Greg Buckner Explained

Greg Buckner
Team:Milwaukee Bucks
Position:Assistant coach
League:NBA
Birth Date:16 September 1976
Birth Place:Hopkinsville, Kentucky, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:4
Weight Lb:210
High School:University Heights Academy
(Hopkinsville, Kentucky)
College:Clemson (1994–1998)
Draft Year:1998
Draft Round:2
Draft Pick:53
Draft Team:Dallas Mavericks
Career Start:1998
Career End:2009
Career Position:Shooting guard
Career Number:21, 7, 1
Coach Start:2011
Years1:1998–1999
Team1:Grand Rapids Hoops
Years2:
Team2:Dallas Mavericks
Years3:
Team3:Philadelphia 76ers
Years4:
Team4:Denver Nuggets
Team5:Dallas Mavericks
Team6:Minnesota Timberwolves
Team7:Memphis Grizzlies
Cyears1:
Cteam1:Memphis Grizzlies (assistant)
Cyears2:
Cteam2:Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant)
Cyears3:
Cteam3:Cleveland Cavaliers (associate HC)
Highlights:
Stats League:NBA
Stat1label:Points
Stat1value:2,878 (5.0 ppg)
Stat2label:Rebounds
Stat2value:1,593 (2.8 rpg)
Stat3label:Assists
Stat3value:719 (1.3 apg)
Cteam4:Milwaukee Bucks (assistant)
Cyears4:–present

Gregory Derayle Buckner (born September 16, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He had previously served as an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Selected in the second round (53rd pick overall) of the 1998 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks after playing college basketball at Clemson, he played for the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Grizzlies. Buckner's first professional experience came with the Grand Rapids Hoops of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), where he averaged 8.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in the 1998–99 season.[1]

Playing career

College career

During his time with the Clemson Tigers, he started all 122 games of his career while guiding the team to three NCAA tournaments. Buckner led the team in scoring all four years becoming the first Clemson Tiger to do so. In 1995, Buckner was named ACC Rookie of the Year. He was entered into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

Professional career

After playing with the Dallas Mavericks from 1999 to 2002, Buckner signed with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent.[2] [3] Then he signed with the Denver Nuggets. In 2006, he re-signed with the Dallas Mavericks, but after one season,[4] [5] he was traded to the Timberwolves for Trenton Hassell on September 28, 2007.[6] On June 27, 2008, the Timberwolves traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies with O. J. Mayo, Marko Jarić, and Antoine Walker for Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins.[7] [8]

On July 9, 2009, Buckner was traded to the Dallas Mavericks as a part of the four-team deal among Grizzlies, Mavericks, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors.[9] [10]

Coaching career

On July 29, 2011, he joined the Houston Rockets as a player development coach,[11] serving for five seasons. Buckner reached the playoffs three times with the team as part of the coaching staff. He would later become an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies,[12] and in November 2020, became an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.[13] On April 21, 2021, Buckner got his first NBA head coaching victory when he temporarily replaced head coach J. B. Bickerstaff as the Cavaliers won 121–105 against the Chicago Bulls.[14] [15] On June 13, 2022, the Cavaliers promoted Buckner to associate head coach position.[16]

Career statistics

Regular season

|-| style="text-align:left;"|| style="text-align:left;"|Dallas| 48 || 1 || 19.2 || .476 || .385 || .683 || 3.6 || 1.1 || .8 || .4 || 5.7|-| style="text-align:left;"|| style="text-align:left;"|Dallas| 37 || 9 || 22.2 || .438 || .286 || .728 || 4.2 || 1.3 || .9 || .2 || 6.2|-| style="text-align:left;"|| style="text-align:left;"|Dallas| 44 || 16 || 20.1 || .525 || .313 || .690 || 3.9 || 1.1 || .7 || .4 || 5.8|-| style="text-align:left;"|| style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia| 75 || 5 || 20.2 || .465 || .273 || .802 || 2.9 || 1.3 || 1.0 || .2 || 6.0|-| style="text-align:left;"|| style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia| 53 || 3 || 13.3 || .377 || .273 || .741 || 1.9 || .8 || .4 || .1 || 3.1|-| style="text-align:left;"|| style="text-align:left;"|Denver| 70 || 41 || 21.7 || .528 || .405 || .778 || 3.0 || 1.9 || 1.1 || .1 || 6.2|-| style="text-align:left;"|| style="text-align:left;"|Denver| 73 || 27 || 24.1 || .434 || .354 || .782 || 2.9 || 1.7 || 1.2 || .3 || 6.7|-| style="text-align:left;"|| style="text-align:left;"|Dallas| 76 || 11 || 18.1 || .411 || .311 || .794 || 2.1 || .9 || .6 || .1 || 4.0|-| style="text-align:left;"|| style="text-align:left;"|Minnesota| 31 || 4 || 16.8 || .385 || .300 || .864 || 2.1 || 1.3 || .7 || .1 || 4.0|-| style="text-align:left;"|| style="text-align:left;"|Memphis| 63 || 0 || 13.9 || .384 || .255 || .800 || 2.1 || .9 || .5 || .1 || 2.5|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career| 570 || 117 || 19.1 || .450 || .334 || .757 || 2.8 || 1.3 || .8 || .2 || 5.0

Playoffs

|-| style="text-align:left;"|2001| style="text-align:left;"|Dallas| 5 || 0 || 15.0 || .478 || .333 || .700 || 4.2 || .6 || 1.0 || .0 || 6.0|-| style="text-align:left;"|2002| style="text-align:left;"|Dallas| 7 || 0 || 15.0 || .480 || .000 || .750 || 3.7 || .6 || .4 || .1 || 3.9|-| style="text-align:left;"|2003| style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia| 10 || 0 || 11.2 || .323 || .222 || 1.000 || 1.7 || .3 || .1 || .2 || 2.6|-| style="text-align:left;"|2005| style="text-align:left;"|Denver| 5 || 2 || 20.0 || .222 || .222 || || 3.2 || 1.0 || .4 || .2 || 2.0|-| style="text-align:left;"|2006| style="text-align:left;"|Denver| 5 || 4 || 27.4 || .418 || .313 || .875 || 2.8 || 1.2 || .6 || .2 || 12.6|-| style="text-align:left;"|2007| style="text-align:left;"|Dallas| 6 || 0 || 7.3 || .000 || .000 || .500 || 1.0 || .3 || .3 || .2 || .2|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career| 38 || 6 || 15.1 || .377 || .259 || .786 || 2.6 || .6 || .4 || .2 || 4.1

Notes and References

  1. 1999–2000 Official CBA Guide and Register, page 250
  2. Web site: Ford . Chad . Buckner agrees to deal with 76ers . ESPN.com . April 22, 2021 . July 25, 2002.
  3. Web site: Philadelphia 76ers sign two free agents . UPI . April 22, 2021 . July 25, 2002.
  4. Web site: Thompson . Adam . Spears . Marc J. . Nuggets lose Buckner to Mavs . The Denver Post . April 22, 2021 . July 12, 2006.
  5. Web site: Greg Buckner Signed by the Dallas Mavericks . Clemson Tigers . April 22, 2021 . 14 July 2006.
  6. Web site: Minnesota trades Hassell to Mavericks for Buckner . ESPN.com . April 22, 2021 . September 28, 2007.
  7. Web site: Grizzlies acquire Mayo and three players from Minnesota . NBA.com . April 22, 2021 . June 27, 2008.
  8. Web site: Ford . Chad . Mayo heads to Memphis, Love to Minnesota in blockbuster trade . ESPN.com . April 22, 2021 . June 27, 2008.
  9. Web site: Mavericks acquire four-time All-Star Shawn Marion . NBA.com . April 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090712003048/http://www.nba.com/mavericks/roster/shawnmarion.html . July 12, 2009 . July 9, 2009.
  10. Web site: Stein . Marc . Four-team trade gets league OK . ESPN.com . April 22, 2021 . July 9, 2009.
  11. Web site: Rockets Add Greg Buckner to Coaching Staff . NBA.com . April 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150424004100/https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets_add_greg_buckner__co_2011_07_29.html . April 24, 2015 . July 29, 2011.
  12. Web site: Grizzlies hire Greg Buckner as assistant coach . NBA.com . April 22, 2021 . December 8, 2017.
  13. Web site: Fedor . Chris . Cleveland Cavaliers hire Greg Buckner as assistant coach, sources say . cleveland . April 22, 2021 . November 30, 2020.
  14. Web site: Collin Sexton scores 30 points, Cavs beat Bulls 121-105 . ESPN.com . April 22, 2021 . April 21, 2021.
  15. Web site: Fedor . Chris . Cleveland Cavaliers get Greg Buckner first NBA head-coaching win in J.B. Bickerstaff's absence, avenge loss to Chicago Bulls 121-105 . cleveland . April 22, 2021 . April 21, 2021.
  16. Web site: Cleveland Cavaliers Promote Greg Buckner to Associate Head Coach . NBA.com . June 14, 2022 . June 13, 2022.