With this year’s draft considered one of the weakest in recent memory, there are many fans clamoring for their favorite team to trade out of the lottery. While all indications point to Milwaukee keeping their pick and choosing a prospect at 10, there is a possibility the team could make such a move.

NBA teams trade draft picks for one of three reasons. Either they use the pick to acquire a veteran, to accumulate more draft picks or to dump salary. For the purposes of this article, I am going to investigate the success of trading a lottery pick to acquire a NBA veteran in the last 10 NBA drafts.

Using a lottery pick to acquire a veteran player is probably the most fan-friendly move you can make if the decision is made to trade out of the lottery. Fans do not have to wait for a rookie to develop. Instead, they get a player that has already had some success in the NBA. General Managers trade a lottery pick for a veteran because they hope it mitigates a lot of the risk involved with the draft. As all Bucks’ fans know, landing a star, or even a serviceable player, in the lottery is not guaranteed. Rather than gambling that a prospect will pan out, GMs trade the pick for a player they know can play at the NBA level. Whether that player is able to fit in on his new team is a different matter.

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Enemy: Portland Roundball Society

Point Guard
Keyon Dooling vs. Andre Miller

For the first time in 107 games, the Milwaukee Bucks will not be starting Brandon Jennings.  Having hurt his foot/ankle on a hard fall against the Spurs in San Antonio, Jennings didn’t look like his normal self against the Jazz Saturday and revealed after the game that he in fact was not his normal self.  Dooling will get his second start of the season, and it’s probably coming at the right time for him.  Over his past five games Dooling has hit eight of 12 threes while averaging a respectable 8.4 points and 3.4 assists.  Miller is slow of foot – just ask Brandon Roy - but having a very strong season for Portland.  He still can’t shoot from outside, but he does everything else the Blazers need.

Advantage: Blazers Read more…

(Before we get started on the preview today, I’d like to gently urge you to head over to the Bucksketball Facebook page.  The good folks at Stubhub.com have graciously donated some tickets to Bucksketball and we’re giving them away to you.  Just follow the directions over at the Facebook page (and go ahead and like the page while you’re at it) and you could win two tickets to Saturday night’s game against the New Orleans Hornets.  Thanks.)

Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 1-2
Inactive: Chris Douglas Roberts, Michael Redd, Darington Hobson

vs

Portland Trail Blazers (Nate McMillan) 3-1
Inactive: Greg Oden, Joel Przybilla, Elliot Williams

Date: 11/02/2010
Game Time: 7:00 PM (CST)
TV: FS Wisconsin

The Other Guys: Portland Roundball Society

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Andre Miller

Jennings is coming off what may have been the best game of his career on Saturday.  He’s had a few days to rest up and reflect now and will maybe be able to put together another strong game.  It’s great that he played so well Saturday, but the real challenge for Jennings this year will be whether he can continue to have strong games night in and night out.  Consistency was a huge issue for Jennings last season when it came to shooting the ball.  Milwaukee needs him to be a consistent shooter.  Miller isn’t a bad matchup for Jennings; he certainly has the speed and quickness advantages.  Miller is as strong and sturdy a point guard as there is in the league though and will look to use that to his advantage.  He still isn’t much of a long range shooter though, so it’ll be interesting to see how Jennings plays him defensively.

Advantage: Bucks Read more…

Milwaukee Buck s (Scott Skiles) 15-20

(Probable) Inactives: Dan Gadzuric or Joe Alexander

at

Portland Trail Blazers (Nate McMillan) 23 -16

Inactives: Greg Oden, Joel Przybilla and Nicolas Batum

Date: 1/13/2010

Time: 9:00 (CST)

TV: FS Wisconsin

Match-Ups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Andre Miller

That never ending run of injuries finally landed Miller in the starting lineup after a turbulent beginning with the Blazers and results seem to have been generally positive.  It’s hard to say it hasn’t been when a team has suffered as many injuries as Portland and is still six games above .500.  Starting for Portland hasn’t been much different than starting for Philly for Miller though, as he still cannot hit a three for the life of him: 21 percent on the year.  Miller’s three-point shooting is one of those phenomenons I’ll never understand.  How could an NBA point guard be so brutal?  Miller is generally pretty efficient though, running the show, getting to the line and playing good defense are all his things.  Look for him to attempt to take Jennings in the post here and there, as he likes to post up little guys like Jennings and then shoot the mid-range jumper.

Advantage: Portland Read more…

Recap/Box Score

Let’s go through our checklist for what makes a classic regular season game (and I mean for the teams, not in terms of the entire league):

• Two overtimes

A lot of NBA games go into overtime.  Teams usually end up going into overtime somewhere between five and ten times a season (the Bucks did it four times last year).  Going into overtime in itself is nothing special.  Two overtimes?  Now I’m listening.  Regardless of whether the game is intra-divison, out of conference or whatever, it’s going to hold some appeal.  The last time the Bucks went into double overtime was December 17th of 2007.  So this is not an everyday situation.  Check.

• Memorable plays

Andrew Bogut’s tip (actually, his NOT tip).  Brandon Roy’s fall away jumper to tie it with 12 seconds to go in regulation.  Brandon Jennings’ pull-up jumper to tie it with four seconds left in the first overtime.  Jennings Nashian lay-up with 43 seconds to go in the second OT.  Yeah, we had a number of memorable plays in this one and I haven’t even mentioned Jennings’ floater near the end of regulation or a number of big dunks late from LaMarcus Aldridge.  Check.

• Memorable Moments

Beyond the shots that we’ll remember for the rest of the season, we were treated to a few tense instant replay ref calls.  Was Bogut’s tip shot at the end of regulation good?  It wasn’t, but it was fun waiting for the refs to tell us whether or not he touched it before the buzzer went off.  Did Luc Richard Mbah a Moute tip the ball out of bounds in the first overtime with the Bucks down two, or did Aldridge hit it last?  The tape wasn’t super clear, but it did appear Aldridge’s fingers were the last thing the ball touched in play.  Squad Six had the building rocking by starting a “this way” chant while pointing in the Bucks direction.  Soon everyone else joined in on the fun and the arena filled with electricity.  Check.

• Significance

Was there any better way for Jennings to get his very first NBA double-double than in a double overtime win at home?  I say no.  Jennings has always fed off the energy of the Bucks crowd and today was no different.  Especially when he got it going in the third quarter to the tune of 12 points after not even attempting a shot in the first half.  Jennings would finish with 18 points and 11 assists.  Check.

While regular season games only hold so much significance in the long run (I’d never compare this game to any of the great playoff games of recent years) this one was still fun to watch.  If you missed it, you likely won’t be able to catch a better Bucks game this year, which is actually pretty wild, since I didn’t find the first half to be all that special.  I mean, it wasn’t bad, Bogut had it going and the Bucks were playing better defense than they had in some time, but I never suspected I’d be thinking of this one as a classic when it was all said and done.  That’s the beauty of sports I guess. Read more…