Less than four months after being appointed assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, Terry Stotts resigned on Thursday. It was quite a shock, and Damian Lillard was asked about his former head coach’s departure during a recent press conference.
“I think everybody was kind of surprised by it,” Lillard said. “It kind of came out of nowhere. I’ve been in this league long enough to know that these types of things happen. Everything continues, so you’ve got to kind of process things like this and other things that may come up and continue to move forward.
Stotts was Lillard’s head coach on the Portland Trail Blazers for nine seasons from 2012 to 2021 and had made the transition to the Bucks easier.
“For me, knowing Terry as long as I’ve known him, playing for him for nine years and him also making this transition for me easier just having a familiar face be such a huge part of it was a good thing,” Lillard added. “I think now that I’m settled in, to see him go is unfortunate. It’s sad to see him go. But like I said, everything is still moving forward.”
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It would have helped Lillard a lot to have a familiar face around, but the 33-year-old is now moving on, as that is just the nature of the business. This is certainly a blow to the Bucks, as Stotts was the only member of their coaching staff who had been a full-time head coach in the NBA.
To go with his stint with the Blazers, he had also previously been the head coach for the Bucks from 2005 to 2007 and the Atlanta Hawks from 2002 to 2004. His presence would have been huge for rookie head coach Adrian Griffin, but it appears their relationship might have been the reason for the departure.
Why Did Terry Stotts Resign?
Lillard indicated there was no drama in Stotts’ exit, but that might not be entirely true. Anytime someone quits just months after joining, you know something went wrong behind the scenes, and additional details did emerge on Stotts’ stunning resignation from the Bucks.
“When the players and coaches broke the huddle, Stotts went in the opposite direction of the coaches’ huddle and instead started walking toward players,” wrote Shams. “As Stotts attempted to start a conversation with Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Griffin called to Stotts to join the coaching huddle. When Stotts asked for some time with the players, Griffin yelled for Stotts to join the coaches’ huddle. The incident occurred in front of the entire team, those sources said.”
It was also reported that having to be an assistant after being a head coach for so long, wasn’t all that easy for Stotts. He also felt he deserved more respect and an incident like that with Griffin wouldn’t have sat well with him at all.
How Big Of A Blow Is This For The Bucks?
While I normally wouldn’t make a big deal out of an assistant coach’s departure, things are a little different here. That’s largely because of the lack of head coaching experience that Griffin and the rest of his staff have.
With Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo around, things should be fine during the regular season, but we have seen just how much coaching matters once you get to the playoffs.
Having someone with Stotts’ experience would have helped in those critical moments. Griffin didn’t confirm whether the Bucks would be bringing someone in as a replacement for Stotts, but I sure hope they get someone with some experience.
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