To support Adrian Griffin, who is discovering the job of “head coach” this season at the Bucks, Milwaukee had hired Terry Stotts, whose experience in the field should be valuable.
On paper, it was the perfect recruitment because the offensive profile of Terry Stotts and his 13 years spent at the head of the Bucks, the Hawks and especially the Blazers perfectly complemented the more defensive profile of Adrian Griffin, a long-time assistant but this is his first experience at the head of a team.
Except that yesterday, the 65-year-old assistant announced his decision to leave his position!
What happened to cause Terry Stotts to jump ship just days before the start of the regular season? Actually, The Athletic reports that relationships between Adrian Griffin and his right arm were tense.
“We were all caught off guard, of course, but we support him”commented Adrian Griffin. “He was great. I learned a lot from him in a very short time. He was really good at what he did. He made a decision – a personal decision – and we must respect it.”
After so many years as head coach with the Blazers, Terry Stotts thus seems to have had difficulty getting back into an assistant positionbehind a rookie coach who must establish his authority.
Terry Stotts too close to Damian Lillard?
A reported episode symbolizes the dynamic, on both sides. At training, Adrian Griffin brought everyone together, coaches and players, to conclude Tuesday’s training. In the process, he asked the coaches to stay a little in the circle to continue discussing, while the players could leave. But Terry Stotts had something to say to Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo about the offense. When Adrian Griffin asked him to come back, his assistant asked for some time. The “head coach” then yelled at him to come back to the coaching group. A micro-incident, but one that the entire team witnessed.
An incident which therefore decided Terry Stotts that he was not in his place in this role of assistant.
“It came out of nowhere”recognized Damian Lillard, whom Terry Stotts had warned in advance, the two men having been close since their years in Oregon. “I’ve been in this league long enough to know that these kinds of things happen. Life goes on, so you have to deal with things like that and other things that may happen and keep moving forward. Having known Terry for so long, having played for him for nine years, it made the transition easier for me with a familiar face who played an important role. Now that I’ve got my bearings, it’s unfortunate to see him go. It’s sad, but we must continue to move forward. »
Perhaps also for Adrian Griffin, this proximity between Terry Stotts and Damian Lillard was also a problem since it threatened to undermine his authority, particularly with the playmaker.
