Tiny Gallon’s brief run as a Bucks player went from, possible steal of a second round pick, to training camp casualty with alarming speed.  He, Billy Rush and Tory Jackson all had their numbers called yesterday, leaving the Bucks with 17 players in camp and two non-guaranteed contracts left in Brian Skinner and Chris Kramer.

Kramer saw a surprising amount of playing time in the Bucks pre-season opener, helping the Bucks seal the game near the end with a floater that banked in.  He also gave the fans a thrill with a highlight block of Brian Scalabrine. Somewhere, Michael Irvin was excited about the white on white crime.  Kramer is probably no closer to making the team than he was when he initially signed up to be a training camp body, but he has likely improved his odds greatly when it comes to earning a spot in the D-League or over in Europe.  Kramer could very well be in demand or be one of the three players cut from Bucks camp that gets his rights requested by the Bucks D-League affiliate in Fort Wayne, the Mad-Ants.

• A survey was done of the opinions of NBA General Managers.

You’ll notice there is not much about the Bucks in there.  They did receive one vote as the league’s best defensive team, so they have that going for them.  Unfortunately, there is not one general manager (GMs could not vote for their own team though) that felt like any Bucks player deserved any top recognition.  Luc Richard Mbah a Moute did not receive a vote for best defensive player or best on ball defender or best perimeter defender.  Ersan Ilyasova did get a vote as a possible breakout international player and Larry Sanders was one of about 20 rookies who could be a sleeper success, but don’t look for much else regarding the Bucks.  The Bulls received 82% of the vote as winners of the Central Division, which doesn’t surprise me.  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

• Charles F. Gardner reports that Andrew Bogut is doubtful for this weekend’s games.

If Bogut truly doesn’t play (you never really know until you know, you know?) we’ll still really not be able to judge what the Bucks are going to look like this season.  For now, we get a sense of what Drew Gooden will bring to the team, but I’m anxious to see how he plays off Bogut.  One of Bogut’s strongest assets is his passing ability, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can find Gooden for some easy baskets.  Bogut’s never really had a talented, veteran power forward to play off of him before and Gooden may be the guy to bring out the best in Bogut as a passer.  That all being said, I’m all for Bogut sitting out this weekend, if only because these games mean nothing and the only meaningful thing that can happen in these games is an injury.

• Scott Skiles has generally positive things to say about Larry Sanders to Tom Enlund in this piece.

“Less and less mixed up” seems to be the way Skiles says someone is figuring things out, but still has a ways to go.  At this very, very early juncture, one area that might be worth your concern regarding Sanders is his rebounding.  His totals in summer league weren’t eye-popping and he was only able to grab two in 14 minutes against the Bulls.  Rebounding seems to be an area where the Bucks should thrive this year, so it’s not a super pressing issue, but is something to keep an eye on going forward.  Speaking of Sanders, he gets nervous.

Jeremy Schmidt writes the Milwaukee Bucks blog Bucksketball.com.  Follow him on Twitter

Jared Reiner.  Damir Markota.  Francisco Elson.  Dan Gadzuric.  Jake Voskuhl.  Primoz Brezec.

Finding a backup center for Andrew Bogut hasn’t been an easy task for the Milwaukee Bucks since their center was picked number one in 2005.  Now, finally, the Bucks may have the inside track on the reasonably priced, veteran big man they’ve been searching for all of these years.

Sam Amick of AOL Fanhouse is reporting that Erick Dampier is considering joining the Milwaukee Bucks.

Dampier would see significant time playing behind center Andrew Bogut. He was told as much by Scott Skiles, according to the sources, as he spoke with the Bucks coach recently about how he would fit and was pleased with the tone of the discussion.

Given the Bucks salary cap situation, the best they can do for Dampier is a veterans’ minimum salary offer of $1.3 million.  Read more…

I’ll assume you’ve seen Almost Famous.  Surely you remember the bus ride scene in which they all sing Tiny Dancer.  What a fun moment that was (here’s a link), albeit incredibly unlikely.  The Allman Brothers (or whatever other band this band is based on) breaking out into an Elton John song on a bus ride after a long night of partying probably didn’t happen too often.  I’ve never taken LSD or rode on a bus with a bunch of musicians who may still be tripping though, so maybe I just don’t know enough about this sort of thing.  Regardless, the song is a touch delightful with a lot of catchy.  Dave Grohl did an enjoyable version of it on Craig Kilborn’s show once too (and if you have time, check out the Grohl and Will Ferrell “Leather and Lace” duet on the right of the video).  At this point, I’m sure you’re wondering why any of this matters anyway (though the title of the post may have tipped you off).

Since the moment the Bucks selected Tiny Gallon in the second round, I’ve often found myself with this song stuck in my head.  Except it’d go, “Hold me closer Tiny Gallon.”  That didn’t feel right though; I’ve never actually wanted, and surely will never want, Tiny Gallon to hold me.

So I decided to rewrite the lyrics in a way that fits Mr. Gallon a little bit better since we haven’t quite gotten to media day and much real news yet.  So without further ado, here we go. Read more…

One of the great mysteries of the Bucks off season appears to have reached its conclusion.

Darington Hobson has finally been signed.  Tiny Gallon?  Not so much.

Hobson’s signing pushes the Bucks roster to its regular season 15-man limit, which likely means Gallon will be playing elsewhere this season.  Whether that is Europe or in another NBA city remains to be seen.  The Bucks certainly can bring more than 15 players to training camp as they did last season, but guaranteed contracts do the talking in the NBA and Hobson’s is the 15th.

If Gallon ends up in Europe or the D-League for the duration of 2010-11, his rights will remain with the Bucks.  Gallon has become a bit of an uncertainty since his well received June drafting.  The Bucks have loaded up on power forwards this summer and Gallon’s play in summer league was inconsistent.  He showed signs as a rebounder and scorer around the rim, but struggled to finish on his post moves and often drifted around the perimeter.  Receiving a tongue lashing after just one game with regard to his effort and attitude from Glen Davis could have been perceived as a negative too.  If a rookie has problems with attitude and focus while trying to solidify a spot, what will he do when he gets guaranteed money?

So while Gallon still appears to have potential that is eclipsed only by his weight, he does have some things to work on.  If he does end up in Europe, that would be an encouraging sign for those who hope the Bucks hold on to him.  Free development while not taking up a roster spot has a lot more upside than downside and, in the case of Ersan Ilyasova, has served the Bucks well before.  Of course, it’s worked against the Bucks too (see Griffith, Rashard).  It’s likely that if Gallon does land in Europe, it won’t be more than a short excursion though. and he’ll look to return next season.  But don’t think you’ve heard the last of Gallon.

He is sure to keep us all updated on how misunderstood he is when he does start on his professional journey though, as he’s an exceptionally active Tweeter.  And with a tag like “WeHateTiny23“, going unsigned is sure to add more fuel to that fire that Gallon apparently uses to motivate himself.  Whether that results in a productive NBA player remains to be seen.

Hobson, who did not play in summer league due to injury, should be one of the answers to the mystery of just who will take up the other two spots next to Michael Redd on the reserved list next season.  A versatile small forward, Hobson will have the luxury of sitting back and learning in practice and while watching his teammates do their thing on a veteran laden Bucks squad.

Jeremy Schmidt writes the Milwaukee Bucks blog Bucksketball.com

Typically, patience isn’t a strong suit of sports fans. Instant gratification is the name of the game. Fans are paying money, they’re living and dying with their favorite teams games every night, they don’t want to hear about some rebuilding plan that’s going to force them to wait a few years for success. They want it now. And when their favorite team is closing in on that success they’ve been so impatiently waiting for, they want them to stop at nothing to obtain it. Clear the bench of those not ready to contribute in a meaningful way or those associated too closely with past failures. Toss the talentless, free the city of its past ghosts and move on.

That’s why Milwaukee has wanted to see the back of Michael Redd’s number 22 jersey walking out of the Bradley Center never to return for a number of years. He’s a link to the old regime, he and Dan Gadzuric, deservedly or not, were symbolic of everything that’s been bad in Milwaukee Bucks basketball over the past twenty years. Overpaid, under-productive and defensively deficient. Long ago the city of Milwaukee’s patience with Michael Redd ran out.

And at this point, that seems fair.

But why has patience already begun to wear thin for rookie Tiny Gallon? Read more…