Pistons’ Rise Under Bickerstaff on Display in Second-Round Opener
pistons-rise-under-bickerstaff-second-round-opener
Two years after inheriting the league’s worst record, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has the Detroit Pistons threatening to break through the Eastern Conference and reach the NBA Finals. Detroit opened its second-round series with a Game 1 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the club that dismissed Bickerstaff before his arrival in Michigan.
Bickerstaff’s Impact
Players point to Bickerstaff’s insistence on relentless effort and his personal investment in their lives as key factors in the turnaround.
“Everybody feels like they can call him about anything,” Cade Cunningham said. “He cares about you on and off the court, and that’s huge.”
Asked whether coaching against many of his former players offers an advantage, Bickerstaff smiled. “I spent a lot of time with those guys,” he noted, while adding he carries no baggage from his Cleveland exit.
Duren Dominates the Paint
After struggling in the first round against Orlando, Jalen Duren regained form in the series opener versus Cleveland, controlling offensive rebounds, producing timely dunks and anchoring the defense. The center said the Magic series taught him how much he can sway a game without scoring. “My value is on the defensive end,” Duren explained. “It doesn’t always have to be scoring for me.”
Jenkins Continues Breakout
Undrafted guard Daniss Jenkins logged 29 high-leverage minutes in Game 1 and delivered six points, three rebounds and a steal in the final three-and-a-half minutes. “His journey is unique,” teammate Duncan Robinson said. “He has unshakeable confidence for someone who’s been overlooked his whole career.”
Lessons from Round 1
Detroit needed three consecutive wins to escape the first round, a stretch Bickerstaff believes hardened his roster for postseason play. “You understand how to close and finish, how to get to your spots,” he said. “Then you grow belief that you can.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
