Milwaukee Bucks coach Larry Drew is getting acquainted with a new situation after spending the last nine years in Atlanta, including the last three as head coach of the Hawks. He answered a few questions recently before heading to Estonia on Saturday to watch first-round draft pick Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is playing for Greece in the Under-20 European Championship.
Q.Do you see promise in the front line featuring Ersan Ilyasova, Larry Sanders and John Henson?
A. There's a lot of potential there, a lot of length. You know with John and Larry you've got two guys back there that can erase a lot of mistakes. Ersan has ability to make shots. Summer league is going to be great for John. Larry participating with Team USA (in a minicamp) will be a great experience for him. I've had a chance to sit down with both of them and talk about basketball and pick their brains. There are a lot of good things in the works. And we have Ekpe (Udoh), who is long and a really good worker. Those guys are very solid. My job is to try to put all three of those guys (Sanders, Udoh and Henson) in a position to be a success, particularly on the offensive end. They've shown what their capabilities are defensively.
Q.What are the goals for the Bucks summer league team in Las Vegas?
A. It's tough playing in the summer league. I want them to compete at a high level and to play together. I know the tendency in playing in summer league is everybody wants to look good and showcase themselves. We want to make sure we play together and we're organized. This will be very good for Nate Wolters, for John Henson, for Goose (Gustavo Ayon). These guys have an opportunity to play a lot of minutes. We'll gradually implement some of the things that I do, so they can get a jump start on learning some of this stuff.
Q.You added former Bucks big man Scott Williams as an assistant coach. What can he bring to the young players on the team and particularly the big men?
A. He's experienced it. He did it the hard way. A lot of people didn't think he would have the type of career he had. But it says a lot about him, not just as a player but as a person. He persevered. There were plenty of guys who might have been better, but he found his niche within the league and he was able to survive. When he speaks, our big guys definitely have to listen.
Q.The Bucks have been making big changes in free agency, losing some players and picking up others. Is that unsettling as a coach?
A. Any time you're in a situation where you have a lot of free agents and you have open spots, you're always concerned about your roster. This is an exciting time; it's kind of a nail-biting time as well, because you don't know how things are going to turn out. But I have all the confidence in the world those guys up there in that room (general manager John Hammond and his staff) will get the pieces that we want and we'll move forward.
Q.Bucks owner Herb Kohl recently said he did not want to go into a full rebuilding mode with his team. But there seems to be an effort to look toward the future, as evidenced by the pick of Antetokounmpo, the youngest player in the draft. How do you see it as you start your tenure as Bucks coach? Is it a young team that is going to take some time to jell?
A. We've got some young pieces, no doubt about it. But my focus right now is, however we put this thing together, is to put the best product out there. We've got some young guys that certainly have some really good days ahead of them. As we go through this process, we want to make sure we find the right mix, the right blend. Character is important. That brings about good chemistry and that's what we're trying to do here.
Q.Monta Ellis opted out of the final year of his contract in mid-June rather than returning to the Bucks. Were you disappointed?
A. That's the NBA. Players get in those situations, and it's just how it is. Agents put those kinds of contracts together (with an option year) to position themselves to make a decision.
Q.What stands out about your first-round pick, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and how tough will the adjustment to the NBA be?
A. This kid has a chance to be very, very special. At 6-9 he handles the ball and sees the floor. He does defend. He's very rangy. He's been taught some defense over his years. We have some work to do with him, no doubt about it. We've got to get him adjusted to playing with stronger guys. But I think this kid will be a player who will learn fast. He wants to prove he can get better.
Q.What about the culture shock he may experience?
A. This is a big change for an 18-year-old kid. I have a 19-year-old son. I know if he had to leave the States and go play in Europe, I know from a parent's standpoint how much that would weigh on me as a dad. Coming here is going to be a big adjustment.
Q.What do you think about Milwaukee so far?
A. After getting around it and really seeing it, this is a beautiful place, an absolutely gorgeous place. I'm excited about being here and getting in the community.
Q.You received a three-year contract when you were hired as coach. What are your expectations for the long term as Bucks coach?
A. I take it a year at a time. I don't look down the road. It starts this summer. When we roll into the fall and start getting ready for training camp, I have my work cut out. I'm coming into a new situation, and there are going to be a lot of new faces here. But I know going into this thing we will be on the same page, from start to finish. One thing I can assure you, we're going to be a committed group. My job is to put together a team this city can be proud of. That's my goal, and I plan on doing that. There will be a lot of challenges along the way. Our character will be tested when we get to those bad times, how we respond to it. Either we can fragment or we can stay together and dig ourselves out of a hole. It will be a year-by-year process.
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