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