It happens often in sports, the on court talent casts a shadow over the coaches who put them in the position to succeed. The past two years at Blazer games I have found myself being the only one in my section screaming like a maniac when they announce coach Stotts, and can't help but wonder why he doesn't get a rousing ovation. I knew coach Stotts was integral in Dallas' championship run, and granted there was a great deal of turnover in regards to player talent after that season, but the fact that you see Portland playing a style of ball so similar to that championship Mavs team tells you the part Stotts played as an assistant coach there. I don't think this forum is responsible for the majority of the lack of credit the coaching staff gets. I think we all know how important they are, but do we all truly know how big of additions the assistant coaches are? I myself admittedly did not know the background of all the training staff, and still don't know the duties of all assistant coaches. Hopefully some can help fill in any blanks, and together we can have a nice comprehensive understanding of how great a coaching staff we actually have. Lets take a look back two-three seasons ago when there was a dramatic overhaul in the Trail Blazers front office which brought in a plethora of new coaches. New additions in 2011: Terry Stotts (Head Coach), Dale Osbourne (Assistant Coach) New additions in 2012: Jay Triano (Assistant Coach), David Vanterpool (Assistant Coach), Nate Tibbetts (Assistant Coach), Kim Hughes (Assistant Coach). It can be no coincidence that since 2012 we have seen a drastic improvement in the way the team plays, one that many did not expect, and did not think the team could repeat...That is because many do not give this coaching staff the credit that they deserve. While all of the additions mentioned above are huge, I am going to focus on the ones that in my mind have made the biggest impacts. David Vanterpool (Assistant Coach): We see coach Vanterpool every game, and he is almost always accompanying Damian Lillard. The reason being, is that Vanterpool was brought in not only to be a Pro-Scout, but also as a player personnel mentor for our guards and perimeter players. Overseeing the development of Russell Westbrook in a similar role for the Thunder from 2010-2012, Vanterpool is no stranger to helping develop elite point guards. This was a genius acquisition by the Trail Blazers, one which instantly paid off as the chemistry between Damian and Vanterpool took off. The development of Lillard was a priority for the front office concluding the 2012 NBA draft, and coach Vanterpool seems to be the perfect addition. Terry Stotts and Vanterpool convened during a coaching clinic in New Jersey, a meeting which led to Vanterpool joining the Blazers coaching staff. This was in 2012, and the three minds behind the Mavericks 2011 NBA championship were all in attendence looking to bolster their coaching staffs. Coach Dwane Casey, now up in Toronto with the Raptors was looking to form his own coaching staff of the future. Meanwhile coach Carlisle was looking to replace the losses of his two great assistant coaches. While the article gives no answer as to whether or not Stotts was the only coach of the three to reach out to Vanterpool, I feel you must assume some form of conversation must have happened between Vanterpool, Casey, and Carlisle. Regardless of which talks transpired between who, the fact that Terry Stotts identified Vanterpool as a valuable piece to his coaching staff speaks volumes of Stotts as a coach, and his vision for the franchise moving forward. Kim Hughes (Assistant Coach): Dr. Dre once said "Who you think brought you the o' G's Eazy-E's Ice Cube's and D. O. C's and Snoop D O double G's". Who do you think brought us the Robin Lopez's, the Chris Kaman's, and the Joel Freeland's? Yes these players all have individual talent, but Kim Hughes has been integral in helping each of them hone their talents in a way that works best within the system. In fact, Kaman attributed his relationship with Hughes as part of the reason why he chose to come to Portland, stating Kaman and Hughes share a special relationship, in fact Kaman was part of a group of Clippers players who donated money to help fund a life-saving operation to treat coach Hughes' prostate cancer. As an assistant coach with the Clippers from 2003-2010, Hughes helped Kaman develop his game from the time he was a rookie. Kaman eventually earned a spot on the 2010 All-Star team. Joel Freeland also credits Kim Hughes with his development. While playing in Europe, Freeland was often by himself in a gym working on his game in the off-season, without so much as a body to grab a rebound. Skip forward to 3:50 into the video and Tone brings up the fact that Robin Lopez has transformed into a tremendous player since coming to Portland. There are some good paragraphs on each coach at the Blazers NBA.com website if you want to read some more information on each of the coaches. One take away is that two of our assistant coaches (Jay Triano, Dale Osbourne) have both been part of the USA Basketball coaching staff at one point. You have probably noticed a theme with coach Vanterpool, and coach Hughes. They are both "Players coaches" and are both very well respected and appreciated by the players and other members of the staff. Their importance reaches beyond their skills as developmental mentors, and will play a big part in players decisions whether or not to re-sign with the Blazers in the offseason. The Blazers front office caught a whiff of what breeds long term success in the NBA, trust and respect. The trust and respect between players and coaches is the cookie dough covered spoon used to bake a team to perfection. It now flows through the team as we carve our way through the league making our mark.
Thank you both! I've got some great inspiration on these forums. I appreciate everyone here who creates and contributes to all the discussions we have here. Definitely the best NBA fan forum on the web!
