A bad sign

It was surprising to read that Terry Stotts, former Trail Blazers head coach, has quit his job as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks before he even really got started there. Apparently he and rookie head coach Adrian Griffin didn't hit it off, to put it mildly.

That can't be good news for Damian Lillard, recently traded to Milwaukee after bady misplaying his cards with the management of the Blazers. He and Stotts had worked together, with moderate success, for years in Rip City, and it seemed as though they would make good partners in their new home. 'Twasn't to be.

Meanwhile, Lillard's getting divorced, and dealing with a potentially wicked child custody angle. The media have started digging into the details of his personal life. He's going to have a lot happening off the court for the next few months, just as the season gets rolling.

Can he shut out all the noise, and contribute to another league championship for the Bucks? Given that his new coach can't hold his staff together, you've got to wonder if that's going to happen. If I had to choose between Griffin and Stotts for a head coach, I wouldn't pick Griffin.

I also wonder how long Lillard will continue to be such a big story in Portland. Right now he's getting more local media play than all of the current Trail Blazers combined. When the local pundits turn their attention ever-so-briefly to the post-Lillard Blazer roster, they use words like "intriguing" and "fun to watch." That means they're going to have another losing season under Chauncey Billups. Between Griffin and Billups, I'd take Griffin.