It’s official. I have given up on the Milwaukee Bucks for the remainder of the 2011 season. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, positive to take away from this wretched season. So I’m throwing in the towel.

There was an insane amount of optimism leading up to this season. Posting a 50 win season, advancing to the second round of the playoffs, and actually looking like a legit contender in a small market. All of it, every single last bit, is gone.

When did this officially happen? I’d like to say two Saturdays ago, when the Bucks lost at home to the lowly Detroit Pistons. But I stuck it out for another week, hoping that the Bucks would prove me wrong and play some good basketball. Then I watched this Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, a game in which the Bucks kept it close until the fourth quater, upon which they shot 4 for 20 or some God-awful percentage.

There are simply no more excuses for this type of effort. I would argue that the Bucks are an objectively better team than the Pistons and the Pacers, both Central Division foes. Yet the Bucks managed to lose convincingly to each of them on consecutive weekends. These weren’t close, “grind-em’-out” losses either. These were “man isn’t awesome that we get to play the Bucks?” losses.

You can’t blame injuries anymore. Brandon Jennings is back, and so is Carlos Delfino. Andrew Bogut is kind of healthy, but occasionally misses games because of migraines or back issues. John Salmons has been ineffective all season, so his recent injury is no excuse. And then there’s Drew Gooden, who’s had plantar fasciitis for months and is unsure of whether or not he’ll return this season. Also, Drew Gooden is Dan Gadzuric 2.0 with a similar contract, so if that doesn’t give you nightmares, I don’t know what does.

You also can’t blame the influx of new “talent” that John Hammond signed in the offseason. Corey Maggette was supposed to finally buy into a system that works, like the Bucks coaching staff thought they had. He gets the the free throw line way more than anyone on the team (255 attempts this season. Second is Salmons with 151). But it hasn’t translated into wins, or even better team basketball.

And then there’s Scott Skiles, the should-have-been NBA Coach of the Year last season who took the Atlanta Hawks to seven games in the playoffs and looked to have the team playing it’s best basketball since the George Karl days. His questionable lineups in crunch time lead me to believe that maybe he just forgets about some of the players he has on his bench (how many times have you screamed at the TV this season while Keyon Dooling is running the point over Jennings in the final minutes of a game?)

At this point last season, the Bucks won more than 20 games to clinch a playoff spot and actually lend some credibility to professional basketball in Milwaukee. With the All-Star break upon us this week, there’s no reason to have that sort of optimism again. Instead, we’ll be watching the NBA playoffs and wondering how a team like the 76ers or the Pacers beat us out for the rights to get slaughtered by Miami or Boston.

Sadly, it’s another lost season for the Bucks. If I can offer any shining light, it’s that we have solid, young talent in Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings. But being saddled with bad contracts (I’m looking at you, Drew Gooden) doesn’t help us, so I’m still guessing that the Bucks are a few years removed from making legit noise in the playoffs.

I could end this article with a crappy play-on word (‘The Buck(s) stops here’, or ‘go Buck yourself’), but I won’t. Because unlike the Bucks, I’m better than that. For now, let’s watch the Super Bowl on repeat and look forward to baseball season, because NBA basketball around here is just “Buck”-ing stupid.

Oops.

WST Podcast 1.18.11 Part 2

Duration: 24:20

Topics:

• How have the Bucks gotten so bad?

• Can we continue to blame the Bucks’ struggles on their strength of schedule and injuries?

• Are we likely to see another strong second half out of the Bucks?

• Are there any season saving trades that could be on the horizon?

• Shout Outs!

• Bart Scott’s interview with Sal Paolantonio.

The Month of December has answered some questions about the Milwaukee Bucks, but it has also raised a few others.

The questions going into the month of December read something like, Is Andrew Bogut going to return to last season’s dominating form, this season?  Has Brandon Jennings improved his game?  Have the Bucks’ off-season acquisitions killed their chemistry?

The answers to those questions appear to be yes, yes and no, Coach Skiles won’t let them.

The Bucks are 4-3 in the month of December, with their only losses coming to teams with a combined record of 55-20.  Not to mention that two out of those three games were played on the road and the other was against the red-hot Miami Heat.

The Bucks seem to be starting to mesh on the court and finally some of their shots are starting to fall.  in December the Bucks have shot 42.5% from the field, which doesn’t seem great until you compare it to the 40.6% clip that the team shot in November.  Brandon Jennings 43% from three point land this month suggests he’s gotten his stroke from deep back and Andrew Bogut has been on a tear this month averaging 19.8 ppg, 14.2 rpb (4.7 of those offensive rebounds) and a whopping 4 blocks per game.

With those type of numbers coming out of our franchise Center, it’s easy to see why the Bucks have seemed to re-grasp last years magic.

But, What about the additions?  What about John Hammond’s $95 Million dollar summer experiment ( signing John Salmons and Drew Gooden and trading for Corey Maggette)?  what returns have we seen from the any of the newcomers?

Well, that’s a different story.  John Salmons, who I believe to be very key to this teams success, has had a few very good scoring games (21, 16, and 17 points at over 50% fg) that make you think that John will be fine.  Then, he also has games (7, 16, and 5 points at under 30%) that leave Bucks fans scratching their heads and cursing at their television sets.

Salmons seems to be putting forth effort on the defensive end and fitting into the flow of the offense quite nicely but his shots just won’t fall.

Drew Gooden has been battling Plantar fasciitis and has had to sit since the the 1st but turned in two very good performances against the the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs.  In the Buzzer beater loss to the Spurs, Gooden poured in 20 points to go along with 11 rebounds and a block.  Gooden’s presence seemed to spark the Bucks’ late run in last nights game but consistency and defensive awareness have been the thorn in Drew’s side.

Gooden and Salmons deserve the benefit of the doubt because they are trying their best to work through their struggles.  The third member of the $95 million dollar experiment, Corey Maggette, does not deserve the benefit of the doubt.

The past two weeks have seen Corey’s minutes become sporadic and his play on the court has followed that trend.  Corey’s defense at times looks inspired, but mostly looks like he simply doesn’t care.  He clearly has the ability to score but often times is looking to simply draw contact rather than attempt a shot while drawing contact.  The Referee’s seem to recognize this and Corey’s free throw attempts have dipped because of it.

My distaste for Corey stems not only from his inconsistent effort but also the reports from Hoopsworld.com writer, Alex Kennedy, that there is turmoil in the Bucks’ Locker room.  General Manager, John Hammond has denied these claims but Kennedy states that the comments came from a player acquired via trade, who apparently s upset with his current situation and standing with the team.  Since Chris Douglas -Roberts and John Brockman (both acquired via trade) seem to love the city of Milwaukee and don’t seem to be the type, Corey Maggette has to be the culprit.

Corey’s playing time has slipped from a little over 20 mpg to a little over 10 mpg in the last four contests.  This news has even caused the Milwaukee Bucks’ best fan community, The RealGM Board, to create a “Mole Removal” Corey Maggette trade idea thread.

Chris Douglas-Roberts is the one off-season acquisition that John Hammond can point to and call a complete success at this point in the season.  After returning from his scary eye laceration in pre-season, CDR has been the model of consistency for the Bucks.

CDR has averaged 10 points per contest and almost never turns the ball over.  He constantly gives 100% effort on both sides of the ball and it seems that Brandon Jennings has finally found his running mate to get out on the break with.

CDR got the start last night for the first time this season and made the most of it throwing in 21 points while shooting 53% from the field. CDR’s 3 point stroke has also been much better than advertised.  He doesn’t shoot a lot of them but he knocks down the ones that he should, which has been, maybe, the Bucks’ biggest problem this season.

The Bucks seem to be working through their shortcomings and identifying the guys that are going to give them the best chance to win on a nightly basis.  The team seemed to be doing the same thing around this time last year before they completely figured it out and won 22 of their last 30 games.

Bottom line is when the Bucks shoot 42% or above and combine that with the kind of defense they always play, they are very tough to beat.  42% isn’t a lot to ask for, so this quizzical month of December could again end up being but a small blemish on an otherwise successful Bucks season.

WiscoSportsTalk Podcast Part 2

Duration: 11:20

Topics:

- Bucks 3 game winning streak

- Who has contributed to the turn around.

- Is Andrew Bogut back to the Andrew Bogut of last season?

- Who do you want to see start and see the most playing time?

WiscoSportsTalk Podcast Part 3

Duration: 22:00

Topics:

-Big tip in by Bogut to finish the Pacer game!  But still the Bucks can’t shoot!

- Which players aren’t buying in and why cant this team succeed?

- Skiles obviously has an agressive defensive system, but what exactly is Skiles doing on the offensive end?

- Possible trade partners

- Brewers Trade the #26 rated minor league prospect, 2b Brett Lawrie to the Toronto Blu Jays in exchange for starting pitcher, Shaun Marcum.

- Are the Brewers back in “win now” mode?

- What’s next for Prince Fielder?

Last week, the WiscoSportsTalk crew came to a general consensus that we were “chilling” on the Bucks, rather than panicking.  After all, we’re less than a quarter of the way through the season, right?

Thankfully, it’s never too late to press the panic button.

The 2010 Bucks season started off with lofty expectations and consistent success.  Instead, the season has been met with inconsistency and overall lack of offensive prowess.  Despite trading for Corey Maggette, signing Drew Gooden, and re-signing John Salmons, the Bucks haven’t been able to score when necessary.

Mark it 8, dude. As in, we’ll be lucky to get the 8th playoff seed at this point.

Even mostly solid defense by the Bucks hasn’t been enough to keep them in games.  Take Mondays 101-88 loss at Utah; the Bucks stayed in the game until the 4th quarter, making (and taking) good shots while playing solid D.

Ultimately, Utah’s offense and steady defense took over and the Bucks weren’t able to match baskets.  Those big-margin victories earlier this month against Atlanta and New York seem like distant memories when compared to more recent efforts.

Injuries haven’t helped either.  Andrew Bogut has been sidelined with his typical back problems, and now migraine headaches seem to be a recurring issue.  Carlos Delfino has been out since early November with a neck strain.  Drew Gooden is the latest victim with a nagging foot injury.

As of today, the Bucks sit at 6-11 in what is looking to be the weakest division in the NBA.  At 9-6, Chicago holds the best record in what is certainly a winnable Central division.  But with Indiana playing surprisingly well and the Bucks unable to pull off victories against Detroit and Cleveland as of late, the Bucks have no time to waste in playing the solid team basketball that was displayed last season.

This week doesn’t get much easier for them.  Sadly, I can probably already chalk up tonight’s game at Denver as a loss; the Bucks traditionally struggle on the road out west, and our depleted roster won’t be able to maintain through 48 minutes in high altitude.

Saturday brings Orlando, which has crushed the Bucks over the past few seasons.  If we don’t have Bogut back by then, Dwight Howard will destroy us.  Then comes Monday’s showdown with Miami.  While the Heat aren’t exactly the dominant force (yet) some thought they would be, they’re offensive explosiveness will give the Bucks troubles.

If we lose all three games, which I think is very possible, we’d sit at 6-14, a record that Clippers fans would deem respectable.  But this was supposed to be the year that the Bucks got back to relevancy, the year that we advanced past the first round of the playoffs, and the year that our franchise cornerstones, Bogut and Brandon Jennings, got some all-star consideration.

A telling and troubling sign of the Bucks current woes lies inside the Bradley Center.  To date, the Bucks haven’t had a sellout.  Not even the home opener sold out, which is generally the one game you can count on to pack the house.  Herb Kohl isn’t getting any younger, and the NBA is breathing down the organization’s necks to either improve the “BC” or build a new arena.

None of this will happen without a winning team.  As local sports go, Milwaukee fans are very apathetic towards pro basketball.  You either love them or hate them, or don’t give a damn about them.  This was the season to re-energize fans, and send a message to the rest of the league that the Bucks should be taken seriously.

Sadly, it looks like we’ll either back our way into the playoffs or prepare for the draft lottery. So find that panic button, press it firmly,  and watch the hopes and dreams of the team and its fans crumble.

The WST crew opens up this week’s show with some Milwaukee Bucks talk.  The Bucks we’re 3-0 last week and currently rank 2nd in defensive efficiency.  Who’s responsible for the sudden turnaround? Can they continue this against the Lakers?

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!!

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.