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

Related posts:

1. Tiny Gallon: A “Big” Get at 47 (You see what I did there?) Brandon Jennings wanted him at number 15. I’m sure he...
2. Deja Vu: Redd Tears ACL & MCL ***UPDATE***: I was mistaken about whether or not the Bucks...
3. Bucks announce Summer League Roster Your 2010 Las Vegas Summer League Milwaukee Bucks: G –...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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.

Related posts:

1. Do the Bucks need Michael Redd? Not exactly a hall of fame roster. Williams was a...
2. Deja Vu: Redd Tears ACL & MCL ***UPDATE***: I was mistaken about whether or not the Bucks...
3. The arrival of free agency and what it means for the Milwaukee Bucks Beginning at 12:01 AM Thursday morning, NBA teams will be...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

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.

Royal Ivey

Accepting limits
Can prolong players’ careers.
Meet Royal Ivey

Ivey is a prototypical third point guard. When he enters the game, he defends hard and doesn’t force anything. I challenge anyone to provide proof that Ivey has ever complained about his role on a team. He understands why he’s around and how he’ll be used. That’s what teams are looking for at the end of their bench. That’s why Ivey has stuck around as long as he has. Soon he’ll be that good veteran that provides good influence on younger players and that will add a few more years onto his career.

Charlie Bell

Opportunity.
Knocked early and often. He
never answered door.

Bell didn’t have a very productive year before earning his way off the active list for the Bucks final game this season. Bell averaged over 30 minutes per game in November and turned in one manageable performance after the next. His strengths were clear: spot-up shooting and hustle. His weaknesses were too: attacking the basket and guarding larger guards. Unfortunately for Bell, his weaknesses were on display more frequently than his strengths. Milwaukee badly needed a larger two guard and anyone who could attack the basket. After John Salmons and Jerry Stackhouse arrived to answer those needs, Bell’s minutes were no longer available. Bell has always come off as a good guy, but that armor was dented when he commented about his last game suspension, “I wasn’t going to play anyway.” That’s not the sort of attitude that typically meshes well with hard head coach Scott Skiles. Bell has two years left on his contract and may be difficult to move this off-season. His situation bears watching.

Luke Ridnour

Surprise everyone!
Suddenly a shooting star
With scrap to spare too.

Ridnour had never shot better than 43% from the field before this season and never better than 35% of his threes. So naturally he spent a majority of the season flirting with the hallowed 50/40/90 mark, finally finishing at 47.8 and 38.1 respectively. What happened for Ridnour at age 28? It’s tough to say. Playing off the ball may have helped and fewer minutes could have been beneficial too. Whatever the case may be, Ridnour has himself positioned nicely as a top back up point guard heading into free agency this off-season. He’ll surely need to take a pay cut from the $6 million he made this past season, but probably not as substantial a cut as he was looking at two years ago. Milwaukee will likely look to find a way to bring him back at a discounted rate next season as a nice compliment to Brandon Jennings.

Jerry Stackhouse

Like his teammates did,
Turnovers followed him around.
He’s still a leader.

Stackhouse’s contributions were probably felt a little more in the huddle and the locker room than they were on the court. He was a moderately productive player, struggling with his shooting often and often turning the ball over. He was a steadying influence though and Coach Skiles often talked about how Stackhouse was not afraid to get on teammates who were trying to do too much or not moving the ball enough. Stackhouse could have got to the line a little more and shot a better percentage, but he did his job for the most part. He’d probably be better off in an even more limited role next season, especially if he’s looking to play the whole season.

Michael Redd

Another tough fall
More long rehab lies ahead
Career lies behind.

Let’s be honest: Michael Redd wasn’t good this past season. You’ll hear lots of people defending his efforts, saying he didn’t have a chance to fit in and he was rounding into form and all of that, but the numbers don’t lie.  Redd shot a miserable 35% from the field, 30% from three and 71% from the line. He rarely appeared to fit in and the games in which he did play well, the Bucks typically lost. His athleticism was clearly sapped and he was never able to get in shape. The knee injury of two years ago was taking its toll on Redd all season and this next one will likely take even longer to rebound from. Realistically, Redd won’t be able to produce with any consistency next season. If Milwaukee does trot him out there, they’re probably doing him and the team a disservice.

And that sucks, because Redd has been the model employee for the Bucks. He works hard, he never gets in to trouble and he’s been a positive member of the community. Off the court, Redd is everything a franchise wants. On the court? Milwaukee is much better off without him. If Redd doesn’t play next season, insurance covers the majority of his contract and he becomes a much more attractive trade commodity. If the Bucks are willing to take on a player with two or three years left on his deal, Redd could become an attractive salary dump for a team looking to start over, insured deal or not.

John Salmons

Trade deadline godsend.
Played his way to a bigger deal,
Could be overpaid.

Salmons was everything the Bucks had lacked earlier in the season and more. He attacked the hoop. He defended bigger guards with vigor. He kicked out on his drives. He hit three point shots and he was consistent. The consistency Salmons brought to the table was key. The Bucks went through so many offensive slumps this season, having one player who could get to the free throw line and break slumps did wonders for their offense. Sure, suddenly Salmons lost his will to attack the hoop in the last few games of the playoffs and his three point shot abandoned him, but he still gave Milwaukee 34 solid games.

Does that make him worth an addition four years of salary though? The Journal-Sentinel has reported that Milwaukee has been in discussions about locking Salmons up for a total of four more seasons worth $27 million, which will mean Salmons will be a Bucks player earning around $7 million when he’s 34 years old. Michael Redd has had injuries that have aged him some, but remember, he’s only 30. Is it wise for the Bucks to lock up a guy like Salmons, who likely won’t be getting much better, for that much money through that age? It’s a tough call.

Brandon Jennings

First scoring always,
Prolonged slumps soon followed. His
Flash breathed life.

From the moment Jennings hopped out from backstage on draft night, he’s been a little different. Milwaukee has not had such a character in many many years and he did his part to perform CPR on a franchise that’s been struggling when he dropped in 55 points in the Bradley Center in just his 7th game. Defensively, Jennings got better all year long and offensively he was dynamic in the playoffs. Jennings has to improve his mid-range game in the off-season, but he left Milwaukee feeling like all he wants to do every day is get a little better. I’ve never been so excited about seeing a player come back after his rookie season so I can see how much he’s improved. But that’s how Jennings has most of Milwaukee feeling. His confidence and will to win is something Milwaukee appears ready to hang their hat on for the next five years and hopefully much longer.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Haiku Review: The Centers After all the time invested and games watched, the season...
2. 2010 Haiku Review: Forwards I reviewed the 2009-10 Milwaukee Bucks centers on Monday, today...
3. Australian-Free Bucks Lineups So what lineups are the Bucks going to use now...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Can Delfino get it going with Bogut out?

Contrary to popular belief, the Bucks season is not over.  Nor does the NBA delay the start of the playoffs until Andrew Bogut is healthy.  And don’t expect a first round bye because the Bucks would have been competitive with a healthy Bogut.  No, the NBA keeps moving forward every day.  So that’s what the Bucks must do.

But how?  How can the Bucks get past an injury of this magnitude, at this juncture in the season?  Bogut has been the centerpiece for most of what the Bucks have done right, offensively and defensively, in the last two seasons.  There simply is no replacing Bogut, especially not with six games left in the regular season.  So the Bucks must find a way to remain competitive without being able to replicate everything Bogut gives them.

And naturally, that will put pressure on the remaining members of the Bucks front court.  Kurt Thomas and Ersan Ilyasova should see the most significant increases in minutes, with Thomas likely stepping in as the new starting center and Ilyasova probably seeing some more time at the five in small ball lineups.  But I’m not convinced either of them will have to take anything more unto themselves with Bogut out.  Milwaukee isn’t all of a sudden going to slide either Thomas or Ilyasova into Bogut’s spot on the offense and dump the ball into them in the post.  It’s just not their game.  I expect each to be more productive, especially Ilyasova and I’ll get to that in a minute, but I don’t expect a great deal more usage out of them.

But, as odd as this appears, I do expect more out of Carlos Delfino.

Something’s occurred to me in the last few games.  Something that explains an awful lot about why things have gone the way they have for the Bucks this season.  Something I only dove into once a reader pointed out that Brandon Jennings stands around the top of the key an awful lot.  And it’s something that completely explains why the Bucks have prospered without Michael Redd, but are being sentenced to season execution after the loss of Bogut.

The Bucks rely an awful lot on their swingmen.  I mean, like A LOT.  A TON.  Watch the Bucks in the halfcourt, it seems as if every other time down their going to Delfino or John Salmons on the wing and looking for them to either dump it inside to Bogut, pick and roll or create something on their own.  At this point, Jennings (or Luke Ridnour) often float around the arc, waiting for a kick out that they can shoot or swing to the other wing.  That seems to be a lot of the Bucks offense.

So it’s always been important to the success of the Scott Skiles Bucks to have wing players that can create and make decisions, two things that have never been the strong suit of Redd or Charlie Bell. Doesn’t it make a little more sense that neither of them fit so well into this offense?  I mean, if you were running a team, would YOU want Michael Redd given the option of creating for teammates or trying to score and get to the line?  He frequently chose the latter and it hurt this season more than it helped.  There’s a reason that the Bucks offense was 12 points better per 100 possessions when Redd is off the court this year.  He plays a position that’s vital to the success of the team offensively.

In addition, it makes sense that the Bucks surged to such great heights once Salmons, a slasher that is willing to create opportunities for others, stepped in for Bell, a spot-up shooter.  The Bucks are seven points better per 100 possessions with Salmons on the court offensively.

But now, one of the options for the wings has been removed.  There will be no more dumping it down inside for the easy Bogut basket.  Both Thomas and Ilyasova are capable pick and pop players, something Bogut wasn’t, but both of them have very little with regards to a post-up game.  Now I suspect the pick and roll, already a featured option in the offense, will become even more prominent.

And it will fall on Salmons and Delfino to make the correct choices.  I don’t expect Milwaukee to scrap their entire offense and start running pick and rolls for Jennings every time down like the Golden State game.  Or let him take over and carve up the lane trying to find open space to float up a shot, because he doesn’t quite have that touch yet.  Jennings may run through on his passes and come out to the wings, getting the ball on a reverse (thereby making him a wing) but we’ll see if that really happens.  That’s kind of what Steve Nash does pretty frequently, with great success.  I’m expecting Delfino to look more like a poor man’s Salmons, driving and kicking or driving and finishing more than he’s been doing lately.

But like I said earlier, I expect Ilyasova’s numbers to improve.  He’s going to be getting 30 minutes a night and he’s going to be pounding the glass.  With no Bogut, that leaves Ilyasova with the highest percentage of rebounds grabbed while on the court by a Buck not named Dan Gadzuric. And we all know that Gadz only gets that many boards because he hits the bottom of the rim with his own shots.  When Ilysaova’s in, he’ll typically get a bucket or two off of the offensive glass.  With Bogut, the team’s best shooter percentage wise, not active, there should be more opportunities for Ersan to get on the offensive glass and work his great touch down low for baskets.

It’s not all gloom and doom right now for the Bucks.  Winning without Bogut won’t be easy, but this shouldn’t prevent Milwaukee from making the playoffs.  A first round series win was going to be a challenge with the big man and will be a greater one without him.  But if the Bucks want to make it happen, it’ll have to be a great balance, even greater than what they offer now, that gets them there.

Related posts:

1. Without Andrew Bogut … : Heat 87 – Bucks 74 Without Andrew Bogut… …it’s an understatement to say the Bucks...
2. Andrew Bogut Out For The Year From JSOnline’s Charles Gardner: A source said early Sunday...
3. Injury Update: Bogut out 2-4 weeks Just when Bucks fans think things are finally starting to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

-          Thaddeus Young 3-7-2010

“We’re loaded with guys who know how to put the ball in the basket. We all enjoy sharing the ball.”

-          Jason Kidd 3-6-2010

“We’re not good enough to play 1-on-1.”

-          Mike Miller 3-5-2010

“We found spots and moved the ball and had open shots.”

-          Luol Deng 2-26-2010

It’s not easy to quantify unselfishness.  Yes, we know it’s important, and those quotes I’ve selected from players in postgame interviews all have to do with the idea of unselfishness.  Ad nausea, coaches and players will talk about how unselfish they were in wins and how selfish they were in losses.  But, aside from assists, the NBA doesn’t really have any other statistics that express how one player is creating points for his teammates or how a team is working together.  There are certain units on teams that play well together, do a better job rebounding or defending or shooting, but unselfishness itself is one of those difficult to calibrate traits.  One that’s nearly immeasurable.

So naturally I’m going to try and show you how unselfish the Bucks have been in the last ten games.

It’s actually quite amazing, because, to be honest, unselfishness hasn’t exactly been a hallmark of the Milwaukee Bucks over the years.  In what one could refer to as “The Dead Era” of Bucks basketball 2003-2008, the Bucks were a typically competent offensive team that couldn’t defend and as a result, didn’t win much.  As someone who spent many a day watching and cursing the selfish nature of these teams, I can assure you these teams were only competent offensively because of their relative talent on that side of the ball.  What I’m trying to say, is that Mike Redd could fill it up.  Rarely was there a cohesive team effort at either end though.  When looking back at the numbers of these teams, the assist to turnover ratio reflects on the selfish nature.

In 2003-04, the Bucks ranked 4^th in the league in offensive rating.  The Bucks had a team assist to turnover ratio of 1.68-1 and had a shot at knocking off the Nets in the first round, but Tim Thomas didn’t box out Rodney Rodgers on a free throw and Terry Porter mysteriously refused to play Dan Gadzuric (when he was still good, 17 PER) in the playoffs.  But that’s all a story for another day, what’s important is that these Bucks, spearheaded by a pre-injury T.J. Ford, weren’t selfish.

In the following season, Ford got hurt, Mo Williams became entrenched as the Bucks point guard, Redd began his all angles assault on the basket and eventually the Bucks imploded after many years of selfish, losing basketball.  Each year the Bucks assist to turnover ratio dropped, further and further before cresting around 1.45-1.

There was an uptick in the ratio in Scott Skiles first season at the helm, but things really took off halfway through this current season.

Through the first 39 games the Bucks hobbled along offensively, lacking crisp ball movement or much in the way of imagination.  After 39 games, the Bucks assist to turnover ratio was 1.51-1.  But, behind another point guard with a gift for distribution, a team leader who doesn’t require shots by the barrel full and their surprisingly smooth trade deadline acquisition, Milwaukee is playing together.  All parts are firing at the same time in the same direction.  Finally.

With mid-season acquisitions of John Salmons and Jerry Stackhouse, the Bucks have an assist to turnover ratio of 1.77-1.  Since the arrival of Salmons, the Bucks have five players averaging double figures in scoring.  Field goal attempts are being dispersed evenly; the team’s game has developed from one that relied on a high three-point percentage and defense to win games, to one that still strangles opponents defensively, but now scores in various, unpredictable ways.

Most importantly, the ball never stops moving now.  Salmons, Brandon Jennings and Stackhouse are always penetrating, dissecting opposing defenses and kicking out passes to awaiting teammates.  The ball movement, the creation of scoring opportunities for more player and general unpredictability of the Bucks offense as it stands is a necessity for a team without a superstar.

Superstars can take liberties with an offense, they can get their own shot whenever they’d like and the fact that they convert with more success than other players, win games and sell tickets.  Maybe Brandon Jennings could be a superstar one day.  For now though, he’s a guard that shoots 37%.  He’ll take occasional liberties with the Bucks offense, but the Bucks path to success, specifically in the playoffs, is not lined with layups and jump shots attempted by Jennings.

No, that path has all sorts of Bucks players’ offensive maneuvers on it.  Coach Skiles has been talking about the team’s unselfish nature all season and he was at it again after the last win Saturday.  “That’s how we win.  Almost all the time we have multiple players in double figures,” said Skiles.  “Usually we have high assists, low turnovers.  For our field goal percentage being what it is as a team, we’re a high assist team, considering our field goal percentage generally.”

For a team that once featured a player who, according to a tale told to Chris Ballard by Damon Jones in Ballard’s The Art of a Beautiful Game, was referred to as “Bombs Over Baghdad” (cough Michael Redd cough), that’s quite a change.  And it’s a change for the better, judging from the words of virtually every player and coach in their words after each and every game.

Related posts:

1. The gift from the scheduling gods: Bucks 99 – Nets 85 Judging from the way the Bucks encouraged Jennings to attack...
2. Wade-less Heat No Match for Bucks: Bucks 94 – Heat 71 Recap/Box Score Most Bucks fans are unabashed Brandon Jennings apologists. ...
3. Bucks Beat Wizards, No One’s Thrilled: Bucks 100 – Wizards 87 Box Score/Recap “Generally if anybody’s guarding someone I stick with...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

In between referee whistles and defender complaints Andrew Bogut stood tall on Friday night in one of those efforts that makes you say, “Oh, I can see why this guy was a number one pick.”  Trading blows back and forth with Brad Miller like they were two aging prize-fighters, Bogut shook off a rough start to the second half to help the Bucks to victory.  Mentally, emotionally, physically, vocally, offensively, defensively, however you slice it, Bogut took the reigns (with some much-needed help from Michael Redd) in a VERY chippy fourth quarter to lead the Bucks to a much needed victory Friday night.

Heading towards a loss just before a very difficult six game road trip to the West, Bogut helped regroup his teammates after a difficult fourth quarter stretch that left them down seven.  With their (occasional) three-point shooting prowess, you’d think the Bucks would be the kind of team that can come back from a deficit, but that hadn’t been the case all that often over the past month for Milwaukee.  Lately, when the Bucks took a shot to the mouth, it was easy to sense the panic coming over the team.  Jump-shots would begin to fly at record pace and misses would usually end up the result.

But that wasn’t the case Friday.  When the Bucks got down seven with eight minutes to go it was Michael Redd who continued to attack the basket, resulting in 11 straight points from the free throw line or paint.  Attacking the paint to erase a fourth quarter deficit?  A seemingly foreign concept prior to Friday night, but it was the rare answer for the Bucks.

Offense

- The Bucks were going to Bogut early and often Friday.  Wanting to get him established and attacking more once he was, Bogut attempted eight shots in the first quarter and 13 in the first half, connecting on seven.  Joakim Noah was unable to do much to alter the much stronger Bogut’s hooks in the first half, but in the second half it wasn’t quite as easy for Bogut.  The Bulls started throwing some more double teams at Bogut and went more with Brad Miller to muscle up Bogut.  Bogut on he and Miller’s battles:

I’m going to get a steak right now, maybe have a beer and put my feet up.  He popped me in the head one time, knocked me down like a boxer.  It’s always physical against the Bulls, Noah tries to be physical and then the brought Miller in, it’s a good one-two punch of centers.

After a 0-3 start to the second half, Bogut finished strong connecting on four of his last seven.  He hit on four of five free throws in the final 4:05 and meant everything to a Bucks team that looked passive after a dust up resulting in technical fouls for Bogut, Hakim Warrick, Tyrus Thomas and Kirk Hinrich. His leadership on offense was never more on display than when he screamed at the ball sitting on the rim, waiting for it to fall in and for the Bucks to get a break on a shot at the rim.  The team had already rode Redd back into it, but the confidence level only rose as Bogut was putting everything on display.

- Redd’s 11 straight were huge.  Two layups and a five-foot “and-one” before his parade to the free throw line began.  Redd attacked a number of times on the evening before the fourth quarter expecting to get a call to no avail.  That seemed to strengthen his resolve to get to the line in the crucial moments of the fourth quarter.  This was exactly the kind of performance the Bucks needed out of Redd.  Redd’s final line included 24 points on 8-16 shooting, eight rebounds and one huge find that led to a Hakim Warrick tip slam that more or less sealed the game.

Around a minute and a half after Brandon Jennings had been trapped on the sideline forcing a turnover, Redd was faced with the same predicament.  Using some smarts and strength, he gave one of the defenders on him a slight elbow hook to pivot towards the hoop and get an open passing lane.  Charlie Bell wisely flashed to the middle of the paint where Redd could find him.  With the shot and game clocks running down, Bell got off a four-foot floater in the lane that probably never really had a chance, but as it rimmed out Hakim Warrick flew in, capitalizing on the fact that the Bulls had the double team on Redd 25-feet from the hoop, for the big tip-slam.  That’s the kind of play that wins games.

- Warrick’s fourth quarter play in general was inspired after his confrontation with the Bulls.  After the technical’s, Warrick blocked two shots, grabbed four offensive rebounds and had the biggest dunk of the night.  Warrick is generally not a strong rebounder and not the shot-blocker his reputation coming into Milwaukee suggested.  But Friday he was all those things, as he was a man scorn.

Defense

- Bogut gets the lead here too.  Six blocked shots and two charges on the evening, none bigger than when he correctly read Derrick Rose’s drive to the hoop in transition with 33 seconds left.  Bogut’s own words on the play:

I blocked him the last two times I think, so I knew he was going to try and draw a foul.  I thought he was going to try and take my body and go through it.  Thankfully my feet were outside the restricted area.  I did it more on feel and just hoped for the best.  I thought, “If I’m in, I’m in.”

- The blocks were contagious on the night, Warrick had two, Bogut six and little Brandon Jennings had three.  Jennings was doing his best to contest every time Derrick Rose got by him and three times was able to block his shots.  On one of the blocks, Jennings corralled it, hustled down the court and left it for Warrick to complete the fastbreak with a big time dunk.  It was one of those plays that maybe means a little bit more, at least to me it was.  Jennings had a bad habit earlier in the year of always taking it himself on the break, even if a teammate may have been able to get an easier shot.  To see him leave this one for his big man running with him was a very nice development.

Final Thoughts

This was obviously a big game to get for a number of reasons.  Playoff positioning, the up-coming trip to the West, the bitterness after the skirmish and the Bucks penchant for blowing leads to Chicago all were in my mind at the end of the game Friday.  For a Bucks team that has had confidence problems on numerous occasions this year, it would have been difficult to swallow this loss.  Now the Bucks can feel good about Bogut, about Redd, about Hakim Warrick and about themselves in general.

The win was important, but the blending of Redd back into the team seems to be accelerating juuuuust a bit.  A strong game against Oklahoma City and now another against Chicago sandwiching a win against New Jersey at least give the impression that he might be getting it together.  The attacks to the rim were crucial signs of development Friday and the consistency with which Bogut received the ball in a game where Redd had it going at least a little was an even better sign.  All that which ails the Bucks has not been cured yet, as evidenced by yet another 40 percent shooting night, but taking more positives than negatives out on the road with them has to feel good.

Related posts:

1. Game Three Preview: Bucks @ Bulls This is a match-up not so dissimilar from opening night...
2. Game 33 Preview: Bucks vs. Bulls Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 14 – 18 (Probable) Inactives: Joe...
3. Help Wanted: Bucks 81 – Bulls 83 The Bucks are going to need better performances out of...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Bucks beat a bad team on the road.  Of course, by bad I mean “historically awful”.  I wasn’t able to catch much of it thanks to a lagging internet and poor sleep schedule, so I won’t pretend like I’m going to be able to properly break down the fine points of the game.

Instead, let’s look at some numbers.

1-0: Bucks record when Brandon Jennings has a high-top fade.

4-4: Carlos Delfino’s makes and attempts at the rim on Tuesday night.  The last time he made at least three field goals at the rim?  December 19th against Sacramento.  His last good game before Tuesday night?  December 19th against Sacramento.  It’s not rocket science.  When Delfino is attacking and not planting himself in the corner missing open three’s, he can apparently be somewhat useful.

10-1: The Bucks record when Andrew Bogut scores 17 or more points.  The moral of the story?  Keep Bogut focused and active and get him the ball.  I think Bogut will get better as the year goes on, despite his propensity for occasionally disappearing and reliance on a semi-flaky finesse game.  He’s only shooting 40 percent inside ten feet, down from 51 percent last year.  History says he’ll likely improve, which would result in better numbers and a more potent Bucks offense.

3.44: “Defensive Plays” per game for Bogut.  A “Defensive Play” is either a block, steal or charge drawn.  Bogut ranks third in the league amongst Centers behind Marcus Camby and Dwight Howard.

11-6 vs. 3-12: The Bucks record’s when they keep opponents under 100 points or allow more than 100 points.  In eight of the Bucks last nine wins they’ve held their opponent to less than 100 points.  At this juncture, it’s clear for the Bucks to have a real shot at winning, they have to keep the score low, not by walking the ball up or playing slow, but by playing Scott Skiles quality defense.

8: Consecutive games lost by Portland, Golden State and Utah combined.  On the Bucks frightening trip out West next week they’ll meet these three Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.  If the Bucks beat Chicago on Friday they’ll be 15-18 heading into their toughest road stretch of the year.  With the way those three teams are playing the Bucks may have a legit opportunity to steal two of those games.  Two wins on a six game swing to the West may not sound like a success, but it would be in my book.

31-19: Combined home records of the three teams I just mentioned.  This is why two wins would suffice.

1: Road wins in December against six losses for the Bucks.

1: Road wins in January for the Bucks.  December was not a good month.

7-30: Hakim Warrick’s makes and attempts over the last month from 16-23 feet.  For those of you who have been complaining that Hakim Warrick can’t shoot a jumper, you’re right.  Yet he continues to fire up the jumpers with reckless abandon.  That’s 14 games worth of data and he’s averaging over two attempts from that range per game, with an accuracy of less than 25 percent.

-7.1: Net negative when comparing the collective PER’s of Bucks shooting guards and small forwards to their opponents.  Essentially, the PER’s of all Bucks swingmen is seven points lower than that of their opponents.  Some of this is offset by Luc Richard Mbah a Moute’s incredible production on the defensive end, but not all of it.  The bottom line remains, if the Bucks want to get to the playoffs they’ll simply have to get more out of those two positions on a nightly basis.  Whether it’s Michael Redd or someone else, the Bucks badly need some kind of production from their wings.

Related posts:

1. Game 32 Preview: Bucks at Nets Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 13-18 (Probable) Inactives: Joe Alexander and...
2. The gift from the scheduling gods: Bucks 99 – Nets 85 Judging from the way the Bucks encouraged Jennings to attack...
3. Game Nine Preview: Bucks vs. Nets New Jersey Nets (Lawrence Frank) 0-11 (Likely) Inactives: Devin Harris,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

(Probable) Inactives: Joe Alexander and Dan Gadzuric

at

New Jersey Nets (Kiki Vanderwegh) 3-30

(Probable) Inactives: Eduardo Najera, Tony Battie and Sean Williams

Date: 1/5/2010

Time: 6:00 (CST)

TV: Nah, not today

Match-Ups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Devin Harris

Like most of these match-ups, this one won’t be quite as easy as the last time these teams met.  In the first game it was Rafer Alston manning the point for the 0-12 Nets.  Jennings burned Alston for 19 points, eight assists and his lone dunk of the season.  That was a different Nets team led by a different man though.  While Devin Harris hasn’t exactly righted the ship since his return from an early season ankle injury, he (along with the many other Nets who have returned from injuries since they last met the Bucks) at least helps make the Nets a competitive team.  Harris has not matched the lofty standard he set for himself last year though.  Shooting under 40 percent and averaging less than 20 points and dishing out fewer assists was probably not what Harris had in mind as a follow up to his all-star season last year.  If Harris can begin to get himself on track, the Nets become more than a team desperate for all the wins they can get.  Physically, Harris is still quick and strong and will be a load for Jennings on both sides of the court.

Advantage: Nets

Shooting Guard

Michael Redd vs. Courtney Lee

Can Michael Redd string together two stellar performances in a row?  Consistency has not been common this season for the Bucks, whether it’s been the ups and downs for the rookie point guard Jennings or the life of a finesse big man in Andrew Bogut, the Bucks key players have had problems performing night in and night out.  We’ve seen Redd be able to bring consistent scoring before, but whether or not that can still be apart of his game remains to be seen.  Courtney Lee is a solid defender, but not a  player for Redd to lose sleep over.  Redd should be able to use his crafty moves to get a few good looks at the rim and hopefully some free-throws.  However he’s going to do it, now is a great opportunity for Redd to get going.  After a strong game against Oklahoma City, Redd has games against New Jersey and Chicago, two weaker teams,  as opportunities to boost his confidence and find his rhythm before a long road trip out west.

Advantage: Bucks

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute vs. Chris Douglas-Roberts

CDR got loose for 31 points in the last Bucks-Nets game, doing most of his damage at the free-throw line (12-14).  Don’t hold your breath on him having that kind of impact again, as LRMAM was absent that game.  Do expect CDR to make some trips to the free throw line and do his best to keep getting to the rim.  CDR attacked the rim repeatedly in that game and has been doing that all year long, averaging roughly seven attempts at the rim per game … or more than anyone on the Bucks.  LRMAM is still figuring out this whole offense thing and might get a few post looks against the smaller CDR.

Advantage: Bucks (LRMAM fits so well!)

Power Forward

Ersan Ilyasova vs. Yi Jianlian

One of the great fears many Bucks fans have is that Easy Yi will one day go on to live up to the vast potential he has, scarring us for life and making us forever rue the day he was given up for what practically amounted to one season of Richard Jefferson. In his last five games, Yi has averaged 20 points and seven rebounds while shooting just a shade under 50 percent.  When he was drafted it was expected those types of performances would be common place for Yi, but he did so little in his one year with Milwaukee that he hardly seemed a better prospect than Charlie Villanueva.  Regardless, he’s looked good lately and that has everyone on watch in Milwaukee, even if it probably wouldn’t have happened here.

Advantage: Nets

Center

Andrew Bogut vs. Brook Lopez

Bogut had the upper hand earlier this year, with 21/11 to Lopez’s 11/4, but that could change with ease in this one.  Lopez has a much better supporting cast around him now and Bogut has yet to show much real consistency this year.  Bogut is coming off a very strong game against the Thunder after a string of four straight mediocre to bad games.  Lopez is one of the league’s best shot-blockers and could give Bogut some problems.  It’ll be important for Milwaukee to stick with the Aussie all night and try and ride him in this one.  Redd and Jennings haven’t been very good on the road and the path to road victories is typically lined with Andrew Bogut touches down low.

Advantage: Milwaukee

Bench

Charlie Bell, Kurt Thomas, Hakim Warrick and Luke Ridnour

vs.

Keyon Dooling, Trenton Hassell, Josh Boone and Terrance Williams

Not a stellar group for the Nets.  Dooling has been known to get hot, Hassell and Boone provide defense in theory if not in practice and since Vanderwegh has taken over, Williams minutes have been as erratic as his personality.  Not the way to get success out of rookies.  Ridnour was crucial for the Bucks against the Thunder and Hakim Warrick actually earned himself some crunch time minutes with his activity around the hoop.  Now if only he was a little better about scoring when he’s by the rim: 57 percent shooting at the rim on the year is a career low.

Advantage: Milwaukee

Prediction: Bucks 98 – Nets 88

I was all set to predict the Bucks would lose this game.  Even had the score: 94-91 Nets.  But the more I thought about it, the more confidence I had in Scott Skiles and the Bucks.  They haven’t really lost many games to teams they’ve been better than.  The Bucks have typically played at or above their talent level all season long and I don’t see why that would change now.  The rough December was largely the product of a more difficult schedule.  To this point, the Bucks have beat all the teams you’d expect them to beat (save for Sacramento) and I don’t see why that would change now.

Milwaukee looked much better defensively for parts of the Charlotte and Orlando game and for all of the Oklahoma City game.  If they were able to put it together for pieces of two of those and a full game in one of those, I don’t see why they shouldn’t be able to against an inferior New Jersey team.  Sure, the Nets are much better than they were in November and have some more talent now, but the Bucks remain the more talented squad and that has generally led to wins for Milwaukee this year.

Related posts:

1. Game Nine Preview: Bucks vs. Nets New Jersey Nets (Lawrence Frank) 0-11 (Likely) Inactives: Devin Harris,...
2. The gift from the scheduling gods: Bucks 99 – Nets 85 Judging from the way the Bucks encouraged Jennings to attack...
3. Game 23 Preview: Bucks vs. Lakers Los Angeles Lakers (Phil Jackson) 19-4 (Likely) Inactives: Luke Walton...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I’m not going to lie, as soon as the last shot of regulation left Kevin Durant’s hand at half-court, I was slightly worried.  Kobe did it and Dirk did it and if you add Kobe plus Dirk, who do you get?

So you can see where my anxiety stemmed from.

But The Durantula’s running 30-footer wasn’t close and the Bucks rode Michael Redd’s first hot night in what has seemed like years to the finish line in a 103-97 victory over Oklahoma City Saturday night.

But it wasn’t a smooth ride.

Redd hit one long two after the next in overtime, all very difficult shots, but it seemed the only offense Bucks were able to muster and that’s a problem.  If Milwaukee’s having to rely on Redd to hit difficult shots to keep them in a game or give them a lead, that means the offense isn’t mustering much with regard to open looks.  And those tough shots?  They aren’t going to keep falling every time according to the law of averages.

It’s a lot of fun to see guys hit long tough two point shots when they’re going in, but usually they aren’t.  Milwaukee was 3-3 on 16-23 foot shots in overtime and 11-22 on those shots Saturday night, but that’s abnormal.  On the season, the Bucks are shooting just 39 percent from that distance.  Going to Andrew Bogut on a post up with 38.5 seconds left was the first good shot the Bucks got in overtime, and if that’s the case and the Bucks win, it’s fine.  But when the Bucks lose close games and everyone is wondering why, look no further than the challenge they have in getting off good looks.  Skiles thoughts on the general lack of attacking the rim in overtime (aside from a Luke Ridnour lay-up):

The problem is though, we’re going in there and we feel like we’re going up strong and sometimes, maybe there is some contact maybe there isn’t, but we come up empty.  You know, so, you have to go in there and either score or get fouled otherwise you have poor back court coverage because you’re point guard is under the basket, sometimes laying on the ground, and people run out on you.  I want our guys to be in attack mode but I know they’re a little bit frustrated by the inability to get to the line.

Whether they made it more difficult for themselves than need be or not, what’s important is that the Bucks won this game.  It was nice to see the Bucks out execute (yes, the making of tough shots falls into that category, mainly because the Thunder were unable to get the ball in bounds with 20 seconds left) and out defend a team in the fourth quarter and overtime for once.

Offense

When you hear “The Milwaukee Bucks grabbed nine more offensive rebounds than Oklahoma City” it sounds pretty nice.  19-10 were the exact numbers.  But that minor victory is actually the result of a much larger problem the Bucks continue to face: the inability to finish at the rim.  Coming into Saturday’s game, the Bucks were shooting 54 percent at the rim, six percentage points lower than the NBA average and the lowest percentage in the league.  Saturday the Bucks were 19-39 at the rim (48 percent) while Oklahoma City was 19-28 (68 percent).  That’s a pretty big difference.  The Bucks missed a number of easy tip shots and open put backs, the biggest offenders being Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (0-2), Hakim Warrick (4-9) and Brandon Jennings (3-7).

So while the Bucks were racking up the opportunities thanks to their offensive rebounds and extra tips on shots, they weren’t really making them count.

• Redd finished with 27 points on 12-23 shooting, including 3-7 from behind the arc.  Most encouraging was that Redd was 5-7 at the rim, meaning he was attacking … at least before overtime.  But hey, if he’s hitting those 18-foot jumpers, I don’t really have a problem with them.  Aside from how difficult they are.  And that he fades away.  And that the rest of the team sometimes just stands and watches after he comes off a high screen off the ball.  And that these shots typically don’t go in so they shouldn’t even be in his repertoire.  But aside from that, I love them.  Redd deserves a boatload of credit for this win though, not only was his shooting better than it had been all year, he made a few defensive plays that were clutch, including a tipped pass with 2:18 left in overtime that gave the Bucks the ball with a one-point lead after a Jennings turnover.

• Bogut had another great game at home, something of a recurring theme with him.  23 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks for the Aussie.  He controlled the paint on both ends for the majority of his time in the game.  He even hit what looked to me like a 15-foot jumper, but was actually confirmed in the shot chart to have been a 13-footer.  That’s still an expansion of range and something that’s delightful to see.  Coach Scott Skiles said that Andrew has worked on stepping out, but isn’t confident in it yet.  If he ever can, it’ll be a huge boon to his ever diversifying offensive game.

Defense

LUC RICHARD MBAH A MOUTE.

If I were given two sentences to describe LRMAM’s game, it’d be this one I jotted down starting with two minutes and eight seconds left in regulation:

• 2:08 left, Mbah a Moute saves a possesion! 1:45, misses layup, UGH.

Luc is just an awe-inspiring player.  He worked so hard all night on Durant and gave him hell in the last minute of regulation, poking it away and diving on the loose ball, and then worked a perfect double-team with Hak’ Warrick to push him away on the last shot.  There would be no good Kobe look for Durant against LRMAM.  He’s just too good to even allow a player to get in that kind of position.  I’d say even more about LRMAM’s performance, but I’m working on something on him for later in the week.  Your patience (and return) is appreciated.

• The Bucks allowed only 24 points in the last quarter and overtime combined and forced the Thunder into six more turnovers than they committed themselves.  In a two or three possession game, those are the kinds of things that win.

• This often goes overlooked, I always forget about it, but Luke Ridnour can really foul on the fast break.  Most guards are afraid to get physical and knock a guy down or give him a good hack to make sure he doesn’t get an and-one, but not Ridnour.  He’ll mess someone up if they’re trying to draw the foul plus the basket, just ask Durant.  He found out the hard way in the first half.

Final Thoughts

It looks as though the new year brought a renewed commitment at the defensive end for Milwaukee.  After the first half in which Durant was hitting lots of shots, nothing came easy for the Thunder.  Mbah a Moute set the tone for the perimeter and Andrew Bogut was active inside.  In other words, it was the Bucks of the first ten games, not the ones of the last 20.  Whether this was a temporary reprieve from a team relieved to be back at home against a team that wasn’t a superpower remains to be seen, but at least for tonight we can all bask in the reminder of what these Bucks are still possibly capable of.

Related posts:

1. Game 14 preview: Bucks @ Thunder (on ESPN!) (Sorry for the late post.  I work in retail and...
2. To panic or not?: Thunder 108 – Bucks 90 It’s funny how a problem can seem like such a...
3. You Know the Drill: Cavs 85- Bucks 82 I guess this is the life of a jump-shooting team...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It was more than effort and energy.

I’d say for the first time in over a month, the Bucks looked decisive and played offense with a purpose.  There was no hesitation off screens from Brandon Jennings, just him making quick decisions.  Andrew Bogut was going right at Dwight Howard and working hard to get him in early foul trouble.

But that couldn’t (and didn’t) last all game.  The Bucks eventually reverted to form in the second half as the game slipped away.  Shots weren’t falling and the defense collapsed.  The good half the Bucks played in the first seemed like a distant memory as the clock expired on this one.  76 second half points and a 40 percent shooting performance don’t really afford the Bucks the opportunity to look back on this game and smile about much.

The moral of Wednesday’s story is a team on the attack will always fare better than the opposition.  In the first half, the Bucks were on the attack often and made quick decisions.  In the second half?  The Bucks of old were back.  They were passive; they dribbled too much and stopped making jump-shots.

Offense

• When the Bucks were at their finest, Jennings was shooting or passing quickly off the pick and rolls.  In the second half he over-dribbled and that rarely helps the situation.  The NBA is all about quickness.  Make a quick move, think quickly and react.  Jennings wasn’t the only one who had trouble with this.  The Bucks too often are bogging down offensively and holding the ball too long without attacking or passively dribbling around the perimeter.  In the early part of the game this wasn’t an issue, but during the 14-0 fourth quarter run the Magic went on it was a huge problem.

• 16-46.  That was the combined makes and attempts for Jennings, Bogut and Michael Redd.  A team with the talent level of Milwaukee is sure to avoid winning a game when it’s “best” three players shoot a touch better than 33 percent.

• Speaking of Redd, it was very noticeable that he wasn’t getting many shots or even touches early.  As the Bucks found a nice rhythm in the first quarter, he took only a few shots as noted by the screen above.  It seemed like that opened up the offense for Bogut and Jennings to get the looks they wanted.  Even Luc Richard Mbah a Moute got a few early post-up touches against Vince Carter. Is it much of a shock at this point that the offense was better without Redd getting looks?  I don’t envy Coach Skiles for having to figure out how to get his guys to mesh.

• Remember when Jodie Meeks earned some more minutes?  He’s responded to a playing time increase with 4-15 shooting, including a miserable 0-7 on three’s.  He didn’t even grab a single rebound to help make up for his offensively liable effort Wednesday.  In short, Meeks was part of the passive problem and not the aggressive solution against the Magic.

Defense

• The Bucks came out with so much promise in the first quarter.  Jennings had three deflections early, Bogut a block, Ilyasova a deflection, LRMAM a poke away steal (credited to Redd who came up with it) and Kurt Thomas chipped in with a block, the Bucks were all over the floor.  And then they gave up 76 second half points.

• Orlando shot 1-9 on three’s in the first half and while that was surprising, it wasn’t a total shock, as the Bucks have actually been pretty good about defending the three-point line this year.  But the wheels fell off in the second half as Orlando went 9-12 in blowing the game open.  Jason Williams led the charge hitting all five of his second half three-point attempts.  J-Will was hitting off the dribble, off catches and with great swagger.  It was all VERY J-Willish.  After the first Orlando game in Milwaukee, coach Scott Skiles talked a lot about keeping Orlando from getting comfortable on their three’s and trying to run them off of those shots, it was clear it was a big part of Milwaukee’s game plan.  It likely was again Wednesday, but it was tough to tell in the second half.

• The insertion of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute into the starting lineup went swimmingly, as the Bucks carried their strong second half play from Monday into a 49-41 lead at half Wednesday.  Now if they can just figure out how to put consecutive halves into the same game, they’ll be in good shape.

• Carlos Delfino was the odd man out of the starting lineup, and then played only nine minutes in which he managed to miss two shots and hit one off the side of the backboard.  Not exactly a strong case for reinsertion into the starting lineup.

Final Thoughts

The Bucks are now 3-11 with Michael Redd this season and have had only fleeting positive moments with him in the game.  This season is falling apart faster than anyone would like, or not fast enough.  It all depends on where you as a fan want the Bucks to go.  Is it time for Milwaukee to pack it in and sacrifice this year in order to gain better draft position?  Or do the Bucks need to dig deep within themselves and pull out reserve energy to jump back into the playoff picture.

Related posts:

1. Game 30 Preview: Bucks at Magic Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 12-17 (Probable) Inactives: Joe Alexander, Roko...
2. Game 15 preview: Bucks vs. Magic Orlando Magic (Stan Van Gundy) 12-4 (Likely) Inactives: Jameer Nelson...
3. Another home heartbreaker: Magic 100 – Bucks 98 Recap/Box Score The Bucks biggest (16,128, nice job Milwaukee) and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.