If you had a tree that grew money, you would quietly disappear and the tree would be moved into an undisclosed location.
I loved the way Buck played with the Blazers. He played the game the right way. He sacrificed his game and glory for the team. He played to win. I don't know if that will make him a good coach, but I sure hope so. "The construction business is in the toilet. Let's see, I guess I will go be an NBA coach." Damn. I sure wish MY Fallback Plan was a gig in the NBA.
I love Buck, but I'm not overly thrilled about the hire. Just as I wasn't thrilled with Luke as the big mans coach. Most everyone agrees that Oden holds the key to our future success, and the one thing he needs more than anything else is someone to help him with footwork. Buck was a rebounding stud and tough guy, but he wasn't known for his footwork down low. Good hire, but meh
I don't think he can teach "toughness." I don't think Oden needs toughness. Mostly what I want is someone who can teach Oden fluid post footwork and polish in challenging shots...veteran tricks that help avoid fouls when going for shot blocks. Maybe Williams can do the second (though, while he was a fine defender, he never struck me as a shot-blocker). I have no idea about his abilities as a teacher. I just hope this isn't a sentimentality hire: reminding fans of the "good times." I want new good times based on hires that help the team now.
No, really, people were talking about players with zero coaching experience landing assistant coaching jobs. Not only is (was?) Damon an assistant coach without experience, he did it with a dong sized roll of dooby in his jockey's. Let's not worry about Buck, ok?
The worry isn't them just being an assistant, it's them being a GOOD assistant. I don't give a shit if Damon got a job coaching with Memphis. I care about someone who has never coached before potentially being our big man coach, and playing a large role in the improvement and development of a franchise cornerstone.
Was the Blazer gig the first for Lucas? I can't recall. Not that it would be any indication of his achievements as a coach. Unfortunately, he really didn't get an opportunity to deliver.
Not to be pedantic, but he was known for his good footwork (and other fundamentals) - on defense. The notion that Buck was just a "tough guy" is way off base. If he can teach Oden to play good defense and rebound without getting into foul trouble, that will be a big plus.
A couple of things. People say Mo Lucas didn't do much, well it's kind of hard to do much when you are fighting cancer. The facts are, Mo Lucas didn't get to do a lot of coaching the last couple of years, so it's kind of hard to judge him on it when he really didn't get to do anything. The other thing being, that Oden was hurt anyhow. It's hard to coach players who can't play because of physical reasons, unless you think Oden should have got out there and learned the footwork of wheelchair basketball. Secondly, Buck Williams was one of the best position defenders and rebounders at his position, but before he came to Portland, he was a 20 point per game player. A walking double double. Maybe, just maybe if you thought about something besides Oden (Aldridge) you might recognize why he was brought in. What are Lamarcus weaknesses? Rebounding. Position defense. Lamarcus has all the tools he needs. Except the mental aspect of the game. Greg Oden is not the only player on this team. Lastly did any of you ever think Buck is just one of many who are being brought on. I fully expect another assistant or two to be brought on.
Sweet zombie Jesus. Is this the new board meme? Anybody who joins the team post KP will be hated? Between the people who want to deny KP any credit for anything, and the people who act like the world has ended, this place is losing its' collective mind!
