenge by replacing Monty Williams in Detroit. Last year, the Pistons had won just 14 of 82 games. They were at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and failed to land a top-4 pick.

Still, the Pistons managed to land a year-one impact player in Ron Holland. They also added a few veterans through the trade and free agency markets. The new coaching staff and management team have not only surpassed the Pistons’ win total from last year, they also have a winning record halfway through the season.

Suddenly, the Pistons have the playoffs in sight.

Dan Campbell

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell watches a game against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

They may not be in a championship-or-bust mode, but the Lions have reached that stage. After being within reach of the Super Bowl last season, Detroit hopes to make it this season. This weekend they will host the Washington Commanders for the divisional round. If all goes well, they will draw an NFC Championship game against the LA Rams or Philadelphia Eagles.

Meanwhile, the Pistons will resume their run on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns shortly before the Lions kickoff.

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