The player who will be key in the Detroit Pistons' new leap for the 2025/26 season

The new player for the Detroit Pistons, Caris LeVert, has praised his former coach at the Cleveland Cavaliers and current Detroit coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, for his influence on his development as a defender. Speaking to Hunter Patterson (The Athletic), LeVert expressed his excitement about working under his guidance again.

"J.B. brought out a different part of my game, and I've always said that. When I got to Cleveland, I was asked to defend," commented LeVert. "Before that, I wasn't really asked to defend, and I now think it's one of the strongest parts of my game. All of that helped me take my game to the next level. Before playing in Cleveland with J.B., I was a different player, and I think he challenged me to become the complete player I am today. So, I'm really looking forward to this new chapter."

LeVert, born in Michigan, will also reunite with his former teammate at the Wolverines, Duncan Robinson, at the Pistons. Detroit will heavily rely on LeVert following the departure of Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency and with Malik Beasley's future still uncertain.

"I'm a big fan of the culture here," he added. "I played for J.B. for three years. I like a lot of the guys on the team, how they work, how they play, how competitive they are. I think there are a lot of great character guys in the organization. I'm very excited to play back in Michigan and be part of this team."

The relationship between LeVert and Hardaway Jr.

Hardaway Jr., now playing for the Denver Nuggets, was LeVert's teammate at the University of Michigan. In an interview with Omari Sankofa II (The Detroit Free Press), LeVert explained that Hardaway was crucial in his decision to sign with the Pistons.

"I spoke with Tim probably the morning before signing," he revealed. "We talked on FaceTime for a good while. He spoke highly of everyone here, reassured me, said it's a great organization, with good people and great players. He was certainly someone I leaned on to make this decision."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El jugador que será fundamental en el nuevo salto de los Detroit Pistons para la temporada 2025/26