Milwaukee Bucks Blog - The Bob Boozer Jinx : Terry Porter

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.

Playoff Props: Spurs Horry clean or dirty? Plus, more "What ifs" for Bucks fans

J.D. Mo — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:32:00 GMT

I'm finally ready to say it: This is not the Spurs year.

I've avoided blogging about the Spurs-Hornets series, which has come down to Game 7 in "the hive" in New Orleans tonight, because every year that I count the Spurs out, the defending champs manage to count themselves in. Pass on props to say, Manu Ginobli's magicianship or Tim Duncan's fundamental genius in the post, and the Spurs stumble. Talk up Bruce Bowen's defense and he fouls out.

I may be jinxing the Hornets, but I like the chances of Chris Paul and gang closing out the Spurs, if only because Paul's Hornets have been great at home (like all of the teams still playing this past weekend) and the officials will be all over the Spurs -- thanks to Robert Horry's illegal pick into airborne Hornets forward David West's ailing lower back. This is a context thing that goes back to last year when the Spurs bullied past the Suns in the Western Finals after Horry body-checked Steve Nash into the scorers' table (the Suns lost Amar Stoudamire in the aftermath for leaving the Suns bench). And now it's Horry again in a tight series with a controversial, if not dirty, play.

Or was it? Clean it was not -- Horry was called for a foul. But how dirty was it? Check it out:

The "What ifs" of the Larry Harris era: It was difficult to watch the Celtics-Cavs series and not think "What if the Bucks hadn't _________ ?" (Fill in the blank.) All told, there were five ex-Bucks on the Celtics-Cavs rosters. Big forward Joe Smith and guard Damon Jones for the Cavs; for the Celtics, guard Eddie House and Sam and Ray.

Game 7 featured a strong performance by House, who brought energy and experience and great shooting off the bench for the Celtics in the first half. In the second half, House, Ray and Rajon Rondo rotated in and out, taking care of the ball and leaving the game-saving for Paul Pierce (41 points). In 71 minutes, the three Celtics guards turned the ball over only four times (boxscore). The Celtics as a team turned it over only 10 times, to 14 by the Cavs. Game.

Bucks fans may vaguely remember House from the 2004-05 season. The Bucks picked him up in Dec. 2004 off the waiver wire and he played five games in a deep reserve role during the Bucks 9-20 start, logging a total of 42 minutes. I saw him against Philly in 2004, the game in which Allen Iverson went off for a Bradley Center record 54 points in a blowout of the Bucks, featuring atrocious defense by Bucks starting guards Mo Williams and Michael Redd. House looked pretty good firing threes off the bench, hitting two and scoring eight points in 17 minutes (boxscore).

House was waived in January, in favor of guards Erick Strickland, in his final year as a pro, and point guard Mike James, traded to Houston for Reece Gaines at the trading deadline. James would start for Toronto the next season while Gaines stuck around at the end of the Bucks bench for another year. Gaines hasn't played in the NBA since. Also on that 2004-05 team was 36-year-old Kendall Gill, in his final season as a pro.

Most Bucks fans would probably prefer to forget that season, the year of waiting for TJ Ford to recover from his spinal injury. Mo Williams (from Utah) and James (from Detroit) had been signed as free agents to fill in for TJ, who had no replacement because Harris had let TJ's backup, Damon Jones, go to Miami in free agency -- on a one-year, $2.5 million contract. By the second month of the season, Harris was still looking for guards on the waiver wire (Eddie House), who was just as good as any of them, yet didn't fit into Harris' equation at all, if Harris had an equation or a plan.

Can we finally say, as Bucks fans, that the T.J. Ford project was a waste of time? Injuries, free agent signings, a string of journeymen guards wearing Bucks uniforms. It was all so ... bad.

Ernie Grunfeld/Larry Harris didn't need to be shrewd to simply say "stop" after the 2003 Ray Allen trade and hold on to Sam Cassell, who had three years left on his contract. To a team trying to fill a void left by trading Allen, and with Gary Payton leaving in free agency, a veteran floor leader like Sam "I Am" was a necessity. It's not as though the Bucks were in rebuilding mode - Michael Redd, Tim Thomas, Desmond Mason and Toni Kukoc were coming back. Sam was 34-years-old, but the clown prince of basketball would play 218 games over the final three years of his contract. It defied all reason to opt for a rookie point guard going into the 2003-04 season.

But that's what the Bucks did. GM Grunfeld stayed on after the firing of coach George Karl, through the drafting of TJ -- and a week later swung the Sam Cassell/Ervin Johnson for Joe Smith trade. Almost as if to say, "we might have made a mistake," one of Larry Harris' first moves as GM was to get even more point guard help, signing Damon Jones to a free agent contract. The other guards were Strickland and Brevin Knight. Jones would lead the 2003-04 Bucks in assists.

With a rookie and Jones at point guard, Redd took over the offense. Forward Tim Thomas was a little more than disgruntled by mid-season and was traded for Keith Van Horne. TJ went down for the season with 26 games to go. The Bucks down the stretch squandered the #4 playoff seed and round one home court advantage, falling to 6th and a first round matchup with eventual NBA champion Detroit. None of this occurs if Sam Cassell is a Buck. But Sam "I Am" was busy making the All-Pro team in Minnesota, and, with Kevin Garnett, leading the T-Wolves to the best record in the league and the Western Conference championships.

What if the Cassell trade never happens?

The immediate benefit is no rookie point guard or string of undersized free agent point guards for three years. Some of those players are effective journeyman pros: Damon Jones, Mo Williams, even Mike James. TJ Ford, too. But the differences between them are slight. Case in point Sunday: Eddie House, not TJ Ford or Damon Jones, played a key role in winning a playoff game seven, to say nothing of Reece Gaines. It was as if Larry Harris was a kid in the little point guard candy store, trying different flavors of the same type of player.

Immediate problem number one is at power forward. Keep Sam and there is no Joe Smith. No great loss there. As steady rollin' as Joe is, he played only 2/3 of the games while a Buck and Harris gave up on him in 2006, trading him for Ruben Patterson, whom Harris let go a year later. Another waste. But the 2003-04 Bucks need a power forward (the Bucks were still paying millions to two PFs whose playing days ended in 2003, Anthony Mason and Jason Caffey.) Luckily, there are two players in the 2003 NBA draft (the Lebron draft) who can help: Nick Collison, a 6'9" forward out of Kansas, picked #12 by the Supersonics; and David West, five years away from being victimized by Robert Horry, 6'9" out of Xavier, drafted #18 by the Hornets. Hindsight being 20/20 and West the more athletic player, averaging 20pts and 9rbs per game for NO this season, the Bucks draft West over Collison. While West develops, the Bucks fill the void with journeyman veterans, and there are plenty of those in the NBA. The Bucks had one in 2003-04, Brian Skinner.

Cassell, Redd, Thomas, West, Mason, Kukoc, Skinner -- this is a playoff team, one that's good enough for a four spot but not good enough to beat Indiana or Detroit in conference semis. The Bucks still have a couple of problems. The centers are Joel Przybilla and Dan Gadzuric. Instead of trading Pryz to Atlanta, the Bucks hang on to him. They also hang on to Skinner heading into 2004-05, as they have no 2004 draft pick. At this point, Kohl is probably over the luxury tax because Caffey and Mason are still on the payroll. The Bob Boozer Jinx at work.

Cassell also presents a problem. He's a free agent in 2006, and would likely leave Milwaukee. Sam's happiness is a fleeting thing. Harris has to figure out how to get value out of Sam in a trade before it's too late. Good thing Timmy and Dez are around. Sam/Timmy or Sam/Mason is a nice package for any number of teams. Dallas is looking to move Michael Finley. Finley's expensive, but Sam/Timmy balance it out, and Harris has until February to make the deal. 2004-05 probably isn't a playoff year, and it's a good year to fall into the lottery. The Bucks are looking forward to 2005-06 when Caffey and Mason are finally off the books. Sometime during the year, Sam/Timmy are traded for a scoring small forward and possibly a reserve guard or PF. No danger of the forward being Bobby Simmons -- too much value in the Bucks package. Best option is Finley.

2005 draft, the immediate need is point guard now that Sam is gone. Center is the secondary need. This is a good thing because Deron Williams and Chris Paul are in the draft, and the Bucks are lucky. They don't get the #1 pick in the lottery but are lucky enough to get Deron Williams (like Utah, the Bucks have Deron rated higher than Chris Paul; it couldn't be helped). The future looks bright.

The big men are still a problem, and Zaza Pachulia is now in the mix. With no Bogut coming in, the Bucks match Atlanta's 4-year/$14 million offer to Zaza and keep him. Przybilla's still on the team and Gadzuric needs to be signed, but not for six years/$36 million. Maybe the Bucks don't keep all three. There's less money for free agent Redd, too, because the Bucks are paying the scoring small forward (Finley?) received in the Cassell trade. Besides, Cassell never allowed Redd to take over the offense and become a gaudy 25-ppg scorer. The reason this ever happened at all (it shouldn't have) was that Redd took advantage of rookie and free agent point guards, and inexperienced coaches. Sam has had a reality-inducing impact on Redd's game, and the Bucks save up to $20 million on Redd's 2005 contract.

The 2005-06 Bucks: Rookie Deron Williams PG; Michael Redd SG; Michael Finley SF; a developing David West PF; a goofy bunch of non-scoring centers but Zaza looks better and better, and he can shoot. Off the bench, Damon Jones/Mo Williams/maybe somebody like Marquis Daniels (from Dallas); Toni Kukoc is in his final year and the Bucks still have Desmond Mason. No, it's not a mighty bench, but the nucleus of the team with Deron at point is good enough to upset the Cavs in round one of the playoffs. Terry Porter, by the way, is still the coach. He even wins some 2005-06 Coach of the Year votes.

Bucks fans are downright optimistic about their team. They prove it by buying tickets. At the 1-4 spots, the Bucks have one of the better starting groups in the league. The Bucks and Cavaliers are the up and coming teams in the East, with the Baby Bulls and Wizards struggling to keep up. David West is becoming a force. Some observers say the team has "good chemistry" and should contend for years if the right piece or two is added. The 2006 draft is a lousy one, but the Bucks don't have a great pick anyway. A good big man would be nice, and that's something to work on.

Overall, the Bucks-o-sphere is a happy, happy place. ....

All because the Bucks held onto to their veteran point guard, Sam "I Am" Cassell, just a little while longer.

Jim Boylan - In the spirit of Al McGuire

J.D. Mo — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:53:00 GMT

Find Bucks assistant coach Jim Boylan in that suave, Billy Dee Williams cool, disco days meets "The Great Gatsby" photo to the right and win the first ever Bob Boozer Jinx door prize. Hint: Boylan's the kid from Jersey City, New Jersey.

The photo, from the Marquette archives, via a Sports Illustrated 'Where are they now?' feature, is the official team photo of the 1977 NCAA champions. Boylan is farthest to the left, seated in the back of the '34 Packard, wearing the only all-grey tux. Left to right from Boylan: Bill Neary, Ulice Payne, Butch Lee, Jim Dudley, Gary Rosenberger (in the passenger's seat), Bernard Toone, Jerome Whitehead, Craig Butrym, Robert Byrd and Bo Ellis.

It seems odd, yet somehow fitting, that Boylan would take a seat furthest in the back -- he was nowhere near the back of the ride on the '77 Warriors. As the starting point guard, he was in the drivers' seat more often than not. But then, no player is behind the wheel of the Packard in the team photo, an important, and quite deliberate pose. Warriors coach Al McGuire was nothing if not a basketball artist; his motif was the essence of "team."

Or, as McGuire might have told the story of the photo shoot years later and probably did, the coach had reserved the drivers' seat for himself but left his tux at the drycleaners and had to bench himself for the photo shoot, the sort of thing that McGuire would do. There was something magical about Al McGuire when he told a story, spinning myth and street legend with wisecrack yarn and Manhattan snap.

Up until his death in 2001, when asked who, of all the players he coached, his favorite point guard was, McGuire would get serious and the answer was always the same: Jim Boylan. Sometimes he'd say Boylan was his favorite player, period. Boylan reminded Al of Al.

I came across a great story on the Chicago Bulls website about Jim Boylan and the Bulls after Boylan took over for Scott Skiles last December. What caught my eye was the following quote from Boylan:

“I told the guys that we shouldn’t concentrate so much on winning. Let’s concentrate on letting go of the things we can’t control and free ourselves to be the kind of players we know we are. Live in the moment.”

That quote from Boylan, Bucks fans, is the Al McGuire basketball philosophy to the letter. It was infused throughout the basketball world in the late 1970's and early 1980's when McGuire was on top of that world and players, especially those on Al's home turf in state, were told to just play "in the moment" and forget the scoreboard. The coaches would let you know when to look at the scoreboard and the clock. It was all very mystical and Zen, long before Phil Jackson won championships and wrote "Sacred Hoops." It was very McGuire.

Boylan, at age 52 -- after two college coaching jobs (Michigan State under Jud Heathcote and head coach at New Hampshire) and five jobs as an NBA assistant (including his first with Mike Fratello in Cleveland and two with Skiles, in Phoenix and Chicago) -- is still Al McGuire's point guard.

The Bucks job is Boylan's sixth assistant post in the NBA, reunited for a third run as Skiles' lead assistant. He joins Skiles' most impressive staff to date, with Lionel Hollins from the Memphis Grizzlies, a 20-year NBA assistant and Kelvin Sampson, one of the best college coaches in the game. Rounding out the staff are Kohler's own Joe Wolf, an up-and-climbing NBA coach-in-the-making from the CBA and the D-league; and Bill Peterson, the coach who developed Finley, Nowitzki and Nash in Dallas, and was responsible for Ramon Sessions development last season for the Bucks.

They've have all been "hired" for two weeks or more now (the Bob Boozer Jinx blogs about Skiles and his assistants are archived here.) This is a staff geared to develop its own stars, not to coach somebody else's 2nd or 3rd tier NBA "stars." Boylan's story with the Chicago Bulls offers even more insight. On a Skiles-Boylan team, the ball will move and the tempo will be up in transition. It's been described as an Eastern Conference version of the Phoenix Suns phenomena -- Eastern Conference because, on a Scott Skiles team, defense will be played.

When Skiles left Chicago in Boylan's hands, Boylan sped up the tempo even more, and the Bulls talented point guard, Kirk Hinrich shot less. Sometimes he didn't shoot at all, as though he were channeling Boylan style of point guard play. The Bulls stat hounds ignored the scoreboard and the shooting stats, and instead tracked ball movement and pace like it was religion.

Looking ahead to next season, don't expect overpaid shooting guards to freeze the Bucks offense by palming the ball, holding it with the dribble, then lowering a shoulder into the teeth of the defense with no passing mindset. Sloughing off in transition won't be a good idea, either.

Monday, I'll have a take on Bill Peterson and his development work, and I'm projecting a suprising revelation in the mix. For now, check out some more Jim Boylan in-action photos from J.E. Skeets yahoo blog "Ball Don't Lie." It's true -- Boylan does kind of look like the evil president from "24."

The catcher's crouch:

The "I just might kill Hinrich during this timeout I'm about to call" pose:

One final coaching note: Former Bucks coach Terry Porter (2003-05) is back on what New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey calls the NBA "coaching carousel." The buzz in Phoenix says he's the leading candidate to fill the job Mike D'Antoni vacated last week. Porter, an asssistant with Detroit the past two years, is believed to be the first candidate Suns GM Steve Kerr interviewed for the job, Charles Gardner reported yesterday at JSOnline. Vecsey saw opportunity coming for Porter a month ago in his column, and I swiped Vecsey's crystal ball for a day or two in an early BBJ post.

Bucks fans may never know why then-Bucks GM Slickless Larry Harris rescinded the vote of confidence he gave Porter at the end of the Bucks injury-riddled 2004-05 season. When Bucks owner Herb Kohl fired Harris in March, he told us the firing of Porter was "Larry's decision" -- but then Herb had been labelled a meddler by ESPN's Marc Stein and was on the defensive about that "growing reputation" and perception.

In any case, Porter got a bum shake from an impatient GM who didn't have a plan for building the Bucks. Porter deserved another year, if for no other reason than it is bad policy to treat a hometown hero with such little respect when being a hometown hero is part of the reason Porter got the job in the first place.

Terry's been coaching in Detroit the last couple of years -- under Flip Sanders, one of the coaches Harris supposedly fired Porter to bring to Milwaukee (I've come to doubt that's the real reason Porter was fired) -- which says something about how well-regarded Porter is in NBA coaching circles. Suns GM Kerr is looking to bring a defensive edge to the Suns, and who better than the top assistant in Detroit? Phoenix, with Nash and Stoudamire and Shaq, looks like a good opportunity. It's about time Porter got a second chance to head a team.

Playoff Props - What's up Doc?

J.D. Mo — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:19:00 GMT

After another surpisingly out-of-synch playoff performance on the road by the Boston Celtics, Celtics coach Doc Rivers finds his team in a difficult situation with its starting point guard, 21-year-old Rajon Rondo. Rondo finished with zero assists in Game 3 against the Cavaliers on Sunday and was thoroughly outplayed by the Cavs' Delonte West.

Rondo's not ready to help the Celtics win it all; that was all too clear Saturday night. On Doc's bench is the answer: the clown prince of NBA guards, Sam "I Am" Cassell, offensive genius. Yet Rivers has been slow to pull Rondo when things are going badly.

At one point in the 3rd Quarter of Saturday night's game, the ABC cameras found West on defense, playing one of the saggiest one-man zones I've seen in the NBA. He wasn't even guarding Rondo, clogging the paint instead to make life difficult for KG and Paul Pierce. As the minutes passed, the Celtics struggled to cut the lead to 15, then watched it fall back to 20. No team in the NBA would dare to not guard Sam Cassell. Yet Sam sat. Rivers finally went to Cassell at the start of the fourth quarter and the Celtics pulled to within 12, but could get no closer.

With Rondo in the game, Paul Pierce fought for shots and Ray Allen scarcely shot at all, turning playmaker when he did get the ball. Unselfish play by Ray, but that's what Rondo should have been doing, instead of driving the ball at Big Ben Wallace, Z-Ilgauskus and Lebron James. Is Rivers worried about deflating Rondo's confidence in the playoffs? Or is it a team chemistry thing because Sam is the new guy? Whatever the case, Rivers has been far too much of a players' coach where Rondo is concerned, and it's part of the reason the Atlanta series went to seven games.

It doesn't seem to matter when the Celtics are playing in the Garden, but on the road, Rivers has to be quicker to go to Sam when the offense is struggling. If Sam, at 38, wears down, go back to Rondo, but don't give Rondo the reins in the 3rd Quarter on the road -- unless Doc is willing to sacrifice a championship for an "experience" playoffs for Rondo. If the Celtics fall short of the NBA Finals (they're by no means a shoe-in for conference finals) Rivers failure to make game adjustments will be the first thing called into question.

Trust in Sam, Doc. You won't be sorry.

Steady rollin' Joe The Celtics-Cavs series is THE one for Bucks fans. There are future Bucks to watch in Cleveland's Danny Gibson and Wally Szczerbiak ( I finally spelled it right - I think) -- How you doing on that Michael Redd, trade, Lebron? And there are ex-Bucks to watch in Ray and Sam "I Am", and, coming off the Cleveland bench, Joe Smith (Damon Jones is on that bench too, but rarely leaves it).

Joe had a steady-rollin' game Saturday - 24 minutes, 17 points on 7/8 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 fouls. Smith made a couple of more shots than he normally would, but as Bucks fans know, his game was not that different than it ever was. Smith doesn't force anything, takes good shots, rebounds, plays D and gives his team a chance to win, though he won't be "the guy" winning it.

Smith, 32, came to the Bucks from the T-Wolves in the 2003 trade for Sam Cassell and Ervin Johnson. It was Ernie Grunfeld's last trade as GM, which coincided with the drafting of point guard T.J. Ford. Two weeks later, the woeful era of GM Larry Harris began. Smith started at power forward for two years, averaging 11 pts., 8 boards per game (which makes him one of the more productive power forwards in Bucks history). The following year, Smith came off the bench behind Jamal Magliore and Andrew Bogut, but was hobbled with injuries for much of the year - no doubt the effects of the Bob Boozer Jinx at work again at the Bucks PF position.

"Slickless" Larry eventually traded Smith to Denver for forward Ruben Patterson in Aug., 2006, trade #5 in a series of six dubious Larry trades that left Charlie Villanueva as the only player resource standing. Apparently Harris, never known for his patience, didn't feel like waiting for Smith to fully rehab his knee. The Bucks let Patterson go to the LA Clippers as a free agent in 1997.

In other words, in true Slickless style, the Bucks got nothing for Joe Smith. By the transitive property of the tradelines, this also means the Bucks got nothing for Sam Cassell, who, when he was traded for Smith in 2003 was under contract with the Bucks for another three seasons (at about $6 million per year) -- and should not have been traded at all.

What if the Bucks kept Sam? Instead of drafting T.J., the Bucks draft a forward in 2003 (say, David West). Terry Porter, in his first year as coach, has a leader on the floor in Sam (who was 2nd Team All-NBA 2003-04), and a developing big forward instead of injury prone Smith. Michael Redd's development as a scorer is more natural and team-oriented, and Redd never becomes the black hole or the $51 million, three-year contract problem that he is now. Sam controls the offense; Redd's contract extension doesn't get insane. Tim Thomas is happier (for a while anyway), the Bucks win more and there's less for Slickless Larry to foul up in 2005. Terry Porter keeps his job. Let's stop there, as it's beginning to look like this topic would be better as a post of its own.

In the meantime, Sam "I Am" fans have the Celtics-Cavs series, and Joe Smith and Ray Allen too.

And there's this, which I found whilst surfing around today. It's samcassellonline.org, the unofficial Sam Cassell website, created by a few of the LA Clippers faithful. Now that's good stuff.

Vecsey tabs Terry Porter on head coaches list

J.D. Mo — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:22:00 GMT

How short is the list of great coaching candidates in the NBA today? Very short. Maybe even shorter than the shelf life of a Larry Brown commitment.

After the five big names mentioned by every team in the coaching market - Jeff Van Gundy, Larry Brown, Rick Carlisle, Scott Skiles and Mike Fratello - the first name tossed into the "available" ring by New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey is none other than former Bucks coach Terry Porter.

Seems that Vecsey, like many Bucks fans, thinks Porter was unfairly fired by Kohl back in 2005, and deserves a second chance. In retrospect, maybe Porter doesn't lose his job at all it had occured to the senator and GM Larry Harris to find out if the coach they wanted, Flip Saunders, would actually come to work for them.

Find the replacement first, then fire the coach. That's the Detroit way. Joe Dumars and John Hammond had Larry Brown all lined up when they fired Rick Carlisle in 2003. And they had Flip Saunders ready to go shortly after ridding themselves of Brown two years later. I'd be very surprised if Hammond does things differently in Milwaukee, firing Krystkowiak before he's found his replacement.

However Hammond proceeds, Vecsey offered up Porter's name as his top suggestion to coach the Memphis Grizzlies, based on speculation that the Grizzlies might not land Larry Brown, whom they've been considering as GM/coach. Vecsey figures Brown will seek greener pastures than Memphis and that the other top candidates, Carlisle and Skiles, will be headed for other teams.