Recap/Box Score

A few weeks ago in his pregame Q&A session, Scott Skiles commented on how coming out of September he thought he had a real good shooting team on his hands.  Then the season started and the Bucks struggled out of the gate.  Guys were shooting less than their career norms and the offense was a possible cause for panic.  Skiles said he expected things to turn around and he wasn’t going to worry about it so early into the season.

Well, it looks like he had cause not to panic.

The Bucks hit nine threes Saturday night, five out of Charlie Bell and overcame a 24-point deficit in points in the paint to ease by Memphis Saturday night, 103-98.  With Andrew Bogut out of the line-up it was obvious that protecting the paint was going to become increasingly difficult, but scoring in the paint has been as tall of a challenge.  The Bucks have very few players with slasher skill sets who can get in the paint and finish.  So it has become all the more important for Brandon Jennings to operate as a drive-and-kick point guard, hitting open shooters for three’s.  Both he and Luke Ridnour have excelled at this since Bogut’s been out.

The Bucks hot three point shooting kept them in it when they fell behind early AGAIN and helped put it away for them late.  Without Bogut they’ll have to find other ways to score and this is a terrific sign.  You’d think things can only get better from outside when Michael Redd gets back then, right?  I sure hope so. Read more…

Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 7-3

(Likely) Inactives: Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, Joe Alexander

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Memphis Grizzlies (Lionel Hollins) 4-8

(Likely) Inactives: Trey Glider, Darrell Arthur

Game time: 7:00 (CST)

TV: FS Wisconsin

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Mike Conley

Poor Mike Conley.  He gets drafted by one of the worst franchises in recent sports history, loses playing time to two other young point guard with less talent and upside than him in his first two seasons, finally sees them shipped off and responds with a decent stretch of games and then sees his owner/GM sign a guy who essentially demands a starting point guard role, despite being 34 and without a future.  Is that the exact opposite of how to develop a young point guard?  Conley may have an actual future in the league, but it won’t be realized with Memphis.

Advantage: Bucks Read more…

The way things have gone this year it seems like we’re going to have to stop expecting anything to have an effect on Brandon Jennings. He’ll struggle out of the gate adjusting to the NBA.  Nope.  Michael Redd is out, Jennings won’t be able to take on much more of an offensive role, will he?  Yes he will.  Andrew Bogut went down?  Jennings should struggle now that his two best teammates are out, one being his pick and roll partner, right?  Nah.  At this point, I’d expect him to put up 20 points on a court constructed purely out of kryptonite.

The kid just keeps topping himself and upping his own ante.  Without his two best teammates and in his first game without Andrew Bogut Jennings was his typical (crazy I’m already saying this is typical, isn’t it?) self in scoring 29 points and contributing seven assists to only two turnovers.  His impact was clear right off the bat. Read more…