Dot - Dot - Dot Com
with Jim Paschke

A late season surprise has put another indelible imprint on this Bucks campaign. On March 14th, the Bucks named Larry Krystkowiak as their tenth Head Coach, replacing Terry Stotts.

Rarely do teams make coaching changes more than 60 games into a season. In fact, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, it has happened just four times in the last ten years.

The previous three late changes occurred during the 2004-05 season, and like the Bucks move, all came just after the team’s 64th game. Paul Silas was replaced in Cleveland, Johnny Davis in Orlando and Don Nelson in Dallas during that season. Like Krystokowiak, Brendan Malone, Chris Jent and Avery Johnson all took over their teams in time for game 65.

It is impossible to contemplate Larry Krystkowiak, the coach, without thinking immediately about Larry Krystkowiak the player. When Larry’s name has come up in the past, I instantly retrieve the mental picture of him being wheeled off the floor in game three of the 1990 playoffs against Detroit. Bill Laimbeer had collided with Larry at the top of the circle on the north end of the Bradley Center court. While he was being carried off the court, Krystkowiak pumped his fist to the crowd. They responded with admiration and cheers.

In game four, the Bucks had just eight players available and were swept by the Pistons, despite playing valiantly, as Fred Roberts scored over 30 points. The home crowd gave the team a standing ovation as it left the court after its final game that season. The spirit of Krystkowiak, the team and the fans that year, has always symbolized Bucks basketball to me.

Krystkowiak will coach with the same resolute toughness with which he played. It is similar to the styles we see from Jerry Sloan in Utah and Larry’s good friend and former teammate Scott Skiles in Chicago. Both men have disciplined, tough, blue-collar teams, and both have been very successful. (By the way, I can’t wait for the first Bucks-Bulls, Krystkowiak-Skiles match-up. That rivalry may really become great again.)

At the end of Larry’s first coaching victory, against San Antonio, you saw a rare regular season sight in the NBA. There was unbridled joy on the part of the players toward their coach. Ruben Patterson ran up to Krystkowiak with a big hug, Andrew Bogut followed, as did others. On a night when the WIAA Boys State Tournament and NCAA March Madness were taking place, we witnessed jubilation, normally confined to those events, at the NBA level. It was refreshing, invigorating and promising.

Perhaps we are watching Milwaukee’s version of “Larry Legend” coming back to life.

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