WiscoSportsTalk

Clifton Signing Good for Pack Attack

Chad Clifton got the money he wanted and has agreed to stay with the Packers for another three years, most likely guaranteeing that he will retire as a Packer.

That’s definitely good news for the Packers, who saw their NFC North foes beef up their defensive lines yesterday. With Julius Peppers going to Chicago and Kyle Vanden Bosch signing with Detroit, the Packers are going to need all the help they can get on an already shaky offensive line.

It’s obviously tough to know if Ted Thompson plans on signing a free agent whatsoever (early indications are no), but the re-signing of Clifton is a great way to start the free agent period.

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Should Blackmon Stay or Should He Go Now?

It looks like cornerback/return man Will Blackmon will receive the offer of the low tender in free agency.

This means that the Packer’s have the right to turn down Blackmon if he wishes to sign with another team and the Packers would then be compensated with a 4th round pick. The Packers low tender towards Blackmon consists of $1.76 Million.

However, with Blackmon’s long list of injuries any Packer fan could question on whether Blackmon should stay or go. Overall, I think there are more reasons to keep him around.

Reasons Blackmon should go:

1. The 4th year veteran is made out of glass. In all but one of his seasons he has been injured for seven games or more.

2. As I said before, the Pack get a fourth rounder if he signs with another team. That fourth rounder could be more valuable than the injury prone returner.

Reasons Blackmon should stay:

1. When Will Blackmon has played as a returner, he has been quite  successful. He currently has the franchise record tied with Desmond Howard for most punt return TD’s (3).  While the 08 season was the only one where he wasn’t injured for the majority of games, he had an impressive total of 1,157 yards on kick returns and 398 yards on punt returns.

2. With the uncertain future of Al Harris and with Pat Lee’s unproven  ability, having Will Blackmon fill in at corner couldn’t hurt.

3. If he did sign with another time and became successful, fans would go after Thompson for not resigning him.  One similar player is Allen Rossum, who was not resigned and is still a successful return man to this day.

Although the Pack has given Blackmon many chances, I think one more go around with him is necessary. If he gets injured again this year, it’ll be time for him to go.

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New Look Bucks Just Keep On Rolling

The Milwaukee Bucks’ newly acquired pieces and renewed commitment on the defensive end have resulted in a four game winning streak and a 28-28, .500 record overall.  As of today, that 28-28 record is good enough for seventh in the eastern conference and 1.5 and 3 games out of the sixtth and fifth play-off spots, respectively.  Many Bucks fans aren’t satisfied, though and plan on continuing the up-swing.  I don’t blame them.  It’s time to get excited! It’s time to buy in!

From many outsiders’ points of view, the Bucks are playing out of their minds and Bucks fans should curb their enthusiasm and brace themselves for the inevitable fall that usually comes with post- all-star break Bucks basketball.

No need Bucks fans.  Why? because this new team is entirely too sound for another fall like that to occur.

The Milwaukee Bucks, since making the trade for G John Salmons are  more balanced offensively and are unrelenting defensively.  John Salmons has helped the Bucks on the offensive end in a number of different ways.  Obviously, scoring the basketball (17.8 ppg since joining the team) but he has also helped by getting to the free throw line (5.8 attempts a night) and finding other teammatees.  He has also helped on the defensive end by staying in front of his man and using his 6′6 frame to challenge shooters.

The link above will take you to a discussion board topic titled “The Milwaukee Bucks, One of the great mysteries of the league”.  NBA fans are dumb founded by the fact that the Bucks are able to win despite having quote  “worst talent on paper in the league”.  If those same fans would take a look at the statistics and the way the Bucks play as a team, their winning ways might not be so mysterious.

First off, Andrew Bogut is finally the center piece of the Milwaukee Bucks’ offensive strategy and he has responded by averaging 17. 3 ppg, 11. 3 rebs and 2.8 blks per game over the month of February.  Bogut is also shooting an excellent 53% from the field and is the anchor for a Bucks defense that ranks ninth in the league in terms of defensive efficiency.

Second, the Bucks rank second last to the 5 win, New Jersey Nets when it comes to field goal percentage, but they also average the most field goal attempts per game in the league.  The Milwaukee Bucks are among the best offensive rebounding teams in the NBA and those reloads allow for them to be efficient offensively.

Third, the Bucks not only create second chance opportunities with their tremendous offensive rebounding capabilities but they have also convert the 6th most 3 point shots in the league, averaging almost eight made three pointers a game.

Mystery solved.  The Bucks are playing defense, working hard on the glass, sharing the ball with teammates and, most importantly, coming up with victories.  What more can you ask for?

The Bucks will look to continue their winning ways tonight in Indianapolis, against the Pacers and again Saturday and

Sunday on the road in Miami and Atlanta.  The Bucks can really help themselves by finding a way to win at least two out of these nextthree games.  Getting rookie PG Brandon Jennings going again offensively would be huge as the Bucks continue their play-off push.  I believe the Bucks can make the play-offs without the young Buck elevating his game but if Brandon can get his shooting percentage above 40% and he continues to knock down open three’s; we may be looking at the 5th or 6th seed in the Eastern Conference play-offs.

But like Andrew Bogut always says, lets take it one game at a time.  It starts tonight agaist the Pacers.

Go Buck!!

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Pack Resign Derrick Martin

In the first move the Packers have made with their eight resticted freeagents, they resigned backup safety and special teams ace Derrick Martin. Martin, who who finished second on the team in special teams tackles with 21, signed a two year deal with the team for an unspecified amount.

While the move appears to be minor, it shows the Packers’ commitment in keeping key special teams players. It also shows that Ted Thompson and company like what they have seen from the 4 year veteran.

Considering how much Martin struggled when he replaced Atari Bigby early in the season (his last significant playing time on defense), he must have shown something in practice to give the organization some confidence in him at safety. Martin’s agent, Brad Cicala, said that his client expects to see more time in the secondary next year. Possibly as a nickel or dime back.

While I’m not quite sure about Derrick Martin playing significant time on defense, I think this is a good signing because he is a valuable special teamer and the Packers don’t have to break the bank with a guy like Martin. He is just as good and cheap as anyone else on the backup safety market.

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Bucks deal Meeks, Elson to 76ers

In a last minute trade deadline deal, the Milwaukee Bucks sent Jodie Meeks and Francisco Elson to the 76ers for Royal Ivey, Primoz Brezic, and a second round draft pick.

This is Ivey’s 2nd go round with the Bucks, and he told the Journal-Sentinel that he’s “happy to be back in Milwaukee.” That’s definitely a refreshing thing to hear, although neither Ivey or Brezic are expected to play many minutes for the Bucks (barring injury, of course).

I wasn’t expecting the Bucks to deal Meeks, and I believe they may have given up on him too early.  I assume that Scott Skiles didn’t like what he saw from Meeks on the defensive end, and rather than have him sit on the bench and not develop, they opted to deal him for expiring contracts.

Still, I think Meeks had a strong upside on offense and given the right amount of time, could have corrected any defensive miscues.

John Salmons has worked out well for the Bucks so far, posting double digit points and a clutch three-pointer in his debut Friday against Detroit.  Salmons followed up that performance  with 19 points in a win against Charlotte Saturday night at the Bradley Center.

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Salmons to the Bucks, But what’s next?

Bucks fans got some good news during/following the 127-99 drubbing by the red hot Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.  Bucks fans who had a computer or smart phone on hand were elated to find out that the Bucks had traded F-C Kurt Thomas and C Francisco Elson to the Chicago Bulls for SG John Salmons.  John Salmons is a career 45% shooter and has really come on in the last two seasons (18 ppg) when he’s been given the opportunity to start.

Then, after a lot of speculation and anticipation for the the deal to be finalized, we found out that the two players originally reported to be involved, were completely wrong.  The actual deal involves PF Hakim Warrick and former lottery pick, F Joe Alexander for G John Salmons.  Even better!

This deal works out great for both teams for many reasons.  First, I mentioned earlier that John Salmons must start in order for a team to get his best effort.  That will not be a problem in Milwaukee because he will be expected to start and score at a high and efficient rate.  He’s also known as a capable defender and should be able to help on that end simply because hes the prototypical size for an NBA shooting guard.  You can’t say the same for current starter Charlie Bell (6′3) and backup Jodie Meeks (6′4).  This also works from a contractual standpoint because John Salmons makes a fair amount for his services this year (5.2 mil) and next (5.5 mil) then expires after the 2010-2011 season.  This fits in perfectly with GM John Hammonds grand 2011 plan that sees Michael Redd’s and Dan Gadzuric’s contracts expire and clear 25.5 mil off the books just between the two. Also, the Bulls clear nearly 5.6 mil off the books this off-season as they prepare to make a run at one of the prized 2010 NBA free agents.

There is still much speculation that suggests the Bucks will make another move before today’s two o’clock deadline.  The Bucks have made it clear that they covet a Power Forward and have shown interest in Pacers F Troy Murphy and Clippers F Drew Gooden ( who may be re-leased/bought out).  Many dont believe the Bucks plan to move on with the streaky 22 year old PF Ersan Ilyasova and the offensively limited F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.  Adam “Big A” Maritato suggested the Bucks trade PG Luke Ridnour and C Kurt Thomas for Knicks F Al Harrington.  The Knicks have stated that they covet Luke Ridnour and Al Harrington could fill the void at PF for this season and provide some offensive capability.  The problem is, Al Harrington would be tough to sell the idea of defense to and I think he may end up in Scott Skiles’ dog house; much like Hakim Warrick did.

Follow WiscoSportsTalk on Twitter for more Bucks rumors leading up to the trade deadline and stay tuned tomorrow for the NBA/Bucks update podcast that will cover every move made around the NBA and it’s impact.

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Let’s Hope the Brew Crew Do Not Have Another Costanza-like Season

Looking at the Brewer’s starting roster, you would think that they have a solid all around team with an array of good hitters and adequate pitching.  But how will this season go? Will the Brewers finish on top of NL Central? Or will they have another George Costanza type season, where their hot start is buried under a pile of gaffs and bad puns?
The pile of gaffs and bad puns is of course a metaphor to the Brewers’ history over the last few years.  At first you would love players like Corey Hart or the ex-Brewer JJ Hardy, but once the second half of the season came around they would show their true colors and Brewer fans would quickly turn on them. Obviously, it didn’t only come down to Corey Hart and the thankfully ousted JJ Hardy. Pitching went sour with the plethora of mediocre pitchers such as Jeff Suppan and Braden Looper along with inconsistent pitchers, like Carlos Villaneuva and Manny Parra. It is too bad we can’t have guy like CC Sabathia every year. Good players come and go. That’s something the Brewers have gotten used to from being one of the smallest markets in the Major League.
However,  Brew Crew fans should be more confident about this year. Not only has the Crew picked up a few accomplished veterans like Pitcher Latroy Hawkins and Catcher Gregg Zaun, (who is sure to be more valuable than Kendall) but Milwaukee may see their young prospects really develop this year.
Alcides Escobar is the guy that every Brewer fan thinks about when they hear the words “promising prospect”. Although Escobar does not have a lot of power behind his swing, he could end up being top of the lineup batter and could use his speed to be a valuable base runner. Did I mention he happened to be arguably the best defensive short stop in the minors? Brewers’ Farm Director Reid Nichols has said “He’ll make at least one ‘WOW’ play a game, count on it.”
Casey Magee and Rickie Weeks are unproven, but seem to be heading in the right direction. Although Rickie’s season came to a quick end, both of these batters contain a powerful swing and look to be major threats in the lineup.
As far as backups go, much of the infield looks pretty stacked. Matt Gamel, who also still has not proven himself, seems to be a capable backup along with Joe Inglett and the fan favorite Craig Counsell. I don’t know much about Joe Inglett, but a .293 batting average in 211 games doesn’t sound too shabby. Looking at Craig-O, the people of Milwaukee would love to see him play like he did last season. In fact, I may just buy a Counsell jersey if he does so. I’ve forgiven the man for being a bit of a cheap tipper while I mowed his lawn.

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The Next Three Games Loom Large for Marquette

If the Golden Eagles have the misfortune of missing out on the big dance for the first time since 2005, they will most likely be looking back at this three game stretch as where the ship sank.
MU’s next 3 games are all against strong, but not elite competition. The three teams- South Florida, Pitt, and Cincinnati- are all pretty much in the same bout as the Golden Eagles. They all sit in the middle of the Big East standings are considered bubble teams for the tourney at this point (although Pitt may be in the best position of the four teams).
The first game, Saturday vs. USF, could be the most important of the three. The Bulls are hot of late, and could be considered as one of the big surprise teams in the NCAA this year. After going just 9-22 last year, USF has pulled it together this year and has garnered wins against the likes of #7 Georgetown and #23 Pittsburgh. They are a tough team and very much alive for a tournament selection; and a win at the Bradley Center Saturday would be big on their resume. Led by a strong front court of Augustus Gilchrist and Jarrid Famous, South Florida could create match-up problems for MU. The Golden Eagles will need another big performance from their back court to counter the Bulls’ paint presence.
On Thursday, Marquette travels to the Zoo to take on the perennially strong Pitt Panthers. After starting out the season very strong, Pitt hass cooled down -losing four of their last 7 games. Of the Panthers’ six losses this year, only 1 has come at home. The Zoo is considered one of the hardest venues to win in for opposing in the Big East, and will provide a major challenge for Marquette. If the Golden Eagles are able to win this game, it would certainly boost their chances come Selection Sunday.
The final of the three games is against the Cincinnati Bearcats. UC plays hard every night and are led by uber-talented Freshman Lance Stephenson. Stephenson and forward Yancy Gates will be matched up on Lazar Hayward and Jimmy Butler respectfully, creating one of the most intriguing 2 on 2 match-ups MU has seen this season. Hayward and Butler must win these individual battles if MU has any hope of countering the Bearcats rebounding advantage (Cincy comes in 4th in the Big East in team rebounding).
After these three games, the Golden Eagles travel to St. Johns and Seton Hall before closing out at home against Notre Dame and Louisville. All these are important, but this three game stretch against other bubble level teams will really separate MU from the pack; this could be a good or bad thing depending on how they do.

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Badgers Looking to Close Out Big 10 Season on a High Note

Despite the heartbreaking loss to Illinois on Tuesday, the Wisconsin Badgers still have a great chance to take home the Big 10 regular season title and continue to reach their goal of winning the Big 10 tournament.

I was as devastated as any Badger fan when they succumbed to that rare home loss against a surprising Illini team, but I see little use in panicking.  Sometimes a wake-up call like that can actually be a good thing for a team that wasn’t expected to do anything special this season.

Since Jon Leuer went down with a fractured wrist, the Badgers are 5-2 and have displayed the kind of effort that seems to come naturally to Bo Ryan coached teams; continue to work hard and go about your business.  No team handles adversity quite like the Badgers. Since Kalin Lucas went down, Michigan State has struggled to regain its swagger.  Ohio State was a mess without Evan Turner.

Not the Badgers.  Bo Ryan has instilled the confidence in his players to carry on and pick up the slack when a fellow teammate gets hurt. It’s rare to find a coach who can build such confidence in his team, but Ryan has earned his living doing that exact thing for the Badgers since he was hired.

The Badgers will also have the benefit of a fairly easy schedule to close out the season. Tomorrow they square off against an Indiana team that is still deep in the process of rebuilding.  After that, UW won’t face a ranked opponent unless Illinois earns a spot in the top 25 before March 6th (UW’s final regular season game at Illinois).

It’s going to be a close race to crown the regular season champion, but if the Badgers can continue their consistent play and rebound from a rare hiccup at home, I think they’ll bring home the bacon.

Just imagine how strong this team will be going into March Madness if Jon Leuer comes back to full strength.  Don’t look now, but the Badgers have the fortitude and attitude to make a strong run at the Final Four this year.

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Badgers Win in the Outdoor Hockey Classic

Vibrant and unique are two words that come to mind when describing the atmosphere at the 2010 Camp Randall Outdoor Hockey Classic. The outdoor game was held for the first time ever at Camp Randall Staduim, where around 55,000 fans watched the third-ranked Badgers skate away with a 3-2 win over Michigan .

A classic mixture of both football and hockey chants swarmed the stadium making the frosty, 20 degree air seem harmless. Both Wisconsin and Michigan were playing very fast paced, up-tempo hockey. This was partly due to a high energy crowd, but also because of the cooler and thus, faster ice surface they were playing on.

Ranked third in the country, Wisconsin has been playing very solid hockey. A powerful fore check, coupled with a deep bench, have helped the Badgers earn top 5 credit. However, what won it for them on Saturday night was captializing on power play opportunities. Brendan Smith was able to net two power play goals in the final 6 minutes, not only giving Wisconsin the win, but also igniting a massive celebration in Madison.

With the largest crowd ever to attend a Wisconsin Badger hockey game and the second largest crowd ever to attend a colligate hockey game, The Hockey Classic was truly an amazing event for both players and fans alike. Hopefully Badger fans will see the University host another Hockey Classic at Camp Randall, until then keep an eye out for the Badgers in the post season.

The Camp Randall Outdoor Hockey Classic, proved to be great for the city, the school, but most importantly… the game of hockey.

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If the Saints are Good Enough to Win, so is the Pack.

Watching New Orleans completely force the hand of the Colts late in the game last night made me think of one thing… The Packers really were good enough to do the same thing. You could say, “Oh, well Indy would have torn apart Green Bay’s D,” or “The Packers’ offense is good but it’s not dominant like the Saints.” But let’s look at the numbers shall we.

In the regular season the Saints had the 26th ranked passing defense while the Packers ranked fifth. Okay, maybe ranking in the upper 15% was a bit of a flash in the pan for the Pack because of an easy schedule; but had they faced tougher offenses would they have dropped 21 spots to 26? I don’t think so.

How about the run defense? You could tell last night that the Colts felt pretty comfortable running the ball. The reason being is because New Orleans gives up an average of 122 yards on the ground, good for 21st in league. The Packers? Only the top ranked running defense in the NFL, giving up 83 yards per game.

The turnover margin is also in the Packers’ favor with a league best +24, while the Saints –a team that proclaims to rely on turnovers- sits at +11.  So with all these statistics we can agree that the Packers defense is at least up to par with the “Who Dats?”

Now on to the offensive side of the ball. The Saints were outstanding putting up 6,461 total yards this year. This was the number 1 offense, but the Packers were not too far behind at number six, putting up 6,065 yards. Both teams were led by excellent quarterbacks. Drew Brees’ performance over the last few seasons speaks for itself. A-Rodge’s does as well. He actually put very similar statistics with the ex-Boilermaker. He had more yards and less picks, while Brees had 4 more TD’s and a slightly higher passer rating.

While numbers clearly aren’t everything, they provide a good way gauge a team. And if you’re gauging with these numbers, you could say that the only thing holding back the Packers from the Superbowl was a better defensive game plan against the Cardinals . Either way, with a few minor adjustments, these numbers give Packer fans all the more reason to be excited for next year.

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Packers Fan Announces He Will Return to Drinking for Another Season (Video)

Packers Fan Announces He Will Return To Drinking For Another Season

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Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

The Bears signing of Mike Martz shows one thing. That they are desperate to improve their team. Who wouldn’t want to? The Bears traded away two of their first round picks for a quarterback that was a total disappointment.  Jay Cutler threw the most interceptions out of any QB (26) and finished with an un-impressive quarterback rating of 76.8.  Who knows? Maybe Cutler had a bad year due to the lack of talent that surrounds him (other than Greg Olson and Johnny Knox). Or maybe Cutler was glorified by his time in Denver.  Maybe Cutler really isn’t that good. Spending 2 first round picks was a very high investment that did not pay dividends. To exacerbate the Bears position even more, they traded away their highest pick in the upcoming draft for Gaines Adams, who died shortly after. RIP.
Thirdly, Matt Forte, who had a solid rookie season, pretty much did the opposite in this 2009 season with only four total touchdowns. It looks to be that Forte had a fluke of a rookie year.
With all of this in mind, it seems that the Bears only chance at success will either be shown in beneficial free agent pick ups or changes in personnel.  So far Chicago has taken the latter approach. The Bears just signed one of the extremely aggressive Mike Martz, who may in fact make the team better for quite a few reasons.
1. Lovie and Martz have a great relationship. The two were very successful in St. Louis together and Martz’s offense was once named “The greatest show on turf.”
2.  The rest of the receivers are almost sure to put up bigger numbers.  While Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, and Johnny Knox are nothing like Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, and As-Zahir Hakim, I would say that those receivers should be able to be larger threats than they were under Ron Turner.

3. Martz could utillize Greg Olson and make him a big difference maker.

While all these are reasons the Bears could improve, it is my theory that Bears will still suck.  A team can have the best personnel in the world, but if there’s no talent to back it up, then there will be no chance at victory.  I believe a safe prediction can be that the Vikings will once again be the only threat to the Packers in the NFC North…. Unless the Bears sign ‘out of this world’ free agents.

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The N.F.L. (Not Fair League)

We are officially less than one week away from Super Sunday. I will be making the journey up to the Twin Cities by way of Milwaukee for me and my college cronies’ big game party. I am looking forward to it. Not to mention being able to pour a little more salt in the still fresh wounds of my friends up there who cheer for a group of lesser men, who go out on Sundays to play football dawning the color purple. Speaking of the Super Bowl and the Vikings, as a certain narcissistic big boned 4^th grader from South Park elementary would say, “ha ha ha ha ha ha.” But in all seriousness, did you see the best looking highlight Favre was a part of making during the NFC Championship game? If you guessed it was all those TV shots of his daughter, I would agree. Okay, okay enough about the Vikings, Favre, and their players who are too busy ‘recovering’ through practice (due to partying at Miami night clubs) rather than appearing in their first Pro Bowl game, and on to other notes.

First and foremost, congrats goes out to “Who Dat?” nation. My heart still goes out for the people of the gulf coast region. So as not to take anything away from the great hardships being undertaken currently in Haiti, New Orleans and the gulf coast region still have a long way to go on the road to recovery. Sadly, it is a road they may not see the end of, and I feel as a nation that we have forgotten about them all too quickly. I will say this last bit about the NFC Championship game. As much as I hate to admit it, the better team lost that Sunday. The Saints will have to play much better against the Colts to beat them in the big game, and unless you are from Indiana or U of TN alum, I hope you will be rooting for the Saints come Super Sunday.

Speaking of “Who Dat”, if you haven’t read anything about the NFL attempting to slap a TM on that phrase, then you should. The NFL really has turned itself into a fairly evil money hoarding empire whose ego has gotten too big for my taste thanks in large part to Emperor Goodell. Case in point, the NFL just recently asked for exemption to the antitrust laws and regulations (even though it is a blatant monopoly), which I am happy report the Supreme Court tossed out their request almost immediately. In addition, are you aware that when the NFL files its taxes with the IRS every spring, it categorizes itself as “not for profit” as in a NPO. A NPO, seriously, no joke. There is no reason for any president or CEO of any NPO to make more than $150,000.00 in a year. Yet, when Paul Tagliabue was still the head cheese, he pocketed roughly 80 times that for an annual year of service and it is rumored that Goodell makes upwards of $18,000,000.00 plus bonuses. Think about it, the NFL, a tax exempt organization, that takes in roughly $7billion (with a ‘B’) dollars (not yen) in revenue (and growing) annually doesn’t have to contribute to the same pool you and I do that goes to fund schools, fill pot holes, fight fires, and defeat terrorists.  Yet somehow, when a new stadium goes up, tax-payers tend to shell out a large chunk for the tab. Strange, I know. And don’t even get me started on the whole ‘concussion committee’ the NFL paid to produce less than balanced results for its “in depth research” project to present to the Senate committee, or this NFL in Europe business. Though the later is the least serious of all of the above topics, football is America’s game, and even the mentioning of hosting an over seas Super Bowl one day should be considered high treason, and a lynch mob should be formed. Look, I am a red-blooded American just like you. I eat too much red meat, love my football, love my Lite beer (because real friends won’t let you be a ‘ght’er), and take my women the same way I take my coffee, hot. But the NFL really has gotten out of control.

Threatening legal action against shop owners trying to revive a spirit and a profit in a city that was absolutely decimated 4 years ago by the worst natural disaster in our nation’s history, for selling t-shirts with the phrase “Who Dat” on them?!?! Because the NFL thinks it owns the rights to a phrase the people of the city of New Orleans have used for more than a half century, so it can make a couple extra bucks?!?! That sir or madam is the straw that broke my camel’s back. Two words for you NFL, public domain! To go one step further, forget the No Fun League. They have the nerve to fine Ochocinco $30k every time he does something goofy and fun on the field (I mean, ’cause fans don’t want to be entertained at football games they pay to go to right?), though he has been nothing short of a class act off the field. At least the fine money gets donated to charity. Too bad it’s the NFL who get’s to take the credit and add that to its donation total and not Chad. Welcome to the Not Fair League.

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Bucks Face Choices at Deadline

With the trade deadline looming on Feb. 19 only 18 days away, the Milwaukee Bucks are faced with a slight problem. What do they do? Should they be buyers, sellers, or just stay the course?

Faced with this same problem last year with the likes of Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions, the Bucks chose to stay the course and hopefully make the playoffs.They fell short, and in the offseason, Milwaukee lost both guys in free agency and acquired nothing in return. They could have made a move to acquire a pick or a young talented piece but instead they chose to “compete” for a playoff spot.

Now, here we area again, a year later and in the same position. Wondering the same questions. We have expiring contracts in Luke Ridnour, Hakim Warrick, Kurt Thomas, Joe Alexander, Francisco Elson, and the newly-acquired Jerry Stackhouse. Together they amount to $18.3 million in expiring contracts.  

Some contracts we will just let expire, while some have too much value not to acquire something in return for. Both Ridnour and Warrick definitely have the most value. These guys are solid contributors and would be very useful to team in the playoffs looking for a scorer off the bench. Some may value Thomas’ defense, but he is slow-footed, and all he is good for is low-post defense.On offense, he can knock down the open 15-18 footer, which works well for a high pick-n-roll situation. Alexander has no value because of injuries ,and his expiring contract is his only value to the team (I won’t get started on him).

As of today the Bucks stand 20-25, which is only three games behind Chicago and Miami for the seventh and eighth seeds. General Manager John Hammond has insisted that he wants to win now.  The Bucks must decide what to do, and I’ll examine each option.

Stick with Team as Is

They are 20-25 as stated. They started the season rolling to an 8-3 record out of the gate. Then Michael Redd came back and threw off the entire offense. Some may ask, how a 20 ppg player can throw off an offense?

Well, he is like a black hole, every time there is a ball swing, he keeps it.  He does a crossover between his legs, and then you know it’s going up. He fails to get teammates involved, and that hurts the chemistry. Milwaukee is 5-13 in games he has played in, while 15-12 in games that he hasn’t.

Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut also have greater success while Redd is off the floor. Bogut is finally looked at as the team’s No. 1 option on offense. He has a great face-up post game and is showing a little ability to hit a 10-12-ft jumper.

Bogut and his running mate, Jennings, have developed a chemistry in the high pick-n-roll game. Jennings is so quick that it is hard to get an angle on him defensively, and he can get into the paint and create for himself or for a teammate.

I do think the Bucks can challenge for a playoff spot by holding on to what they have. But, is it worth it to be the eighth seed in the playoffs? I say yes, because you get invaluable experience for a team full of young players who don’t know how different the level of play is in the playoffs.

Trade Away Players

If we fail to win a few games before the deadline, our hand may be forced to make some trades for younger talent and picks. I think Hammond would be more willing to pull the trigger on some of these guys.

Unlike last year, there are not as many young players who would gain some trade interest. I think a team that needs either a scoring or point guard coming off the bench would be in the race for Ridnour.

He hits open shots, runs the offense well, and rarely turns the ball over. If the Bucks could receive a young talent or late first-round pick for him, I’d do it. One team who may need a backup is the Utah Jazz.

Hakim Warrick is of equal value although his stock is expiring less than Ridnour’s ($3.6-6.5 million). He is an offensive-minded player off the bench and has proven he can score since he has been in the league.  He’s also proven that he plays no defense.

One team that may like him is the Atlanta Hawks. I think he would fit well coming off the bench for them, while also not ruining their cap space for FA next offseason.

Kurt Thomas may be traded for a second pick to a contender who is short a backup big man.  Again, injuries in the next 18 days will play a factor because new needs may arise.

Alexander and Elson would only be throw-ins for a trade just to make the money work. I can’t see either drawing ANY interest. Stackhouse is here to stay in Milwaukee. Hammond had him in Detroit and sees him as a veteran leader. He can also be Hammond’s eyes in the locker room.

I’m sure Jerry is telling him who is good for the team and who isn’t. You don’t want bad chemistry guys around your young talent (Michael Redd).

Trade For Players

This is the least possible option for Milwaukee. We have no pieces that anyone would want in exchange for a big name. Jennings would have to be involved, but that’s not happening.

Caron Butler would be the only guy who could draw interest. He is from Racine, so he’d basically be home, and the Wizards are looking to blow up their team.  If we could give them an expiring and our first they might be intrigued. Would I do it? Probably not. I don’t see this happening at all or any other scenario where the Bucks acquire a star player coming to fruition.

The best option for me is to stay the course and try to gain cap room for this offseason and next season when Redd and Dan Gadzuric come off the books. One thing’s for sure, it will be an interesting two weeks for Bucks fans everywhere.

Let me hear your opinion!  Comment on the article, and I will respond. Thank you.

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