Recap/Box Score

A few weeks ago in his pregame Q&A session, Scott Skiles commented on how coming out of September he thought he had a real good shooting team on his hands.  Then the season started and the Bucks struggled out of the gate.  Guys were shooting less than their career norms and the offense was a possible cause for panic.  Skiles said he expected things to turn around and he wasn’t going to worry about it so early into the season.

Well, it looks like he had cause not to panic.

The Bucks hit nine threes Saturday night, five out of Charlie Bell and overcame a 24-point deficit in points in the paint to ease by Memphis Saturday night, 103-98.  With Andrew Bogut out of the line-up it was obvious that protecting the paint was going to become increasingly difficult, but scoring in the paint has been as tall of a challenge.  The Bucks have very few players with slasher skill sets who can get in the paint and finish.  So it has become all the more important for Brandon Jennings to operate as a drive-and-kick point guard, hitting open shooters for three’s.  Both he and Luke Ridnour have excelled at this since Bogut’s been out.

The Bucks hot three point shooting kept them in it when they fell behind early AGAIN and helped put it away for them late.  Without Bogut they’ll have to find other ways to score and this is a terrific sign.  You’d think things can only get better from outside when Michael Redd gets back then, right?  I sure hope so. (more…)