For years now i have heard the Milwaukee Bucks coaches preach defense and effort.  Head Coaches like Larry Krystkowiak and Terry Stotts wanted to instill that winning mentality but, for some reason, it never stuck.  Since Scott Skiles was hired as Head coach before last season the team has played differently under him and it shows as the Bucks have surged to a 35-29 record, good for 5th in the East.

Skiles demands the most out of his players, this is why he GETS the most out of his players.  Skiles a former NBA PG who holds the record for most assists in a single game with 30.  If you never had the opportunity to see him play you can be assured that this Bucks team plays just as he did.  They get after it on defense, play team basketball and put maximum effort for four quarters of play.  Playing hard every game every night is something the other coaches couldn’t get out of the Bucks.  In seasons prior, the team would roll over if they fell behind 10-15, now the team wont quit even if they’re down 30.  There are no more losing games that we shouldn’t, for example losing to the Twolves, Nets.

But Skiles’ system sometimes runs its course on teams and they start not buying into defense and effort every night.  In Phoenix and Chicago he was fired during his 3rd and 4th year respectively in each coaching stint. It should be stated that he made the playoffs 5 out of 9 seasons as a coach and looks poised to make it 6 of 10.  For some reason i think he and John Hammond  (Bucks GM) will find guys to put around Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings that buy into Skiles system.  Guys like Tyrus Thomas in Chicago didnt buy in and ruined the chemistry and ultimately got Skiles fired.  This is  probably the reason Hakim Warrick was shipped out of town.

Last night the Bucks beat the Jazz 95-87 at the Bradley Center.  Utah has been the hottest team in the league and has the number one offense in terms of efficiency, shooting 49 percent from the field.  Skiles’ system and defense proved too much for the Jazz in the end.  Bogut led the way with 4 blocks, but the big play was when Ersan Ilyasova hit the offensive glass and got a put back to put the Bucks ahead 89-87.

As of right now, the guys are dialed into the offensive strategy of great ball movement on offense and pulverizing team defense.  Utah’s Head Coach Jerry Sloan stated that this Bucks team was the best interior defensive team he had faced all year.  How far it will carry the Bucks is ultimately up to them; rest assured, Skiles will be there every day pushing them harder.  He is a proven winner and so are his teams. The sky’s the limit for this team, or at least a tough fought 1st round series for Milwaukee fans.  Fear The Deer!!

Lineup:

the Badgers are looking strong at the right time

• Chris Dennis
• Adam “Big A” Maritato
• Brian Peoplis
• Greg “Grego” Boulanger

Topics: (segment duration)

1. Big Ten and Big East basketball conference tournament preview (Beginning – 11:05)
2. Packers Free Agency:  has the Packer’s front office been smart or complacent (11:20 – 23:05)
3. Bucks basketball: Where can the Bucks end up come play-off time (23:20 – 33:40)
4. Convince Me! Brewers:  Do the Brewers have enough to reach the post season? Shout Outs! (34:00 – End)

As the calender turns to March the days get longer and the Brewers get set to begin spring training.  Most Milwaukee sports fans are talking about the run Marquette has made to get back into the tournament, or who’s going to be in the rotation for the Brewers.  But why isn’t anybody talking about the Bucks? You know, that NBA team that’s only a half game behind the 5th place team in the Eastern Conference.

I understand that most years us Wisco sports fans are already looking at draft prospects and seeing where the Bucks could land in the lottery. This is not like most years.  There is a buzz growing around Milwaukee, but the buzz isn’t nearly big enough.

As it stands right now the now the Bucks are 32-29 while holding on to the 6th spot and they’re only a half game out of the 5th seed for the playoffs.  Tonight in the Bradley Center (BC), we welcome the Cleveland Lebron’s for a showdown.  This should be a good way to measure where the Bucks are at for a couple different reasons.  First, The Cavs are an elite team and this would give us a decent estimate to where we actually are as a team.  Another, for me at least, is to see how many BUCKS fans show up in their BUCKS jerseys to support the BUCKS.

While I am expecting a sellout tonight at the BC, its not like a sellout you might see at a Brewer game against a division foe.

The Brewers have proved over the past 3 years that putting a competitive product on the field will draw Milwaukee’s fans out the game in record numbers.  The Brewers have drawn 3 million plus fans for two straight years which, apparently, is a major accomplishment  (my team does it every year).  But, like the Brewers, The Bucks are competing and are likely to be in the playoffs, but still empty seats are all over the BC.  Only a few times this year have the Bucks sold out games, and it was for the usual suspects… LA Lakers, Dwayne Wade’s Miami Heat, and the Chicago Bulls.  On other nights the crowd looks comparable to a WNBA game (maybe not that bad).

Being a Bucks fan and Cubs fan I ask you, Bucks fans, Where’s the same pride in your team?  I can’t show up to a Brewer game wearing my Cubs jersey without getting berated by half the stadium. But If I wore aCavs jersey to tonight’s game, I’d fit in just fine.  Somethings wrong here.

What do the Bucks have to do to draw fans??? I understand the tailgating experience at Miller Park is excellent and most Milwaukee residents are fans of drinking first and their team second.  So it is hard to compare, but if your looking to party with friends before a Bucks game, Water and Old World 3rd St. has got you covered.  Downtown has many establishments right around the BC so fans can grab a bite to eat and some drinks before.  Tickets are cheap; Bucks.com offers many different ticket deals.  They even collaborate with other local businesses to provide several different promotional deals that usually results in people leaving the BC with free stuff.

So, are you guys just not NBA fans? I’ve heard people say that they wont go to an NBA game because they lost the team aspect of the game years ago and that it has become a one on one “street ball” game. You couldn’t be more wrong.  Those same people will use that false statement to say that college basketball is a better brand of basketball than the NBA.  I just ask these people to watch the Bucks once and they will notice this Bucks squad wins games by playing team ball and playing hard defensively all game, every game.  Casual sports fans always say that there is no defense played in the NBA and maybe in some cases your right but the Bucks are most certainly playing defense.

The Bucks have ranked in the top ten in defensive efficiency almost the whole year.  When people compare the pro game to the college game they need to realize that these guys are professionals.  In the college game, there are more set plays because the longer shot clock allows for it .  There is a great deal of difference when playing for 35 seconds compared to 24 seconds. In the NBA if a guard gets daylight, he’s taught to shoot it.  why? because you may not get a better look and since they’re professionals, in most cases, an open shot is going in.  College kids NEED to run sets longer in order to open up easy shot attempts.  UW’S Jason Bohannon needs to play within the swing offense because he doesn’t have the ability to consistently create his own shot effectively.  John Salmons can and does time and time again; so why would you want him to play that so called “better brand of basketball” when he can just go to the hoop and score it?

If people want good, defensive basketball then they should Love tonight’s matchup between two of the best defensive teams the league has to offer.

The bottom line is that all you Bucks fans out there need to get those people out for a game.  You know at least a few people who don’t watch the team because of the ridiculous points listed earlier.  This team doesn’t have any “superstars” but they play excellent basketball as a team and finally starting to turn the corner .  Tell people that.  Milwaukee can be a great basketball city like it was back in 2001 but we just need the fringe basketball fans back at the games and back with the Bucks.   Bucks fans you have one job…. grab someone who doesn’t watch the Bucks and watch a game with them.  Who knows, maybe they may like what they see and want to go to a game.

Build Bucks Nation one fan at a time Bucks fans.  It’s your duty.

Lineup:

• Chris Dennis
• Adam “Big A” Maritato
• Brian Peoplis

Topics:

• Milwaukee Bucks Basketball (beginning- 12:52)

• Badger Basketball (13:00 – 16:20)

• Marquette Basketball (16:20 – 21:00)

• Milwaukee Panther Basketball (21:00 – 29:25)

• WST Headlines and Shout Outs! (29:40 – End)

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.

Bogut is the man

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

Time to step up rook

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!!

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.

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.

Lineup:

A Buck involved in All-Star weekend?!?

* Adam “Big A” Maritato

Topics:

NBA All-Star weekend (beginning- 11:00)

NBA/Bucks trade deadline rumors (11: 00- end)