DETROIT — The physicality that comes with the Detroit Pistons’ play style is critical to the success the team is enjoying.
The Pistons commit more fouls than anyone in the league and bring an aggression to every play that makes them unique.
That comes with good and bad and sometimes boils over like it did on Sunday when second-year forward Ron Holland was ejected following a scuffle with Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis.
The pair got their arms tied up midway through the fourth quarter as Holland tried to make an aggressive play on the ball.
After getting the whistle for a foul, Holland and Ellis each made toward the referee to discuss when Kings guard Nique Clifford gave Holland a light shove from behind. Holland appeared to believe Ellis pushed him and he delivered a shove in response that took him off his feet.
The pair were assessed technical fouls, but Holland was also ejected. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff backed Holland following a practice on Monday, believing he was justified in his response.
“I’m fine with it. You know, the kid from Sacramento pushed Ron,” Bickerstaff said. “Ron made the mistake and pushed the wrong guy, but he had his back turned. So if you push somebody and they’ve got their back turned, then they got every right to do what Ron did.”
Bickerstaff also called out what he believes is a poor officiating practice of penalizing the player who reacts more than the initiator of the behavior.
“That’s what to me is being regulated a little differently is like the first offender should be the one that’s punished the hardest,” Bickerstaff said. “The way we are now is like the second guy is the one who gets punished for responding, which, I don’t think is right.”
Holland is among the more physical players on the team, using a relentless motor on defense to spur forward everything he does. He’s been involved in his fair share of confrontations with other teams, particularly when he tries to hustle for a loose ball.
Holland had a dust up with Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. last week, but kept his head and Smith was the only one assessed a technical foul.
This time around Holland was tossed, marking his first ejection of the season after having two in his rookie year.