Post-Game Press Conference: J.B. Bickerstaff | Pistons vs Magic | 10.29.2025

Post-Game Press Conference: J.B. Bickerstaff | Pistons vs Magic | 10.29.2025

J.B. WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE DID THE TEAM SHOW TONIGHT, ESPECIALLY AFTER COMING OFF OF MONDAY’S LOSS? BUT TO START THIS ONE, SHOOTING ONE FOR TEN, 32% IN THE FIRST QUARTER AND ULTIMATELY WIN. >> AGAIN, THIS GROUP HAS ALWAYS BEEN RESILIENT. AND THAT’S, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE IDENTITY OF THIS TEAM. AND IT’S PART OF THE CHARACTER OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ON THIS TEAM. WE DON’T HAVE GUYS THAT ARE LAID DOWN. WE DON’T HAVE GUYS THAT WILL QUIT. AND WHEN YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, 15 GUYS, 17 GUYS WHO INDIVIDUALLY ARE THAT THE SPIRIT OF THE GROUP JUST HAS A NEVER DIE MENTALITY. AND WE’RE NEVER OUT OF A FIGHT. AND THAT’S AGAIN THE CREDIT TO THEM. BUT THEY DON’T, YOU KNOW, FRAY AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER. WHEN IT GETS TOUGH. THEY ALWAYS FIND A WAY BACK TO EACH OTHER. AND THAT’S HOW YOU OVERCOME THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. >> FOR A GUY LIKE CADE WHO STRUGGLED EARLY ON, THEY’RE SENDING 2 OR 3 GUYS AT HIM. AND THEN THE WAY HE FINISHED THIS ONE, HOW DID YOU SEE HIS GAME JUST DEVELOP THROUGHOUT TONIGHT? >> I MEAN, I THOUGHT HE JUST CONTINUED TO BE AGGRESSIVE. YOU KNOW, HE FIGURED OUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE HIS SPOTS ON THE FLOOR WERE THAT HE COULD ATTACK AND TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM TRAFFIC AND STAY AWAY FROM THE MULTIPLE BODIES, YOU KNOW, MORE ISOLATION SITUATIONS AND NOT ALWAYS IN THE PICK AND ROLL. I THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD FOR HIM. BUT AGAIN, I MEAN, HE’S CADE CUNNINGHAM FOR A REASON, RIGHT? AND WE’RE LUCKY TO HAVE HIM. >> OTHER QUESTIONS. >> HEY COACH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE STAT SHEET, IT SEEMS LIKE LEVERT DIDN’T HAVE THAT MUCH OF A GOOD GAME. BUT HE WAS ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND DO ALL THE LITTLE INTANGIBLES TO HELP YOU GUYS WIN. SO CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU SAW FROM HIM AND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO HAVE HIM BACK? >> YEAH, I MEAN, HIS ABILITY TO BE VERSATILE AND ADAPTABLE, YOU KNOW, IT’S IT’S HARD TO PLAY THE WAY THAT HE HAS TO PLAY RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, THOSE SHORT MINUTES AREN’T EASY FOR A GUY COMING BACK. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. LIKE HE’S ABLE TO DO ALL THE SMALL THINGS ON BOTH ENDS OF THE FLOOR THAT IMPACT WINNING. AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TO HIS CREDIT, HE DIDN’T COME BACK AND TRY TO FORCE IT. HE CAME BACK AND TRIED TO HELP THE TEAM WIN. AND THAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO HIM. BUT YOU KNOW, THE LONGER HIS STRETCHES GO, THE MORE OF AN IMPACT YOU’LL SEE FROM HIM. >> DUREN HAD A FEW PLAYS TONIGHT WHERE HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE OPPOSING CENTERS OFF THE DRIBBLE, AND OBVIOUSLY HE’S A BIG, STRONG BUT ALSO NIMBLE GUY. JUST HOW HAVE YOU SEEN HIM GROW COMFORT WITH HIS HANDLE AND TAKING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES? AND WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN FROM HIM JUST FROM A AGGRESSIVENESS STANDPOINT? >> I MEAN THAT’S WHAT WE WANT. WE WANT HIM TO BE AGGRESSIVE. THERE AREN’T MANY FIVE MEN THAT HAVE THE SPEED, QUICKNESS OR SIZE TO STAY IN FRONT OF HIM, AND WE’RE CONFIDENT IN HIS BALL HANDLING AND PLAYMAKING SKILLS. SO THAT WAS PART OF THE GROWTH OVER THE SUMMER THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IS WE WANTED HIM TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE, TRYING TO CREATE, YOU KNOW, GET TO THE PAINT AND THEN MAKE THE RIGHT READ. AND WHEN THE BIG GUY HAS THE BALL IN THE HANDS, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE TIME NOW THE DEFENSE SPREADS OUT TO GO GUARD THE PERIMETER PLAYERS. SO IT’S A ONE ON ONE GAME FOR HIM WHERE HE JUST HAS TO BE EFFICIENT. AND AGAIN HE’S GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT, GET BETTER AT IT. BUT WE LIKE HIS ADVANTAGE THERE. >> HEY COACH I GOT A TWO PARTER FOR YOU OVER HERE LAST SEASON. I FEEL LIKE A BIG PART OF YOUR DEFENSIVE SUCCESS WAS HOW YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO KIND OF SNEAK IN PHYSICALITY AT THE POINT OF ATTACK. IT SEEMS LIKE THE LEAGUE IS DOING AWAY WITH SOME OF THE PHYSICALITY, AND IT’S HURT YOU GUYS IN A NEGATIVE WAY TO START THE SEASON. WITH ALL THE FOULING YOU GUYS HAVE HAD, IT SEEMED TO BE THE SAME STORY TO START THE GAME, BUT AS THE GAME GREW ON, IT LOOKED LIKE I DON’T I DON’T HAVE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IT LOOKED LIKE GUYS WERE FOULING LESS. WHAT WHAT KIND OF STRATEGIES DO YOU DEPLOY IN THAT SITUATION? ARE YOU GUYS SENDING MORE HELP? LIKE WHAT’S WHAT? HOW DO YOU FIX THAT? >> WELL, THE FIRST THING IS I THINK THE LEAGUE NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT’S GOING ON TOO, BECAUSE IT’S NOT JUST HERE, IT’S NOT JUST US. FOULS ARE UP ALL ACROSS THE LEAGUE. AND I THINK GUYS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THE LEAGUE KIND OF COMES BACK TO THE MEAN OR YOU KNOW OVER TIME PLAYERS WILL START TO FIGURE IT OUT. BUT YOU KNOW AGAIN LAST YEAR THERE WAS MORE PHYSICALITY ALLOWED ON THE DEFENSIVE END OF THE FLOOR. THAT WAS ONE OF THE POINTS OF EMPHASIS. SO YOU KNOW OUR GUYS KIND OF ADJUSTED TO THAT. SO NOW WE’RE JUST KIND OF IN BETWEEN POINT WHERE WE’RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE PHYSICALITY LIES. BUT FOR US THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE SILLY ONES, RIGHT? THERE’S A LOT OF REACHING AND GRABBING THAT WE’VE DONE THAT WE CAN ELIMINATE. BUT I DON’T WANT US TO LOSE OUR PHYSICALITY. OUR PHYSICALITY IS OUR IDENTITY. YOU KNOW, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THERE’S ALWAYS WAYS, YOU KNOW, TO PUT MORE OF A CROWD ON THE BALL, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE AS PHYSICAL SO THAT OUR GUYS CAN GET BACK IN FRONT OF THEIR MAN. SO NOT REALLY TRAPS, BUT A LITTLE BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE TO THE BALL. AND THEN THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, YOU ALLOW YOUR GUYS TO GET BACK TO THEIR MAN. AND THE GUYS DON’T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET DOWNHILL. >> IS THAT WHY YOU GUYS WERE

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