An optimistic take on Michael Redd
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010We’ve got a special guest in studio today in sometime contributor Ross Geiger. No, Ross did not go to Ohio State and he is not Michael Redd’s publicist. He’s just an optimist who still believes. And who knows, maybe he’ll be the one who is right on Redd. I’m not holding my breath, but it’s worth some consideration. Enjoy.
His role, his status, his future and his health is all uncertain, but folks find your calendars, because some time next February, Michael Redd will be back. And despite the doom and gloom that’s been predicted, it might not be all bad.
Redd has been gone, forgotten, and ignored by the majority of the NBA world. And there are plenty of good reasons for that. But, instead of talking about all the things Redd can’t do, let’s talk about his potential impact upon return to the Milwaukee Bucks next season. Laugh now, but Redd’s timetable could be key in helping increase the Bucks 2011 playoff chances. At the very least, he could help Corey Magette. (more…)
Trader John has been on
Monday, August 2nd, 2010Since taking over as Milwaukee Bucks general manager on April 11, 2008, John Hammond has shown he’s not afraid to make a deal. I’d go as far as to say he’s probably talking about a trade right now. He’s made more trades in his tenure than I have in the last 10 dynasties I’ve done in NBA2K. In a little over two years at the helm, Hammond has made 12 trades. For perspective on that number, the Bucks last general manager, Larry Harris, made 11 trades in his entire term as general manager (July 2003- April 2008). But this shouldn’t be too surprising. Given the situation Hammond walked into when taking the Bucks job, trades were the only way out. Milwaukee was in salary cap hell with a roster full of under-performing, me first, offensive players.
Not every move has gone smoothly for Hammond. The initial acquisition of Richard Jefferson was a flashy way to start things off, but didn’t pan out. Had Michael Redd stayed healthy and Joe Alexander given the Bucks anything at all, maybe the story of Jefferson in Milwaukee plays out a little differently, but things ended as they did. Jefferson’s stock dropped so far so fast that only a year later, he was dealt for what looked like virtually nothing at the time.
Oddly enough though, it’s now possible to make a case that the Bucks won that deal. Kurt Thomas played a key role for Milwaukee down the stretch and Amir Johnson was a part of the deal that brought another starter, Carlos Delfino, to Milwaukee. Meanwhile, Jefferson is now looking at another $40 million plus coming his way and Johnson is locked in for $30 some million himself. Milwaukee arguably has the most productive player of those three in Delfino and is paying him by far the least. That looks like a win to me.
And that’s been a common theme in Hammond’s deals. Whether it’s a non-contributing Malik Allen going to Denver for Sonny Weems or a nearly worthless pick going to New Jersey for Chris Douglas-Roberts, Hammond has had a knack for buying low in the trade market. There are many reason’s why Milwaukee has turned things around so quickly, but Hammond’s aggressive moves in the trade market have played as significant a role as any. (more…)
Patience: None for Redd, More for Gallon
Friday, July 23rd, 2010Typically, patience isn’t a strong suit of sports fans. Instant gratification is the name of the game. Fans are paying money, they’re living and dying with their favorite teams games every night, they don’t want to hear about some rebuilding plan that’s going to force them to wait a few years for success. They want it now. And when their favorite team is closing in on that success they’ve been so impatiently waiting for, they want them to stop at nothing to obtain it. Clear the bench of those not ready to contribute in a meaningful way or those associated too closely with past failures. Toss the talentless, free the city of its past ghosts and move on.
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? (more…)
Why We Believed in the Michael Redd rumor
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010Even in deceit, lessons can be learned.
That’s what I’m taking out of the 20 minutes madness earlier today on Twitter when, for those precious 20 minutes, everyone thought Michael Redd may be heading out of town to make room for local boy Devin Harris. The trade (the supposed specifics of it aren’t worth mentioning anymore) turned out to be a hoax perpetrated by someone claiming to be New Jersey Nets reporter Dave D’Alessandro. As frustrating as this type of shenanigan is, it does further paint a picture in Milwaukee.
Any significant transformation of the Bucks roster this season will be coming in the form of a trade. And that trade would probably involve Michael Redd.
Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s very likely that Michael Redd will get traded this off-season. Teams rarely engage in salary dumps after the draft and before their next season. What kind of message is it to send to your fans if you’re organization is giving up on a season that has yet to start? The most likely scenario, is a team is looking to unload some contracts and free up future cap space by snagging Redd from the Bucks sometime after January next season. That’s how I envision the trade of Redd going down. But even more unlikely than Redd being traded this off season, is the thought that the Bucks will attempt to find another starter in the free agent market.
Despite some information that relied on the ultra unlikely scenario that Michael Redd opts out of his $18.3 million contract in ESPN’s Free Agent Dime, the Bucks won’t be getting a max free agent. If this point needed to be pounded in even further, the Bucks did that today when they picked up Carlos Delfino’s second year option. If the Bucks were interested in freeing up even more space to try and sign a free agent whose value suggests he would earn more than the mid-level exception, dropping Delfino and his $3.5 million contract would have been the way to go. That would have left Milwaukee with over $6 million to play with this off season before making offers to John Salmons and Luke Ridnour. The Bucks apparently felt Delfino was a better fit at the three for their current roster than anyone else they could have found on the open market.
As things stand now, Milwaukee’s biggest hole in their roster is at the shooting guard position. With Salmons in flux, Michael Redd seemingly on the way out or to the inactive list and not-so-perfect fits in Delfino and Chris Douglas-Roberts, the Bucks would probably be well served to find a way to bring in a two guard if Salmons doesn’t return. But if they’re looking for anyone who is more of a long term piece rather than a stop gap until more cap room opens up in 2011, look for it to be done via trade, rather than as a free agent signing.
2010 Haiku Review: Guards
Monday, May 10th, 2010After a few days off to recharge my battery, I’m back with the final segment of the Haiku Reviews. Coming in the next week will be more on potential free agent targets and a draft page. Stay tuned this week.
| Games | Starts | Points | Field Goal % | Three Point % | APG | Assist % | Steals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Jennings | 82 | 82 | 15.5 | 37.1 | 37.4 | 5.7 | 29.6 | 1.3 |
| John Salmons | 30 | 28 | 19.9 | 46.7 | 38.5 | 3.3 | 15.0 | 1.1 |
| Michael Redd | 18 | 12 | 11.9 | 35.2 | 30.0 | 2.2 | 13.0 | 1.1 |
| Luke Ridnour | 82 | 0 | 10.4 | 47.8 | 38.1 | 4.0 | 31.9 | 0.7 |
| Charlie Bell | 71 | 39 | 6.5 | 38.1 | 36.5 | 1.5 | 9.8 | 0.5 |
| Jerry Stackhouse | 42 | 0 | 8.5 | 40.8 | 34.6 | 1.7 | 13.4 | 0.5 |
| Royal Ivey | 18 | 0 | 1.3 | 32.1 | 28.0 | 0.5 | 16.8 | 0.5 |
| Jodie Meeks | 41 | 0 | 4.1 | 36.2 | 18.2 | 0.6 | 7.2 | 0.3 |
Jodie Meeks
Shots caromed off rim
Motor never stopped running
It paid off later.
Meeks struggled mightily when given opportunities in Milwaukee, but flashed the shooting touch so many saw at Kentucky when given a more significant opportunity in Philadelphia. In baseball, people often discuss how difficult for young players to fill a utility role where they’re asked to pinch hit frequently. They simply don’t get enough reps to be successful. Well, that may have been the case for Meeks. He shot under 30% on threes for the Bucks this season, but hit nearly 40% for Philadelphia and was at 50% in his final month when his playing time ticked up. Meeks may have benefitted the Bucks more by not playing this season or getting time in the D-League. Perhaps they wouldn’t have given up on him so soon if they saw him progressing with more regular time. Milwaukee received a second round pick for Meeks, so they essential have an opportunity to start over next season and hope they’ll get a better fit. (more…)
