East Notes: Cavs, JB Bickerstaff, Celtics, Pistons, James Wiseman

Cavaliers

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been pleased with the Cavaliers’ grit lately, as exemplified in their win over the Bulls on Saturday night.

“The mental toughness the guys showed when things weren’t going our way, you talk about growth, that’s what this was,” Bickerstaff told reporters.

The Cavs have won six straight and are 24-6 at home entering Monday’s game vs. the Spurs.

• Saturday marked the return of guard/forward Dylan Windler, who was listed as out with an ankle injury. A source told Hoops Wire he had also suffered a hamstring injury. Windler dressed but did not play. “It’s been tough because there have been random bumps in the road that you can’t account for,” Bickerstaff said.
• The Cavs have sold out all 30 home games, by the way.
• In case you missed it, veteran shooting guard Danny Green will soon be joining the team after being waived by the Rockets. We have that full story here.

Danny Green adds championship pedigree to #Cavs young core and fits positive culture built by Koby Altman. May only knock down a couple 3s a night but a couple timely 3s could be a big deal in a playoff game. More NBA https://t.co/07DB6szupr https://t.co/2Jcn71SWJK

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) February 13, 2023

Celtics

The Celtics have won four straight after topping the Grizzlies in Sunday’s home matinee, doing so without injured starting guard/forward Jaylen Brown and guard Marcus Smart.

But the likes of guard Derrick White and forward Sam Hauser will be able to fill in admirably.

“That’s the beauty of this team,” White told reporters. “We’re just so deep. We’ve got a lot of guys that can do a little bit of everything.”

Hauser echoed those sentiments, as the Celtics entered Monday a game-and-a-half ahead of the Bucks for first place in the Eastern Conference.

“We have some of our top dogs out now and it’s just an opportunity for guys to showcase what they can do,” Hauser said. “Try to fill that void of the guys that were out. They bring a lot to the table. We try to do our best to do whatever we can to help the team win.”

Pistons

• Now that the Warriors’ approved the four-team trade that also involved the Pistons, center James Wiseman could practice Tuesday and make his Detroit debut on Wednesday vs. the Celtics, per Mike Curtis of the Detroit News.
• Wiseman officially joining the Pistons couldn’t come at a better time, as rookie center Jalen Duren suffered a right ankle injury in Sunday’s loss to the Raptors. “He turned his ankle pretty good,” coach Dwane Casey said, via Curtis. “He tried to come back. He loosened up at halftime and he just couldn’t move laterally. I applaud him, he tried but just couldn’t go.”