To say three point shooting was a problem for the Bucks last year would be like saying having no gas in your car is a problem when you wish to drive it.  It’s hard to get very far without gasoline, and it was hard for the Bucks to spread the court and get much going offensively with virtually no three point shooting last year.  Last year the Bucks ranked in the bottom half of the league in three point shooting percentage, three point field goals made and attempted.  The Bucks leader in three point percentage?  Richard Jefferson.  While RJ has improved as a shooter over the course of his career and actually connected at a 39% clip, he’s still not thought of as a guy you want leading your team in shooting.

The Bucks troubles with the three ball likely impacted their ability to get consistently good shots inside the arc, especially once Andrew Bogut went down and they lacked much inside.  Last year’s squad ranked 25 in the league (52.6%) in true shooting percentage, an efficiency measuring stick that takes into account field goal, three point and free throw percentage.  But the Bucks have taken steps to rectify the situation, right? Read more…

There were a few key words at Bucks media day Monday.

Depth ranks high on the list.  Everyone from Scott Skiles to Andrew Bogut to Bango the Buck was excited about how many options the Bucks now have all over the court.  “We’re three deep everywhere” seemed the day’s mantra.  Of course a lot of the new depth is unproven, therefore buzz word number two was youth.  Michael Redd noted that this may be the youngest squad he’s seen since his days with Milwaukee started.

And the other two words everyone was buzzing about?

Brandon and Jennings. Read more…

We are slooowly closing in on the opening of training camp on September 29.  At this point news has slowed to a trickle, but there have been a few snippets of news of late.

• Most notably, the Bucks have begun rounding out their training camp roster.  JSOnline reports Dominic James has been added to the roster.  James had been on track to head to Vegas with the Bucks summer league team, but a knee injury dashed those hopes for James.  Injuries have been a recurring theme in James basketball career, so let’s hope he’s able to stay injury free throughout camp and catch on in the D-League.

• In other pre-training camp news, Andrew Bogut is still taking it slow in his return from last season’s back injury.  He doesn’t sound optimistic about playing in much of the Bucks exhibition season.  Whether he plays in all of the Bucks pre-season games or none seems irrelevant.  What really matters is that Bogut is able to get on the court when the season starts.  This still very much seems like a work in progress, so let’s hope for the best.

• Michael Redd is hoping that the Bucks are able to find some chemistry with each other in a hurry.  The Bucks have had quite a massive overhaul in the last few months so they’re going to have some serious work to do to all get on the same page.  With regard to this topic, it seems of the essence that the team gets a starting five in order fairly quickly.  Redd, Bogut and Hakim Warrick seem set in their positions, but whether Luke Ridnour or Brandon Jennings are starting at the point is up for debate I’d imagine.  Likewise with the trio of Carlos Delfino, Joe Alexander and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute at the three.

• Keith Bogans, a mid-season pickup last year who proved to be an adventurous dribbler and middling shooter, signed with the San Antonio Spurs.  Bogans was not expected back so this is no surprise.  Best of luck to him, he’ll provide great depth for an already deep Spurs squad.

• Slam Online mocks Kanye West, involves every NBA team and references the terrific show Eastbound and Down and Brandon Jennings.

• I’ve taken sufficient time off to recover from the Ramon Sessions loss.  I’ve never lost anyone close to me, so this is as big of a loss as I’ve ever suffered.  Looking for words to describe his loss leaves me lost.  I know Sessions isn’t a superstar or a player who’s necessarily crucial to the franchise’s long term stability, but he fits so well with the Bucks new plan, it only made sense to do everything possible to bring him back.  But I don’t operate behind the scenes and I don’t know everything that goes on, so I’ll give the organization the benefit of the doubt and hope this goes well.  I’m holding my breath.

• In relation to the Sessions is gone news, the best text message I got was from a friend of mine describing the Bucks new point guard philosophy: “Here’s the ball Brandon, bring it back when you’re done.”

• One of the things that has me thinking the organization knows what it’s doing in regard to Sessions?  Ersan Ilyasova. Ersa Major went to work on Monday putting up 22 points and 11 boards with two blocks to round out the line.  He was efficient from deep (4/7) and didn’t even get much help from Hedo Turkoglu (1/16 from the field).  Ersa’s strong effort helped keep the Turks undefeated at 4-0.  That includes a win against last year’s Olympic silver medalists of Spain, a game in which Ilyasova had 15.  A very strong showing from him this summer.  Hakim Warrick might have some competition for that starting power forward spot after all.

• In other EuroBasket news, Szymon Szewczyk seems to have looked good Monday, contributing 15 and 7 to help an overmatched Poland squad against Lithuania.  As always, find all your EuroBasket news at The Painted Area.

• Ric Bucher analyzes the Bucks (Insider) as part of ESPN.com’s off-season summer buzz series.  Bucher is excited to see the fireworks that he believes may fly when Scott Skiles and Brandon Jennings begin to clash.

• InsideHoops has an interview with Brandon Jennings about social networking.  He vows to return…some day.

• While we’re talking about social media, there is a great article at Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns blog on the topic.  Worth the click I assure you.

• Notes from JSOnline.  Included are Jennings thoughts on Ramon Sessions, Ersa Major blows up and the big news: pre-season tickets are on sale.  That would explain the increased traffic in the downtown area last night.

Overdoing anything makes it less special.  I don’t care if we’re talking about driving go-carts, going to the circus, jumping rope, eating ice cream or playing video games.  If you do it every day, it’ll become less special.  Let’s say after dinner every night you eat a big bowl of vanilla ice cream.  The first time you have that ice cream, you’re going to be ecstatic, almost nothing is better after a meal than some creamy, cold, delicious vanilla ice cream.  The next day, you’re going to enjoy that ice cream almost as much, but it’s no longer quite the same.  The next week?  You’re still loving your ice cream, but now you’re used to it.  You’ve become accustomed to this treat and it simply cannot be as special as it once was.  And let’s assume you have kids and they’re eating this ice cream too.  Now you’re children are growing up without really recognizing how much of a treat it is to get ice cream after dinner.  They think it’s just part of the dinner process and lack to ability to decipher what’s special from what is to be expected.

That’s why I have never understood the Bob Lanier thing. Read more…