Jerry Stackhouse has cooked up some good bench play since arriving in January

Let’s get one thing clear: NBA players have egos.  If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have made it as far as they have.  From pee-wee league to high school to college, these guys are typically the best players on their teams.  And if they aren’t they best, they usually think they are, because that sort of confidence is what breeds success at higher levels.  Often, what’s driving them to work so hard is their belief that they are the best.  Once they get that taste, they don’t want to lose it.  So the first time a coach comes to them and says, “how about coming off the bench?” you can understand that it often rubs them the wrong way.  Unless it’s done right.

Lucky for the Bucks, Don Nelson did the heavy lifting for them a few years ago with Jerry Stackhouse.

“When I first did it in Dallas, I knew I could still start,” said Stackhouse.  “I had a coach (Nelson) that approached me in the right way.  I think it’s all about, kind of massaging.  You know, everybody’s got an ego in this league and he massaged mine a little bit.”

Accepting the sixth man role may sound like a small thing to do when the other option is earning a reputation as a problem, but it isn’t always as easy as it sounds.  Look no further than Stackhouse’s one time teammate Allen Iverson. Iverson had an opportunity to be the key to the Grizzlies bench this season.  He could have come off the bench as the featured option, got his shots and been a focal point, albeit for fewer minutes than he was accustomed to.  But Iverson balked at being a bench player.  Perhaps he felt it was beneath a man of his many accomplishments or maybe Memphis just didn’t handle him properly, whatever the reason, Allen Iverson in Memphis lasted just three games.

When he and coach Nelson first talked about it, Stackhouse liked the way it sounded. Read more…

• Sebastian Pruti at NBAPlaybook breaks down what he deems “the game clinching play” in Sunday’s Bucks-Pacers game.  A great look at the inner workings of a play here.  If you want to see “the little things” making a big difference, this play has a great screen that helps win the game for Milwaukee.

• The Bulls are sweating.

• In this piece on NBA.com about road records, the Bucks get some love.

Which brings us to Milwaukee. At least as impressive as the Bucks’ six consecutive victories is their 8-2 mark on the road since Feb. 5. The host teams haven’t all been the toughest (Knicks twice, Heat twice — once without Dwyane Wade — Nets, Pacers, Pistons, Wizards), but given where Milwaukee is on its learning curve, this latest road spurt can help immensely later. And maybe even this spring.

Brandon Jennings’ new Under Armour commercial.  Unfortunately, he seems to be flying to some destination that doesn’t exist.  Milwaukee’s airport code: MKE.

• As good as Jennings’ UA commercial?  This post about his hairdo’s from The Score.

• Marc Stein has the Bucks at eight in his newest power rankings.  Furthermore, he has them the third highest ranked Eastern Conference team.  I’ve quietly been talking about this with those close to me for a week or so — are the Bucks the third best team in the East?  It’s at least worth kicking around.  Throw out the first three or four months of the season, those Bucks are no more.  The Bucks in their current state are more than a pest, they’re closer to a conference final sleeper than one and done playoff team.  I’m not saying they can beat Cleveland or Orlando in a seven game series, but I honestly think they can beat Boston or Atlanta.