Looking at the remaining schedules, it appears if Miami can keep it together long enough, they have a good chance to make some noise come April.  With as soft a schedule as a team could ever ask for in the final month of the season, Miami will have ample room for upward mobility.  Of course, they lost to Minnesota last night, so take nothing for granted.  Their success largely depends on the health of Dwyane Wade. Wade missed Tuesday’s game in Minnesota, but will likely be back on Saturday for an important game with the Bucks.

Miami also has the most games remaining against the other three teams, with three games each.  The Bucks only have four such games left, but hold the series lead against all three teams and the Bucks currently have the best division record too. Those records may factor into whether or not the Bucks get in, so they have some meaning.

If two of the teams tie, the tiebreakers go as such:

1. Head to head records.  Whoever has won the series between the two teams gets to keep playing.

2. If they have tied the season series AND are in the same division, then division record takes precedence.  This applies to only the Bucks and Bulls.

3. After division it comes down to whichever team has a better record against teams in conference.

For more info about multiple team ties, head over to this playoff tiebreaker explanation.

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The upside to being a bad team is typically that said team is playing younger players and hoping they’ll get better.  Ideally, one of those players has an especially bright future and could potentially be a franchise cornerstone if everything goes right over the next two or three years.  That is the blueprint on a successful rebuilding job.  After two or three years of bad then mediocre then finally near playoff level play, the team hopes to add a veteran role player or if they’re lucky enough, a star to complete the puzzle.  THIS is how winning teams get built.

The problem with the Bucks of most recent past have been excruciatingly mediocre.  They haven’t been a player or two away.  They haven’t just missed out on the finals.  Even worse, they haven’t had the young core they can sell to fans to give them hope.  After selecting Andrew Bogut in 2005 with the number one overall pick the Bucks had he at the age of 22 roughly a month into the season, the recently extended 26-year-old Michael Redd and the older than he looked 23-year-old T.J. Ford.  At this point it was evident to everyone not named Larry Harris that Michael Redd was a terrific scorer, better person and possible second banana on the court — at best.  Bogut was a wild card and Ford had real upside as a possible ten assist guy, but real downside as a possible skeleton.

The pieces around them ranged from a possible steal (Mo Williams) to someone possible stealing (Bobby Simmons).  Names and faces around Redd and Bogut continued to change for the next few years, but those two seemed to be a year older with each passing season and the players around them rarely seemed like the potential building blocks Redd and Bogut may once have been.  Brian Skinner? Ruben Patterson?  Royal Ivey?  Yi?  The Bucks never sold this as rebuilding, in fact the goal always seemed to be to make the playoffs and lose in the first round every year.

So where does that leave the current Bucks?  Are they rebuilding with young players?  Or still attempting in vain to make a run at the first round of the playoffs?  Arguments could be made that support both sides of the argument.

Building Blocks

Brandon Jennings is the most significant young piece the Bucks have added since Bogut and really more like since Ray Allen.  When Bogut was drafted there was buzz don’t get me wrong.  I specifically remember the Bucks winning the lottery I hadn’t even paid attention to because I assumed they had no chance at winning.  A friend called me at work and suggested we go out and buy Bogut jerseys.  So there was a little excitement, but more of the “it’s cool that we got the number one pick again” variety than of the “oh my god, we’re getting Andrew Bogut and we’re back in the hunt” variety.

Jennings comes with his share of baggage.  He didn’t play particularly well in Europe, he shoots a little much and not especially well, he’s on the small side, he may or may not have stolen his nickname from Lil’ Wayne and got rid of a cool flattop for a “trendy” mohawk.  So he’s by no means perfect.  But at the same time he’s a former Naismith Prep Player of the Year (the list has some surprises but is largely made up of really good to great pro players), he plays basketball like it’s all he’s ever wanted to do, he’s lightening quick, everyone appears to enjoy playing with him, he distributes the ball very well and he likes Bayshore Mall.  Overall, I feel at least semi-comfortable with the idea of centering a rebuilding plan around a point guard who may have the necessary skills and attitude to take over games on a nightly basis.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is a different kind of building block.  It’s hard to project The Prince as a future NBA star.  He doesn’t have specific offensive talents, at least unless you consider finding loose balls underneath and finishing fairly well after catching passes virtually everyone else in the league could catch to be specific talents.  LRMAM will undoubtedly work very hard each summer on his outside shooting and mid range jumper every off season for the next ten years until he’s at least adequate and at most expert level in these fields though.  That’s a good feeling.  Scott Skiles once said about LRMAM, “When he’s done playing you’re going to say he’s gotten the most out of his ability.”  Given that quote from a coach like Skiles and LRMAM’s natural athleticism, how can he not immediately qualify as a building block?

LRMAM is so good defensively that any offense he eventually develops will be merely a bonus.  It’s just that LRMAM doesn’t merely cover the best wing player on the court, he’ll guard ANYONE.  Last season he defended Chris Paul, Chris Bosh and when things got crazy on “To Catch a Predator” he stepped in to defend Chris Hanson.  He’ll keep himself on the court with his defense, even if he never amasses an offensive game that surpasses Mike Kelley (I realize he likely already has, but you get the point).

And for possibly the most surprising detail on the Bucks roster: Andrew Bogut is 24.  He’ll be 25 roughly a month from the date I publish this, but that’s still not too shabby.  We (and by we I mean I and maybe others) sometimes talk about Bogut like he’s a finished project, a guy who “is what he is.”  But that is unlikely.  Bogut has had time to learn the nuances of the pro game, but with off season international commitments and an injury here and there, he’s hardly had time to take his game to the level he’d like it to eventually end up at.  Already a good passer from the high post, it’s possible Bogut will perfect a jumper from there.  It’s possible he’ll become more assertive and a more reliable finisher as time goes on.  And if he doesn’t?  He’s still a 15/10 guy when healthy going forward.

When healthy is a significant qualifier I admit.  And a 24-year-old with back issues is much scarier than a back pain free any age-year-old.  But so far this year Bogut has looked healthy and spry.  If he can get his scoring and shot blocking levels to where they were two years ago and continue to develop as a rebounder alone and keep his team defensive skills where they were last year he’s a potential low level all-star.  That’s not a bad piece.

Veterans and Question Marks

After Jennings (still a question mark in his own right, as much as I think he’ll succeed) LRMAM and Bogut, the Bucks have a few young guys who at best have bright but cloudy futures and a number of veterans.

• It’s impossible to know what will become of Ersan Ilyasova, but he’ll be around for three years at a good price.  At worst he’s a crappy Vladamir Radmonovich (What’s that?  Vlad Rad is the crappy Vlad Rad?  Okay, a quicker Steve Novak.)  And at best he’s a better defending, fewer possession killing Chuck Villanueva. The Bucks loaded up at power forward so they won’t have to find out to which extreme he falls closer to right away.  Just getting up to the NBA speed should be a good development for him this year though.  He’s a ?.

• Jodie Meeks is a guy I’ve probably been too high on already.  He was a second round pick for a reason and won’t be taking Charlie Bell’s minutes right out of the gate.  That’s no tragedy either, Meeks could probably stand to get his feet wet slowly and if he proves to be a valuable player, he’ll prove it over time.  Anytime guys have the shooting skill Meeks does they find a way to stick eventually … unless their last name is Stoudamire and their first name is Salim.  Something tells me his actual ability has little to do with all that though.  He’s a ?.

• Joe Alexander continues to struggle to even maintain question mark status.  I don’t think he warrants complete giving up on, which is what not picking up his option next year (the Bucks have until the 31st of this month to do just that) obviously would be doing.  Everyone and their mother knew Alexander was going to take some time before he was a viable NBA player.  So why was everyone so shocked that he spent his rookie year struggling?  It’s hard when players taken after him succeed with immediacy like Brock Lopez and Anthony Randolph, but Alexander struggled last year and already this year with injuries.  Everyone wants immediate production, but the value of the roster spot Alexander is taking is low.  There aren’t a ton of players the Bucks could fill the spot with at this point in the next year that are more valuable than he could be.  Alexander showed flashes last year and more consistent flashes near the end of summer league.  It’s possible, albeit looking less likely, that he can be salvaged and have a very productive career for the Bucks.

• Speaking of Bell.  He, Dan Gadzuric, Francisco Elson, Kurt Thomas, Luke Ridnour, Carlos Delfino, and Roko Ukic are essentially puzzle pieces.  They’ll all get some minutes this year, but ultimately represent contracts that could be moved without problem and without consequence.  Some have higher upside and some will help in the present, but none are players that really matter in the long run.

• Hakim Warrick is an especially interesting case.  He’s been playing like gangbusters this pre-season.  He’s taking it to the hole with authority and generally acting surly on the court.  When a player as athletic as Warrick gets nasty, it’s a good thing.  Warrick is threatening sixth man of the year numbers in pre-season.  I know, it doesn’t matter and they’re glorified scrimmages, but still, impressive.  He’ll never win that award here, but it’s fun to think about and nice to know there is a productive scoring option on unit two.   Warrick is 27 and if he’s actually going to start playing at this high a level can probably continue it for a few years with good health.  He’s on a one-year-deal and would probably command roughly six million were he to break out this year.  Whether or not the Bucks kept him would have to do solely with the next player I’m going to be bringing up.  So keep reading.

• Michael Redd.  As I referred to before, Redd makes a lot of money.  Too much for one guy on a team like the Bucks to be making, unless that guy is Lebron James. So whether or not the Bucks keep Redd throughout this season will ultimately decide whether or not they’ve taken on a full fledged rebuilding commitment.  By giving up Redd the Bucks are saying (at least assuming they get young players for him), “We can’t commit this much payroll to anyone.  We need cap space and we need young talented players.  We’re confident that with our draft pick, Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut and LRMAM we have a nucleus to build off.  Michael Redd was great to have around and could have helped us win a few more games, but ultimately this isn’t going to lead us to a title  We want to win a title and they represent our best opportunity for doing that.”

What happens with Redd dictates where the team heads, but ultimately this season is one with limited upside.  If the Bucks get it all together and play to the peak of their collective talents, 40 wins would likely be the most games they could win.  More realistically is a season of ups and downs and inconsistencies leading to 30-35 wins.  I’m an eternal optimist though, so I think 37.

Regardless, I’ll be watching what happens with Redd as much as I’ll be watching that win column.

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Depth ranks high on the list.  Everyone from Scott Skiles to Andrew Bogut to Bango the Buck was excited about how many options the Bucks now have all over the court.  “We’re three deep everywhere” seemed the day’s mantra.  Of course a lot of the new depth is unproven, therefore buzz word number two was youth.  Michael Redd noted that this may be the youngest squad he’s seen since his days with Milwaukee started.

And the other two words everyone was buzzing about?

Brandon and Jennings.

Even before the moment Jennings came skipping out onto the court it was evident he’d be a popular topic.  If there is one thing Jennings knows how to do, it’s take over a room.

Jennings is not shy about his jubilant manner and constant confidence.   “To play this game, you got to have confidence, at the end of the day.  You got to have confidence and you got to work hard.   I’m happy, you know, I’m playing in the NBA.  This is something I’ve dreamed about doing.”

Part of that dream was assuredly being a starter, something he doesn’t seem all that worried about right now, “If I don’t then I don’t.  We have a veteran point guard … I’m just trying to learn from him.”

He doesn’t seem to want to ruffle any feathers, but we all know Jennings is going to be the big draw from day one.  Michael Redd is a former Olympian and Andrew Bogut may be the most important player on the team, but something about Jennings personality and persona draw attention to him, and the Bucks are surely hoping that will rub off.  For all the talk about the veteran point guard Luke Ridnour easing Jennings into his transition to the NBA, we all know Jennings is the man people will want to see from day one.  Whether his slight frame and inexperience will be ready is a different story, but Jennings thinks he’ll hold up.

“Even though I didn’t play a lot in Europe, behind the scenes a lot of people didn’t really see what I was doing.  I had to work out every day and I was still practicing two times a day.  I don’t think I will hit the wall, but I’m sure I’ll get tired, I’m human.”

Other training camp notes

• Kurt Thomas on being a veteran on a rebuilding team and his tricks of the trade: “I don’t have a problem with it, just the fact that I’m the old man on the team now.  I definitely know a lot of tricks and I definitely use them to my advantage when I can, especially since I don’t jump as high as I used to.”

Thomas seemed content with his place on the Bucks.  He’s here to play wherever he’s needed, be it the four or the five and bang around bodies a little bit.  His presence next to Andrew Bogut will surely be appreciated.  Bogut has never had a bodyguard on the court with him; he missed Tractor Traylor by about six years.

• Coach Skiles on Luc Richard Mbah a Moute: “Whatever Luc’s high water mark as a player is going to be in the league he’s going to reach it.  When he’s done playing you’re going to say he’s gotten the most out of his ability.”

Skiles was practically glowing when given the opportunity to talk about Mbah a Moute, which makes sense.  You have to think after as strong a year as Luc had last year he’s got the leg up on the majority of playing time at the small forward spot, but may come off the bench simply due to his incredible versatility.  He was able to guard forwards and guards alike last year, possibly to the determent of his own offense.  When having to match up with two guards like Ben Gordon, Skiles noted that it would force Mbah a Moute into positions he was a little unfamiliar with and maybe not best suited for on offense.  With the Bucks increased depth this year, he should be able to slide around a little more on offense into his more natural forward role.

• Oh, and the cornerstones of the season and their nicked up bodies?  Redd and Bogut say they’ll be fine by the time the season opens.  Scott Skiles wisely won’t take any chances early, and Bucks fans will continue to hold their breath until October draws to a close and Redd and Bogut are on the court.

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That’s why I have never understood the Bob Lanier thing.

Honoring past players is one of the most important things about sports.  We never want to forget the highest highs in the histories of our respective teams.  Fans want to remember when and why they first fell in love with a team.  The “old days” often create a bridge between generations of fans and are an opportunity for younger fans to learn why their parents got them into the game in the first place.  So, I understand the value in retiring numbers.  Seeing the numbers in the rafters is a constant talking point and goes a long way in remembering how the Bucks got to where they are.  But, I’m concerned that the Bucks have indirectly removed a touch of the value of a retired number over the years.

When I think of retired numbers there are certain aspects of importance I’m looking for in a player to deem his jersey worthy of never being worn again.  A player has to play a vital role in franchise lore, he must in some way shape or form alter the course of a franchise’s history or at the absolute least have his jersey retired in honor of his longevity.  A case study in my first set of requirements: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Kareem could only stand six seasons of his basketball life being spent in Milwaukee, but we all know the Milwaukee Bucks never would have lasted without the greatest Buck of all time getting them started.  Milwaukee is currently seen as a struggling to compete, small market franchise, but even when Milwaukee was a reasonably large market in the late sixties, not many thought the city could support a basketball team, as they had already failed once with the Hawks in the fifties.

But Kareem changed everything.  The Bucks drew nearly three thousand more people on average per game in Kareem’s rookie year.  He helped establish them as a winning franchise, brought the Bucks their only championship and even when he decided he could no longer spend his winters in Milwaukee, brought back talent that helped keep the Bucks competitive for years to come.  This is the kind of guy who deserves a retired jersey.

A case study in my second set of requirements: Jon McGlocklin.  Jonny Mac has been with the Bucks from day one.  He’s seen the Bucks from every imaginable angle.  A co-founder of the MACC Fund, McGlocklin has long been one of the most philanthropic members of the Milwaukee sports community.  Mac has been with the organization for over forty years and to many is the voice of the Bucks.  Is Mac going into the hall of fame?  Not any time soon.  He only made one all-star team and as a Buck only averaged a little over twelve points a game.  But he’s so much more than that to Bucks fans that he deserves a spot up in the rafters.  He’s a valuable talking point in Bucks lore.  Retiring his number as soon as they did (1976) probably was a little silly, but in the end all is well that ends well.

Things start to get a little bit silly as you go down the line of jerseys though.  The silliness first stands out at Brian Winters.  Winters was one of the cornerstone pieces of the Kareem deal.  He played eight years for the Bucks and finished near the top of many leader boards in Bucks history, including the top of the assists board.  Winters was the kind of player who maximized his talents, earning two all-star births and had a great basketball IQ.  Most importantly, the Bucks made the playoffs six times during his time with them.  He had the feel of a winner and the respect and admiration of the organization.  He probably was a slightly above average player, but time spent and a good relationship with the organization put him over the top.  Oh, and this (from an interview with Michael Jordan in Cigar Aficionado):

MRS: Who in your mind is the best shooter you’ve ever seen?
JORDAN: Best shooter. Oh, boy. That’s a great question. Pure shooter?  Pure shooter, I would say Brian Winters, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks. He had the most beautiful stroke of all the people whom I can think of.

But Bob Lanier?

Hey, Lanier had a terrific career.  Seven all-star teams.  Eight consecutive years with over twenty points per game scored.  A walking double double in his Detroit days.  But as a Buck?  A pretty ordinary player.  Thirteen and a half points and a hair under six rebounds a game.  Andrew Bogut is on pace to average considerably better numbers than that as a Buck and most people would pass out if anyone were to even suggest retiring Bogut’s number some day.  That’s the problem with retiring Lanier’s number, we’re setting the bar awfully low.  Maybe Lanier was a hall of fame locker room guy in Milwaukee, but does that mean we should reconsider Sam Casell’s case?  Casell was the last piece that seemed to push Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson’s Bucks teams over the top into the Eastern conference finals in 2001.  Lanier did a lot more winning than those guys did, but he played on much better teams.

Retiring a player’s number is a special event that is supposed to be reserved for special players in a team’s history.  If a ten-year-old kid looks up at the Bucks rafters this season he’s going to see Bob Lanier’s name and number up there with Oscar Robertson and Kareem.  He’s going to think Lanier played as important a role for the Bucks as The Big O and Kareem.  He’s going to be wrong.  There are tons of other ways to honor athletes these days; bobble heads, magnets, coffee mugs, pens, coloring books, throwback jerseys, whatever you can think of they can put a player on it and market it.  If we want to honor the Bob Lanier’s of the world.

Retiring the numbers of the “pretty good” and not solely the great is a bad precedent to establish.  If Lanier was honored, why not Marques Johnson?  Johnson spent seven years as a Buck, made four all-star teams, an all-NBA first team and then went on to steal scenes in “White Men Can’t Jump”.  If Lanier was honored, then why not Glenn Robinson?  Robinson spent eight years with the Bucks, averaged over twenty points in all but one year and is the Bucks second all-time leading scorer.

I don’t want to harp on Bob Lanier though.  What’s done is done and there’s no going back on retired numbers.  Pulling them down would be even more ridiculous than putting them up was in the first place.  I just encourage the Bucks and other franchises to think about what I’ve laid out here today when looking into retiring numbers in the future.  Sure, it may seem like a great idea now to retire Bruce Bowen’s number in San Antonio, but in twenty years will it really be necessary to remember him in the same light as David Robinson and Tim Duncan?  Bowen was important to the Spurs run of championships, his defense and corner threes were crucial.  But was he irreplaceable?  Did he alter the course of franchise history the way Robinson and later Duncan did?  Probably not.  I know “anyone could have done what he did” isn’t always a great defense.  After all, he actually did it.  But it’s a worthy rationalization when thinking about the broad scope of things.

I’m sure in twenty years a Bruce Bowen commemorative “Remember Him?” bobble head will be just fine and go a long way towards keeping him in the hearts and minds of Spurs fans.  But to put him in the rafters is to do a disservice to the fine work of true legends.

The TrueHoop Network is going around the horn discussing what not so good players each team could retire because of their place in the teams lore.  I’d love to hear some comments on the Bucks and their seven retired jerseys and see what other people think about that.  But make sure you check out some of the other sites to see which players hold a special place in the hearts of each franchise.

Some TrueHoop Network Posts:

Atlanta: Mookie Blaylock, Lenny Wilkens, Tree Rollins or Kevin Willis?

New Jersey: Kerry Kittles. (Oddly enough I hope Joe Alexander turns into him.)

New Orleans: Mugsy Bouges love.

Detroit: Billlups, Ben and Rodman.

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In lieu of me watching and reporting on how Ersan Ilyasova, Roko Ukic and Symon Szewczyk are doing overseas we’ll have to visit some other sources for complete Euro related coverage.

• Source #1: Frank at BrewHoop enjoys the advantage of not living in the Milwaukee area, therefore he was able to catch Turkey’s first game on replay.  His report?  Ilyasova displayed versatility, in a positive way and not just as coach speak for “crappy”.  It’s hard to show much defense when you’re guarding players who have even less interest than you in banging around the hoop and doing much more than spotting up for jump shots, so we’re still not sure if Ilyasova will be providing much more than Charlie V. did at that end, but from the looks of things I’d say we’re getting a guy who’ll give at minimum 70% of Charlie V.’s production at roughly a quarter of the price.

• Source #2: The Painted Area has as much about EuroBasket 2009 as you could ever want or need, and they do not fail to assess Ilyasova’s first day performance.

Ersan Ilyasova showed off some of the skills he flashed at the ‘06 Worlds. Ilyasova hit some tough pull-ups starting in isolation, including a nice step-back 3pt to aid Hedo with 17 pts & 6 rebs. Ilyasova has nice one-on-one skills that can translate to the NBA. You combine these skills with his physical package and you understand why the Bucks want him back.

They have less invigorating praise for Roko Ukic.  He of the shaky jump  shot.  If you want to read into these two sentences as a true description of what Ukic could be bringing to the Bucks, you’d think of him as a point guard that can’t shoot, but may be able to effectively get into the lane to score.  Does that remind you of anyone?

Roko Ukic was the lone bright spot for Croatia’s offense in the 1st half hitting a variety of runners. Ukic couldn’t connect with his jumper (no surprise), but he did lead all Croatia scorers with 15 pts.

• New York Times piece on Luc Richard Mbah a Moute’s time spent in the Basketball Without Border’s program last week in Africa.  Enough really cannot be said about how amazing it is that this young man has gone from one end of this spectrum to the other in less than six years.  Truly one of the more amazing stories in the NBA.

• A piece about former Buck Bruce Bowen and retiring numbers.  I kid about the former Buck thing, but I’d like you to read this and keep it in mind for a week or so.  I guarantee there is a reason behind my madness.

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After what has seemed like an eternity, but in actuality was only a few months, Ramon Sessions has signed an offer sheet with the Minnesota Timberwolves for four years and $16 million.  As we all know very well by now, Sessions is a restricted free agent, which means the Bucks have seven days to match the offer or bid Sessions adieu.

Adding three million dollars onto this season’s payroll would push the Bucks into luxury tax land.  As is, the Bucks sit at $68,316,940 and that’s including Sessions’ million dollar qualifying offer.  The luxury tax for 2009-10 will be $69.92 million.  Add three million to the Bucks current number and the Bucks will pay roughly $2.8 million ($1.4 million matched dollar for dollar) in tax money.  It’s been widely believed for some time now that the Bucks threshold with regard to matching was/is $3 million annually for Sessions and therefore will not be matching this offer.

But let’s just sit and think logically about things for a second here.

Yes, a team that will likely miss out on the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year and slashed it’s payroll dramatically by dealing last seasons most dependable player for a retiree, trade bait and more potential trade bait, doesn’t need to be paying extra money for the right to it’s players.  I totally agree.  But why jeopardize future success because of mistakes made in years past?  What I mean is, why give up an asset as valuable as Sessions just because Michael Redd and Dan Gadzuric have inflated contracts?

Bucks GM John Hammond has spent virtually the entire summer discussing the value of having assets in the NBA.  The whole Richard Jefferson trade was based on having flexibility to make more moves and freeing up cap space.  I agreed tenfold on the Jefferson deal.  His pay far outweighed his production.  One of the most important parts of running a successful NBA franchise is to balance pay to performance ratio.  You can’t have a bunch of guys who are making way too much when considering what they are giving you.  Jefferson was pretty good last year, but worth in the ballpark of $14 million?  No way.  Between he, Michael Redd ($14 million) and Dan Gadzuric ($6 million) alone, the Bucks were taking a beating in pay/production ratio.

Whenever it’s possible to lock up developing players at affordable rates, teams have to pounce.  Everyone and their mom knows Sessions would have gotten the full mid-level exception in nearly any other summer and had it extend to five years.  That equates to nearly $30 million.  This is a HUGE opportunity to lock this same guy up for roughly half that.  I’m not saying he’s necessarily “worth” thirty million, but in the often inflated world of NBA salaries he is.  This is the rare chance to get a player for his actual worth, and maybe even a little bit less than that.  That’s a terrific asset.  If Brandon Jennings is even more ready than most people think, Sessions likely becomes highly sought-after trade bait.  If Brandon Jennings isn’t ready this year, Sessions is holding down the fort much better than Luke Ridnour could.

Who knows, maybe Sessions and Jennings end up sharing some time in the same back court and give the Bucks what the T’Wolves were hoping to get with Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn.  To have too many good players will never be a problem in a small market town like Milwaukee.  The Bucks are always going to be playing the “try and stay under the cap as far as possible while not losing every game” game and having assets that can boost the value of dead weight contracts can only help a team succeed in that game.  That’s why not matching this contract to avoid paying an extra $2.8 million in taxes is so ludicrous.

$2.8 million in taxes is only $1.4 million over the tax threshold.  The luxury tax penalty is based off the payroll of teams on the final day of the regular season.  That means the Bucks would have more than seven months to free up an additional million and a half and avoid paying the luxury tax.  That means the Bucks could spend the year trying to trade trusty veteran Kurt Thomas, or expiring contract Luke Ridnour or lusted after scorer Michael Redd.  If they make literally any move to free up money the Bucks will avoid the tax and keep a great asset in Sessions.  And if they can’t make a move?

It’s easy to say throw three million dollars away when it’s not your own money, but what’s three million dollars?  The Bucks have been bleeding money for a number of years now.  Why all of a sudden get cost conscious with the one player who will be getting signed at a great value, just because it’s going to cost a little more for one year.  It’s not even like the Bucks are facing this salary cap hell for the next few years.  Through the Jefferson deal Hammond already made significant steps in keeping them from doing too much damage for the next couple years.

But who knows what the Bucks will do.  I’d say there is probably a 70% chance they let Ramon go.  But with all of the twists and turns this Ramon Sessions restricted free agency has had already, nothing that happens in the next seven days will surprise me.

Tick tick tick.

UPDATE:

I thought I’d throw some other links about Sessions on here:

• ClipperBlog’s take on Sessions
• JSOnline reports on Sessions
• Chad Ford of ESPN.com offers his thoughts (Insider)
• BrewHoop checks in.

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• On Monday, I said Eurobasket 2009 starts on what would be yesterday.  That was incorrect.  It actually is on September 7.  Notable names: Szymon Szewczyk and Ersan Ilyasova.  Szewczyk was acquired on draft night in 2004 and has been slowly “developing” in Poland for the last five years.  Will he ever actually be a notable name for the Bucks?  Unlikely.  But he’s still Bucks property and therefore warrants mentioning.  Ilyasova is obviously the more noteworthy name.  One of the Bucks more significant off-season acquisitions, Ilyasova hasn’t been seen by Bucks fans since he was that scrawny foreign guy chucking and looking confused in 2006.  Word is he’s bulked up and is much more ready for the league.  For all your Eurobasket needs check out THN blog BallInEurope.

• First real discussion of the possibility that Ramon Sessions calls it quits and returns to the Bucks at the discount bargain bin price of just over a million.

• Bruce Bowen retires.  He can probably buy a few rocking chairs with the $2.1 million the Bucks gave him to go away.  It would have been terrific if Bowen would have hung it up before August 1 when the Bucks had to commit the $2 million or $4 million, but I can’t say I blame him.  He gets a nice bonus on the way out this way.

• ESPN ranks the Eastern Conference, the Bucks fare predictably poor in this practice.  The Bucks come in fourteenth in the rankings put together by a panel of fifty-three.  The thoughts on the Bucks?

With questions about Michael Redd’s knee, Andrew Bogut’s back, Charlie Villanueva’s replacement and the PG position, Milwaukee is one of the NBA’s true mystery teams. Could coach Scott Skiles lead the Bucks to a surprise playoff run? Could they fall apart and lose 60 games? As the saying goes, that’s why they play the games.

A pretty fair assessment overall.  The Bucks hopes rely largely on Bogut’s health, though I wouldn’t worry too much about whoever it is that ends up logging the majority of minutes at the four.  The combination of players they have their should make up most of Villanueva’s scoring and will more than outproduce his defense.

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Frank Catalanotto walking up to the plate.

It’s not so much that Catalanotto is all that exciting a player.  He’s a journeyman outfielder with an eye for hitting singles and sliding in the outfield.  But what sets him apart from his veteran bench mates was his selection of walk-up music.  Catalanotto comes up to “Your Love” by The Outfield.  You’re likely wondering who The Outfield is and why anyone would choose such an obscure song (at least if you’re under thirty).  But trust me, it’s not obscure and you’ve heard it (at least if you’re over twenty-one).  I’m certain that for a lot of the fans in attendance on the days Catalanotto gets an at bat the best part of their day is when whoever is operating the music cuts the song at the fifty-four second mark allowing the fans to finish up the line.  At least a quarter of the stadium was taking part in this.

(As a side note, watch the first minute of the Youtube video for this song and then look at Frank Catalanotto’s picture on Wikipedia.  Tell me he doesn’t look like the lead singer.  Try and tell me that.  Have we ever seen them in the same place?  Could this be why he’s chosen this song?  Who knows.)

People were very responsive.  That’s one way baseball captures the attention of fans.  The game is slow and there is a lot of downtime, but the opportunity to occasionally rock (or jam) out exists.  And if you look hard enough, the chance is there in basketball too, but it’s often wasted and uncreative.  Last year when Richard Jefferson scored a basket in the early part of the year that was the cue for a snippet of “Movin’ On Up”, the Jeffersons theme music.  That’s unoriginal.  When Andrew Bogut slammed home an offensive rebound we were treated with a touch of “Land Down Under” by Men at Work.  Lame.

I’m hoping neither RJ or Bogut came with such lame suggestions for their songs.  In fact one of the only cool songs a Buck has had in the last few years was Jake Voskuhl’s ironic and hilarious “You’re the Best Around” by Joe Esposito.  I’ll take this sentence and credit my friend Bau on remembering that one, I had long forgotten that Voskuhl was ever successful in scoring a basket for the  Bucks.

But that’s why I’m here today.  We can do better than this.  We can involve the crowd.  We can fire up the masses.  We can come up with a nickname.  We can make up for the absence of “Light It Up”.  So with only slightly further ado, I give you a song for each Buck in 2009.  There may be some language in some of the songs that you aren’t into or deem inappropriate, but if you follow my instructions on which seconds to listen to you should be okay. And if you don’t like rap music, well this may not be for you, but there is some Three Dog Night involved.  Now, without further ado and in alphabetical order no less here we are:

Joe Alexander: From what most Bucks fans will tell you, Joe Alexander has little clue of what he’s doing on a basketball court.  After his high selection and meager production last year, Alexander might be best served to come out this year with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.  He doesn’t necessarily have anything to prove, but I’m sure he’s heard the negativity that surfaces when his name comes up.  At the start of Jay Z’s classic “You Don’t Know” Jay hears he doesn’t know what he’s doing, and he reminds us he does.  I’d love to see Joe remind us all that there was a reason he was the number eight pick.

Charlie Bell: I’m begging anyone involved in picking the music to stop playing “Ring My Bell” by Anita Ward.  It’s terrible.  We get that his last name is Bell.  We made the connection.  The song is not cool and most of the players on this season’s incarnation of the Bucks likely does not have a clue (and rightfully so) what disco was.  So instead of a disco diva, how about we dip into the pool of Andre 3000.  In “Greenlight” with John Legend, Andre 3K perfectly spits “1-2-3 greenlight …” at the three minute mark, which is as appropriate as anything for a classy guy and one of Milwaukee’s only three-point shooters in Charlie Bell.  Done.

Andrew Bogut: It’s easy to look for Australian artists to throw with Bogut.  Natalie Imbruglia, Men at Work and Rick Springfield all meet the requirements, but we can do better than that.  In the NBA fans want their big man angry.  They want their big men sounding like fire-breathing dragons.  They wants bad bad dudes.  They want … a little Mr. T. in their life.  So where can we go for Mr. T. and music?  Look no further than Ghostface Killah’s “The Champ“.  From :55 to :59 we are treated to some inspirational Mr. T. tough guy quotes on a champion sounding beat.  Foo.

Carlos Delfino: Delfino, a Venezualan native, is one of many Bucks who rely on craft and cunning rather than sheer force.  Delfino is smooth and fawned upon by the ladies.  For the Latin sounding beat, the message and Pharrell’s opening three seconds “Beautiful” by Snoop Dogg and Pharrell just feels right for one of the newest Bucks.

Francisco Elson: Francisco Elson is the rare Buck who had perfect music last year after his baskets.  He didn’t have music at all.  He merely had the comedic wizard Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf cooing, “Francisco that’s fun to say.  Francisco.”  Well done.

Dan Gadzuric: According to the Bucks media guide from last season Dan Gadzuric likes reggae.  I can dig that.  I’m not really a fan myself, but Dan does have the laid back vibe about him, even though he’s mainly an energy guy who comes in and runs around.  You never see him doing anything dirty or underhanded, and I can respect that.  So when Gadz scores, perhaps we can all be reassured that there is no need to worry, and every little thing will be alright.

Ersan Ilyasova:According to NBA.com Sarah Brightman is Ilyasova’s favorite musician.  If Ilyasova can start delivering points in the paint and rebounds I’ll be okay with it.  Let’s move on.

Brandon Jennings: I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking I’m going to take the easy route.  I’m going to slap Soulja Boy up on the Brandon Jennings slot and move on with it.  But I’m here to provoke thought and try and do original things every now and then.  So I’m going to take a different EAZY way out.  Alert readers noticed my misspell of the word easy and realized why I did it there.  Many moons before Brandon Jennings was making his way out of Compton another small tough guy came out of one of California’s roughest areas and paved way for gangsta rap, not unlike Jennings paving the way for high schoolers looking to go to Europe.  From :24 to :27 Eazy-E’s “Eazy-er Said Than Done” exemplifies confidence and making oneself known.  Methinks that fits young Jennings perfectly.

Jodie Meeks: I’m doing Meeks with the hope he’ll be relevant more than the certainty that he will.  Meeks might be the most exciting of all for me.  I actually came up with his while watching him make bucket after bucket as a spot up shooter in summer league.  He was cool as anything and I think he needs a nickname that reflects his calm demeanor and penchant for knocking down smooth looking jumpers.  Cool and smooth?  The Ice-Cream Man.  I love it.  And what better song for an Ice-Cream Man than “Ice Cream” by Wu-Tang Clan.  But just the first nine seconds.  In the limited time it fits perfect to hear Method Man bellow out, “… the ice-cream man is coming…” in remembrance of the Eddie Murphy bit.  Perfection all around.

Luc Mbah a Moute: Mbah a Moute will likely always have to prove himself on offense.  He’ll never be a first option or even a second or third probably.  Maybe he’ll develop his jumper and get in the teens for points a game, maybe not.  Either way it is irrelevant, as he’s such a force defensively already.  But he’s not bad on offense.  He’s surprisingly athletic and finishes pretty well around the hoop.  I’d think it must feel like sweet revenge for Luc when he’s left open for a jumper and he can knock it down.  If I were him I know I’d like nothing better than to let the other team know I am for real.  And what better way to do that than by dipping back into the Outkast pool with “Ms. Jackson“.  I mean, they physically say “I am for reeeeaaal.”  Delightful.

Luke Ridnour: Along with most I’ve always thought of point guards as leaders.  I also associated leadership with samurais and cowboys.  I don’t know how those three things brought me to my final destination on Luke Ridnour, but I’m kind of digging it.  Luke hit a few big shots last year and had a pretty reliable pull-up jumper on the move.  Bang bang.

Michael Redd: Redd is the most decorated member of the Bucks and has been for sometime.  Olympic team? Check.  All-star team? Check.  A run at the Bucks all-time scoring record? It’s a possibility.  Say what you will about Michael Redd, the man can put the ball in the hoop.  With regard to scoring, Redd “Ain’t No Joke“.  Eric B.’s terrific production and Rakim’s silky rhymes mesh perfectly with Redd’s beautiful imperfect release and follow through.  Pick any time Rakim says, “I ain’t no joke,” and you have a perfect line following a Redd three-pointer.

Kurt Thomas: What I think of when I think of Kurt Thomas: old, reliable, dependable, tough, mean, the south and defense.  So when Kurt Thomas scores, I only imagine that for him it’s a bonus.  He knows his role and he performs quite well in it.  So when Thomas scores, it must feel so good … so good.  For that I prescribe “Never Been To Spain” by Three Dog Night, but just from 1:06 to 1:09.

Roko Ukic: In the spirit of Jake Voskuhl maybe once a season someone can take on “You’re the Best Around” as their theme song.  The requirements would have to include a lack of playing time and no pressure to do much other than be a good teammate.  I have high hopes on both catagories for Ukic, as he gives Andrew Bogut a friend to talk about Croatia with.  A win-win.

Hakim Warrick:The name Hakim Warrick almost starts a highlight show in my mind.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen him make a play that wasn’t terrific.  This is good and bad.  For one, you’re only going to make so many terrific plays a game, so where is he the rest of the game?  But on the other hand he did secure a national championship for Syracuse, and to be honest I really haven’t seen Warrick play in a few years, due in large part to him being on Memphis.  Warrick is the kind of guy who makes you emit gasps though, so how about the gasping voice in the background of Kanye West’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing“?  I’m in.  The bonus on this link is the hilarious video I found for it.  If you liked “The Hangover” you should enjoy this.

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It means people turn their attention to the Packers, because they’ve long forgotten about the Bucks.  Except for you Bucks fan.  You’re gearing up for the season and busting out of Brewer mode.  But as the off-season trickles to it’s end and the Bucks continue to wait out the Ramon Sessions situation, news has been slow.

Since I was lax in my Bucks link related efforts last week let us recap last weeks Journal-Sentinel basketball related pieces for starters:

• The Bucks youngsters Brandon Jennings, Joe Alexander, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Jodie Meeks are among those getting in some early work in Milwaukee.  Culture change is the buzzword that is usually associated with young guys working together on traditionally bad teams with a positive outlook.  So here’s to the young guys facilitating a culture change in Milwaukee.

• The Bucks officially open camp on September 29 and now have their first pre-season game on October 4 instead of the fifth as originally scheduled.  Naturally it’s Brett Favre’s fault.

• The Bucks are going to have quite an international flavor this year.  That’s the kind of thing that happens when you make trades with Toronto, the NBA’s answer to a foreign exchange program.  New Buck Roko Ukic andkind of new Buck Ersan Ilyasova will be competing in EuroBasket 2009 starting September 2.  I’ll have more on that in the coming week as you’ll be able to watch EuroBasket on ESPN360.com if it’s available for you.  I’ll do my very best to keep those who aren’t watching updated on the play of the Bucks representatives.

• Brandon Jennings wants to avoid the rookie wall this year and be ready for heavy minutes.  He says in the article he’s a bit weary of playing thirty minutes a night, but let’s hope he meant to say forty.  If he’s not playing thirty a night for most of the season I’ll be disappointed, results be damned.  Also in this article it’s mentioned that the Ramon Sessions situation is still wait and see.  Fun.

• Michael Hunt on Luc Mbah a Moute’s circle coming together.  Mbah a Moute will be participating in Basketball Without Borders: Africa starting the second of September.  It was not too long ago he was on the other side of the whole thing.

• Ever wonder who the Bucks D-League affiliate is and how they get their players?  Through send downs obviously, but how else do they fill out their roster?  Tryouts help.  The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are having tryouts in October.  The Mad Ants are the affiliate of the Pacers and Pistons in addition to the Bucks, so any players who make the team do not become Bucks property, but it’s still of note.  If anyone makes it they’ll likely be splitting time with a Buck or two, but hopefully not Jodie Meeks.

Today’s Word of the Day?  In honor of Ramon Sessions, I’ll clarify the NBA’s “mid-level exception”.

Mid-level exception: In a good basketball economy, the mid-level exception is the exorbitant amount of money spent on the Jerome James, Eddie Robinson, DeSegana Diop and a collection of other stiffs receive.  The deal must fall between one and five years and can be split between players if a team decides not to waste it’s money on one stiff.  The maximum amount a player can receive is the NBA’s average salary for that year, with eight percent raises for each of the following years.  Exceptions are exceptions because they’re used when teams are over the salary cap.  If you’re under the cap you don’t need an exception, you just use your cap room.

The simplest explanation of the mid-level is the amount of money people assumed Ramon Sessions would be able to get this summer before realizing the economy is still in the tank and no one wants to take on money before next year’s supposed free agent bonanza/salary cap apocalypse.  If you want a more thorough understanding of the mid-level and other exceptions click here and be ready to learn.

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