Milwaukee Bucks Blog - The Bob Boozer Jinx : Allen Iverson

Bucks Weekend: Bogut out 2-4 weeks; Redd to return "soon" ... Monday? No. ... Maybe Wednesday ...

J.D. Mo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:04:00 GMT

Bucks 95, Bobcats 88 Bucks 103, Grizzlies 98 The question going into this weekend wasn't "how" or "whether" Michael Redd would fit in once he came back from his latest dunking attempt injury (his third such injury in three years...(read more)

NBA Notes: Cutting through the crap in Detroit

J.D. Mo — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:42:00 GMT

The Bucks are done with the Pistons this season but, like many of the NBA-obsessed in the blogosphere, I spent a lot of time thinking about the Detroit this weekend because that's what ESPN gave us -- like it or not. It finally dawned on me that Bucks fans have a unique perspective on this Rip Hamilton-Allen Iverson mess that rookie Pistons coach Michael Curry has made in Motown. Why?

1) The Bucks are one of eight teams who saw how good the Sixers were when Hamilton was out with a groin injury in late December-early January.

2) The Bucks have seen twice how beatable the Pistons have been since Hamilton came back from that injury. One of those times (Feb. 17), the Bucks beat them. The lost in OT Feb. 7.

3) The Bucks are the only team in the NBA that had to contend with Iverson off the bench this season.

So we've got every view of Detroit from Milwaukee, including the unique view. It's only fitting for a pair of rust belt cities in a bad economy.

Let's deal with #1 first (that's why it's #1) because it is the one thing that NO ONE mentioned during ESPN's Pistons coverage this weekend. Also because somebody needs to help Jeff Van Gundy defend Allen Iverson, which Van Gundy did Sunday afternoon during the Lakeres-Suns telecast.

Much has been made of the fact that the Pistons are just 4-12 with Hamilton coming off the bench. Not a word has been said about the Pistons 6-2 record Dec. 27- Jan. 10 when Hamilton was sidelined with a groin injury. The two losses were at the hands of Portland and Denver on a tough western swing.

The Dec. 27 game was in Milwaukee, where the Pistons humiliated the Bucks and coach Skiles benched Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson and Andrew Bogut midway through the 3rd quarter. Seems the Pistons were better than fine without Mr. Hamilton. The Pistons were 22-13 when Hamilton's groin recovered enough for him to start and play 30 mins against the Bobcats Jan. 13. The Pistons lost the game.

Which brings me to point #2: The Pistons kept losing after the Bobcats game -- 7 of 10 before they beat the Heat and the Bucks in early February. At home against the Rockets in January, coach Curry left Iverson on the bench the entire 4th quarter even as the Pistons couldn't buy a basket in the final minutes of another defeat. They lost to Oklahoma City in January by not taking the shorthanded Thunder seriously and were killed on the boards.Then they lost the 8 straight that built the "Rip must start" mantra, including one to the Bucks in Detroit Feb. 17.

Altogether, the Pistons lost 16 out of 21 once Hamilton came back from the groin injury and had plunged to a 27-29 record until the wins last weekend over the Magic and Pistons got them back to .500.

Yet somehow, this will all be corrected by bringing Iverson off the bench. This is what Curry, Hamilton and ESPN have been selling all weekend, and most media is in a buying mood -- except Jeff Van Gundy, that is.

"Bashing Allen Iverson is way out of bounds," Van Gundy said during the Lakers-Suns game. Not only is it out of bounds, it's plain dishonest. There's something rotten in Detroit, and it isn't Allen Iverson.

Which brings us to point # 3: If Pistons coach Michael Curry had been paying attention he would have begun bringing Iverson off the bench three months ago. ...Back in late November, Bogut's mashed knee, Redd's slow recovery from a high ankle sprain and the Bucks brutal schedule were the main topics in the Bucks-o-sphere, but the first Bucks-Pistons game Nov. 28 prompted this BBJ note:

"Bucks coach Skiles said playing time was up for grabs to Bucks who buy into the system and play defense. This came after a dismal defensive game in Detroit in which the Bucks allowed the Pistons 62 points in the first half. Sure, Detroit using Allen Iverson off the bench had something to do with it (the Answer was punished for skipping a Thanksgiving day practice and took it out on the Bucks 2nd unit), but Skiles wasn't looking for excuses Friday night ...

"We're trying to make clear to the guys that whoever wants to get with our program, defend, there's playing time to be had," Skiles said. "If anybody wants to do that. We're searching."

Redd and Bogut had missed the game. And it should be pointed out that Luke Ridnour (flu, knee, back) and Charlie Bell (ankles) were hobbled. But the Pistons burned the Bucks second unit with Iverson leading them burned the Bucks, outscoring the Pistons starters 63-44. Iverson led the Pistons with 17; Walter Hermann scored 16.

Bringing Iverson off the bench to lead the 2nd unit should have happened three months ago. It was obvious to everybody who watched the Bucks second unit try to keep up with the Pistons in the 2nd quarter. I wonder how Curry managed not to notice.

Perhaps because it doesn't answer the question of who's going to play in the 4th quarter. Nor does it solve the Pistons other problems: Curry's lousy offensive schemes; Rasheed Wallace's growing inconsistency; Rodney Stuckey's inexperience and the too-slow development of Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson.

And it won't make Curry a better coach.

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The Bucks (29-33) took care of business against the Wiz Saturday night at the BC, 109-93, and tallied 30 assists in doing so -- just the 5th time this season they've reached the 30-assist mark. They're 5-0 in those games, wins against Houston, the Pacers, the Clippers and two vs. the Wiz.

The Bucks found their stroke after a rough shooting night in New Orleans, hitting 53% for the game. Charlie V (25 pts) and RJ (22) led the scoring.

Bucks trip over holidays, trade rumors and the Answer's Pistons

J.D. Mo — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:50:00 GMT

The Bucks game at the BC Saturday night against Allen Iverson, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and the Detroit Pistons was in many ways a test of Scott Skiles and the new era Bucks.

Coming into the game, the Bucks had yet to win a game against a team the caliber of the Pistons -- not one with its parts relatively in place (it's rare to find a team at full strength in the NBA this time of year).

They still haven't. .

If it was a test, the 87-76 loss should quiet Bucks' playoff talk. For a few days at least. The 14-17 Bucks have beaten only three teams with winning records and two of them were missing a pair of star players (the Spurs and the Jazz).

The Pistons game went bad quickly in the 3rd quarter, so badly that Skiles pulled his starters. With the exception of rookie Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Skiles left them on the bench for the final 16 minutes of the game. The home crowd boos that descended on them in the 4th Quarter should be a loud enough local protest to trail the Bucks to Texas, where this week they play a Tuesday-Wednesday back-to-back against West contenders San Antonio and Houston.

The Bucks are a team in transition to the Skiles era, a new place where tenacious, consistent D and ball movement are religion. In their most recent win against the Jazz at the BC Tuesday, the Bucks could say that the qualities of the new era overcame the lax defense and sluggish, selfish offensive tendencies of the old. The Skiles Bucks, led by point guard Luke Ridnour, took charge in the final four minutes against the Jazz with good defense and team play, and won the game. Yet the depleted Jazz, playing without All-Stars Carlos Boozer and center Mehmet Okur, played a lackluster game that Utah coach Jerry Sloan said looked to him "like streetball."

The Pistons were also missing an All-Star, leading scorer Rip Hamilton, but there wasn't anybody in a Pistons uniform handing out streetball passes Saturday. After the Bucks scored the first four points of the 2nd half to take a 48-46 lead, the Pistons D forced errant Bucks shot after shot and hustled the Bucks misses into a 21-3 run. It happened quickly, over the course of 5 minutes or so.

The only Bucks points in that run were a 3-point play by Andrew Bogut, who was productive with 17 pts and 10 rebs, but he too found himself benched toward the end of the 3rd quarter with Michael Redd (who finished with just 4 pts on 2-11 shooting) and Richard Jefferson (10 pts and one of his worst games as a Buck).

"It felt like Mbah a Moute and Ridnour were the two guys that stood out as being ready to play and to have that winning-type energy you need," Skiles said.

Ridnour had to fight off the effects of the flu to play Saturday. It must have irked Skiles to no end to watch Luke's teammates reward his perseverence by playing as if they were sick. I have a feeling this contributed to the benching of the Redd, R.J. and Bogut.

The message was clear: The Scott Skiles Bucks have not yet arrived in Milwaukee; and the coach was in no mood Saturday to pretend that his starters could mount a 20-point comeback playing anything other than Scott Skiles basketball.

So what was wrong with the Bucks Saturday? A few things, and more. But before I get to that, it's time to go out and have a smoke:

INTERMISSION

You gotta love The Rim Rockers Milwaukee's own flying basketball circus. Here's the Rockers setting a couple of world record for the Guinness Book Saturday, Dec. 20 at the BC.. Thanks go to eric for sending in this clip.

END INTERMISSION

What was wrong with the Bucks Saturday? To be fair, the Iverson Pistons are a bad matchup for the Bucks. The Chauncey Billups Pistons played closer to the walk-it-up pace of the Michael Redd Bucks of the last five years. As a result, the Bucks had some past success against Detroit, even a win last season. Those days are over. Iverson plays the game in a gear known only to Iverson, and he has players like Rodney Stuckey, Prince and Hamilton (when healthy) to run with him.

The Bucks are playing a faster pace, too, part of the uptempo Skiles approach. Problem is, this team is not built for it: The feet of Redd, Bogut, and the two Charlies don't move that fast and it's something Skiles has had the team working on. Skiles addressed the tempo issue this weekend in raving about the job Ridnour has been doing at the point:

"[Ridnour]'s been good on the break. As I've said a couple times, we need to help him more by getting up the floor with a little more thrust. We've done that the last few games (before Detroit). The past six or seven games he's been very, very good."

Point being, if the Bucks need to be reminded not to fall behind Luke Ridnour pace, how can they keep up with Iverson's pace? They haven't done it yet. They've lost two games to the Pistons and neither one has been close.

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Focus is another problem. The Bucks apparently lost it in the days off Skiles gave them Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They obviously lost it in the 3rd Quarter Saturday, which raises questions about the mental tenacity of this team. This is another lingering trait from the pre-Skiles Bucks, and the mentally tough Pistons exposed this on the Bucks home floor. It'll be interesting to see how the aforementioned starters - the "stars" - respond to being benched.

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Personnel shortcomings: The Pistons have been the Team of the 2000's in the East, but they've been struggling since the Iverson trade, and came into the BC with a 12-11 record with the Answer. In fact, on the night the Pistons played the Bucks, an Arizona Republic writer asked in an NBA Insider column, "Pistons better off without Iverson?"

Rasheed Wallace is past his prime and the younger Pistons are still growing. Stuckey, who recently became the starting point guard, is only in his second year. Young big men Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell are still developing. Forward Antonio McDyess missed more than a month after the Iverson trade (he was traded for Iverson but obtained a buyout from Denver and returned). Former Buck Michael Curry is their 3rd coach in five years and this is his first year as a head coach.

Despite all this, the Bucks haven't gained ground on the Pistons. Bogut is still the only Buck who would start on Detroit. R.J. and Luc Mbah a Moute (eventually) would fare well in Detroit and find PT. And Sessions? But the rest of the Bucks?

Of course it's no shock to anybody that the Pistons roster is better than the Bucks. Or that the Bucks core of R.J., Redd and Bogut is simply no match for the Iverson/Hamilton, Prince and Wallace core. But the bench edge goes to Detroit too, especially when they go big in the starting lineup and bring Hamilton off the bench.

These are not the defending champion Pistons of 2005. They are the 5th-in-the-East Pistons looking up in the standings at the Atlanta Hawks. The Bucks are tied for 8/9th with Chicago. This was not just "one bad game" for the Bucks. It was an illustration of how far they still have to climb to compete in the East.

The Richard Jefferson trade has improved the Bucks, yes, and so has the coaching change. And Mbah a Moute. Ramon Sessions is an improvement. Ridnour is coming along under Skiles. There's a lot to talk about. Yet STILL there is a huge talent and performance separation from the East's 5th place Pistons to where the Bucks are in 8/9th. Based on what I saw last week in the home games against the Jazz and Pistons (with three days off prior), I don't believe this Bucks roster can close the gap. It's not in all of them.

When does Bucks GM Hammond wake up and realize that there is no point in holding off on major, long-term looking moves. To do so only holds back the players who can play Skiles basketball.

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.... Which brings us to another possible distraction for the Bucks on Saturday:

TRADE RUMORS

(read at your own risk - these are mostly rumors, which makes me a rumor mongerer, for better or worse)

The Bucks camp was rife with them through the X-mas holidays, including word that Michael Redd is back on the trading block.

On the Sports Radio WSSP AM-1250's postgame show, Racine Journal Times Bucks columnist Gery Woelfel, reported that a number of teams have contacted the Bucks to inquire about Redd, and that the Bucks are listening. Charlie Villanueva and Tyrone Lue have also come up in trade scuttlebutta within the last few days. Only one Buck is untouchable: Andrew Bogut.

Woelfel didn't say which teams have inquired about Redd, though he did mention that NY was interested last summer. (Hey Gery, why didn't you report it then?) The Knicks have made two big trades since, so a trade with the Knicks is now likely lost opportunity. (And of course, Cleveland pursued a Redd trade until settling for Mo Williams; the Cavaliers are out of the trade market for now, standing pat with their title hopes and a 26-4 record.. for now).

The Bucks took Redd off the market after acquiring Richard Jefferson in June and, as recently as November, the word around the NBA was that the Bucks were not actively working the trade market on any player. GM John Hammond's stance has apparently changed in recent weeks. The trade deadline is just seven weeks away.

It's encouraging (to say the least) that with Redd's lavish contract ($45 mil over 2.5 yrs), his recent poor play and absence the entire month of November, teams are still interested. Redd has struggled in Skiles' system and seems to have an aversion for the quick pace that is Skiles basketball (he had the same problem in the Olympics playing Team Redeem's relentless pace, and his shooting suffered ... a lot).

Redd is leading the Bucks in scoring at 18.5 pts per game, but his shooting has plunged below 40% from the floor; .337 from 3-point land. If the lousy shooting persists, the other parts of his game -- his poor defense and passing, along with his overall poor decision-making on the court -- become pretty big liabilities to a team trying to implement a system of constant defensive pressure and up-tempo ball movement. Oh, and then there's that aversion to running the floor.

(If there are any scouts reading this, a BIG if I know, just keep moving -- there's nothing to see here. Everything's fine in Milwaukee with Michael and we think he's a good candidate to make a return to the All-Star game this season).

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Moving right along. The most tangible trade reported this weekend again came from Gery Woelfel, in his Woelfel World of Sports column Friday. The Lakers are looking for backup help at point guard now that Jordan Farmar's left knee will require surgery, and Woelfel says they're offering little-used center Chris Mihm for Tyrone Lue, who played for Phil Jackson on the 2000 and 2001 Laker championship teams.

The Los Angeles Times reported that, yes, Lue's agent has been in contact with the Lakers, though neither the Bucks nor Lakers have confirmed that a Mihm-for-Lue deal is on the table. Mimh is a stiff who's had two ankle surgeries in the last couple of years. No wonder Hammond won't pick this one up off the table.

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The trigger for much of the speculation about a move for Lue was Damon Jones joining the Bucks over the weekend. Jones and Lue are both backup point guards specializing in 3-point gunning, and with Lue potentially gone, the good-shooting Jones would fill a role off the bench. Jones was acquired in the Mo Williams-Luke Ridnour trade last summer but he and the Bucks agreed that he wouldn't report to the team while the Bucks sought a trade. Hammond found no takers.

But Jones' addition may have more to do with necessity than Lue's future. Starting point guard Luke Ridnour (3 games lost to injury) has played hurt for much of the year and so has Redd's backup, Charlie Bell (7 games missed). That leaves Michael Redd (14 games missed, ankle) and Ramon Sessions as the only two healthy guards on the 15-man roster.

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Charlie Villanueva, being a big forward with offensive versatility, generates a lot of trade interest around the league. He's the subject of rumors involving Houston forward Carl Landry and more speculation (Woelfel again) about another trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder are looking to trade at least one of their three power forwards, Chris Wilcox, ex-Buck Joe Smith and possibly Nick Collison. I still can't figure out why OK City would want another one in Charlie, or how they expect to acquire a player with Charlie's offensive skills when bringing any one of their PF contracts here would require that the Bucks send a second player. (Tyrone Lue again). If I do figure it out, that probably means the trade has already happened, somehow. Collison has a 3-year, $19m deal.

The rumored trade of Charlie to Houston for forward Carl Landry, 25, born and raised in Milwaukee and an alumnus of basketball powerhouse Vincent High, was good while it lasted but seems to have fizzled out. Neither the Journal Sentinel or the Houston Chronicle has confirmed that a deal was or is in the works, while other sources (realgm.com/bucks) believed trade to be imminent over the weekend. The Bucks and Rockets have been silent.

What I do know is that Charlie played about as poorly as Charlie can play against Detroit, and that he may be a bit sensitive about being the subject of all this trade speculation, especially over Christmas. Villanueva for the rebound-hungry (and cost effective) Landry was discussed on NBA fanboards all over the country this weekend, and may have even invaded his iPod.

The absence of a denial about the trade from either team as the Bucks head for Texas does raise questions about whether the trade is only on hold because of Rockets injuries.The Rockets rested both Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest in separate games over the weekend. The Bucks will be in Houston Wednesday.

The Bucks were rumored to also be seeking a Rockets guard in the trade. Luther Head, one of the guards mentioned, started in place of McGrady Saturday night. The Bucks would send Tyronn Lue to LA in the Mihm deal and Mihm would go to the Rockets.

However, that end of the deal is off, because the Rockets on Tuesday brought center Dikembe Mutumbo back to the team on a veteran minimum contract. The Rockets don't need Mihm, Bucks don't need him and apparently the Lakers don't either.

Landry averages 8.7pts, 5.1 rebs in 20 mpg. He has two years left on his contract after this season, and the last year is a player option.

Charlie's averaging 12.6 pts, 6.6 rebs in 22 mpg -- the best rebounding year of his 4-yr career. The one rebound more per game than Landry that Charlie is grabbing is on the defensive end. CV's a restricted free agent after this season and could end up costing twice as much as Landry.

Would the Rockets do a straight up Charlie for Landry deal? It's difficult to see why they would.

Disclaimer: It's nuts to anticipate a rumored trade based on the absence of the rumor's denial; in no way am I endorsing or encouraging this sort of thinking, unless we're talking politics. Nuts.

Andrew Bogut vs. Christmas ... and 10 gifts the Bucks should leave under fans' X-mas trees

J.D. Mo — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:38:00 GMT

Yes, they do have Christmas in Australia, but that doesn't mean Andrew Bogut has to like it. Bogut dispensed his views regarding Christmas on his blog Sunday, which happened to be the day of the Winter Soltice:

"I’m not big on Christmas, Birthdays or New Years really. I think Christmas isn’t celebrated for the right reasons, but mainly for a money driving machine. A lot of children probably wouldn’t know what Christmas is about besides receiving cool presents and getting what ‘I’ want. I mean I don’t dislike it don’t get me wrong, but the whole decorating for Christmas and putting up a tree doesn’t really give me a thrill. I think I left it behind when I was about 12 and realized the truth about Santa and his Reindeers."

Don't get him wrong? Just about everything Bogut wrote is manifesto for those who think the Christmas magic left when Rudolph got busted for vagrancy. Maybe Bogues was in the locker room when the Energee! dancers were doing their Santa routine at the Bucks-Clippers game Saturday ....

There's more on Bogut's blog, about friends and family being more important than gifts, and plenty of Aussie comedy videos and other stuff he finds for his fans back home. It's really one of the better NBA player blogs out there, and he has a new post up already in which he reports that his dad feels the same way he does about X-mas. He also says that a "present we didn't expect" may be in the works this week to help the Bucks. (This turned out to be the arrival of exiled long range gunner Damon Jones, which I confess never crossed my mind as anything that would be considered a gift.)

I empathize with Bogut's negative feelings about X-mas, I do, but I've been imbued with enough holiday spirit this week to wonder what the Bucks might leave under the Christmas trees or 'round Hanukkah menorahs and Kwanzaa kinaras of Bucks fans everywhere. (A kinara's a candleholder, much like a menorah, and you wouldn't want to put gifts under either of those burning things).

Never let it be said that one can't find culture here ... or fire safety tips. But enough of that ... Let's get to those gifts ...

1) How about a win against a quality, winning opponent that isn't missing a key player or two? The Bucks don't have one of these wins this season. I give you Ball Don't Lie's NBA power rankings this week in which the Bucks were ranked 17th: "You beat the Clippers by a ton, at home. I'm ... proud of you?" Oh, the truth hurts. ... So Tuesday night vs. the 17-12 Jazz was a great opportunity to beat a solid, winning team on the home court, right? Wrooong. The Jazz's hottest player, center Mehmet Okur, scratched with back spasms. Despite this fit of good fortune, the cold-shooting Bucks and Michael Redd nearly bricked their way out of the game until some solid Bucks D and point guard Luke Ridnour saved the day. After the game, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said his team looked like they were playing "streetball."

A relatively healthy 15-11 Detroit team, with Antonio McDyess back in the fold, comes to the BC Saturday and the Bucks have three days off before the game. Allen Iverson is day-to-day with an injury suffered Tuesday against the Bulls but that's fine -- Iverson often plays better when he's hurt, as Bucks fans know too well (I'm supressing 2001 playoff flashbacks now). Detroit is 11-11, including a win vs. the Bucks in Detroit, since trading Chauncey Billups to Denver for the Answer. The AI record should be 12-11 after the Pistons play the OK City Thunder on Friday. Beating Detroit would qualify as the Bucks best win of the season.

2) A bottle of Andrew Bogut's "magic pain pills." Bogut goes into excruciating detail on his blog about his ailing back and the "magic pain pills" that have allowed him to play the last four games. Seems a couple of his vertabrae are "stuck" and causing severe pain. He says he needs a wheelchair in the morning and feels like he's "a hundred years old." Ouch. But these magic pills do wonders: since Bogut started taking them, his free throw shooting is better than ever at 69.1%, and the Bucks have won three or four.

3) Some magic pills for Charlie Bell. Charlie, who played hurt through the 14 games that Michael Redd missed during his sloooww recovery from a high ankle sprain -- and then missed six games himself -- went down again Tuesday vs. the Jazz. This time it's a sore knee, just when it was beginning to look like Charlie was returning to his 2007 form. The Bucks could use some good health in general, though nobody around the NBA is going to throw them a pity party. Malik Allen, who had been starting at power forward, has missed the last eight games with a rib injury.

4) This is where I post the Sports Illustrated photo at left of Richard Jefferson and his Trinidadian supermodel wife, Teresa Lourenco, in hopes that you read this Bob Boozer Jinx post from last week (no, this is not a shallow attempt to spice up this post with a pic of a hot supermodel). R.J. has become somewhat of a forgotten man in Bucksland, except when fans notice that his box score line doesn't always look as good as some think it should (the warped analysis of a certain ESPN stat guy comes to mind). Stats are not R.J.'s game -- the intangibles are, and those are part and parcel to the attitude R.J. brought to the Bucks via the trade with the Nets last summer. There's no question coach Scott Skiles appreciates his forward -- he keeps R.J. on the floor more than any other Buck. As of this writing R.J. is 3rd in the NBA in minutes played and the Bucks chemistry on the floor looks better than it has in years. Plus, R.J.'s hitting the three.

5) More about Teresa Lourenco? It's the least I could do. But is there no style page in this town to take these burdensome supermodel responsibilities from the Bob Boozer Jinx? Maybe now that Packers season is winding down, our local culture vultures can get on the Lourenco beat, if she's around at all. A little gemutlichkeit has never killed a supermodel from Trinidad, has it?

6) A "rookie curb" for Luc Richard Mbah a Moute to hop instead of a "rookie wall" like the one Yi Jianlian hit last February. Early on this season, Journal Sentinel's Michael Hunt wrote that the defense played by the Bucks' Cameroonian prince was remniscent of the D Sidney Moncrief played in his rookie season (1979-80). That's colossal praise when you consider the NBA more or less invented the Defensive Player of the Year award for Moncrief. After an impressive start, the #37 pick in the draft became a fan favorite, then seemed worn down for a couple of weeks before last week picking it up against the Knicks, Clippers and Jazz. Mbah a Moute can guard three positions but has played most at power forward; he's contributing a solid 8.5 pts, 6.5 rebs per game ... All-Rookie honor roll so far.

7) Bucks first round pick at #8, Joe Alexander, remains a mystery. Joe's got some ups and can knock a shot down, but he looks lost on the court -- night and day compared to Mbah a Moute, who is so often in the right place at the right time. The Dalai Lama, who I found on my pilgrimage to Tibet, wasn't able to tell me why the Bucks drafted Joe, other than to say "maybe he's a good Joe" and went on to ask a lot of questions about Brett Favre. Maybe Santa knows, and some insight into why Bucks GM John Hammond drafted Joe will emerge over the holidays.

Joe and the Bucks this week did crank up a campaign to vote Joe into the All-Star Game dunk contest. Joe says you gotta vote Joe and that he's going to beat the champ, Dwight Howard. That's not the draft explaination I was looking for from Santa, but here's Joe delivering his dunk contest hype:

I don't see an Emmy in the kid's future, but the Mandarin Chinese bit should sway the far East electorate.

8) More Tyronn Lue from 3-point land!!! Lue is shooting 65% from downtown this season and is easily the Bucks best shooter. Lue is now 15th on the active NBA career 3-point percentage rankings, and its great to see rainbow jumpers by a Buck hitting nothing but net. (Unfortunately, the Lakers have noticed too). With Luke Ridnour and Ramon Sessions getting most of the Bucks point guard minutes, however, PT has been hard to come by. It'd be a nice gift if Skiles can find some creative ways to get more shots for Tyronn.

9) Ramon Sessions was more or less benched last week in Philly and NY, and the point guard responsibilities have rested on the shoulders of Luke "Frodo" Ridnour (who, in addition to point guard burdens, has more nicknames than any Bucks player). Here's hoping Sessions and coach Skiles stay on the same page and that Ramon finds his way back to the major role he played while Redd was out. Frodo won't get very far without Sam.

10) I had hoped to write an item here about Michael Redd continuing his recent passing and ball-sharing ways after the holidays -- but it was not meant to be. If anything was obvious to fans who watched the Bucks nearly hand a home game Tuesday to the depleted Utah Jazz, it was that Redd is not the guy who'll deliver the team from the land of NBA mediocrity. Oh, those 27 pts he scored looked good in the boxscore but if you watched the game (or were there) you know that Redd nearly shot the Bucks into a loss in the 4th quarter. But this isn't about one game; it's about an end to an era; an end to a selfish, no-defense style of play that Bucks fans have seen far too much of these last five-plus years.

This era is ending under coach Scott Skiles but as Tuesday showed, it's not ending soon enough -- though the Bucks did win the game, thanks to some solid defense and team play in crunch time, a very encouraging sign. In many ways, the Utah game was a microcosm for the transition that the Bucks are making this season: the better qualities of the new era have begun to overcome the deficiencies of the old.

Oh but it's Christmas, after all, no time for brooding contemplation and the weight of future (gotta leave something for the new year). The Bucks and most of the NBA are merrily into a holiday break, and that's where I'm headed, alright ...

The Celtics and Lakers play Christmas day,

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Bucks Weekend, NBA shots: Bogut gets Shaq'd; Terry Porter, Celtics, Devin Harris, Yi & another Michael Redd trade tip

J.D. Mo — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 05:28:00 GMT

Shaq dominates Bogut: School was in session Saturday at the Bradley Center for Bucks center Andrew Bogut and fans as a well-rested Shaquille O'Neal demonstrated what superstar center play can do for a team. Shaq beat Bogut in the post time after time, shooting his half-hook over him; hitting that push shot in his face; wheeling around him for dunks and even hitting his free throws on his way to a 29-point, 11-rebound tutorial. Shaq shot 12-16 from the floor and shared the wealth with four assists as the Suns won 104-96. "He looked like he was in his prime again," Bogut told reporters after the game. The Bucks did make it interesting as Ramon Sessions led rookies Luc Mbah a Moute and Joe Alexander (with Bogut and RJ) on a charge that pulled the Bucks to within 81-80 midway through the 4th quarter. But Shaq, Leandro Barbosa and Steve Nash stopped the young Bucks cold with an 11-2 run to put the game out of reach. Sessions led the Bucks with 23.

The lesson here for young centers like Bogut is that Shaq can still be Shaq, and they're not all that. Wonder what he's got in store for Dwight Howard? The asterisk shall be removed from Shaq's entry in the Bob Boozer Jinx center rankings, where I'm happy to report that I knew Bogut and other centers weren't all that and had the Diesel listed third, with said asterisk.

Bogut gets the Shaq treatment: Phoenix Suns coach Terry Porter gave Shaquille O'Neal the night off Friday in Chicago, part of a rest-a-Shaq plan for Suns back-to-back games. Why not do the more obvious thing and rest Shaq in Milwaukee on the second night of this weekend's back-to-backs? Andrew Bogut.

“Most likely he probably will play, in that type of scenario when they have a post presence. And historically (Andrew) Bogut has hurt the Phoenix Suns in the last few years so we will definitely try to play him (Saturday),” Porter said.

As Bucks head coach 2003-05, Porter conducted Bogut's pre-draft workout two days before being fired (see photo at right). Saturday is Milwaukee native Porter's Bradley Center debut as the head coach of the Suns, his only BC appearance this season. Porter might, however, want to rethink his rest-a-Shaq schedule. The Bulls blew out the Suns 100-83, dominating on the boards in the 1st half. The Bulls? Dominating the glass? (Yeah, I wrote this before Shaq humbled Bogut on Saturday; but c'mon - the Bulls, dominating the glass?)

Celtics bench handles Bucks: Well, it was good for three quarters, definitely an improvement and without Michael Redd in the lineup. The Celtics were at full strength and led 75-70 heading into the 4th quarter. The Bucks fumbled this game away while Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Celtics center Kendrick Perkins were on the bench to start the 4th. Richard Jefferson, who led the Bucks with 20, and Andrew Bogut were likewise taking breathers as the Celtics got going with three steals. Coach Skiles quickly sent Bogut back in to help restore some order, but the refs hit Bogut with his 5th foul on a ticky-tack call. So much for that Idea.

Next thing Bucks fans knew Lucky Luke Ridnour's alter ego, Crazy Luke came to play; Charlie Villanueva put on his Redd shoes and chucked up a couple of ill-advised long jumpers; the whistles blew and blew on the Bucks; and the game was over. Celtics coach Doc Rivers didn't even bother putting Ray back into the game. He didn't need to - the Bucks lost it to the Celtics' other Allen, Tony. With a game against the Suns Saturday night, Skiles didn't bother putting Bogut back in either. R.J. also got a rest.

Joe Alexander scored his first NBA hoop Friday -- a 3-pointer in garbage time. Joe finished with 3 pts. .... The Bucks frontcourt played solid and the Bucks held advantage on the scoreboard while Bogut was on the court, despite some embarassing moments: Perkins blocked his shot not once, not twice but three times!!! Possible effects of spending an Olympic summer in Basketball Australia's cortisone gulag? Bogut had 11 pts, 8 rebs. Charlie V added 13 pts, 12 rebs, almost all of it in the first half.

Devin Harris spoils Iverson's Debut debut: Allen Iverson hit the floor running for the Pistons Friday night, then proceeded to watch 'Tosa's own Devin Harris shoot free throws all second half as the Nets won in New Jersey, 103-96. New Jersey point guard Harris was 19-22 from the line and scored 38 pts, being hacked equally by the Pistons guard crew, including four from Iverson in the 3rd quarter.

As eye-popping as Harris' performance was, Iverson should work his way into the Pistons defensive schemes easily enough. The bigger trouble for Detroit following the Iverson trade is losing Antonio McDyess' help in the paint. New Jersey center Josh Boone had his way Friday with the Detroit frontline, scoring 9-12 from the floor for 18 pts, and grabbed 14 boards. This shouldn't surprise Bucks fans: the 6' 10" Boone gave Bogut fits last season in the Nets' four wins against the Bucks. These Pistons are softer than ever under the hoop and off-season acquisition Kwame Brown is no kind of answer. The Cavs, Sixers and Magic have gotta like what happened in the New Jersey paint. Bogut and the Bucks will take note, too.

Yi Jianlian says "Hi": He must be waving hello to all of us in Milwaukee because what he's doing there Saturday against Pacers big forward Troy Murphy can't possibly be defense, can it? After beating Iverson and the Pistons Friday, the Nets went on to Indianapolis where the Pacers the previous Saturday had surprised the Celtics in a win. New Jersey had no better luck than Boston, losing big, 98-80. Yi and Nets center Boone in particular had rough nights, shooting a combined 3-16 after teaming up for 30 against Detroit. Yi finished with 2 pts, 11 rebs in the loss. The guy he was allegedly guarding? Murphy rumbled for 17pts, 10 rebs. Both the Nets and the Pacers are 2-3.

How ya doin' Yi? In five games as a starter this season, Yi is averaging 9.2 pts and 7.8 rebs in 25 mins. Along the way, he's blocked five shots and taken care of the ball, which was a problem here last year. He's turned it over just six times so far.

Remember when the Suns put Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw on the trading block last summer in hopes of acquiring a veteran star to help Shaq and Steve Nash make a run at a championship? (No, Chad Ford at ESPN, the Suns could not possibly have thought that moving up your overhyped draft would get them to the NBA Finals). Michael Redd, some speculation went, would be a natural fit for the Suns, who could use a prolific scorer to give Nash another option. Barbosa ($ 6.1 million salary) + Diaw ($9 mill) = $15.1 mill, a nice, neat fit under NBA trade rules with one Michael Redd ($15.78 mill).

Rumors surrounded Diaw and Barbosa and a few teams in the days before the draft. On draft day the Bucks swung the Yi for R.J. trade and suddenly Redd was off the table. Well, what about now? Barbosa and Diaw are still in Phoenix, coming off of Porter's bench. Given how active the Bucks look without Redd and that coach Skiles sure wouldn't mind two more quick, active players with playoff experience, Bucks GM Hammond should take a good look at this trade, if Phoenix is willing.

Diaw, 26 and entering his 6th NBA season, can play three positions - shooting guard, small forward and big forward. As always, in accordance with the jinx that is the title of this blog, the Bucks could use some help at power forward. So far this season, Diaw's minutes are down under new Suns coach Porter.

Barbosa, also 26 and in his 6th NBA season, is known for his full court speed, ability to get to the rim and his 3-point shooting. He's a career .408 3-point shooter, 7th best among active players. (Redd, at .384 is 18th active, but a very average .365 since becoming a starter 5 years ago). Barbosa is the type of guard who thrives in Skiles' ball movement offense and would look great flying all over the court with Ridnour, Sessions, R.J. and Luc Mbah a Moute. Add Diaw and the two Charlies and the Bucks would have a versatile, athletic team to go with their big center, and plenty muscle on the bench for the East.

At this stage in Redd's career, playing with Steve Nash is a better deal than anything Skiles has to offer with Ridnour and Sessions. Nash = open 3's. Redd's nearing 30 and probably shouldn't be bothered breaking in a young point guard (Sessions) which is where the Bucks seem headed over the next year or so. Redd's been down that road before with T.J. Ford and Mo Williams. While Skiles is speeding things up in Milwaukee, Terry Porter is slowing things down in Phoenix, emphasizing half court offense and defense. Redd would be the prolific scoring remedy to complement the inside game of Stoudemire and Shaq, and Nash would make it work. Redd's defensive shortcomings would still be there, but a new environment might be what he needs more than anything else.

What about Terry Porter? Would he want Michael Redd to join him on his second head coaching job? This is an unknown. Redd had his breakout season under Porter, and there seems no reason Redd and Porter couldn't be reunited. This is a good trade for both teams, right? Or is there a reason? Prior to Porter's last season in Milwaukee, he gave this interview to Inside Sports. Even then, the coaching emphasis for Redd was "to get other guys, other teammates involved"; to "make the adjustment by making his teammates better"; and this:

.... "We don’t have a bona fide superstar, we don’t have a Shaq or a KG or a Tim Duncan, so there’s no true anchor like that. Mike (Redd) had a great year last year and it’s going to be a lot of pressure on him to try to duplicate that this year and try to get the same numbers. But we really try to rely on teammates offensively and defensively."

Sounds as though the ball movement and decision-making issues with Redd were brewing the season before the Bucks maxed Redd's contract in 2005. It's that idea that Redd is not Kobe, and shouldn't ever have tried to play like him. I'm sure, however, that Porter realizes that many of those issues never would have arisen in Milwaukee if the Bucks had started an experienced point guard in the backcourt with Redd. The Phoenix Suns don't have that problem.