JB Bickerstaff Praises Detroit Pistons Forward's Two-Way Play vs Heat

Pistons coach liked what he saw from Tim Hardaway Jr. vs the Miami Heat

Oct 16, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) during player introductions before their preseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

On Monday night, the Detroit Pistons took the floor in Miami in hopes of securing their first win of the 2024-25 season. They'd keep themselves within striking distance of the Miami Heat, but once again ended up falling just short. While the Pistons weren't able to walk out with a victory, J.B. Bickerstaff still liked what he saw from one of the team's new additions.

In an attempt to bring more experience to the roster, Tim Hardaway Jr. was the first player Trajan Langdon brought to Detroit this offseason. The veteran guard has been in different situations all around the league, and provides much-needed skills like outside shooting to the roster.

Hardaway Jr. had his struggles during the preseason, but seems to be finding his footing. Monday night was a bit of a breakout showing from him, finishing with 20 points on efficient 50% shooting from the field.

Following the Pistons' 106-98 loss, Bickerstaff was asked his thoughts on THJ's performance against the Heat. He applauded the journeyman guard for his play on both ends of the floor.

"I thought Tim not only was making shots, but how he was defensively," Bickerstaff said. "He was physical, he was getting into the ball, and that's what we weren't doing in the first half...I thought Tim did a good job taking it upon himself to contain the ball, be physical at the point of attack, and then obviously making shots."

Seeing that Hardaway has started every game thus far, it's clear Bickerstaff is confident in his abilities to uplift the young players around rim. Following this strong performance, the veteran guard will now look to keep this momentum rolling moving forward. Detroit finds themselves with an off day Tuesday before heading to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers Wednesday night.