Overheard at Pistons practice before home opener: Backcourt duo described as “dynamic.”

DETROIT – There were no “first day of school” jitters for the Detroit Pistons on the eve of their final practice before the season opener at Little Caesars Arena. Instead, the mood was full of anticipation and excitement.

“Any time you have the opportunity to be a part of something new, you look forward to it,” Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff told reporters on Tuesday. “I'm even more excited about this group of guys – their character, what they've achieved and what they've been through. We can't wait to get started, especially as we face really good teams straight away.

“It challenges what you do and puts pressure on what we have taught. Now it's about how we respond to this pressure. There aren’t as many wins and losses in the preseason as there are in the regular season, so it will be fun for us to learn how everyone reacts in those situations.”

Wednesday marks the beginning of a new chapter in Bickerstaff's career. Following his unexpected departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer, the 45-year-old coach was hired by the Pistons as head coach after Monty Williams was fired after one season.

Now in Detroit, Bickerstaff is tasked with leading another rebuild, taking over a team that finished with the league's worst record (14-68) last season.

As he prepares for opening night, the fanfare when the PA announcer calls his name doesn't have much of an impact at this point in his career. Instead, he focuses on staying present and responding to his players' needs.

However, Bickerstaff is well aware of the iconic introductions from Pistons PA announcer John Mason. He couldn't help but grin when asked if he was looking forward to hearing Mason's interpretation of his name.

“The performances here have always been legendary,” Bickerstaff said. “Even as a guest coach, you would listen to it, you know what I mean? Just to hear how he would do it. And “Detroit Basketball” was obviously special. I’m excited to be a part of it because this organization has a rich history and I’m grateful to be here.”

The Pistons will play their season opener against the Indiana Pacers at 7:00 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena.

Here are a few additional highlights from Bickerstaff's final media session before the home opener:

Bickerstaff on his satisfaction with the team before the new season compared to the start of camp: “This is hard. Of course I have a lot of trust in our boys, but it's difficult to say where a team is in their preparation for the season. Typically it's one of those things where you have to go around the league and play everyone once to see where you fit. So we have to be extremely patient with this. We’re not rushing it.”

Bickerstaff on what struck him most about Cade Cunningham: “I just watch him play every day – the little things he can do, how he organizes, how he sees the pitch, how he thinks about the game. You see him from the outside, but when you are around him every day, you see how well he sees the game and how easy it is for him.”

Bickerstaff on how he gets players to buy into his defensive philosophy: “It comes down to their character and their desire to do the right thing, so it was easy. We didn't have to put anyone under pressure. We just let them know that we would do this and that it would help us win basketball games, grow and become a winning team. Once they understood why that was and we did our best to show them, it was easy to get involved.”

Bickerstaff on the backfield fit of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey: “I think they fit well together. That was one of the things we wanted to see early on. They do a good job of dominating the ball, so one player doesn't always have to dominate the ball. It relieves both of them. It allows them to be secondary ballplayers so everyone doesn't always have everyone staring at them to make the play. We can move them around and give them the ball, but they are dynamic and I think they complement each other well.”

Bickerstaff on Jalen Duren's development during training camp and preseason: “Just his ability to protect the paint and his understanding of how to use the defensive 'two-nine.'” Our defense is all about how well our bigs protect the paint. So whatever he needs to do to be in the zone, challenge, block shots or deter shots, he has embraced it and gotten really good at it.”

Bickerstaff on balancing his desire for improvement and results with the growth process: “You want your guys to be competitive and you can’t get to that level without being a competitor. So you're not going to take that away from them. But as a coach and in a leadership position you have to accept what is in front of you. We're not saying we shouldn't go out and try to win basketball games – our goal is to win as many as possible.

“But we want our guys and everyone to understand that we are going to fall in love with the process of getting there. This team will get it done, but let's walk through the steps. Because what happens in this league: If you skip steps, you pay later. So we’re just not going to skip these steps.”

Bickerstaff on balancing an eager fan base and the desire to see the Pistons win: “Honestly, I try not to pay attention to it. We know that if we put the team together on the field and play stylistically the way we want to play, the fans will embrace this team. They understand basketball. We want these guys to compete at a high level. We want them to play selflessly. We want to play in a way that people can appreciate and respect every day. We want to throw ourselves into the ground, take responsibility – we want to do the hard things, the stubborn things.

“And we know that if we play like that, people will hug us. Then we have to learn how to win basketball games. And I think this is where people need to be patient and understand that the fourth quarter and its requirements are different than the first three and a half quarters. We have to learn and get through these things together. But no matter what happens, the way our guys are going to play, people are going to be proud of them.”