Detroit Pistons sign Houston Rockets head coach to G League

JB Bickerstaff recently added a few new names to his Detroit Pistons coaching staff. On Friday, ESPN Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Kevin Burleson will be a new addition ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Burleson comes to Rio Grande from the Houston Rockets’ development organization. In 2022, Burleson was hired to become the head coach of the Vipers in the NBA G League.

In 2003, Burleson attempted to play in the NBA, but was not selected by Minnesota. In 2005, he played for the Charlotte Bobcats, before moving overseas.

In 2017, Burleson joined the Iowa Wolves organization as an assistant coach. After spending some time with the Minnesota Timberwolves G League team, Burleson landed a job with the Memphis Grizzlies. He took on an assistant role, specializing in player development.

Eventually, Burleson returned to the Timberwolves organization, earning a role on the NBA roster. After a few seasons back in Minnesota, Burleson earned a head coaching role in the G League.

The Vipers have established themselves as one of the most successful teams in the G League over the past few years. In the 2022-23 season, Burleson coached the Vipers to the G League Finals. They lost to the Delaware Blue Coats 0-2, failing to repeat their feat.

In 2023-24, the Vipers won nearly 60% of their games. Unfortunately, they were eliminated from the playoffs, losing a thrilling overtime game to the Oklahoma City Blue.

The Pistons need coaches who specialize in player development, and they’ve found an intriguing replacement in Burleson. The veteran assistant comes to the Pistons as Detroit’s latest signing to replace J.B. Bickerstaff, who replaced Monty Williams this summer.

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