J.B. Bickerstaff | Cavs Practice | 1.19.2024
Coach after last game George talked about the connectedness of this group and how sometimes that can be understated in terms of a team success do you believe that yeah I mean I I think honestly it’s the most important thing um you know I think there are
Teams who have a ton of talent but if you’re missing that you’re only going to go so far because there’s going to come a time where things get extremely difficult um where there’s some bumps some ups and downs some frustrations whatever it may be and if you’re not
Tied together like those things will knock you down a pay and I think the teams uh that have been fortunate enough to win at the highest levels are the teams that obviously have the talent but they have the combination of that connectedness or togetherness um that’s helped them overcome the difficult
Things because they can band together this team has talked so much about keeping the noise outside obviously when you lose two starters there’s a little bit of a nerve set in in terms of what is this team going to look like you guys have responded by winning 11 of your
Last 14 do you feel a pride amongst the group of what you’ve been able to accomplish and how you’ve been able to whether this yeah and that’s again it’s the fun part about this group is how much they enjoy one another you know like to your first point um and that’s
Where they’re doing it you know what I mean like they’re doing it together like it’s not you know one person feeling like they have to do everything it’s everybody stepping up in their role uh and everybody else respecting and appreciating each other’s role and how
They help uh and you see all those guys in their different roles just shining like Sam Maro can come in the game and shoot 15 threes and his teammates are going to keep applauding him and cheering him want to do more um you know ja uh playing now more with the ball in
His hand is Crea an assist uh and finding his teammates and making plays and his teammates love it when he has the ball in his hand so it’s like those small things where they’ve embraced one another but appreciated and respected their role changes uh has been able to
Help us be successful we just talk obviously got contract um what was your reaction to finding out the news and um the excitement of it it’s awesome I mean like part of what we do is about making dreams come true um and anytime a guy gets the opportunity to be in the NBA
It’s a dream come true obviously his circumstances here um you know with his brother being here and obviously his father being here uh it’s even more unique and special um so you can’t be happier for him uh it’s a guy who’s worked his tail off to get here uh but
Again just to be a part of that uh is special for all of us I’m I’m sure as a coach you’re always going to love when a young guy does the right things and works hard and an opportunity so like can you just explain to us like what
Kind of uh things you guys have seen compete with the charge that you know made this all possible yeah I me I think it goes back to the summer and even training camp to be honest with you um you know you watch him and you know he’s
One of those guys that ask the right questions he’s one of those guys that you only have to tell one time you know a lot of rookies come in the league and you know they can be in the third or fourth position and they make a mistake
After watching the first guys go and you know Pete is never that way like he pays attention he watches he locks in and then again you know he puts the work in um and then as a basketball player you see how versatile he is uh and all the
Things that he’s capable of you know he can rebound the basketball he can pass you know he can score he defends multiple positions so uh you know that’s what the league is about now you know those Swiss Army knives at that size that athleticism uh but again you give
People you know what they earn and he’s been rewarded with it because he earned it you just talk about did you know he had a triple double in him no you you never know but you know again you you put the ball in guys hands who are intelligent and skilled uh and
Those things are possible so um not surprised by it but it’s just great for him to get the opportunity to go out and do it J the heule right now in terms of this rehab and everything uh I can’t tell you ahead behind you know that type of stuff all I
Know is like he’s progressing um you know today was the first day that he was involved in practice stuff um you know not contact yet but uh full court all those things so he’s headed in the right direction and when it comes to Darius do you TR uh no he’ll be
Here if George has a game like that and he comes to the podium and he talks about it’s not a big deal it’s 30-point game it’s bigger than that as a coach what does that mean to you to see guys kind of deflecting it back to the team I
Mean that’s what the environment that you hope you have right and that’s what this is about uh and we talk about being successful you know individual success always comes from Team success um and you know he’s a you know obviously a product of that um and you know George
And his way is a leader on this team uh people follow his energy people follow his voice um people respect you know his grind and how he got to where he is so like for him to continue to talk about the team sets the tone for everybody
Else and they follow his lead on the flip side of that do you then kind of boost him up so he feels it because he’s not going to give it to himself yeah no definitely like you know George especially you know kind of with his shooting early on had his ups and downs
And those things but you know we kept supporting him we kept telling him to take his shots uh and so then when he has a night like that like you really want to celebrate that night uh just to help him you know with his with the confidence and the belief um but like
It’s there for him right and we want him to be able to have those type of nights for USB that 113 since you lost two starters um obviously the record I’m sure is what everybody’s going to be most happy about Overall winning with what is what’s your
Favorite part of that uh I I I love the way we’re playing um and and it’s it’s an unselfishness on both sides of the floor um and it’s a you know a joy and like a passion uh but the guys are having fun um and to me like that’s what
This is all about like we are extremely fortunate uh to be in the position that we’re in so we should enjoy the hell out of it you know and when guys get to go out compete play selfless basketball uh I mean it’s so much fun and then when
You watch the guys Embrace other people’s Joys and successes like that’s what this is all about you started game Road n 12 or on the road what are the challenges to that and how into a uh I mean again it’s it’s a base and a standard that you have to
Set no matter where you are uh and you know our focus is like defensively we know it travels uh and as long as you can defend you give yourself yourself a chance to win anywhere so as long as we continue with that mindset that we’re a defensive uh Team first uh and then
Offensively you know we go out and uh you know get our objectives that we’re aiming for as far as our shot quality and those types of things our assist numbers um you know those things we we’ll be just fine cuz it it travels youever back there’s eventually I
Not uh I mean to be honest with you not yet maybe you know a few years from now when um you know we’ve accomplished some of the things that we’ve all set out to accomplish you’ll look back at that U but right now we’re just having fun with
Where we are right now with this group uh thinking about you know the daytoday how we help them improve you know what we know is we have a lot of young talented players that are going to have an impact on this league for a long time
Uh and our focus is how do we contain that uh keep it here and make it a great team all right
Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke to the media following practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts on January 19, 2024.
