Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said he is evaluating his lineup combinations after the bench was outplayed in Sunday’s four-point loss to the Detroit Pistons.
“We gotta look at it,” Atkinson told reporters, noting that the second-quarter unit “wasn’t the right combination.” Cleveland owns the NBA’s fourth-least-productive bench this season, a drop-off from last year’s group that was paced by Ty Jerome, now with Memphis. Atkinson added he may keep two starters on the floor together more often after opening Sunday’s game with Sam Merrill, which thinned the reserve corps.
Pistons’ Jenkins Nearly Sets Quarter Scoring Mark
Detroit two-way guard Daniss Jenkins poured in 21 points in the second quarter Sunday, one shy of the franchise record for any second period. Jenkins went 7-for-7 from the field, burying six three-pointers, and later sealed the win with four free throws. According to the team, it was the highest-scoring quarter ever by a Pistons reserve.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised the 25-year-old’s poise: “We have 18 guys on our roster that we believe in. They know how to play Pistons basketball.” Jenkins is viewed as a strong candidate for conversion to a standard NBA deal.
Brown Once Babysat Bickerstaff
New York Knicks coach Mike Brown used to babysit Bickerstaff when the pair’s fathers worked together, The Athletic reported. They now oversee the Eastern Conference’s top two clubs and will meet for the first time since last year’s playoff series on Monday. “He had a great way of making things fun but always organized and detailed,” Bickerstaff recalled, adding that Brown “was scared to death” of his father, longtime coach Bernie Bickerstaff.
Pacers’ Potter Reflects on Olympic Prep Role
Micah Potter, who joined the Indiana Pacers on a non-guaranteed contract in late December, said practicing with Team USA last summer was “hands down, the coolest thing I’ve ever done.” The center was part of the USA Select Team that scrimmaged the Olympic squad in Las Vegas in June 2024 and remained with the group during its July exhibition tour. “You see how those kinds of guys prepare,” Potter noted, citing Kevin Durant’s remark that it might have been the greatest team he has ever played on.
Source: Hoops Rumors
