Tag: J.B. Bickerstaff

Spacing and switching: Rockets adapt to life with Jabari Smith Jr. at center

Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff on the Rockets: “Playing smaller, playing switchable lineups, more five-out spacing, it does make them a little bit of a different team.”

The Rockets aren’t nearly as high powered on offense without injured center Alperen Sengun, and they also lack the physical post presence. With second-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. sliding to center and rookie Amen Thompson taking Smith’s vacated role at forward, however, Houston is suddenly more athletic in the frontcourt.

That dynamic allows head coach Ime Udoka to attempt even more switching on defense, and the presence of a big man with a reliable 3-point shot also provides floor-spacing benefits on offense.

“Jabari being a different pick-and-pop threat is really beneficial, especially against teams that play double bigs, like they do,” Udoka said after Saturday’s dominant win over Cleveland.

The Rockets were plus-22 in Smith’s 32 minutes, best of any player. He had 20 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks while making 8-of-13 shots (61.5%) and 3-of-5 from 3-point range (60%). Thompson added 18 points and 8 rebounds while making 8-of-11 shots (72.7%), most near the rim after offensive rebounds or creation by teammates.

“You try to find different ways to be effective,” said veteran point guard Fred VanVleet, speaking to the post-Sengun offense. “If they put a five and drop on Jabari, you’re going to pick-and-pop. He’s one of our better shooters. You got Amen rolling to the rim. He’s one of our better finishers. He can pass out of that short roll there.”

J.B. Bickerstaff, head coach of the Cavaliers (42-25), seems to have noticed. Here’s what Bickerstaff said of the new-look Rockets, via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:

As far as schemes and the team stuff … they’re different now. Playing smaller, playing switchable lineups, more five-out spacing, it does make them a little bit of a different team.

Houston (32-35) has won five straight games and is 7-1 in March. The Rockets look to build on that momentum when they visit Washington (11-55) on Tuesday. The tip is 6 p.m. Central.

[lawrence-related id=121998,121947]

Kobe Bryant’s impact is still being felt throughout the NBA

“He was a model for young guys,” #Rockets coach Stephen Silas says of the late Kobe Bryant. “He came into the league with that drive, passion, grit, and meanness.”

On Jan. 26, 2020, the world stopped as news of a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, was reported. Among the nine killed in the tragic incident were retired Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

The NBA community was at a loss as most players and fans could not fathom the thought they would never see the “Black Mamba” sitting courtside with his daughter enjoying being a “Girl Dad” again. As a tribute to Bryant, several teams opted for 24-second shot clock violations to pay homage to his retired No. 24 jersey.

Three years later, the five-time NBA Finals champion and Hall of Fame player’s memory remains strong throughout the league.

“He was a model for young guys,” said Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas during his pregame press conference on Thursday. “He came into the league with that drive, passion, grit and meanness. All those things you want from a player on your team.”

Silas was a scout with the Charlotte Hornets in 2002 when he witnessed the ferocity of Bryant firsthand on February 22, 2002.

“My first year when I was in Charlotte, one of the first games when I was a scout and sat behind the bench, he made a game-winner in classic Kobe style,” Silas said. “He was always so driven and committed to, for lack of a better word, killing his opponent.”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who was in Houston for Thursday’s game, also witnessed Bryant’s greatness firsthand as an assistant coach with the Hornets during many of those years.

“It was special,” Bickerstaff said. “There are very few people that draw the attention that he was able to draw and could live up to that expectation every single day. Greatness is measured on a whole other level. Every single night they take the opponent’s best shot.”

Bickerstaff continued his comments:

Every single night, buildings sell out because this person is coming to town, and they wanted to see Kobe play at his best, and he took that to heart. He didn’t go anywhere and disappoint any fan anywhere. He didn’t go anywhere and did not give his opponent his best shot.

You admired the way he competed and how important the game was to him. He never let the outside stuff become more important than the game, and as a coach, you have so much admiration and appreciation for that.

Although Bryant retired in 2016 as the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history, he made an even greater name for himself away from the court. In 2018, he even received an Oscar for best animated short film for “Dear Basketball.” He also became a staple in women’s basketball, lending his voice and time to advance the game his daughter Gigi loved on the collegiate and professional levels (WNBA).

Third-year Rockets forward KJ Martin, a Los Angeles native, took some time before the game to reflect on what Bryant meant to him. As a child, Martin watched his dad, former NBA player Kenyon Martin Sr., battle Bryant on the court during an extended career.

“Growing up, he was always my favorite player,” Martin said from his locker. “Obviously, him and my dad had a lot of battles. In New Jersey (Nets), they played against each other in the finals, and in Denver (Nuggets), they played multiple times in the Western Conference finals. I got an opportunity after the game to get a game-worn pair of shoes (Kobe’s) that I still have to this day.”

[lawrence-related id=109887,109854]

[mm-video type=video id=01gqg9tj9mmj1yr5nr6h playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gqg9tj9mmj1yr5nr6h/01gqg9tj9mmj1yr5nr6h-a6f8529006faae0786f8b071bf45168c.jpg]

[listicle id=109777]

Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff upset with foul calls Sixers stars received

Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff is upset about the foul calls given to the star duo of the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers were able to come away with a 112-108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road as they were able to officially clinch a playoff spot for the fifth straight season. The Sixers were able to get big games out of Joel Embiid and James Harden in order to get the job done.

Embiid had 44 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocks and Harden had 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. The big fella shot 17-for-20 from the foul line and Harden shot 11-for-12 from the line. The Sixers shot 42 free throws compared to 31 for the Cavs and coach J.B. Bickerstaff was upset about it.

Per ESPN, Bickerstaff called out the officiating:

“That game was taken from us,” Bickerstaff said. “We deserved to win it.”

“The one thing you can’t defend is the free throw line, and that’s absurd,” Bickerstaff said, referring to the Sixers’ 42 attempted foul shots (35 of which they made). “Our guys deserved way better than they got tonight.”

“They’re great players, and they understand how to play through the rules,” he said of Philly’s All-Stars. “They know how to manipulate the rules. This is no knock or disrespect to those guys. But the game has to be consistent on both ends of the floor. We were searching for that consistency, and we never found it.”

This isn’t the first time an opposing coach called out Philadelphia’s stars for their free throws. Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue did something similar in March.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=62159]

[lawrence-related id=62181,62146,62136]

Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff reacts to Sixers acquiring James Harden

Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff reacts to the Philadelphia 76ers adding James Harden.

The Philadelphia 76ers made a huge blockbuster trade on Thursday when they acquired James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets to team him with Joel Embiid. The move vaults them back into the conversation of winning the Eastern Conference.

Harden is one of the elite scorers and playmakers in the game and the possibilities are endless with his skills combined with Embiid’s. The Sixers have the potential to be one of the better offenses in the league.

Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff has a great deal of experience with Harden dating to their time with the Houston Rockets. Bickerstaff was an assistant under then-coach Kevin McHale. When McHale was fired, Bickerstaff was the interim coach in the 2015-16 season with Harden leading the way for the Rockets.

So, when asked what Harden can do in Philadelphia, Bickerstaff explained his skills.

“James is a phenomenal talent,” Bickerstaff explained. “He can impact winning in a bunch of different ways. He is one of the, if not the most complete offensive player in our game, so I’m sure Doc (Rivers) is over there thinking of all the things he can do, but he’s gonna make this team better.”

The Sixers and the Cavs are among the teams that will battle for the top spot in the Eastern Conference throughout the rest of the season. Cleveland entered Saturday’s contest second in the East before Philadelphia picked up a win. With Harden coming in soon, it will make the Sixers that much tougher.

“He makes his teammates better,” Bickerstaff finished. “He’s gonna make it difficult on opposing teams.”

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=59894]

[lawrence-related id=60067,60061,60058]