Cut off by the Cavaliers whom he had nevertheless revived, JB Bickerstaff proves he's a good coach by doing the same type of work at the Pistons. At the end of the worst season in their history, the Detroit players found color and ambition, and beyond his coaching qualities, it was the personality of JB Bickerstaff which won over Cade Cunningham and his teammates.
In particular his ability to defend his players against certain whistles. JB Bickerstaff does not hesitate to complain to the referees, and to use his “challenges”. And it is rather effective since the Detroit Free Press reports that he remains on three successful “challenges”, and six of the last seven taken.
JB Bickerstaff, the “challenges” specialist
“You can see his passion on the ground”confirms Isaiah Stewart. “When you have a coach who shows that kind of passion, who stays on his feet the whole game, who cheers you on in the middle of the game, who talks to you during the game, it gives you a different energy. It's like saying, 'OK, I got it, coach. I'm going to get high for you'. »
A “challenge” won can be decisive, and this was the case this season against the Lakers or the Suns, or even against the Hornets on Friday evening. For Cade Cunningham, it is very valuable to have a coach who does not hesitate to challenge whistles and defend his players.
“It means a lot to us, because we found ourselves in positions where we spent too much energy dealing with the referees and that took our focus off a bit.”concedes the Pistons leader after the victory against the Wolves. “He calms us down, he allows us to concentrate on the game plan and he doesn’t let us go. It's a lot of fun to play for him, and it's easy to play hard for him and I'm happy that we got this win for him tonight. Especially following his game plan. The coaches had a good game plan and I think we executed it well and had a great win. »
A question of trust
For JB Bickerstaff, his “challenges” are also a way of proving to his players that he has confidence in them when they assure that they have not made a mistake.
“It's clear that they are involved, and we can trust some of them a little more when they tell us to take a 'challenge,' because it is very, very rare for an NBA player to admit that he made a mistake… Whenever something is questionable, we can look to the bench, they can watch the video, and all the guys are engaged and looking at the situation. »
For the Pistons coach, however, his attitude is nothing exceptional. “I will always be behind my players, and there is nothing prepared. When the guys deserve it, it's my responsibility to stand by them.” he concludes about taking on a “challenge”.
