DETROIT – Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff shared his thoughts on new player Kevin Huerter, the recent trade of Jaden Ivey, and the team’s outlook following the trade deadline.
Huerter is expected to suit up Thursday (Feb. 5) and make his Pistons debut as they play host against the Washington Wizards at 7 p.m.
Recommended Videos
About Huerter, Bickerstaff said, “He’s a complete basketball player. He’s versatile in the things that he can do. Obviously, he can make shots, but he can also make plays. He can play the pick-and-roll. He’s an elite cutter, understands spacing, and just the ability to process the game as a whole. As a person, he’s going to fit right in. He’s a great dude who understands the situation that he’s coming into. He’s not here to rock the boat by any means, but here to help and contribute. We feel like his skill set can do that.”
Regarding the Ivey trade, Bickerstaff acknowledged the difficulty of such decisions.
“It’s always tough. You build relationships with people, and you care about people. Then tough business decisions have to be made. As great as this league is, it comes with some emotional things that aren’t always fun, but you have to deal with.”
Bickerstaff praised Ivey’s attitude and effort during his time with the team.
“J.I. was awesome the two years, year and a half we were together. As a person, allowing me to coach him, as a teammate wanting to do whatever he could to help this team win. Going through a lot of difficult situations, the way he was playing to start last year, then coming back and having to play a different role. A lot of guys wouldn’t have been able to handle that. I’m extremely appreciative of the way he handled it, the way he continued to buy into the team and tried to help the team be as successful as he could while he was here.”
When asked if there was a moment they knew Ivey’s fit wasn’t right, Bickerstaff said, “No, there wasn’t just a moment. I don’t think it was a thing that didn’t work or couldn’t work. I just feel like it’s a great opportunity for him to go to a new place, get a fresh start, and get an opportunity to explore where his game can go, possibly in a different role. I don’t know how they’re going to use him there, but I’m happy to have spent the time with him. I don’t think this is a situation where it didn’t work. It was a business decision that gave J.I. an opportunity to get a fresh start. Hopefully, it works out well for both of us.”
On the perception that the Eastern Conference is wide open despite the Pistons’ sizable lead, Bickerstaff said, “I don’t pay attention to it. If I’m looking for entertainment or laughs, I watch Martin. I don’t pay attention to that stuff. The work is done on the floor. For those teams that went out and made moves, that’s great for the league. It’s more than just the East being wide open. There haven’t been back-to-back champions in six or seven years. The league is on notice that there’s an opportunity out there, and teams are trying to go for it. It’s not an Eastern Conference or Western Conference thing. It’s an opportunity people see across the league, and it’s making each team better, which makes the league better.”
When asked about his message to the team post-deadline, Bickerstaff said, “Nothing’s changed for us. We have our standard that we live by every single day. We play Pistons basketball. No matter who’s here or not, you’ve seen it earlier in the season with injuries and things like that. We just play to who we are. We play to our identity every single night, and we’re trying to get better. That’s the most important thing. This is the group we have from day one. Throughout the season, you’ve seen improvement, and we’re going to continue to improve day by day and pay attention to the process.”