There Will Be Buds is a good Simpsons episode with a reasonably well written plot and plenty of very funny moments. The highlight of the show, for me, was the dynamic between Homer and Kirk Van Houten, something we have seen very little of in the past. As Kirk becomes obsessed with Homer, the dialogue between the two becomes ridiculous fun.
While I liked the two being the main parts of the episode, the story itself is poor. There is scarce development put in to the lacrosse team, more so being used as a situation to put these characters in to, but there is really no reason for us to be engrossed in it whatsoever.
It is really an end of the road episode, there is nothing about it that grabs you, if they had combined the two aspects of the story in to one then it would have been a lot more effective, but it instead chose to merely focus on Homer and Kirk.
While I do love the two characters dynamics, it is overall a forgetful episode. It's certainly flawed, however, There Will Be Buds is an enjoyable Simpsons.
Homer winds up coaching the kids' lacrosse team with Milhouse's dad, who soon becomes clingy.