Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 30-28

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Atlanta Hawks (Mike Woodson) 36-21

Date: 2/28/2010

Time: 5:00 (CST)

TV: FS Wisconsin

Matchups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Mike Bibby

Jennings did everything a point guard is supposed to do against the Heat.  His passing, rebounding and timely baskets had a lot to do with the Bucks offense running so effectively.  Against the Hawks, who typically switch on screens and are aggressive on defense, he’ll be relied on to make the correct decisions and take care of the ball even more.  Bibby’s operating more as a release valve when the athletic Hawk wings head towards the cup.  He’s hitting 36.6 percent of his threes, which is down from 39 last year.  He really is only dangerous if he gets hot; I’m not super worried about Mike Bibby getting in the paint.

Advantage: Bucks Read more…

Recap/Box Score

Most Bucks fans are unabashed Brandon Jennings apologists.  They see the missed shots, they see the low field goal percentage at the rim and they see occasionally questionable shot selection and it doesn’t bother them.  Aside from having someone to finally hitch the bandwagon to after years of suffering, there is a valid reason that Bucks fans have enjoyed watching Jennings.

He controls the game like someone twice his age.

Sometimes that’s trouble, but more often than not, he takes care of the ball and makes the right decisions.  All year long, Coach Skiles has talked about Jennings’ low turnovers and his poise for someone his age, but it wasn’t often reflected in his assist numbers.  There are a few reasons for this, poor shooting, players holding the ball too long and Andrew Bogut’s slow post up game.  So while the numbers don’t necessarily say Jennings has been a very good point guard, he has.

And the numbers were unusually kind to him in the Bucks Saturday afternoon blowout of the Heat in Miami.  11 points (4-10 FG 1-3 3FG), eight assists and five rebounds without committing a turnover, but Jennings has been clear that only one number means anything to him: 30.  As in 30 wins with just 28 losses.

Via Jennings Twitter:

My coach told me, I don’t get paid to play. I get Paid to WIN……………….!!! I like that, and I respect that. Read more…

(A special guest post from Ross Geiger today on the work John Hammond has done in his two years with the Bucks.  Ross has covered the Bucks for Marquette University.)

From day one, Bucks general manager John Hammond has had goals.

His goals seemed very unrealistic to many around the league, and rightfully so when taking a glance of the Bucks roster at the time Hammond took over the team. The Bucks signed a slew of horrid contracts in the years before he arrived and had little direction, leaving Hammond with a giant mess of puzzle pieces in front of him.

Puzzle pieces that were impossible to solve immediately, yet pieces that are beginning to come together as Hammond’s closes in on the end of his second year in Milwaukee. Undoubtedly Hammond’s tasks have had their highs and lows especially when examining his last two first round draft selections: 2008’s 8^th overall pick Joe Alexander and 2009’s 10^th overall pick Brandon Jennings.

Risks were taken, big trades were made, injuries occurred, and despite all the criticism Hammond remained determined to follow his game plan: to put the best possible team out on the floor each and every night. That game plan has been Hammond’s number one goal as the team progresses each year. Hammond has stressed time and time again, that fans be patient, and to trust the direction he is leading the franchise. A trust that’s beginning to flourish at the Bradley Center each night and it all started with laying a foundation. Read more…

Recap/Box Score

“We need multiple guys doing the damage out there.  That’s our formula right now, that’s the way our team is constructed.  We spread the ball around, I say it all the time, they’re unselfish and try and hit the open man and play good team basketball.  When we’re playing well and we’re clicking we are gonna have four or five guys in double figures.”

-         Scott Skiles 2/24/2010

Yes, one night before the Bucks put seven players into double figures, Scott Skiles was singing the praises of his teams unselfishness and insisting that it would take a lot of different scorers for the team to have success.  And he always claims he doesn’t know what’s coming next.

You fooled us all Coach, you fooled us all.

The Bucks got double figure points from seven different players Thursday night.

John Salmons             20

Brandon Jennings      18

Ersan Ilyasova           17

Andrew Bogut            15

Luke Ridnour 12

Jerry Stackhouse       11

Carlos Delfino            10

And they needed every last point to get past the pesky Pacers in the fourth quarter.  After taking control of the game in the second and further exerting their collective wills in the third, the Bucks let things get away from them a little in quarter four.  After grabbing a 14-point lead, two Pacer threes sandwiched around a layup brought Indiana back within six points with four minutes to go.

But the Bucks kept one play ahead of the Pacers.

A Troy Murphy three to close the gap to just three points?  Meet a Jennings jumper.  An Earl Watson tip shot to make it a two point contest?  Meet two free-throws for Salmons.  The Bucks were losing it, without losing it and ultimately stopped before they lost it.  Simple enough? Read more…

Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 28-28

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Indiana Pacers (Jim O’Brien) 19-38

Larry Legend has been Lotto Larry for a few years in Indy now.

Date: 2/25/2010

Time: 6:00 (CST)

TV: FS Wisconsin

Matchups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Earl Watson

Jennings numbers continue to look pedestrian, but his impact is evident in the success his teammates are having.  Five Bucks scored in double figures Wednesday night and three more scored nine points.  If a team doesn’t have a good point guard, it’s difficult to get that kind of even distribution, even in a blowout.  Jennings always keeps the offense running smooth and didn’t record a turnover against New Orleans.  Jennings’ usage is at 26, his assist rate is right around 30 while his turnover rate is only 12.6.  Let me take Deron Williams as an example of where Jennings is having success.  Williams’ numbers in those categories are as follows, 23.6, 42.7 and 17.2.  If just a few more times nightly, Jennings were to hit an open shooter leading to a successful three-point shot, Jennings could conceivably close in on the first two numbers while keeping his turnover number down.  He’s not all that far off from Williams and if he used a few less possessions statistically, as a point guard he’d be in the class directly below Williams.  That doesn’t say anything about his offensive struggles with shooting, which would bring his overall game down a little further.  Bottom line, Jennings has been a VERY good point guard.

Advantage: Bucks Read more…