Interview with Pistons HC J.B. Bickerstaff

WXYT-FM / 97.1 The Ticket

Pistons Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff joins Costa and Jansen ahead of the NBA Playoffs.

Transcript

00:00John, they gotta give this man coach of the year.

00:03I would think so.

00:04I don't know that there's anyone that's even come close to the job that JB has done with

00:09this team from where they were last year to where they are now.

00:13Back to the playoffs, back to work, playoff spot security joins us this morning, JB Bickerstaff.

00:19Good morning.

00:20Good morning, fellas.

00:21How we doing?

00:22We're doing great.

00:23Great.

00:24We're waking up with a playoff basketball team.

00:26That's awesome.

00:27How about that?

00:29Let me ask you this to start off because you start the season with a team that won 14 games

00:34last year and I know you weren't a part of it and the message last year that that has

00:37nothing to do with you, but for a lot of these guys, just learning to win was a thing.

00:44And now all of a sudden, what was the message at the beginning of the season to this young

00:48team versus the message to them now?

00:52Well, you know what's funny is it didn't change.

00:56Our thought process was just focus on whatever's right in front of you and how we can compete

01:03in every single moment and how we can win every single battle and pay attention to all

01:08the details.

01:09And, you know, we thought that that would lead to success with the amount of talent

01:14that we had.

01:15Obviously, you know, we didn't know what to expect and how far it would go, but we knew

01:21that we would get better that way.

01:22And then, you know, learning how to win comes down a lot of times to fourth quarter basketball

01:28and we had to learn how to play fourth quarter basketball.

01:32And we saw it kind of early that we were going to be in games, but we knew we needed to figure

01:37that out.

01:38And then, you know, as we kind of grew in our consistency and figured each other out,

01:43you know, and then we learned how to win and play fourth quarter basketball.

01:47So stay attached to the moment and stay attached to the details.

01:52And we thought we always had a chance.

01:54I don't know if you can answer this honestly or not, but are you at all surprised in looking

02:00at this team to start the season and the way that it started with where you guys are now?

02:06I mean, we took a jump.

02:09I'll say that, you know, like when you sat back and watch the film and then, like I said,

02:15even early in the season, you know, we had some games against Boston, we had games against

02:20Indiana where we were in, we had a fourth quarter lead and that ended up losing the

02:26lead in the fourth quarter and losing the game.

02:28So, you know, it kind of opened our eyes as a coaching staff that we could put ourselves

02:32in position.

02:34Now we needed to figure out how do we close.

02:37And I think that's the one thing that we learned how to do and a little bit more quickly probably

02:42than normally happens.

02:44We learned how to close games.

02:46We learned how important our defense was in the fourth quarter, how we can get stops on

02:51demand and then offensively where we needed to go with the basketball and our sets in

02:58order to put ourselves in that position.

03:00How quickly it's happened, I think, is what's caught everybody off guard.

03:02You guys could end up with a 30 plus win improvement year over year.

03:06Only five teams have done it and you guys didn't add Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett this

03:09offseason.

03:11When we tell the story of this team, what should we focus on, on why this turnaround

03:15has happened this way?

03:17I mean, the honest commitment to one another, I'll say that, you know, our guys willingness,

03:25you know, to to be different, you know, I think that's one of the things that stands

03:28out is like we're not your typical NBA team that just runs around jacking threes.

03:35You know, we're a team that really decided to get it in the mud and committed to that.

03:40We're a physical team, you know, I mean, we're a defensive minded team.

03:44And that's not easy to do, especially for young guys, right, who haven't a lot of guys

03:48who haven't made their second contract or whatever it may be, you know, those things

03:52a lot of times don't show up in stat sheets, which, you know, affect contracts in young

03:57people's minds.

03:58So our guys bought into being able to do the dirty things to make us different, you know

04:04what I mean?

04:05Like physical basketball, you know, sometimes confrontational basketball.

04:09But like our guys do it every single night, and that makes us different and makes us hard

04:14to deal with.

04:15You mentioned confrontation.

04:16I'll ask the beef stew question.

04:17How do you harness that mentality without it boiling over because the stakes only get

04:21higher and we want to see this guy, I'm sure you do too, playing in those playoff games

04:25and not getting kicked out.

04:26Yeah, he will.

04:28And I think that's, you know, it's a process for us all.

04:31It's a process for for him to play with that passion, you know, to be the guy that protects

04:38his teammates and looks out for his guys.

04:41But it means so much to us.

04:42You know, he's an elite defender, you know, offensively, he's a great playmaker as well.

04:48And he just plays with that spirit that uplifts everybody else.

04:50So we need him on the floor.

04:53And I think he understands that, you know, you know, sometimes circumstances happen.

04:58And he, you know, again, I stand by his decisions in Minnesota to look out for his teammates

05:03for what was going on.

05:05We understand that teams are going to try to bait us and they're going to try to get

05:08into those types of things so that our best players can't be on the floor.

05:13And you know, sometimes without backing down, you know, you have to turn the other cheek,

05:17but understand that it's the ultimate sign of respect, right?

05:20Like if they have to go there, they know they're in trouble.

05:23So that means they respect us a ton.

05:26I think there was a collective sigh of relief on Saturday when everybody saw Cade Cunningham

05:31take the court.

05:33How do you ramp him up to make sure that he is playing the way he was before the injury

05:38when it comes time for the playoffs?

05:40I mean, we'll be patient, obviously.

05:43We've got two weeks, you know, one week of games and then the week during the play-in

05:49series to make sure that we get him where he needs to be.

05:53You know, he's knock on wood, he's feeling good right now.

05:56So, you know, again, we expect him to go tonight and then, you know, his minutes will start

06:01to ramp up and then we'll do more that play-in week to make sure that all of our guys are

06:07ramped up and ready to go.

06:09Does that include Jaden Ivey?

06:11Does he need to play the next four to be, you know, in a spot where you're comfortable

06:14using him in the playoffs?

06:15What would you say his status is?

06:17Yeah, I mean, again, we're not going to rush J.I. back in any sense.

06:22It's just too important his long-term health.

06:26So you know, again, he'll take his day by day.

06:29And if things work out, they work out.

06:31But we're not going to rush him and, you know, put him in any danger of long-term things.

06:38Any level of concern with Jalen Durant and the reported nerve issue?

06:44I mean, again, it's one of those things day by day.

06:47I'll find out more information this morning when I get into the office.

06:51We'll see how he feels and if he's feeling OK, he'll go tonight.

06:56You know, it's one of those things that from my understanding of it right now, it's a day

06:59by day thing and just see how, you know, he continues to progress.

07:02Talking to Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, I'm not going to ask you to put a target on

07:06your back and pick who you'd rather play, Knicks or Pacers.

07:11But what do you have?

07:12Do you have thoughts on either of those teams as potential first round opponents?

07:15Yeah, I mean, they're both really good teams.

07:18They're both different.

07:19You know, I mean, the way they play stylistically is different.

07:24You know, they've got, you know, a ton of depth, you know, and balance throughout their roster.

07:32The Knicks, you know, are also a very good team, a little bit more slow paced, a little bit more rough

07:38and rugged in the trenches, defensive minded, obviously with Brunson and Towns still have

07:44offensive threats.

07:45But, you know, look, we're accepting any challenge and that's what our guys have done all year.

07:51We're going to play these last games out here, try to get as high a seed as we possibly can

07:56and let the chips fall where they may.

07:58What is the approach for these final four games?

08:00You already talked about, you know, ramping Cade back up and you mentioned Ivy, if he's good to go,

08:05you know, that's a different decision you guys got to make.

08:07But what's the approach for these final four games as you do prepare for a playoff seed?

08:14I mean, we want to play well.

08:17We want to go into the playoffs, you know, confident, understanding what we're trying to do,

08:23you know, collectively, individually, you know, because it's one of those things like once you get

08:27to the playoffs, it's hard to just say, okay, now we're going to turn it on after, you know,

08:32you mess around for the last, you know, week or so.

08:34So our aim is to go out and try to play as well as we possibly can.

08:38We've got some great games in front of us.

08:40We've got some great challenges, you know, opportunity tonight obviously with the Kings,

08:44but the Knicks and the Bucs who we could see in the playoffs and who we're competing with for a spot.

08:50So, you know, we got some challenges, but we want to be playing our best going into the playoffs,

08:55and that's our aim.

08:57What do you make of your case for Coach of the Year?

09:00I don't do that.

09:01I'll let you guys make that case.

09:04Okay, we'll do just that, JB.

09:05We'll champion as much as we can.

09:08I appreciate that.

09:09Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff, we appreciate some of your time.

09:11Good luck in the playoffs.

09:13All right, thank you, guys.

09:14You guys take care.

09:15It's 97-1.

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