Why JB Bickerstaff is embracing the adversity of the Pistons vs. Bulls showdown

Starters are gone, no problem for Detroit Pistons.

Wednesday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls had Pistons injury list. Detroit bolstered its limited roster en route to a 124-113 victory, its eighth straight. The evening also featured a debut Pistons City Edition court and jerseys.

Head coach JB Bickerstaff embraced the idea of ​​challenging bench players to play a bigger role before tip-off. After the victory, Fr what does that mean that the Pistons have these opportunities and the preparation that comes with them.

“I mean, these are the fun ones. I’ll be honest with you. These are the games I enjoy. When a lot of people say, ‘you can’t,’ the challenge of accepting that is always fun. But it didn’t start today,” Bickerstaff explained to the media. “What we were able to do today started in August, the first time the group was together as a whole, and then through September in the preseason, and the way they worked to build the cohesiveness and chemistry that they have. That’s what allowed us to finish today. Not just showing up today and trying to say, ‘we’re going to do something special,’ but that’s what’s special.”

The Pistons entered the game without key contributors Cade Cunningham (left hip contusion), Jalen Duren (ankle), Tobias Harris (ankle), Isaiah Stewart (ankle), Ausar Thompson (ankle), Marcus Sasser (hip) and Jaden Ivey (knee). Detroit managed to win first place in the Eastern Conference despite a slew of injuries. The injury toll reached its highest on Wednesday with seven players inactive in the win against Chicago.

There is no timetable available for the return of injured players at this time. Bickerstaff advised the team to take time to recover and return when fully fit.

The next man up for the Pistons

The Detroit Pistons’ replacement reserves made the most of their time against the Bulls. The regular starting lineup is filled with new faces like Daniss Jenkins, Ron Holland, Javonte Green and Paul Reed. Guard Duncan Robinson was the only regular starter left in the starting unit.

The Pistons never gave the lead to the Bulls and led by as many as 23 points in the first half. Detroit stood on its foundations as a defensive-minded team that relies on ball movement and transition on offense. The Pistons had 30 assists with 50 field goals.

Reed led all scorers with a game-high 28 points to go along with 13 rebounds, six assists and four steals. The 26-year veteran talked about what it takes for the Pistons to succeed through all the adversity.

“It’s the togetherness, for sure. Off the court, it’s been the little things — going out to eat together on the road, traveling this offseason. There’s been a couple of us that have stopped at JD (Jalen Duren) Day — it’s just little things like that. I feel like that’s what brings us together. And then when we’re going through adversity, we know we can’t talk about adversity. The negative place right now is kind of like a brotherhood, and that’s the biggest thing when it comes to being together (synchronized) off the field.

Robinson also had a season-high 23 points, including seven 3-pointers. Jenkins remains hot as he recorded his first career double-double with 18 points and 12 assists. Forward Caris LeVert added 17 points in 22 minutes off the bench.