And he complained about his players. I remember several conversations with Buzzy when he wondered why one of his Falcons failed to find the nerve to take a big shot or properly box out for a crucial rebound or pass out of a double team.
Life in the NBA spoiled him. He expected players to understand the game. I almost told him, more than once, he had been hired as a basketball professor. He needed to hear the words. He struggled to see it was his job to teach basketball to these young cadets.
Consider that issue behind Bzdelik, who went 73-119 as Nuggets head coach from 2002 to 2004 when Carmelo Anthony was breaking into the league.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports:
Ex-Nuggets head coach Jeff Bzdelik is expected to sign a contract to become an assistant coach with the Grizzlies tomorrow, a source said.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 23, 2014
Bzdelik has spent a lifetime in basketball, coming up through the ranks as a college assistant, small-college head coach, NBA assistant and NBA scout.
Being an NBA head coach was probably a bit over his head. Being a college head coach didn’t seem to suit him.
This is probably the role – and he’s tried nearly all them – that fits him best.
And in Memphis, where not long ago owner Robert Pera and head coach Dave Joerger were at odds over silliness, maybe Bzdelik will serve as the Grizzlies’ head coach by the end of the season.