Spoiler Alert: Richard Jefferson is the only one-year Buck on this list. That doesn’t really matter. His biggest contribution to the Bucks had nothing to do with his play on the court. This isn’t to say that he didn’t play well. He played damn well.  Even if he never would have played a minute for the Bucks, he probably would still have made the list.

He was the guy traded for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. That’s the only reason he needs to be on this list. So, thanks to Jefferson, John Hammond, Nets General Manger Kiki Vandeweghe, and the entire New Jersey Nets organization for getting two presumably good human beings, but terrible basketball players out of Milwaukee. For fun, let’s look at some stats:

2008-09 Richard Jefferson: 82 GS/ 1607 PTS/ 374 REB/199 AST/.439 FG%/ .397 3P%/ $13,200,000

2008-09 Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian: 96 GS/ 1081 PTS/ 603 REB/ 152 AST/ .413 FG%/ .410 FG%/ $13,588,747

I love advanced stats. I love giving the counterargument to common sense. Sometimes you have to look at the ol’ regular stats and common sense (Jianlian is one of the worst Bucks draft picks ever and Simmons’s agent is a con man) and nod your head accordingly.

The acquisition of Jefferson was an example of some Bucks traditions. It was John Hammond’s first trade for a second-tier swingman. Something he’s done every year since he became Bucks GM. After the trade, rumors swirled about Jefferson being disgruntled; another proud Milwaukee tradition. He immediately went to the media and denied those rumors by stating he was very excited to play with Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd. That triggered the final tradition where Bogut and Redd blow some ligament whenever someone thinks optimistically of them.

The tragedy of Jefferson’s short tenure as a Buck is that the 2008-09 campaign could have been successful. Redd had spent all summer with the US men’s team and Bogut was with the Australian team. An in-shape Bogut and Redd with Jefferson as the third wheel could have definitely made the playoffs in a year when a .500 record was good enough for the sixth seed. Dealing in hypotheticals is a dangerous game, but there’s no reason a full year from Bogut and Redd couldn’t have yielded a .500 record

In reality, Jefferson had to carry the scoring load with a motivated Charlie Villanueva. Being the lead scorer was never a good fit for Jefferson. He too predictably drives to the right and is an average shooter at best. Plus, he had to crash the boards and could never rest on defense because Scott Skiles was his coach. Bogut could have kept him off the boards, but instead there was Francisco Elson. Redd was supposed to be the offensive focal point, however there was Charlie Bell. Lesser men would have complained to the media, but Jefferson is a good soldier. He never complained once and always got his shot off. He led an over-achieving bunch to 34 wins.

There’s not much more to say about Jefferson, partly because he was a Buck for such a short time, but also because he’s so damn boring. He’s consistent, disciplined, a good teammate and someone your parents would like. That’s all well, fine and good, but if I had his athleticism, I’d scream, “You can’t stop me!” and try to dunk on everything (basically, JR Smith). That’s a terrible knock on a guy who did everything asked of him, but whenever I hopped over to the Bradley Center that season, I was more excited to see if Ramon Sessions would drop 15 dimes that night.

Jefferson’s one season as a Buck was so statistically good that he needs to be on this list. However his legacy as a Buck will forever be as a trade asset, not a player. He got rid of Yi and Simmons and his value brought in Carlos Delfino and Kurt Thomas. And even though Jefferson scored way more points and snagged a lot more boards, Thomas gave me one charge I’ll never forget.

Ian Segovia is a contributor to Bucksketball.com. Follow him on Twitter, fan us up on Facebook.

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Enemy: 48 Minutes of Hell

Point Guard
Keyon Dooling vs. Tony Parker

It seems like none of the Spurs ever slow down.  Parker is again hitting better than 50% of his shots from the field this season, an incredible number for the average point guard, but typical for Parker, who once led the league in points in the paint.  And he does his work all without the benefit of a 3-point shot, as he’s only eight of 28 from deep this season.  He’ll cause problems all night if Dooling can’t keep him out of the paint, as he’s a very good passer and knows when to drop it off inside and when to keep it himself for a floater or layup.  Bogut will have his hands full with both Parker and Ginobili penetrating.

Advantage: Spurs

Shooting Guard
John Salmons vs. Manu Ginobili

Ginobili’s brilliance and awkward offensive style was on full display when Milwaukee traveled to San Antonio last month.  You see what I did there?  Before his disputed last basket, Milwaukee was able to muster little resistance to his knifing style of play, allowing him 24 points mainly on drives and tough looking shots.  It was just all in a days work for Ginobili, who has made a career of getting in the paint, but making it look difficult.  As I noted yesterday, Salmons seems forward bound, rounding into shape, though slower than anyone would have liked.  Better late than never.

Advantage: Spurs

Small Forward
Luc Mbah a Moute vs. Richard Jefferson

Much was made of Jefferson working with Coach Popovich this summer, learning the Spur way of life and trying to bounce back from a rough season last year.  The results have remained steady for RJ.  He’s not as crucial to the Spurs offense as he was in the past to his Nets teams or in his one season in Milwaukee, but he’s filling his role well.  He’s made a career high 43% of his threes and isn’t turning the ball over much.  That’s pretty much all the Spurs are asking of him and he’s done both things consistently throughout the season.

Advantage: Spurs

Power Forward
Ersan Ilyasova vs. DeJuan Blair

Blair has struggled a bit over his past four games, failing to score in double figures and finishing just six of 22 shots.  But don’t underestimate the burly Blair, he can be a monster inside.  Ilyasova will enjoy a big height advantage over Blair, as most power forwards do, but Blair is very capable of bullying Ilyasova out of the way on the offensive glass and finishing.  For once Ilyasova won’t have to worry about diving out to stop the opposing power forward’s mid-range jumper though as Blair’s game is limited mainly to scoring around the rim.

Advantage: Spurs

Center
Andrew Bogut vs. Tim Duncan

Duncan is less involved in the uptempo San Antonio offense than he’s ever been, but is more sleeping giant than incapable of great things.  One gets the idea that the Spurs are simply saving him for the post season, as he’s playing a career low 29 minutes per game.  He is getting older though and certainly won’t impact the game the way he did as a younger player.  It’s possible he’ll force Bogut into another rough game, but it’s just as likely Bogut will force himself into another poor offensive outing.  Milwaukee could use Bogut the strong finisher around the hoop, and not the version that made just four of 17 shots against the Heat.  Points will likely be difficult to come by against San Antonio and Bogut could be a difference maker.

Advantage: Spurs

Bench
Corey Maggette, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Earl Boykins, Drew Gooden, Jon Brockman and Larry Sanders

vs.

Matt Bonner, Gary Neal, George Hill, Antonio McDyess and Tiago Splitter

The suddenly capable offensively Bucks bench will have their hands full with a talented Spurs group.  Bonner is as much a specialist as any player in the league, hitting nearly half of his 3-point shots and Hill has come into his own as one of the best backups in the NBA.  McDyess can step out and hit long twos as a big man and Splitter provides energy and fouls as a big.  One of these groups could easily swing the game, both have the talent necessary.

Advantage: Spurs

Prediction: Spurs 93 – Bucks 88

Milwaukee nearly pulled out a victory against the Spurs in San Antonio, but they’ll be hard pressed to repeat that performance.  For all the good work the Bucks have done on the road this season, they still haven’t won many big games at home.  This could be the biggest one, but the Spurs have lost just six games this season for a reason.  They bring the second best offense in the league to Milwaukee and that just may be too much for even the stout Bucks defense to handle.

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

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Not every move has gone smoothly for Hammond. The initial acquisition of Richard Jefferson was a flashy way to start things off, but didn’t pan out. Had Michael Redd stayed healthy and Joe Alexander given the Bucks anything at all, maybe the story of Jefferson in Milwaukee plays out a little differently, but things ended as they did. Jefferson’s stock dropped so far so fast that only a year later, he was dealt for what looked like virtually nothing at the time.

Oddly enough though, it’s now possible to make a case that the Bucks won that deal. Kurt Thomas played a key role for Milwaukee down the stretch and Amir Johnson was a part of the deal that brought another starter, Carlos Delfino, to Milwaukee. Meanwhile, Jefferson is now looking at another $40 million plus coming his way and Johnson is locked in for $30 some million himself. Milwaukee arguably has the most productive player of those three in Delfino and is paying him by far the least. That looks like a win to me.

And that’s been a common theme in Hammond’s deals. Whether it’s a non-contributing Malik Allen going to Denver for Sonny Weems or a nearly worthless pick going to New Jersey for Chris Douglas-Roberts, Hammond has had a knack for buying low in the trade market. There are many reason’s why Milwaukee has turned things around so quickly, but Hammond’s aggressive moves in the trade market have played as significant a role as any.

The Big Moves
2008: Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons for Richard Jefferson
2009: Richard Jefferson for Kurt Thomas, Bruce Bowen and Amir Johnson
2010: Dan Gadzuric and Charlie Bell for Corey Maggette

Milwaukee got Jefferson for two players who had no future with the Bucks, and from the looks of things two years later, in the NBA in general. It was a gamble that relied on a healthy Michael Redd but was a curious move when paired with the drafting of another small forward in Alexander. As we’ve already gone through, things didn’t work out for RJ in Milwaukee. The surprising success of last summer’s deal is the winner here for now. But dumping the bloated deals of Gadzuric and Bell for a potential game changer like Maggette could soon be the move that has everyone focused on Milwaukee.

Suprisingly Key Moves
2008: Mo Williams and Desmond Mason for Luke Ridnour, Adrian Griffin and Damon Jones
2009: Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems for Roko Ukic and Carlos Delfino
2010: Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander for John Salmons and draft picks

Hammond was able to unload Mo Williams bloated contract and defenseless style for Ridnour and an assistant coach oddly enough. This deal looked was justifying the criticism it received when it was made after one year, but Ridnour played a huge role off the bench last season. Even better, the departure of Williams opened up the door for Milwaukee to look at a point guard in the 2009 draft. But it was the surprisingly consistent John Salmons and his 20 points-per-game in the second half that was the big steal here. You all know the story by now.

Shrewd Moves
2008: None
2009: Malik Allen for Sonny Weems and Walter Sharpe
2010: Future second-round draft pick for Chris Douglas-Roberts
2010: Darnell Jackson and second-round pick for Jon Brockman

Hammond started slow with the under-the-radar moves, not making any of his patented smaller trades in 2008. But the Allen for Weems deal was a steal. Weems came on for Toronto at the end of 2009-2010 and looks like the rotation player the Raptors hoped they were trading for when the dealt Carlos Delfino for he and Amir Johnson. If Hammond doesn’t get Weems from the Nuggets though, Delfino may not be a Buck and Johnson may have seduced Milwaukee into that same $30 plus million he got from the Raptors.

Even though Brockman is going to be fighting for minutes at the four and five, his three-year-deal gives him a leg up on the competition amongst backups. He could prove a real steal at a value price. And for the minimum and a minimum type draft pick, CD-R could be a spark off the bench next season. Lost in the big moves Milwaukee made this summer were two buy lows with real upside.

A funny common denominator among some of these moves was the criticism they were met with. Everyone remembers the shelling Milwaukee took when they dealt RJ, but critics pointed to the opening of the Dwyane Wade to Chicago door when Hammond picked up John Salmons. Hell, I wasn’t happy when Weems and Johnson took their high flying ways to Toronto. But each time, things seem to work out or are rectified quickly. So as nervous as I occasionally am about the Maggette deal, a trip down memory lane soothes my nerves.

Bucksketball.com is a Milwaukee Bucks blog written by Jeremy Schmidt

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(Probable) Inactives: Matt Bonner, Michael Finley and Marcus Haislip

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Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 12-15

(Probable) Inactives: Joe Alexander, Dan Gadzuric and Roko Ukic

Date: 12/26/2009

Time: 7:30 (CST)

TV: FS Wisconsin

Match-Ups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Tony Parker

Parker has made a career out of blowing by defenders and finishing at the rim or in the paint.  Jennings has shown the ability to do the first part of that, but hasn’t quite mastered the second half.  Jennings is finishing on only 46 percent of his shots at the rim, whereas Parker has consistently finished between 64 and 65 percent of his over the past four years.  But it wasn’t always so easy for Parker.  He never approached 50 percent on overall shooting until his fourth season and, while I don’t have the numbers, it’s unlikely he was as successful at the rim early in his career either.  The NBA paint is a tough place for smaller players, especially younger ones.  But with development and smarts they can evolve, as Parker has.

Advantage: Spurs

Shooting Guard

Michael Redd vs. Keith Bogans

So we’ve seen flashes of the scorer Michael Redd, first in the Laker game and most recently against Washington.  Now the question is, can he do that on a night where either Jennings or Bogut have it going?  Getting points has never been an issue for the healthy version of Michael Redd, but killing the rest of the offense at the expense of his scoring has been.  Bogans continues to play defense and shoot at a decent enough level to make himself relevant.

Advantage: Bucks

Small Forward

Carlos Delfino vs. Richard Jefferson

Jefferson’s role with San Antonio couldn’t be any different from any role he’s ever had before.  He’s much more of a spot-up shooter these days and isn’t given the same leeway with regard to driving he was last season with Milwaukee.  Any time a player has to make such a shift in his game it’s going to take some time for him to get acclimated.  I’m sure San Antonio has little to no interest in Jefferson’s regular season numbers, he’s there to help them in the playoffs.  This season is about getting used to playing with Parker/Duncan/Ginobili as much as it’s about winning games.  San Antonio knows where they’ll be come April and May, it’s simply about preparing before then.

Advantage: Spurs

Power Forward

Ersan Ilyasova vs. Antonio McDyess

Ersan needed a day off as much as anyone when Christmas arrived.  In his last two, Ersan shot 2-17 and collected a mere eight rebounds.  Not his typical self for sure.  The Bucks will need his shooting to come around against the powerful front court San Antonio features.  McDyess has some Kurt Thomas in him: he’ll hit the open shots he’s given, he plays defense and acts like a veteran.  The perfect compliment to Tim Duncan.

Advantage: Bucks

Center

Andrew Bogut vs. Tim Duncan

Bogut missed the first meeting between these teams and Duncan capitalized to the tune of 24-12.  Of all the players I’d love for Bogut to emulate, Duncan would be number one on the list.  Duncan doesn’t get the easy dunks that a Dwight Howard might anymore, but still gets his with a wonderful array of moves and shoots better than 40 percent from anywhere inside 23 feet.  That’s absurd.  Bogut would have no business even attempting some of the 15 foot shots Duncan hits at a 50 percent clip.  At the point they’re two finesse big men, only one can extend his range out and the other can’t.  That has a lot to do with Bogut’s inability to get going some nights and general lack of scoring prowess.  He really has a fairly limited repertoire on most nights and leaves himself easy to defend.  That’s something that never could be said about Tim Duncan.

Advantage: Spurs

Bench

Charlie Bell, Luke Ridnour, Hakim Warrick, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Kurt Thomas

vs.

Dejuan Blair, Manu Ginobili, George Hill and Roger Mason

No Matt Bonner!!  He’s out with a broken hand, possibly from punching Bucks fans in the stomach after hitting six three’s in the last meeting between these teams.  That doesn’t make the Spurs bench much less dangerous though.  We all know what Ginobili can do and the Mason/Hill tandem is dangerous defensively and offensively on the perimeter.  Whether Blair or McDyess starts is irrelevant, because Blair will probably get the lion’s share of the minutes and rebounds.  Blair protects rebounds like a female bear protecting her cubs.  He’s that strong too.

Advantage: Spurs

Prediction: Spurs 98 – Bucks 96

The Bucks traditionally have had a bizarre amount of success against San Antonio, but that’s not all that important.  What is important, is that the Bucks seem to lose every home game against good teams by a small margin.  I’m not blind to this trend and wholeheartedly expect the Bucks to stick around and play this one tough … only to falter in the end in some heartbreaking fashion.  But that sure beats getting worked by the Wizards, right?

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(Likely) Inactives: Michael Redd, Joe Alexander and Andrew Bogut

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San Antonio Spurs (Gregg Popovich) 5-6

(Likely) Inactives: Manu Ginobili

Game time: 7:30 (CST)

TV: FS Wisconsin

Match-ups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Tony Parker

Parker returned on Saturday after missing two games with a left ankle sprain.  Tony Parker on a sprained left ankle is more dangerous than most guards on two healthy ones, so it’s not like he’ll be an easy guard just because he’s had some injuries this year.  His numbers are down a little from a year ago when he had what was likely his best season ever.  The fact that the question can seriously be posed as to whether he’s taken the reins on this team from Tim Duncan says a lot about his talent.  Jennings has faced some talented point guards thus far, but hasn’t faced one with Parker’s scorer mentality.  He gets in the paint and scores more than most.  The back-and-forth battle between these two should be worth the price of admission, Jennings has been nearly unconscious all season long.  It’s very safe to say he’s outperformed Parker even.  In fact, this seems like the very type of game Jennings will bring just a little bit extra for.

Advantage: Bucks

Shooting Guard

Charlie Bell vs. Keith Bogans

Ahh, our old friend Keith Bogans.  Bogans is another guy brought on by the Spurs to shoot corner threes when Duncan gets doubled teamed down low.  The Bruce Bowen role if you will.  Bogans isn’t great in this role though.  He’s not as good a three point shooter as he’s often credited and is more of a guard than Bowen was.  He likes to try and do some dribbling, attempts at creation, usually without success.  Bogans is not a bad defender, but seems more wary of getting physical than Bowen did.  He’s also not dirty.  Anyway, Bogans is not the great role player Bowen once was, but is serviceable off the bench when the Spurs get healthy.  Actually, that’s a pretty good description of Charlie Bell too.

Advantage: Bucks

Small Forward

Carlos Delfino vs. Richard Jefferson

I do and I don’t get the Richard Jefferson thing.  On one hand, the Spurs got a guy who can give them 20 points a night, slash and hit threes.  Plus his deal expires in two years, giving them flexibility down the road and they gave up virtually nothing.  On the other, does he really fit in that well with this team?  Jefferson’s biggest strength is putting his head down and going to the hoop.  He doesn’t have Ginobili’s awareness and operates in the same general area (albeit in a different way) as Tim Duncan.  Is it that big of a surprise that he hasn’t played as well as usual so far?  If they tell RJ to hang out in the corner and hit open threes when Duncan’s in, doesn’t that belittle his value?  He can probably be more effective with Duncan out of the game.

Advantage: Spurs

Power Forward

Ersan Ilyasova vs. Tim Duncan

Happy as we’ve all been with Ilyasova’s rebounding, he still doesn’t measure up to Tim Duncan.  In an off year.  Ilyasova’s advantages over Duncan and the other Spurs he’ll be matched-up with are going to be his unresting hands in their faces and his three-point shooting.  Much like Jennings, Ersan continues to out-perform whatever expectations I have for him, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see him have a big game Monday night, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him struggle against a very smart Spurs team.

Advantage: Spurs

Center

Kuran Gadzuromas vs. Antonio McDyess

I’d almost expect Kurt Thomas to get the start in this one after how well he played on Saturday.  Thomas and Gadzuric seem likely to exchange starting roles based on who the Bucks are playing in Andrew Bogut’s absence.  Thomas knows the Spurs well, having spent the last year and a half in San Antonio.  I’d go as far as to suspect he’ll be spending the majority of the evening as the Bucks primary defender on Tim Duncan.  His veteran know-how and strong base are a better fit on Duncan than Ilyasova’s annoyance.

Advantage: Spurs

Bench

Luke Ridnour, Jodie Meeks, Kurt Thomas and Hakim Warrick

vs.

Dejuan Blair, Roger Mason, George Hill, Matt Bonner and Michael Finley

Bench success has been a staple in the Bucks attack this year.  Warrick, Ridnour, Meeks and Thomas have all had their moments, with Ridnour being the star so far.  They blend seemlessly with the starters and work together to perfection.  Their ball movement has been the thing that’s set them apart from the Bucks of years past.  They aren’t the most talented bunch, but they offer different things.  In fact, they sound very similar to the Spurs.  The Spurs each and every year find reliable performers to come in and give them valuable minutes.  Blair has been the exact rebounder everyone suspected he’d be.  Naturally he fell to the Spurs in the second round.  Finley, Mason and Bonner all hit threes with reliability and Hill is a terrific defender.  The Spurs and Bucks can both throw a lot of different looks at teams, but the Spurs looks are a little more intimidating.

Advantage: Spurs

Prediction: Spurs 93 – Bucks 84

The Bucks and Spurs both rank in the top ten in three-point shots attempted and three-point percentage.  Something’s going to have to give though, because they’re both top three in allowing the three-point shot.  A lot of that has to do with effort, running out on shooters and pushing them off the line.  Two teams that want to be great defensively and occasionally succeed.  And while we know the Bucks allow a lot of free throws, the Spurs aren’t any better.  Through 11 games, the Spurs have allowed 308 free throws compared to 302 for the Bucks.  Perhaps this free throws allowed thing IS a sign of good defense.  The Spurs are rarely bad company to keep on that end of the ball.

This will the the Bucks biggest test of the young season, a road game against a long time Western Conference powerhouse.  If they can pull this one out, without Bogut, without Michael Redd and possibly without Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, it will be a blow to the argument that the Bucks aren’t good and can only beat bad teams.

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Richard Jefferson was a big name, possibly a bigger name than Michael Redd.  Jefferson led the Bucks in virtually every important offensive category last season.  Jefferson has loads of playoff experience, a tendency to get to the free throw line and convert and as much athleticism as nearly anyone on the team.  RJ has been a twenty point a night scorer (or thereabouts) for nearly his whole career, and the Bucks look to be short on scoring.  He even had his own series of Time Warner Cable Triple Play commercials, after less than a year with the team.

Charlie Villanueva was arguably even better than Jefferson from January on last year.  He found the three point stroke he never previously had and put up as many shots from deep as he had been before — which was a lot.  He even occasionally rebounded well and converted from the line when he got there.  Chuck V. is still only 25, so the word upside is still frequently used when he’s spoken about.

Ramon Sessions is everyone’s favorite guy that no one knows about.  He holds the Bucks record for assists in a game.  He had 44 and 12 against the Pistons once last year.  He averaged roughly 15 and eight over the last three months.  However you break down his numbers, they almost always look great.  And, since no one really knows about him, Sessions was available for the bargain basement price of four million dollars a year, a steal for a (possibly) starting caliber point guard.

All three of these players left the Bucks in the past four months.  The return?

Kurt Thomas, Carlos Delfino and Roko Ukic. Not. So. Impressive.  At least to the naked eye.  In addition to those guys, the Bucks got out of Jefferson’s cumbersome contract.  The Bucks are sorely were sorely in need of financial healing after a slew of bad contracts over the years left them in NBA purgatory: good enough to be outside of the top five picks but bad enough to miss the playoffs every year.  So, like ripping off a Band-Aid, John Hammond dealt a big money contract that was given to a not quite so big money player and cut the cord on two younger players with great offensive talent and suspect defense.  After all, if defense isn’t your priority, you won’t be playing for Scott Skiles anyway.

These moves have earned the Bucks relentless panning.  ESPN.com, SI.com, Bill Simmons and everyone else think the Bucks are a sure fire bet to finish last in the Central and the East.  Mostly because they lost Jefferson, Villanueva and Sessions.  After all, players as good as those three must have been an integral part of any success the Bucks had last year, right?

Not totally.

Most lineups that included those three players together, generally faired poorly on the court last year.  The best they did was when paired with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Francisco Elson which netted a plus 11 net points on the year in 227 minutes.  When paired with Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut, the lineup was outscored by 13 points in just 37 minutes.  Being that likely would have been the starting lineup were all three of them brought back, it makes me feel slightly better about things.

Yes that is a small sample size and there could be many reasons for that, but when looking at a lineup like Sessions-Redd-Jefferson-Villanueva-Bogut one can’t help but wonder where the defense would have come from.  And that’s likely some of the logic that Scott Skiles and John Hammond used when weighing the pluses and minuses of bringing back Villanueva and Sessions.

So it is POSSIBLE, that this off-season was not as bad as it’s currently being painted.

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