Enemy: Cavs: The Blog

Point Guard
Keyon Dooling vs. Ramon Sessions

It saddens me that Sessions can’t find a good situation.  Year after year he’s shuffled off to worse teams, constantly backing up a point guard without a future.  Whenever Sessions has enjoyed the luxury of significant minutes, numbers follow.  But the one thorn in Sessions’s side has always been his defense.  This season, Sessions ranks 368th in the league in points per possessions according to Synergy Sports.  Sessions is allowing 1.07 points per possession on defense.  Much maligned Bucks backup-turned-starter Keyon Dooling on the other hand, ranks 24th, allowing just .75 points per possession.  Some of this has to do with the Bucks being a very good team defense and the Cavs having terrible team defense.  But a lot of this has to do with Sessions having never been a good defender and still trying to figure out just what the hell he’s doing on that end.

Advantage: Bucks

Shooting Guard
Chris Douglas-Roberts vs. Manny Harris

Coming into this season, if you told me former undrafted Michigan Wolverine Manny Harris was starting for an NBA team, I’d guess they were the worst team in the NBA.  And here we are.  Of course, it’s not like CD-R is in a much higher class than Harris, but he’s shown the ability to spark.  What’s interesting is just how little the offense focuses on him when he’s in the game as it does on John Salmons when Salmons is in.  Sure, Salmons is better than CD-R, but he’s not that much better.  CD-R often gets overlooked for one reason or another, only becoming more assertive when he’s gotten a few shots and made them fall.

Advantage: Bucks

Small Forward
Corey Maggette vs. Alonzo Gee

Starting Manny Harris and Alonzo Gee is no way to win games in the NBA.  Gee isn’t an accurate shooter, but seems to have some potential as a defender in limited minutes.  Even veteran defenders who are aware of Maggette’s tricks have been known to struggle with him at times though, so Gee could be in a for a short night if Maggette gets him into early foul trouble.  Maggette will be pounding away at the Cavs soft interior early and often, as the Bucks will likely look to him in the first quarter to get the team off to a better start

Advantage: Bucks

Power Forward
Ersan Ilyasova vs. Antawn Jamison

John Krolik from Cavs: The Blog of the TrueHoop Network appropriately describes my feelings on Jamison:

He’s a professional, he’s a veteran, and he’s tremendously skilled. However, he’s also a 6-9 volume shooter who doesn’t play defense. He’s Eddie House with 10 extra inches and much better PR. He does not pretend to play defense. He fires up a shot every time he gets a look, and occasionally converts. He exists only to put up numbers and allow more baskets than makes. Watching him has become painful to me.

For a game, with these two teams, Ilyasova seems the better option, if only for his constant hustle on the glass and propensity to annoy and draw charges.

Advantage: Bucks

Center
Andrew Bogut vs. J.J. Hickson

Hickson has slid over to center in the absence of the aggravating Anderson Varejao and has seen some things change.  Mainly, he’s become much more active on the glass.  After averaging as little as 4.3 rebounds in a month earlier this season, Hickson has grabbed 9.8 rebounds per game in January.  The Cavs, much like the Bucks, provide ample opportunities for their players to succeed on the offensive glass and Hickson has done so lately, grabbing 3.4 o-rebounds per game this month.  Rarely has he had to matchup with a center as talented at rebounding and defense as Bogut though, so that could negate his improvements.  Hickson and Bogut are something of a study in contrasts, the agile, quick and athletic Hickson against the lumbering, powerful Bogut.  I think Bogut, viral infection and all, has the clear edge though.

Advantage: Bucks

Bench
Carlos Delfino (!), Luc Mbah Moute, Earl Boykins, Drew Gooden and Jon Brockman

vs.

Christian Eyenga, Boobie Gibson, Ryan Hollins and Jamario Moon

The Cavs bench full of athleticism proves that it takes more than athletic ability to be relevant in the NBA.  Gibson is the most dangerous man on their bench, capable of great things from behind the 3-point line.  Tonight may be the night Delfino finally plays basketball again.  He said he’s hoping to suit up and whether it be for one or 20 minutes, was hoping he could contribute something.  With Salmons possibly out for his second straight, it will be a welcome sight to see Delfino once again.

Advantage: Bucks

Prediction: Bucks 104 – Cavs 86

Milwaukee’s had their gaffes against bad teams this year, Cleveland included, but it is tough to envision them dropping this one.  The Bucks defense will keep them in it if their offense abandons them again and the Bucks likely have too much talent to blow a game at the end to these Cavaliers if it’s close in the fourth.  I don’t suspect it will be though.

Jeremy Schmidt writes the Milwaukee Bucks blog Bucksketball.com.  Follow him on Twitter.  Then become a fan on Facebook (in the sidebar).

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In honor of Thanksgiving (have a happy and thankful one by the way), a recipe for a typical Milwaukee Bucks game this season.

Ingredients

• 3 quarters miserable offense
• 1 average offensive quarter
• 4 quarters stingy defense
• 15 John Salmons‘ drives into heavy traffic
• One strong individual offensive performance
• A very, VERY light sprinkle of fast break points
• 50 (or so) rebounds
• A limited number of turnovers (no creating means no risking the ball)
• 10 Corey Maggette free throws
• 1 Maggette pass
• 10 maddeningly different looking Brandon Jennings shots
• 1 strong performance from a player on the other team

(This more or less sums up the Cavs game if you didn’t notice)

Directions

This dish can be cooked in a variety of ways.  Sometimes, Milwaukee has an average first quarter offensively and then uses the remaining three for their miserable ones, sometimes it’s the second and sometimes it’s the third.  Whatever the case may be, just know there won’t be more than one good looking offensive quarter.  In Friday’s 83-81 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, things went pretty well in the third quarter offensively, thanks to their random strong individual offensive performance, this time courtesy of Keyon Dooling.

Unfortunately, Milwaukee had a rare poor defensive quarter at the same time, surrendering 31 points to the Cavs in the third, largely thanks to high screen and rolls that opened things up for Mo Williams to hit jump shot after jump shot.  Of course Mo Williams started hitting jump shots, because A. that’s all Mo Williams has ever done and B. every night someone gets hot and begins the Bucks demise.

Shannon Brown, David West, Thaddeus Young, Wesley Matthews. All of them have at some point gotten hot against the Bucks and played a big role in a loss that looked similar to Friday night’s.

Every game the Bucks lose lately seems to mix together the ingredients above in a variety of ways, but always with the same, low-scoring, depressing result.  It was fun to see Dooling get hot and finish with 18 points, but that doesn’t seem much more rewarding than seeing Earl Boykins get hot in Atlanta or Ersan Ilyasova do so against the Knicks. Milwaukee has had spurts of offense from a variety of sources, but isn’t getting any consistency out of anyone.  That’s a problem that falls back on the starters.

Jennings’ one for 10 effort against the Cavs was a disaster.  Players start in the NBA because, in theory, they are the better and more consistent players.  Jennings may be one of the least consistent Bucks I can remember.  He’s 21 though, so at least a little bit, that makes sense.  His age actually saves me from worrying too much about whether or not he’ll ever figure out how to shoot the same shot every time or create looks for his teammates.  It doesn’t help much in the short term though.

In the short term, the only positive that seemed to come out of Wednesday’s loss was a good effort out of Larry Sanders. He was active and plugged in often, blocking a 3-pointer, poking away a few other loose balls, finishing around the rim and generally using the tools he has for good.  He disappeared a few times, but he could have been gassed since this was his first extended look.  Seeing him post up, at this stage, is a disaster, but he has very nice form on his jumper and hit a couple mid-range shots that looked pure.  That’s something he can do.  It’s too early to say whether or not he can do it consistently, but having that threat is nice.

It’s good that something was nice Wednesday.

But today is a new day.  It’s Thanksgiving, so eat lots of food, enjoy time with your families and give thanks that, for now, at least the Bucks are still in Milwaukee.  Better days are ahead, they have to be.

Jeremy Schmidt writes the Milwaukee Bucks blog Bucksketball.com and likes extra gravy on his turkey.  Follow him on Twitter.  Also Facebook is to the right.

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So perhaps Milwaukee should see it as a compliment that rumors have placed Kelvin Sampson in both Cleveland and Los Angeles.

From Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo! Sports:

As the Cleveland Cavaliers sift potential coaching candidates, general manager Danny Ferry has made calls checking on Milwaukee Bucks assistant Kelvin Sampson, sources tell Yahoo! Sports.

and

The Clippers are also showing an interest in Bucks assistant Kelvin Sampson, sources tell Y! Sampson has relationship with Blake Griffin.

At this stage, it’s not clear how sincere or how high up on the Cavaliers and Clippers lists Sampson may be, but it was only a matter of time before the Bucks assistant coaches started getting feelers. With the exception of Adrian Griffin, every assistant on the Bucks staff has been a head coach at some level (Joe Wolf was a D-League head coach, Sampson college and Jim Boylan in the NBA). Sampson’s work with Brandon Jennings in particular seemed to garner him much notoriety, starting with Jennings’ surprisingly effective summer league performance under Sampson’s tutelage as head coach. But if Sampson were to get his first NBA head honcho gig of his career, I’d expect it to be Cleveland before the Clippers.

His relationship with Blake Griffin in cited by Wojnarowski on Twitter, but his connections in Cleveland run deeper.

After his dismissal at Indiana, Sampson worked as an adviser to the San Antonio Spurs, getting his feet wet in the NBA and bracing himself for a career after college. There are few betters ways to rehabilitate one’s career than with the San Antonio Spurs and their uber-respected organization. In fact, where did Cleveland’s last coach, Mike Brown, spend time as an assistant before his head job with Cleveland? You guessed it, San Antonio. General manager Danny Ferry spent the last three years of his playing career in San Antonio before working in their front office prior to taking the job as Cleveland’s general manager.

The roots are there for this deal to go down.

But the catch would be that Sampson may not be the big name coach Cleveland is looking to bring in to appease Lebron James. Sampson’s experience at multiple levels and impressive pedigree could be enough to persuade James that he can get the job done. This one bears watching as it develops.

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Another sign that the Bucks are moving in the right direction as the playoffs are nearing was Scott Skiles’ post game reaction to a question about whether or not he was happy with the team’s effort in a Wednesday night loss to Cleveland.

“It’s not that I don’t care about that right now, but we should have won that game.  We gave them that game.”

Moral victories no longer have a stall in the Bucks locker room, be it on the road or at home.  These days, the Bucks are only interested in actual, real life, concrete victories.  Citing a botched layup attempt rather than a dunk attempt and a missed open three, Skiles was clearly annoyed and it may have had to do with more than just his players’ execution.

The Bucks have had problems with allowing free throw attempts all year, but those numbers reached a new low Wednesday night.  The Cavs attempted 45 free throws to the Bucks nine.  The Bucks previous largest free throw attempt deficit this season was 22.  An exhausted and exasperated John Salmons looked none too pleased about it after the game.

“It’s a discouraging stat.  Nine to 45?  That’s got to be a record.  I don’t want to lose my money.”

Part of Salmons appeal to the Bucks has been his knack for getting to the free-throw line and he was at it again Wednesday, finishing 7-7 from the line.  The problem was the two free throws the rest of the team attempted.

The foul differential was silly, but I’m hesitant to throw out the “BOO STERN OMG THEY FIXED IT FOR LEBRON OMG!” card.  Milwaukee is generally a team that doesn’t attack the hoop a lot, except for Salmons.  And Salmons got his from the line.  Andrew Bogut scores the majority of the Bucks points in the paint and he is constantly drifting away from the hoop on his shots.  Most post scorers get tons of points from the line, but while Bogut is a classic post-up scorer, he doesn’t rely on fakes to get into his opponents.  His superior touch allows him  to glide across the lane moving parallel with the hoop, this doesn’t leave defenders crashing into him very often.

Milwaukee worked for everything they got and while it was valiant effort, they came up short.  Two years ago that would have been exciting, a year ago it may have been acceptable, but now it’s just a disappointing loss.  Welcome to the top half of the conference Milwaukee.

Offense

As lopsided as the free-throws were, the Bucks still had some chances in the last minute.  But a turnover by Salmons off his knee after a strip and a pass to Lebron James by Luke Ridnour with the Bucks down three in the final seconds sealed the deal.  The Bucks have been so successful of late largely because of their sharing of and taking care of the ball.  Oddly enough, it was a carelessness that undid them in the end on Wednesday.

But honestly, if you give Lebron a chance at the end of the game, he’s going to make the most of it more often than not.  The Bucks were up three with two and a half minutes left when Bogut botched a layup attempt that could have made it a two possession game and had the Bucks in the driver’s seat.  Naturally, the Cavs scored the next four points and took the lead.  They are far too good a team to be given opportunities with the game on the line.

• Salmons was once again a load: 28 points (9-16 FG 3-7 3FG 7-7 FT) seven assists and five rebounds.  It’s funny that in a game hyped up as a bit of a revenge match for a team that talks too much for some people against a rookie that talks too much for some people, the best player was the quietest guy on the court.  Salmons goes about his business, rarely complaining and never puffing out his chest, but he keeps getting it done for the Bucks.  He’s been as reliable as it gets as a half court scorer and creator that can get to and finish at the rim.

• Bogut was close to matching Salmons production with another strong night: 19 points (9-17 FG 1-2 FT) to go with 12 rebounds and three blocks.  Unfortunately, the Bucks were unable to get consistent production out of a third source on Wednesday.  Sure, they got some scoring out of Ersan Ilyasova (13 and five), Kurt Thomas (10 and seven) and Luke Ridnour (13 points and 11 assists), but didn’t have a consistent third wheel to turn to.  The Bucks are operating on all cylinders when Brandon Jennings is that third guy, but he was shaky at the start and Ridnour got the call down the stretch again, as has been the case when he’s played well.

• On Sunday, the Bucks broke out the Thomas and Bogut frontcourt tandem for the first time this season and we saw it again against the Cavs.  I’ve envisioned this to be a top-notch defensive team, but against Cleveland they were a very good scoring combo inside.  The problem comes when Bogut tires.  It didn’t happen against Cleveland, but the fear of playing them together is that it makes way for a Primoz Brezec or Dan Gadzuric sighting.  That’s always a frightening thought.

Defense

The Bucks were lucky that Cleveland is such a poor free-throw shooting team.  Of their 45 free-throws, Cleveland hit just 29.  James found a wall of Bucks defenders everywhere he went, often starting with Charlie Bell (who put up a better fight than I expected) who had Bogut, Thomas and/or Ilyasova behind him.  James shot just 7-17 to get his 23 points and only made 9-13 from the free-throw line.  No, James wasn’t the biggest issue for the Bucks on Wednesday, it was his supporting cast that stepped up against the Bucks.

The Bucks Killer Delonte West had another 12 points against Milwaukee, continuing to find ways to punish Bucks defenders and Mo Williams rediscovered his jump shot in scoring 21 points on 6-12 shooting (2-5 3FG 7-8 FT).  When it wasn’t those two, it was Antawn Jamison (12 points) or J.J. Hickson (14 points) chipping in.  There was a lot of Cavs finding the bottom of the net.

Final Thoughts

As cool as this win would have been, it wasn’t the most important game of the week even.  That would be Friday’s game against the too-close-for-comfort Charlotte Bobcats.  A win in Cleveland would have been a terrific boost heading to Charlotte, but it was just not meant to be.  Tough as it may be to do, Milwaukee needs to get past this game quick, because Charlotte isn’t going to be any easier or more friendly.

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Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 41-32

At

Cleveland Cavaliers (Mike Brown) 58-16

Date: March 31^st, 2010

Time: 6:00 PM (CST)

TV: FS Wisconsin

Matchups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Mo Williams

Williams struggled mightily in the Cavs trip to Milwaukee in early March, scoring just seven points while shooting 3-17 from the field.  Even worse, he was dealing with a hot shooting and especially lippy version of Brandon Jennings.  Jennings, sporting a red Mohawk that had Lebron James calling him “The Rooster” torched the Cavs for 25 points and many more than 25 words for the Cavs typically chipper bench.  There was no dancing from Cleveland on that dark day in Milwaukee.  But Williams and the Cavs will surely be looking for some redemption, largely at Jennings expense Wednesday night.  Whether or not Jennings will be ready to back up the chatter from his last performance will be an interesting subplot.

Advantage: Cavaliers

Shooting Guard

John Salmons vs. Anthony Parker

Anthony Parker is a reliable shooter and he’s got some size for a two guard.  Aside from that, there appears to be some question about whether or not the Cavs are better off with him getting minutes or the duo of Boobie Gibson and Jamario Moon.  Moon is crazy athletic and Gibson’s hitting nearly 43% of his threes, so they both offer something.  Parker kind of offers less of each of what they best offer, but more of the other things they don’t so much offer.  It’s a conundrum.  Moon might see a lot of time trying to keep Salmons from getting in the paint and to the basket, where he’s been at his best for Milwaukee this year.

Advantage: Bucks

Small Forward

Carlos Delfino (hopefully) vs. Lebron James

James was said to be especially displeased with Jennings display.  Watch out.

Advantage: Cavs

Power Forward

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute vs. Antawn Jamison

Jamison lit up Milwaukee last game, hitting shots from all over to the tune of 30 points.  I doubt he’ll replicate this performance, but he bears watching nonetheless.  Jamison has been a surprisingly good three-point shooter for the Cavs, hitting 42.9% in the month of March, but equally as surprisingly bad at the free-throw line, hitting only 39% of his freebies in the month.  LRMAM has been struggling lately, but his minutes being down probably has as much to do with an uptick in Ersan Ilyasova’s production this month as it has to do with his own shaky play.  Jamison is a good size matchup for LRMAM though.  But believe that LRMAM will see his share of minutes on Lebron Wednesday.

Advantage: Cavs

Center

Andrew Bogut vs. J.J. Hickson

Hickson’s seen some time at center with Shaquille O’Neal out of the lineup and could see some time against Bogut, but I don’t think he really wants it with Bogut down low.  Anderson Varejao is questionable for Wednesday’s game and without him Cleveland is left with only Illgauskas and Hickson to stop Bogut.  Hickson is simply too little and Big Z is simply too slow.  Bogut should have an advantage all night, if Varejao doesn’t go.

Advantage: Bucks

Bench

Jerry Stackhouse, Ersan Ilyasova, Luke Ridnour, Charlie Bell and Kurt Thomas

Vs.

Delonte West, Leon Powe, Zydrunas Illgauskas and Jamario Moon

The Cavs have a deep bench, boasting a little size, some three point shooting and athleticism.  Plus Delonte West destroys the Bucks.  Rarely is the Bucks bench so outmanned like they will be against Cleveland Wednesday night.  And it’s the second game of a back-to-back on the road.  Sigh.  Fortunately, the Bucks got another great game out of Ilyasova against the Clippers and had a rebound game from Stackhouse.  The Bucks will need all hands on deck against the Cavs.

Advantage: Cleveland

Prediction: Cavaliers 98 – Bucks 90

Cleveland is either the best or second best team in the East.  The Bucks are somewhere between third and sixth best.  Unfortunately, the divide between the top two teams and the rest of the East is Grand Canyon sized.  Pulling this one out, against a Cavs team that may not be too pleased with the Bucks (Jennings specifically) may be too much to hope for.

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Fortunately, the NBA doesn’t decide standings with a poll that measures the strength of each win.

No, in the NBA, every win, regardless of who it’s over, the margin of victory or the location of the game, counts just the same.  So if anyone tells you that the Bucks wins over teams missing their star players (the Hornets without Chris Paul, the Heat without Dwyane Wade and now the Cavs without Lebron James) don’t mean anything, you can simply point to the Bucks current position in sixth in the Eastern Conference and inform them of their error.

A Cavs team sans James, Shaquille O’Neal and Zydrunas Illgauskas is a significantly weaker opponent than one with those three, or any of them for that matter.  In two weeks, Shaq will still be out, but James will surely be back in the lineup, Illgauskas will be back and the Cavs will again be a force to be reckoned with.  But that’s not important today.  What’s important right now is that the Bucks won another game and even better, it’s one that not many people had penciled in a day or two ago.  It’s important the Bucks are now two games up on Chicago for the sixth seed, it’s important the sold out Bradley Center had plenty of reason to cheer all night long Saturday and, most of all, it’s important that Brandon Jennings’ mojo finally returned.

Ben Gordon :: Trendsetter :: Brit

For just the third time since February 1 (17 games), Jennings topped 40% shooting, finishing 6-14 from the field and 5-7 from behind the arc.  Jennings finished with 25 points and had a season high number of “three-point monocles.”  Popularized in last year’s playoffs by Ben Gordon, the “three-point monocle” is an especially braggadocios celebration of a three-point shot.  Seeing Jennings break it out was especially joyful for me for a number of reasons.  First, it’s good to see Jennings having fun out on the court again, especially in light of his recent comments about packing in his shot for a while.  Second, I just love the trey monocle.  Jennings explanation:

I did a little mocking, a little dancing for (Lebron). Hopefully (Lebron) caught that, I think it got his attention.

That being said, it would have been nice to see just where the Bucks measure up against the NBA’s best team, especially with Jennings having it going.

Offense

All game long, the Bucks looked very springy and active.  Each catch seemed to matter to each player; when a Bucks player caught the ball, he was immediately shooting into a triple threat position or moving it to a teammate.  It’s that unselfish attacking mindset that’s got the Bucks wins lately.  Milwaukee played like a team with something to prove, but not with a bunch of players who have something to prove.  This isn’t something I’ve seen very often in the last few years, but this collective group has bought into themselves as a unit capable of winning every game.

That’s what has me buying into this group as being one that won’t lay eggs and this uptick in wins as being legit.  Andrew Bogut talked about this after the game, “Closest thing we had to an egg was Washington at home, and we still won by 13,” Bogut said.  “That’s a good sign.  We spoke about that after the game that we didn’t play to well that game and still grinded out a 13 point victory.  So, if we can keep doing that, we’ll be in good shape.”

• Early in the game, Carlos Delfino struggled with his shot.  Delfino bobbled away a scoring opportunity as the clock expired on a first half in which he finished 1-6 from the field and 1-4 on threes.  But, like shooters do, Delfino kept shooting in the second half and turned things around.  Delfino went 4-7 in the second half and his three of his four three point attempts.  His rebounding was strong all game, as he finished with a career best 13 boards.

• Every Bucks player hit either five, six or two shots.  I just think that’s cool.

• The Bucks aren’t a slow team, but they don’t often get out on the break and get easy baskets.  Saturday was different.  Milwaukee outscored Cleveland 18-5 on fastbreak points.  The Bucks used three fastbreak scores early in the third quarter to help stretch their four point lead out into a 13 point lead that would prove insurmountable.

Defense

While Andrew Bogut continues to swat away shots like a pregnant woman fanning away smoke (three more blocks), Jennings is making great strides defensively.  I Tweeted during the game that when Mo Williams breathes later Saturday night, Jennings is going to come out of his mouth, because he was up in him all night.  Williams finished 3-17 from the field and rarely had a good look (though he missed when he did anyway).  Jennings attributed some of it to Williams having an off night, but had more to say about the defensive end.  “Man, I’m just playing with a lot more energy now,” said Jennings.  “I think I’m playing harder now that it’s the second half of the season and we’re winning and trying to do something big.”

Scott Skiles had a similar take, “He’s gotten a lot better as the year’s gone on,” Skiles said.  “He’s gotten better pressure on the ball, he’s gotten a better understanding of the angles and where he’s got to be to cut somebody off.  Obviously he’s taken a couple laps around now so he knows the players in the league a little better.”

• Certain games have much more of a defensive element than others … it was safe to say this was one of them.  With James out, the Cavs looked like they wanted to win this one on grit and defense, as it was going to be difficult for them to outscore the Bucks.  They were trying to post Delonte West early and often and be physical with the Bucks.  But Milwaukee didn’t back down.  They came right back at the Cavs and wouldn’t be bullied.  Aside from West and the occasionally scorching Antawn Jamison, Cleveland couldn’t get much going and had only those two in double figures.

Final Thoughts

This four game homestand starting with Cleveland, including Boston and Utah and finishing with Indiana was supposed to be the biggest test the revamped Bucks would face.  But now it turns into yet another big opportunity for the team.  The surprising victory over Cleveland gives them a great shot to finish at .500 and a realistic shot at winning three games on the four game homestand.

Winnings in front of a sellout crowd was icing on the cake.  If the Bucks can just draw a few thousand more fans every game, they have a terrific homecourt advantage and could surprise any team that thinks the Bucks of now are anything like the Bucks of old.

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And to be honest, I don’t even know how they kept this one close.  Typically it hurts the Bucks quite a bit when Brandon Jennings doesn’t have it going, but they’ve at least been capable of surviving thanks to the strong play this year of Luke Ridnour.  But neither of them had it going Friday.  Jennings could have built a small town house after his 5-21 effort (though the 7-7 contribution from the line was a nice change of pace), and Ridnour looked passive and ineffective in going 0-3 in 17 minutes.

Furthermore, Andrew Bogut battled foul trouble all night long and was limited to just 17 minutes.  The minutes limited his effectiveness, but even when he was in there it wasn’t the usual Bogut Show we’ve been seeing lately.  2-7 with just four points.  The Bucks aren’t going to win a lot of games that Andrew Bogut gets just four shots in.  I guess that whole consistency thing remains on hold for the time being.

At this point, even I am wondering, how the hell did the Bucks even hang around in this one?

Offense

• Ersan Ilyasova followed up his stellar Wednesday night effort against the Lakers with an equally impressive game Friday night.  18 points, seven rebounds, two steals and a block in a very active performance.  And that’s exactly what we’ve come to know and love from “Turk Nowitzki”.  He was always running around, he took a charge or two, he launched an ill-advised step back three that airballed and generally attempted to cause mayhem.  When the Bucks were on the ropes halfway through fourth quarter, it was Ersan who responded with nine of the Bucks next 11 points.  He’s never been known for his clutch play, so that was a pleasant surprise to me.

• So, Michael Redd was not the offensive dynamo that returned Wednesday.  He wasn’t great, seven points on just 2-9 shooting.  He missed two more free throws on four attempts, dropping him down to 55.6 percent from the stripe on the year.  So it looks a little ugly for Redd in this one.  But it’s absolutely worth noting that in the Bucks 12-point third quarter, Redd did not see any action.  The Bucks again fell into an offensive coma, and when Redd returned to play nine fourth quarter minutes, the Bucks had a plus 3.  He went 0-3 with 2 points, but chipped in a rebound and two assists.  Redd didn’t go to the cup as often in this one, only one shot within six feet after eight such shots against L.A.  That’s where the Bucks most need Redd.  Jump-shooters are a plenty on this team, they need Redd to get to the hole and get to the line.

Defense

• The first quarter is where I’ll begin.  Lebron James finished quarter one with 11 points, seven of which he scored inside of the last 2:17.  Why is that relevant?  Luc Richard Mbah a Moute checked out of the game with 2:17 left to go in the first.  Ah!  LRMAM played 14 minutes and allowed exactly four of Lebron’s 26 points.  It’s a conundrum.  LRMAM is the Bucks best defender, but might be their worst offensive wing player.  He struggles to hit open shots and can’t create anything, so when the Bucks fall into ruts, he’s unable to really help dig them out.  But he can do more to control a Lebron than anyone else!  It’s tough and the last two games it’s appeared that Coach Scott Skiles has opted for a little extra offense than LRMAM’s d.  The problem is that leaves Charlie Bell covering guys much larger than him … and they dominate … and the Bucks end up losing.  Sigh.

• The free throw line.  You know the story, it’s just a new game that’s all.  24-31 Cleveland, 11-14 Bucks.  Sigh.  To make matters worse, the Bucks only connected on two more three’s than Cleveland.  Sure, the Bucks held Cleveland to 42.4 percent shooting, but that doesn’t go as far when Milwaukee shoots 36.4.  Just another day’s work I guess.

Final Thoughts

If Cleveland doesn’t have Lebron, they don’t win this game.  Just like if the Lakers didn’t have Kobe they probably wouldn’t have beat Milwaukee on Wednesday.  It’s nice to have superstars, they take over games and make plays for teammates at the same time.  That’s tough to stop.  Jennings finished 5-21 and wasn’t able to create anything for the Bucks on the last play.  Not that creating against Cleveland is very easy, they’re among the league’s best defensively and this is the second time in Jennings’ life he’s played them.  So had he created a good look or hit a three there, it would have been beyond exceptional.  That’s how things typically are in the league for rookies and it’s something we’ll likely be seeing more often than not the rest of this year despite Jennings’ talents.

But it’s not too difficult to envision the end of games two years from now when Jennings IS able to create something and the Bucks DO have the talent to win these kinds of games.  And then Bucks fans will be talking about their superstar and how he’s the reason they’re winning.  I hope.

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(Likely) Inactives: Roko Ukic, Francisco Elson and Joe Alexander

at

Cleveland Cavaliers (Mike Brown) 19-7

(Likely) Inactives: Leon Powe, Danny Green and Coby Karl

Date: 12/18/2009

Time: 7:00

TV: ESPN, FS Wisconsin

Match-Ups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Mo Williams

Mo just keeps hitting three’s.  He’s up to 44 percent this year, a career high, and it’s easy to assume he’s feasting on kick outs from Lebron James, but that might not be the sole explanation for Mo Money’s success.  68 percent of his three-point shots have come off assists, or the lowest percentage in his last four seasons.  Last year, 80 percent of his three’s came off assists.  When he gets ready to pull up or catches a pass outside, it’ll be important for Jennings or Ridnour to run Williams off the three-point line, as his shooting percentage takes a sharp turn for the worse between 16 and 23 feet.  From 44 percent to 34 percent, the lowest number he’s put up in years.  This is another national stage for Jennings to burst back out, but that sort of thing doesn’t really seem to matter to him.   He’s more focused on a win for the team than the spotlight for himself.  If they both happen, they both happen, but Jennings has shown that wins mean a whole lot more to him.  It should be interesting to see how Jennings and Redd mesh over these next few games.

Advantage: Cavs (If only for the cohesiveness)

Shooting Guard

Carlos Delfino vs. Anthony Parker

Anthony Parker will hit a three or two in this game, make few mistakes and generally go unnoticed.  But that good kind of unnoticed, like how you don’t really think about an offensive linemen or fullback, because they don’t have fancy jobs, they just do dirty work.  This is the perfect role for a smart veteran shooter like Parker.  He’s absolutely perfect for the Cavs, much better than a Wally Sczerbiak type of guy who can shoot, but can’t pass or play defense or anything else for that matter.  Parker is nice.  Delfino is a roller-coaster.  Good games, bad games.  Great plays, boneheaded three-point shots.  Terrific defense, mental lapses.  It’s all there with Delfino.  At any rate, his minutes could be on the fast track down now that Redd may be back in basketball shape, especially if Ridnour keeps delivering at the two.

Advantage: Cavs

Small Forward

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute vs. Lebron James

Luc’s going to give the King everything he’s got.  He’ll make him work and did an okay job on him in the Cavs last game against Milwaukee.  Of course, Lebron didn’t need to break much of a sweat with Delonte West in full on beast mode.  The Bucks would be wise to match LRMAM’s minutes as close to LBJ’s as possible.  If only LRMAM could bring ANY offense to the table at all he’d be worlds more valuable than he already is, which is quite valuable.

Advantage: Cavs

Power Forward

Ersan Ilyasova vs. J.J. Hickson

Ilyasova has the highest plus/minus of any Milwaukee Buck, and at plus 73, is the only Buck that ranks in the NBA’s top 50 in this category.  That says a little about his importance.  When he’s really got his stretch four game going, it helps open the floor for Milwaukee and get their offense flowing.  The problem is he doesn’t always have it going and as primarily a jump-shooter, he is part of the problem when the Bucks fall into their offensive funks.  But Ilyasova’s plucky rebounding effort has been symbolic of the hard work mentality the Bucks have taken on this year.

Advantage: Bucks

Center

Andrew Bogut vs. Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq was saddled with some foul trouble early in the Cavs romp over the Bucks earlier this month, but did catch a nice lob or two from Lebron as I recall.  He’s still someone to be reckoned with, but seems to cause more problems for the Cavs still at this point than the other team.  It’s a work in progress and he’s really there for the playoffs, but so far I still don’t love the Shaq move for Cleveland.  Bogut has strung together four straight above average games, some of them coming against tough, lengthy defender, but he’s had Shaq problems in the past.  Bucks fans are always hedging on whether or not they should truly rely on Bogut for that nightly near double-double or not, this will be another good test on how far he’s come with regard to reliability.

Advantage: Bucks (if only for importance to team)

Michael Redd, Luke Ridnour, Hakim Warrick, Charlie Bell and Kurt Thomas

vs.

Delonte West, Daniel Gibson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varajeo and Jamario Moon

West is the wild card here.  He torched the Bucks in the aforementioned previous meeting, but it’s unclear if he’ll play and unclear what his current issues are.  He’s been dealing with a variety of personal issues and has some mental health problems that we can only help clear up at some point for him.  Those things are tough for anyone to deal with, much less a celebrity like West.  Even without West the Cavs boast a deep and talented bench, with the shooter Gibson, the skilled big man Ilgauskas and hustlers Varajeo and Moon.  Redd was back to form Wednesday getting up shots left and right and occasionally carrying the Bucks offense.  It looks like the days of 29-0 droughts are over for Milwaukee if Redd has anything to say about it.  If the Bucks can get Redd, Jennings and Bogut all going at once, they’ll be a very interesting team to say the least.

Advantage: Milwaukee

Prediction: Cavs 102 – Bucks 98

Road games are still no walk in the park for the Bucks.  It’s great to see them take the Lakers down to the wire at home, and beat the Raptors and Blazers, but the road is still another challenge.  I wouldn’t bet against them figuring it out a little better in the coming weeks than they did earlier in the season, but they still have yet to beat anyone important on the road.  If Milwaukee’s able to rely more heavily on the veterans Redd and Bogut they’ll be much better served in road games, as Jennings seems more hesitant outside of Milwaukee without a crowd behind him.

All that being said, if we saw a repeat of the early December shellacking that took place in Milwaukee, I’d be astonished.  Milwaukee’s confidence has risen considerably after it was near an all-time low when these team’s last met.  Milwaukee will be up for this one, but simply don’t have the talent at this point to pull it out.

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