If you haven't heard the news, former Cavaliers' big man Vitaly Potapenko — the "Ukraine Train" — is returning to the organization as a player development coach.
According to Mary Schmitt Boyer at the PD, that basically means he'll interact with the players during practice and stuff, but won't travel with the team. Head Coach Mike Brown's bench contingent will be Phil Handy and Igor Kokoskov.
Potapenko wasn't exactly a force with the Cavs of the mid-90s, putting up 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in his two-and-a-half years with the club. He did, however, make one of the two three-pointers he attempted in the '96-'97 campaign.
Potapenko sort of got uglier during the course of his NBA career, but the photo at right is presented to remind you of the handsome, hopeful early days. Lordy, what a dreamboat!
Hopefully he'll bring that Ukrainian goofball mug — and a winning mentality — to the Q next season.
