Starters gone, no problem for the Detroit Pistons.
Wednesday night's matchup with the Chicago Bulls featured an injury-plagued Pistons' roster. Detroit stepped up with its limited roster on its way to a 124-113 victory, marking the eighth consecutive as a team. The night also featured the debut of the Pistons' City Edition court and jerseys.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff embraced the idea of the challenge for the bench players to have a bigger role before tipoff. After the victory, he spoke about what it means for the Pistons to 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 games that I do 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 preseason, and the way that they worked to build the cohesiveness and the chemistry that they have. That’s what allows us to get today done. Not just showing up today and trying to say, ‘we’re going to do something special,’ but what’s brewing in that locker room is special.”
The Pistons entered the game without key contributors like 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 has managed to power to first place in the Eastern Conference despite the plethora of injuries. The injury count reached its highest toll on Wednesday with seven inactive players in the win against Chicago.
There is no timetable available at this moment for the return of the injured players. Bickerstaff has advised on the team taking their time to recover and return when fully ready.
Next man up for the Pistons
The reserves who filled in for the Detroit Pistons made the most of their time against the Bulls. The normal starting lineup was filled in with new faces like Daniss Jenkins, Ron Holland, Javonte Green, and Paul Reed. Guard Duncan Robinson was the only regular starter who remained in the starting unit.
The Pistons never surrendered a lead to the Bulls and led by as many as 23 points in the first half. Detroit stood on its foundation as a defensive-minded team that relies on ball movement and transition scoring offensively. The Pistons had 30 assists on 50 field goals.
Reed led all scorers with a season-high of 28 points along with 13 rebounds, six assists, and four steals. The 26-year-old veteran spoke about what it takes for the Pistons to succeed throughout adversity.
“It’s the togetherness, for sure. Off the court, it’s been the small things – going out to eat together on the road, trips this offseason. There were a couple of us that pulled up to 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 can talk to each other a certain type of way and know it’s not coming from a negative place. It’s kind of like a brotherhood at this point. And that’s the biggest thing when it comes to us being together [in-sync] is off-the-court stuff.”
Robinson also recorded a season-high with 23 points, including seven made 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.
