Behind the Scenes with JB Bickerstaff: Day 1
July 3, 2006

(On how the Bobcats approach summer league play)
It’s still the same attitude. You go into it trying to win ball games. What it does, is it gives you an opportunity to give your players experience and gives guys a chance to play together that may not have played together. You get to get Ryan Hollins and Adam Morrison in here with Alan Anderson, Sean May and Kevin Burleson. You get the opportunity to evaluate new talent. You bring guys in here that you want to take a look at who you think may be able to make your team and contribute. You look at Kevin Burleson, he was a guy who played summer league with us and made our team. Alan Anderson was the same way. He was a guy who wasn’t drafted, played summer league with us, played very well and then contributed this season with some pretty big games.

(On Emeka Okafor)
He looked a little rusty but he’s been sitting out since January, so that’s to be expected. This is his first five-on-five action since January. The things that he does, he is still able to do. He can run the floor, rebound, block shots and he can defend. I think that’s something we are counting on him to do but it’s going to take him some time to get back to who he really is.

(On Sean May)
I told Sean (May) he looked like a basketball player again today. This is the first time I’ve seen him play five-on-five since January or February and you forget all the little things that he does that makes him so talented, his offensive rebounding, his ability to pass the ball, his ability make jump shots. You appreciate guys like that, guys who understand the game and make the game easy. That’s what Sean does.

(On Adam Morrison)
He makes it easy. Just watching him in one day, you can see how much better he is going to make his teammates. A lot of people attribute Gonzaga’s success to him putting the ball in the basket. That’s not always the case. Yes, he puts the ball in the basket, but on top of that, he gets open guys the ball. He makes his teammates look better.

(On if the Bobcats can use things from summer league in the regular season)
If it works. He (Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff) is always watching and has an open eye on what we’re trying to do. He’s open to suggestions If you have an opinon he allows you to share what you feel. Through the draft process, with all our scouts and the independent scouts, everybody had an opinion and everybody’s opinion counted. You come out here and try different things and experiment and if it works then we can take it and see what happens.

(On what serving as the head coach of the summer league team means to him)
I think for me this all about getting experience. I think that’s one of the great things he (Bernie Bickerstaff) does is allows me to get experience and try different things. I think a lot of people look at me and see my age and they won’t let me do certain things. He’s in a position where he’s so comfortable with himself and what he’s done and the things that he’s accomplished that he’s not afraid of letting the people behind him grow and flourish. I think this experience will help me down the line if I try to get a head coaching job somewhere or just to grow as a basketball coach.