I don’t recall seeing too many videos like this of Elliot Perry, Terrell Brandon, Haywoode Workman, Sam Cassell, Damon Jones or Mo Williams. T.J. Ford probably has some of these floating around somewhere though.  But still, it’s fun to see a member of the Milwaukee Bucks hobnobbing on the court with other terrific young players and shining in highlights. (Hat tip to Talkhoops.net) And wouldn’t it be fun next season if we saw less of the Jennings floater shot attempts and more of Jennings floating up lobs like he’s done these past two summers?

Larry Sanders, the challenge awaits you.  Earn minutes and dunk lobs.  Thanks.

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Now?  The Bucks can look down to the end of the bench and see a mix of emerging talents and veterans.  Keyon Dooling and Earl Boykins are steady, scoring point guards while Jon Brockman, Larry Sanders and Chris Douglas-Roberts are all looking to establish themselves in the league.  And instead of one-year-contract retreads like Ivey and Brezec, Dooling and Brockman are sitting on multi-year deals with the Bucks.  Even if they aren’t logging big minutes this season, they’re sure to at least collect a paycheck and have a home in the next couple years.  At first glance, the backup situation is looking good in Milwaukee.

First glances have a way of deceiving though.  They don’t quite tell the whole story. 

I can’t help but envision an ugly picture of January where the Bucks are struggling and a mutiny is brewing on the end of the bench, no matter how hard I try not to.  While the Bucks bench was devoid of talent near the end of the season, none of their guys were delusional.  They knew where they stood and they recognized their place in the league.  More importantly, they were veterans who had little to gain from more playing time.  None of them were going to boost their stock any higher and guys like Jerry Stackhouse and Bell, had seen their paydays come long before.

But what about a  Chris Douglas-Roberts.  While it’s difficult to question his acquisition from a talent standpoint, he’s a potential risk to the mental health of the team.  CD-R is on a one-year deal and is still looking to establish himself in the league.  That’s probably not an issue if the Bucks are winning and the ship is sailing along steady, but what if the Bucks hit a bump?  We saw how quickly the situation with Douglas-Roberts deteriorated in New Jersey last year, who’s to say problems won’t creep up again.

That’s the problem with depth.  When CD-R was acquired, he was looking like a sixth or a seventh man, something he seemed to hint at when he tweeted about “getting his Jason Terry on” earlier in the off-season.  But now he’ll be competing with Drew Gooden, Brockman and Sanders for minutes.  We saw last season how unpredictable Coach Scott Skiles minute allotments could be, who’s to say who’ll be coming off the bench first or last.  Last season, Skiles brought 10 different players off the bench first.

I don’t mean to pick on CD-R.  It’s possible he’ll take to a bench role with aplomb and grace as long as he’s winning.  One can only imagine how difficult everything about last season in New Jersey was, regardless of who you were and what role you were playing. And he’s not the only one who may end up with some beef.

What about Carlos Delfino?  He’s currently looking like the best player on the Argentinian national team and turned in a hell of a second half for Milwaukee last year.  But his starting spot could be in jeopardy.  Corey Maggette is making a lot of money and scores a lot of points, those kind of players often end up in starting lineups.  Delfino on the other hand, is a much quieter kind of effective.  He makes the little plays, hits corner threes, plays defense and handles the ball.  He’s a guy who helps get things done on the court.  And he had a lot to do with the Bucks success near the end of the season.  Delfino has yet to get a big pay day in the league at age 28 and has options in each of the next two years on his contract.  If you were him, how would you take it if you went from 30-minutes-per-game to 20?

Well that’s easy enough, just bring Maggette off the bench, right?  Not necessarily.  While not all situations are alike, Maggette scoffed at coming off the bench for the Clippers a few years back.  He talked with Clippers announcer Ralph Lawlor about his bench role with the Warriors in March of 2009.

So, why was it an issue for the Clippers?

“The situation was totally different,” Maggette said. “The approach was… I was injured. And I talked to (Clippers coach Mike) Dunleavy a little bit and it was ‘I want to get you back in, blah, blah, blah.’ Then, after that, he kept me on the bench. Never had anything to say about it.”

And with the Warriors?

“At least he (Nelson) came to me,” Maggette said. “Nellie asked me. It wasn’t that he told me this is what you’re about to do. I really respect that. I know he doesn’t have to do that. But just to do that. I said: “OK, fine.”

As is often the case in the league, it comes down to respect.  Respect players and they will respect the team.  At least, that’s the best case scenario.

Chemistry was talked about often with last year’s Bucks.  Guys were said to be unselfish, quiet and focused.  While the team may not have had hilarious Youtube videos and group outings like the Suns, they seemed to generally get along and not cause trouble.  A year without distractions off the court and with harmony on the court was something Milwaukee hadn’t experienced in a while.  The selfish attitudes that had plagued the team in the years prior to the Hammond/Skiles partnership seem to have finally been exorcised.

But without your typical end of the bench good soldiers on this year’s team, how long will it last?  We may not have to deal with much negativity so long as the Bucks are winning.  Rarely do you players gripes as long as their team is winning games.  But if the Bucks underachieve early this season, there’s going to be a lot of people upset and that often leads to finger pointing, selfishness and problems.

So now the Bucks merely must hope the talent they’ve added this off-season can find a way to get along and win games with much higher expectations.  Otherwise, like so many chemistry experiments in the past, this one could blow.

Jeremy Schmidt writes the Milwaukee Bucks blog Bucksketball.com

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That’s why Milwaukee has wanted to see the back of Michael Redd’s number 22 jersey walking out of the Bradley Center never to return for a number of years. He’s a link to the old regime, he and Dan Gadzuric, deservedly or not, were symbolic of everything that’s been bad in Milwaukee Bucks basketball over the past twenty years. Overpaid, under-productive and defensively deficient. Long ago the city of Milwaukee’s patience with Michael Redd ran out.

And at this point, that seems fair.

But why has patience already begun to wear thin for rookie Tiny Gallon?

Can we not remember when Michael Redd was everything Milwaukee loved? The second-round pick turned success story? Back before Mike Redd was Max Redd, he  was appropriately paid, perhaps even underpaid, and a reliable offensive performer. But that didn’t happen over night. He entered the league a poor shooting offensive player, but turned himself into a threat after a season paying close attention to Ray Allen. Redd happened to join the Bucks the last time they were relevant, in their division winning 2000-01 season.

Gallon is joining a Milwaukee squad on the verge of something big too. And with all of the talented front court players Milwaukee boasts, he’ll have the opportunity to learn how to be an NBA player without facing much real pressure. Yet he’s already catching some heat after a so-so summer league performance. Okay, maybe I’m being a bit too friendly. After an ugly summer league performance. One in which he racked up 23 fouls to match his 20 turnovers. But it still feels awfully early to be calling for the young man’s head. The loose interpretation of some Scott Skiles quotes has fueled the fire though.

When I see Coach Skiles say Gallon has ‘an awful lot to work on’ and is ‘going to need to be a lot better to make our team and do anything.’ I don’t get concerned. I get excited. That’s how young players get developed in the league. No hand-holding, no bsing, just an organization getting serious with its players. While Coach Skiles is saying that, the assistants are working hard with Gallon to make sure he knows where he needs to improve. To me, Skiles quotes are not an indication that Gallon isn’t going to be apart of Milwaukee’s future, just a comment on how talented Milwaukee is these days.

Three years ago, Milwaukee may have had to toss Gallon right into the fire. With a dearth of draft picks and few players who could even loosely be referred to as prospects (David Noel anyone?), Milwaukee may quickly have attached the ‘next big thing’ label to Gallon. Now Milwaukee can make sure he commits himself the right way. If Gallon is willing to turn himself into the player the Bucks want him to be, the sky is the limit for him down the road. The man has paws as strong as a lion’s. He’s already got a future in the league as a rebounder and someone who can finish around the rim. If he can turn that iffy 3-point shot into a reliable mid-range jumper, Gallon will be a starter some day.

But already people are jumping off the ship.

Be happy with the depth Milwaukee possesses. Love that they can allow their three rookies to develop at their own pace. We don’t know much about Darington Hobson yet, but we know that Larry Sanders will contribute something in 2010. Bask in that. Enjoy that Brandon Jennings has tossed your memory of Joe Alexander up high in the air for Larry Sanders to slam dunk out of your head. Then hope that Tiny Gallon comes around in a year or two.

And remember the start of the Michael Redd Era. Remember what he once was, how he was a model of hard work and grit. Remember that Redd’s glory years are what you’re looking for in every one of their second-round picks from here on out. But don’t forget, even Michael Redd didn’t see the floor much in his rookie year.

Remember that and have patience.

Bucksketball.com is a Milwaukee Bucks blog written by Jeremy Schmidt

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More shooter than creator, in five NBA seasons, Head has a career 3-point shooting percentage of 39% and has averaged 8.5 points per game. Head played in 47 games last season for Indiana, with 10 of those coming as a starter. Head spent his first three and a half seasons in Houston before a trade to Miami. While he’s not the passer that Luke Ridnour was, he is a very capable shooter for a team that lacks in accurate guard 3-point shooting outside of Brandon Jennings.

Head had agreed to a deal with the New Orleans Hornets, but a supposedly failed physical in the wake of GM Jeff Bower’s departure, left him looking for a job again.

**********

After playing three games with the Washington Wizards in Vegas, Sun Yue is suddenly a Buck. The 6-foot-9 point guard could be what the Bucks need for their last two summer league games, someone who can create shots and take care of the ball. Guard play has been what’s kept the Bucks from winning a game in three summer league attempts.

Yue played a total of 20 minutes in three games with the Wizards, going 1-8 from the field and scoring 3 points. He should see more of an opportunity with the Bucks.

At the very least, this is a story of minor interest. I haven’t done much research, but I can’t think of a player suddenly switching summer league teams during league play ever before. I’ll try and see what the details on this story were later this evening.

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I’m just not certain how I want to feel about this whole thing.

(Surely you know what “this whole thing” is referring to.)

Initially I was excited to see the Central Division open up for the taking. Of course, the Bulls will probably be the favorites thanks to their flashy acquisition of Carlos Boozer. But the Bucks have more than a puncher’s chance at the division crown. And it’s always more fun when Milwaukee and Chicago have something to compete at.

But now? Now I’m feeling a little empty. Are division titles really worth celebrating? All that guarantees, assuming I’m remembering correctly, is a home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Henry Abbott made a compelling argument that divisions really have no place in the NBA any longer not too long ago. I get where he’s coming from. Armed with this knowledge, it’s difficult for me to get too amped up with annual division wins as a potential ceiling, if that is indeed where the ceiling sits. If the Bucks pull down a victory in the first round of the playoffs for the next few years and lose to the Heat in round two or three, will that just bum me out more than the constant losing that dominated the majority of my life as a Bucks fan?

underdogs….underdogs…..underdogs…….

Confused and uncertain, I went to my father for his recollections of what the 80’s were like. Because, honestly, the situation the Bucks are staring in the eye now is what older Bucks fans dealt with then.

“It was frustrating. 50 wins every year and then a loss to the Sixers or Celtics. We still hoped every year though.”

I liked that last line. “We still hoped every year.” Sure, a lot of teams can “hope every year”, but not for much. Nets fans will probably have hope next year, but it’ll be more along the lines of “I hope we win 34 games.” The kind of hope that he was talking about in the 80‘s and that I’m thinking I’ll be feeling now, is different.

It’s that kind of hope that gets fans genuinely excited about the season, regardless of what other teams are doing. It’s the hope that everything falls into place and a season becomes magical. This is the direction the Bucks are heading in as a real life successful franchise. That’s the thing about a successful team, you can always hope things will fall into place for them. Good teams put themselves into a position to be successful and hope the ball bounces the right way for them. Good teams simply keep themselves in the picture when it matters most.

underdogs….underdogs…..underdogs…….

Given the vast financial commitment the Heat will have to make to “Miami Thrice” (saw this bounced around Twitter and I liked it), their depth should be an issue for a while. Who knows if everyone will remain healthy there. Hell, who knows if everyone will remain healthy here. So many things can happen over the course of an NBA season, it’s kind of silly to try and project too far in advance.

And yet I do.

I blame the Bucks. If they hadn’t suddenly become a respectable franchise in the year heading into MEGA-FREE-AGENCY!!!, I could still allow my hopes to continue to sulk through each year. But not only did the Bucks become a bonafide playoff team last season, they went out and significantly (depending on who you ask) upgraded at least two positions on their roster this summer. Perhaps not with arguably the games best player and a perennial all star, but good players nonetheless. Players good enough to win games, but not good enough to shed the underdog label that’s sure to follow the Bucks the next few years.

So maybe this is a blessing. The underdog label is the most wonderful of things. It can bring teams together, make deviants believers and unify masses. The ability to remain an underdog year in and year out typically isn’t easy, but The Super Team has just made it possible for a squad like the Bucks. I’ve worried about a drop off after the magic of last season, complacency and all that, but the Bucks will be flying under the radar once again heading into next season.

Chips can rest easily on the shoulders of the men in red and green as fresh, new look teams like the Knicks, Bulls and obviously the Heat soak up attention while basking in the glorious new scent of victory. Meanwhile the Bucks will prod along and do their thing as they’ve been doing since last February.

I’m starting to realize how I feel about “this whole thing”. And it’s not too bad. I see the light at the end of this tunnel. I see how the Bucks fit in.

underdogs….underdogs…..underdogs…….

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G – Antoine Agudio  6-3  Hofstra
C – John Bryant        6-11 Santa Clara
G – Paul Delaney      6-2  UAB
F – Micah Downs      6-7  Gonzaga
F – Tiny Gallon         6-9  Oklahoma
G – Darington Hobson 6-7  New Mexico
F – Darnell Jackson      6-8  Kansas
G – DeMarcus Nelson  6-4  Duke
F – Larry Sanders         6-11 VCU
G – Jerry Smith               6-2  Louisville
F – Deron Washington   6-7  Virginia Tech
C – Sean Williams           6-10 Boston College

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Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond has been named the recipient of the 2009-10 NBA Executive of the Year award, the NBA announced today.

Milwaukee totaled 46 wins in 2009-10, a 12-game improvement from last season, and earned the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2005-06. Hammond’s decision to select Brandon Jennings with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft paid immediate dividends, as the guard earned a starting spot in training camp and went on to average 15.5 points during his rookie campaign.

Hammond received 12 of a possible 30 votes from a panel of his fellow team executives throughout the NBA. Oklahoma City’s Sam Presti finished second with nine votes and Cleveland’s Danny Ferry finished third with two votes. Charlotte’s Rod Higgins, Dallas’ Mark Cuban, Memphis’ Chris Wallace, New Orleans’ Jeff Bower, Portland’s Kevin Pritchard, Sacramento’s Geoff Petrie and Utah’s Kevin O’Connor each received one vote.

This should come as no surprise. The Bucks were the talk of the league before Andrew Bogut’s injury and shocked the league with their quick rise to the playoffs. This is some solace after seeing Coach Scott Skiles passed over for coach of the year.

Milwaukee Bucks in 2009-10
Notable Roster Movement

June 25 – Drafted Brandon Jennings with No. 10 pick in 2009 Draft
July 23 – Re-signed Ersan Ilyasova
Aug. 18 – Traded Sonny Weems and Amir Johnson for Carlos Delfino
Oct. 31 – Michael Redd missed 18 games due to a knee injury
Jan. 10 – Lost Michael Redd for season with torn ACL and MCL
Jan. 18 – Signed free agent Jerry Stackhouse
Feb. 18 – Traded Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander for John Salmons
Apr. 3  - Lost Andrew Bogut for 6 weeks w/elbow, wrist, hand injuries

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So, Josh Smith gets zero points for originality. Todd Day had him beat about 18 years ago.

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• Josh Smith became the latest in a long line of athletes to rip Milwaukee for it’s general lack of things to do.

“Would you go there?” Smith asked. “Everybody knows there ain’t nothing to do in Milwaukee, man. Everybody knows that, (even) the people that live there.”

I’m not going to waste my time being offended that Smith isn’t excited to come to Milwaukee, but this did get me thinking. Not more than a week or so ago, Joakim Noah had similar comments about the city of Cleveland. So it would seem players have the same general perception of Milwaukee that they do of Cleveland. In recent history, this hasn’t stopped free agents and those interested in being traded from being open about wanting to head to Cleveland. Obviously that has something to do with playing with Lebron, but I think it’s more about wanting to win titles. A while back, John Hammond said something to the effect of he didn’t think players valued the city they are playing in as much as they value the chance to win as a factor when choosing teams in free agency. I’m starting to come around on this. I’m now slightly hopeful that Milwaukee will land a mediocre free agent in the off-season following next instead of a bad free agent.

• I’m not sold on the process for end of the season award voting. And by not sold I mean I can’t stand it. The big issue I have with letting media members vote is that they simply aren’t able to see enough games. For example, if a television announcer votes, they are basing their vote off seeing one team for 82 games and other teams for no more than four. So they end up going to statistics and making their choices based on numbers. That’s why Scott Brooks wins coach of the year. His team had the largest improvement, therefore he won. Everyone ignores the fact that the Thunder have gobs of talent, more than the Bucks could ever dream of. Why not let scouts vote on these types of awards? Who is watching more teams play, with a better understanding than scouts? Perhaps that would rectify the silly results we often see in coach of the year voting. Judging from recent history (Byron Scott, Sam Mitchell) I wouldn’t be shocked to see Brooks dismissed sooner rather than later. Such is life in the NBA.

• Wouldn’t it be nice if Andrew Bogut were healthy?

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In Berri’s book, he spends time looking at drafts and the relation between productive players and draft position.  For example, he writes that Glenn Robinson produced only 18.5 wins in his NBA career, whereas number two pick, Jason Kidd produced 61.4.  His findings are that draft position have little relation to actual success in the NBA.

And now I get the chance to share this book with you, through the magic of a giveaway.

I’ll be giving away three  copies of Berri’s “Stumbling On Wins“.  To determine who gets the copies what I’m asking for is a short explanation of who you think the Bucks best draft pick of value of all time was and why.

But you can’t say Kareem Abdul-Jabar.  I mean, come on, that’s too easy.

So aside from Kareem, who’s the Bucks best value pick?  Is it Michael Redd, or do all these losing seasons while he was the Bucks best player undermine his overall value?  Was Sir Sid your guy?  Did you think Todd Day was denied his fair due?  Make a convincing case for someone and I’ll reward you.

The writers of three emails I get that I find most entertaining and make the strongest case for their player will receive a copy of Berri’s book.

I’m going to open this contest to anyone, even you Australia, and I’ll even pay to ship the book.  Just have your entries in by the Bucks first home playoff game (April 22nd or 23rd I believe).

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