Showing posts with label Milwaukee Bucks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milwaukee Bucks. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
What If Dirk Played For The Milwaukee Bucks?
Jason McIntyre who is a fantastic writer for The Big Lead posted a question on Twitter yesterday afternoon about if people remembered that Dirk Nowitzki got traded on draft day. As a Milwaukee Bucks fan, I sure as hell do, the Bucks traded Nowitzki away for Robert 'Tractor' Traylor, that's like dealing Kate Upton for Kristie Alley. My buddy Bails pointed out that the Mavs were the only team who went overseas to scout Dirk so this trade was pretty much inevitable, but here is my question… why the hell didn't the Bucks scout Dirk? If you think about Dirk is perfect for Milwaukee. He is German and Milwaukee is a German-based city. The man would have had a beer named after him by the third year plus so many more endorsements from the Brew City.
Whenever we talk about these what-if situations, people always wonder if a player would be the same if he played elsewhere. My answer would be yes for Nowitzki because I truly believe he is a top 20 player of all time right now, and will climb up that ladder if the Mavs win the NBA Finals. I think a majority of the NBA teams could have drafted Dirk, and he would have been a great player. I believe 1998 was the last year that the Bucks picked in the lottery for a long time because Ray Allen hit his stride, Sam Cassell was brought in, and Glenn 'Big Dog' Robinson had already been in his prime at the time of drafting him. Nowitzki would not have any pressure in Milwaukee, and been allowed to grow in the first couple years. Let's also remember the Bucks missed out on Paul Pierce who was drafted a spot below Dirk, got to love the Bucks in the NBA Draft!
If the Bucks kept Dirk, they would have easily been in the NBA Finals. The 2001 team that should have been in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first place if it wasn't for David Stern playing the role of Vince McMahon guaranteeing the Philadelphia 76ers and Allen Iverson would be playing the Lake Show. It was a screw job, and everyone who watches basketball knows that. Sorry my rant is over about that, but Dirk would have played the four with a monster lineup that would have been the best team in the Eastern Conference.
That team would have had Cassell-Allen-Big Dog-Nowitzki-Tragic Johnson with Tim Thomas coming off the bench as a vital sixth man. The other question I have, would Ray-Ray have played in Milwaukee for another 10 years? The naïve side of me that has purple jersey hanging in my childhood bedroom would like to think that could have been a possibility. To me, Dirk would have been the first basketball superstar the city of Milwaukee has seen in over 30 years. They had some great players in the 80s and in the 90s but no one at the level of Dirk. I do hope that Brandon Jennings or Andrew Bogut becomes that guy for a franchise that seems to be stuck in neutral.
The other side of this would be what if Dallas never got Dirk? I still think they find their superstar somewhere down the road because with Mark Cuban's money, they really were able to afford anyone. They might have kept Steve Nash and paired him up with another player. It's fun to play these sorts of games and wonder what if sometimes. Because these dreams will never be realities, rather just a wish that something better would have happened for your team.
-Charlie.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Bucks Set Franchise Mark For Futility
During the hoopla of Selection Sunday I happened to flip to FSWisconsin and to my surprise, the Bucks were on. They happened to be playing the Boston Celtics.
Night in and night out the Bucks struggle on offense. It's just the way it is. But after the way they were playing the last few games (albeit against Washington, Cleveland and Philadelphia) I thought they were starting to click for once. Then they go out and shoot just 31 percent from the floor and score a franchise low for points in a single game by scoring 56 Sunday night in Boston. The mark is also a record night on the defensive end for Boston since they held the Milwaukee Hawks to 57 points back in 1955.
Keyon Dooling had an opportunity to get the Bucks to 58, tying the record, from the free throw line with 22 ticks to go but clanged both of them sealing their fate.
Coach Skiles said the loss was humiliating and they "pretty much just gave into it". I mean, Earl Barron was the Bucks' leading scorer at a blistering ten points. They would have set a league record for lowest points in a half in the first half if it weren't for Andrew Bogut's two baskets in the final minute of the second quarter to bring their total to 22. The record is 19.
The C's made only two 3-pointers in the game and still scored 87. It didn't help the Bucks case to have Bogut get into early foul trouble. The Bucks aren't the same team with the league's leading shot blocker on the bench for the better part of the first half. Also, it didn't help that that was the Bucks' fifth game of the week and they were taking on the #1 team in the Eastern Conference.
I think the Celtics are in good shape for the post-season despite the fact that there are five new faces in their rotation. Troy Murphy finally woke up in his fifth game with Boston last night. Carlos Arroyo is a very capable back-up to Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green brings some added athleticism off the bench.
The Bucks fell to a game and a half back of 8th place Indiana with their loss and the Pacers' victory last night. They'll look to avenge this dismal effort when they head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks Tuesday night.
-Mitch
Night in and night out the Bucks struggle on offense. It's just the way it is. But after the way they were playing the last few games (albeit against Washington, Cleveland and Philadelphia) I thought they were starting to click for once. Then they go out and shoot just 31 percent from the floor and score a franchise low for points in a single game by scoring 56 Sunday night in Boston. The mark is also a record night on the defensive end for Boston since they held the Milwaukee Hawks to 57 points back in 1955.
Keyon Dooling had an opportunity to get the Bucks to 58, tying the record, from the free throw line with 22 ticks to go but clanged both of them sealing their fate.
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| Can they make their run? |
Coach Skiles said the loss was humiliating and they "pretty much just gave into it". I mean, Earl Barron was the Bucks' leading scorer at a blistering ten points. They would have set a league record for lowest points in a half in the first half if it weren't for Andrew Bogut's two baskets in the final minute of the second quarter to bring their total to 22. The record is 19.
The C's made only two 3-pointers in the game and still scored 87. It didn't help the Bucks case to have Bogut get into early foul trouble. The Bucks aren't the same team with the league's leading shot blocker on the bench for the better part of the first half. Also, it didn't help that that was the Bucks' fifth game of the week and they were taking on the #1 team in the Eastern Conference.
I think the Celtics are in good shape for the post-season despite the fact that there are five new faces in their rotation. Troy Murphy finally woke up in his fifth game with Boston last night. Carlos Arroyo is a very capable back-up to Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green brings some added athleticism off the bench.
The Bucks fell to a game and a half back of 8th place Indiana with their loss and the Pacers' victory last night. They'll look to avenge this dismal effort when they head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks Tuesday night.
-Mitch
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Closing Time: Where Is Mark Pope?!
Since we had a productive day on the Tap, I figured I would close out with something. The Bucks lose again tonight, which is becoming a nightly occurance. So I want to provide you with something awesome during the Bucks' playoff runs in the late 90s, early 2000s. Light Up Montage! If you missed it, Carolina=Final Four?, MU bubble bursting? UWM-One more to the Big Dance
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Melo's First New York Commercial Is Awesome
Just a great commercial from the people at Madison Square Garden. It immediately pumped me up for tonight's game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks. The Bucks have a great 8-1 record against the Knickerbockers in the last nine games so hopefully they can keep it up. Another hope of mine is that I am watching the first game Michael Redd plays so I can go... MY GOD THAT'S MICHAEL REDD'S MUSIC!!!!!
(Props to the guys at NY Barstool for the vid.)
-Charlie.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Larry Sanders Sent Down
It's official. Scott Skiles really hates rookies. Brandon Jennings must specialize in sexual favors to be able to start right out of the gates let alone get more than garbage minutes like one Larry Sanders.
It seemed like, for a second there back in November-December that Sanders was going to be the Bucks back-up center and things were good. Lately, Larry hadn't been playing much and he was sent down to Fort Wayne of the NBA Developmental League over the All-Star Break.
I feel like he has great potential and the D-League is a good place to harness some of that potential with playing time, but I thought he could have gotten more up in the NBA. It's not like the Bucks are a top five team in the East or even currently in the playoff picture.
Instead Skiles would rather use the Brockness Monster (Jon Brockman) to give Bogut a blow and Brockman can barely make a layup and doesn't play defense rather just gets in their way.
We've lost more athleticism on an already stiff team. Even if Sanders was hampered by back spasms and other minor injuries he still has more athletic ability and shot blocking prowess in his pinky than Brockman has all over.
-Mitch
It seemed like, for a second there back in November-December that Sanders was going to be the Bucks back-up center and things were good. Lately, Larry hadn't been playing much and he was sent down to Fort Wayne of the NBA Developmental League over the All-Star Break.
I feel like he has great potential and the D-League is a good place to harness some of that potential with playing time, but I thought he could have gotten more up in the NBA. It's not like the Bucks are a top five team in the East or even currently in the playoff picture.
Instead Skiles would rather use the Brockness Monster (Jon Brockman) to give Bogut a blow and Brockman can barely make a layup and doesn't play defense rather just gets in their way.
We've lost more athleticism on an already stiff team. Even if Sanders was hampered by back spasms and other minor injuries he still has more athletic ability and shot blocking prowess in his pinky than Brockman has all over.
-Mitch
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Mitchy and Murph's Valentine's Date
Hello SNOTap followers and Happy Black History month.
Monday night Mitch cordially invited me to see our hometown Milwaukee Bucks, who after that night's perfromance may still be doomed. Donald Sterling's Blakers were in town. Yes the Los Angles Clippers against the Bucks actually can draw a crowd at the Bradley Center these days.
While both these teams are under .500, Mitsy and I will always be able to say we "Witnessed" Blake Griffin his rookie year. While after seeing two straight Bucks games at home, I have finally begun to believe that Scotty Skiles has lost the team and should begin watching over his children as a night job.
Somehow I hope though we find our way into the seven seed by season's end, and get to watch the Heatles put on a Genocide at the Bradley Center for two games sometime in mid-april.
Until then only 41 days til Opening Day.
-Murph
Monday night Mitch cordially invited me to see our hometown Milwaukee Bucks, who after that night's perfromance may still be doomed. Donald Sterling's Blakers were in town. Yes the Los Angles Clippers against the Bucks actually can draw a crowd at the Bradley Center these days.
While both these teams are under .500, Mitsy and I will always be able to say we "Witnessed" Blake Griffin his rookie year. While after seeing two straight Bucks games at home, I have finally begun to believe that Scotty Skiles has lost the team and should begin watching over his children as a night job.
Somehow I hope though we find our way into the seven seed by season's end, and get to watch the Heatles put on a Genocide at the Bradley Center for two games sometime in mid-april.
Until then only 41 days til Opening Day.
-Murph
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Michael Redd Could Solve All Problems
I have contemplated what do with Michael Redd seeing as he returns on next Monday night. I am not sure how much action he will see right away, but I know there are a few people, maybe more who would prefer if he just keeps a seat on the bench nice and warm. Honestly, I use to feel the same way, but the Bucks score less than Jim Levenstin before Michelle Flaherty, the Bucks need to find their band geek. Redd could be that guy.
Remember before Redd got the ridiculous contract from Larry Harris, he was an awesome energy player. Redd would hang out at the three point line and just dot every player in the NBA. Sure he doesn't play a lick of defense, and yes he is chunkier than Levance Fields in his prime, I would have no problem with Redd hanging out in the deep corner. In the other deep corner, you put Carlos Delfino spreading the court like the Orlando Magic did when they made their title run. This will allow Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut do so much in the middle developing a great in and out game between the two stars of the team.
The other thing about Redd is the large expiring contract that some team will want. I also vote that he is the recipient of the 'Theo Ratliff Expiring Contract Award'. I guarantee you if the Bucks can show that Redd is healthy, some team will try their best to get that contract. Obviously, the Deer cannot bring in a guy like Stephan Jackson or O.J. Mayo, two guys I think will be dealt in the coming weeks. But they can bring in a valuable role player that can contributes off the bench for them.
The Bucks need to find a way to utilize Redd, simple as that. John Hammond is the Executive of the Year and Scott Skiles is a good coach, figure something he can do for the team. No matter how weak his knees might be, Redd will not forget how to shoot the three.
-Charlie.
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| Notice how he is in the old purple, back to his energy days |
The other thing about Redd is the large expiring contract that some team will want. I also vote that he is the recipient of the 'Theo Ratliff Expiring Contract Award'. I guarantee you if the Bucks can show that Redd is healthy, some team will try their best to get that contract. Obviously, the Deer cannot bring in a guy like Stephan Jackson or O.J. Mayo, two guys I think will be dealt in the coming weeks. But they can bring in a valuable role player that can contributes off the bench for them.
The Bucks need to find a way to utilize Redd, simple as that. John Hammond is the Executive of the Year and Scott Skiles is a good coach, figure something he can do for the team. No matter how weak his knees might be, Redd will not forget how to shoot the three.
-Charlie.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thoughts On The Blake Show
Courtesy of Mr. Tom Luljak and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I got to attend the Bucks game last night for free as part of my Sports Marketing class.
It just so happened that the Los Angeles Blakers were in town.
I was rocking my "Fear The Deer" t-shirt because I knew we were staying for the game. And right off the bat, the Director of Corporate Sales of the Bucks asks me where I got it. Without reservation, I tell him "from some dude across the street out of the back of his car before Game 4 of the playoffs last year." He responds with, "Oh, so illegal merchandise?"
He didn't like my shirt too much I reckon.
Anyway, during our hour-plus tour of the Bradley Center, the anticipation was mounting from my fellow classmates about seeing Mr. Griffin in action. But before the game started, we went into the radio booth and we heard from the radio voice of the Bucks, Ted Davis. He is one of my favorite broadcasters and I stood right next to the man as he spoke to us. Just a class act.
We get our tickets and since Luljak has such great connections, we get to sit lower level and the view was just like watching it on TV. Maybe a little closer, but it was in person so that was pretty awesome.
We didn't see our first dunk of the game until late in the second quarter and it was by Andrew Bogut off all people on the court. There was an opportunity for Blake to have a wide-open dunk but douchebag Randy Foye kept it and just layed it in. The crowd reacted negatively as you can imagine. Go back 'Nova Randy.
Blake made up for it with a sick half-court alley oop from Donald Sterling's favorite Baron Davis just before half. That was the just about the loudest the BC got last night.
The Bucks pulled away from Blake and the Clippers early in the fourth quarter and ended up winning 102-78. Carlos Del3no was 7 of 10 from beyond the arc and the Bucks in general actually made some shots. John Salmons had a career-high 12 assists.
Griffin rolled his ankle on good ole' Jon Brockman's foot in the fourth as well, but he appeared to shake it off after a time or two down the court and should be fine. The Brock Ness Monster is always in the way.
I feel like the Clippers could be good for a while if they handle things correctly. Pat touched on this a bit last night and I agree, Baron Davis should be dealt sometime in the near future. Maybe not this season but either in the offseason or by the deadline next year.
I doubt Eric Bledsoe is ready to a starting PG in the NBA but maybe by this time next year, he will be. He's got talent and another budding star in Eric Gordon right next to him. Patrick also asked me if I thought that the Clips could get Chris Paul. I seriously doubt it but it could be something to watch. Who wouldn't want to play with Blake Griffin? He's the first Clippers #1 overall selection to pan out since....Michael Olowokandi? Wait, no.
-Mitch
It just so happened that the Los Angeles Blakers were in town.
I was rocking my "Fear The Deer" t-shirt because I knew we were staying for the game. And right off the bat, the Director of Corporate Sales of the Bucks asks me where I got it. Without reservation, I tell him "from some dude across the street out of the back of his car before Game 4 of the playoffs last year." He responds with, "Oh, so illegal merchandise?"
He didn't like my shirt too much I reckon.
Anyway, during our hour-plus tour of the Bradley Center, the anticipation was mounting from my fellow classmates about seeing Mr. Griffin in action. But before the game started, we went into the radio booth and we heard from the radio voice of the Bucks, Ted Davis. He is one of my favorite broadcasters and I stood right next to the man as he spoke to us. Just a class act.
We get our tickets and since Luljak has such great connections, we get to sit lower level and the view was just like watching it on TV. Maybe a little closer, but it was in person so that was pretty awesome.
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| Pretty quiet night from Blake overall. Shucks. |
We didn't see our first dunk of the game until late in the second quarter and it was by Andrew Bogut off all people on the court. There was an opportunity for Blake to have a wide-open dunk but douchebag Randy Foye kept it and just layed it in. The crowd reacted negatively as you can imagine. Go back 'Nova Randy.
Blake made up for it with a sick half-court alley oop from Donald Sterling's favorite Baron Davis just before half. That was the just about the loudest the BC got last night.
The Bucks pulled away from Blake and the Clippers early in the fourth quarter and ended up winning 102-78. Carlos Del3no was 7 of 10 from beyond the arc and the Bucks in general actually made some shots. John Salmons had a career-high 12 assists.
Griffin rolled his ankle on good ole' Jon Brockman's foot in the fourth as well, but he appeared to shake it off after a time or two down the court and should be fine. The Brock Ness Monster is always in the way.
I feel like the Clippers could be good for a while if they handle things correctly. Pat touched on this a bit last night and I agree, Baron Davis should be dealt sometime in the near future. Maybe not this season but either in the offseason or by the deadline next year.
I doubt Eric Bledsoe is ready to a starting PG in the NBA but maybe by this time next year, he will be. He's got talent and another budding star in Eric Gordon right next to him. Patrick also asked me if I thought that the Clips could get Chris Paul. I seriously doubt it but it could be something to watch. Who wouldn't want to play with Blake Griffin? He's the first Clippers #1 overall selection to pan out since....Michael Olowokandi? Wait, no.
-Mitch
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Congratulations Ray Allen.
(Found this on Barstool Sports: Boston)
I can still remember the day Ernie Grunfeld traded away Ray Allen from the Milwaukee Bucks. I had a hard time believing Grunfeld that the right thing to do was break up the Big 3 of Allen, Sam Cassell, and Glenn 'Big Dog' Robinson for Gary Payton. Allen is the complete opposite of Payton, just a supreme class act and had the respect of the city of Milwaukee. I can still say to this day he is one of my favorite NBA players.
Last night, Allen set the record for most three pointers made in NBA history. He broke Reggie Miller's record, which caused Eric to cry like a school girl seeing his favorite player lose the only record he has in the association. Don't worry E, at least you got Jerry Rice! I could watch Allen highlights all day, he has a silky smooth jumper that barely touches anything but the bottom of the net. Allen will be in the Basketball Hall of Fame for his great career over the years from being a leader in Milwaukee, taking an average Seattle team to the playoffs, and winning an NBA title with the Boston Celtics.
I would be hard-pressed to find a better clutch outside shooter than Allen in the NBA today. Congrats again Ray from a Milwaukee fan that wishes you were still here.
-Charlie.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
DOY: DeAndre Jordan
The Bucks had a three-game winning streak rolling into Los Angeles last night to play the Blake Show, and they blew an early third quarter lead giving the Clips the win. This was one of the bigger plays of the game as DeAndre Jordan just destroys Jon Brockman. I missed this great dunk due to hanging up laundry... FAIL
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Thanks For Choosing Milwaukee
Mo Williams faced a touch choice this Summer as a free agent; take less moeny to go to Miami and possibly be a part of a championship team with Shaq and D-Wade, or take the big money to stay in Milwaukee and be a part of the Bucks' rebuilding process.
Williams chose Milwaukee, but early indications are that perhaps he should have headed down to South Beach. Why? Evidently being in Milwaukee also means having your car robbed;
"...Thursday, however, he was filing information with Milwaukee police alleging that someone broke into his 2005 Dodge Magnum in the 1800 block of E. Kenilworth Ave. about 2:15 a.m.
Thieves got away with two LCD screens from the head rests, a navigation system and a radio/DVD player, according to a police report.
Damage and loss are estimated at $3,000."
I'm sure that this is just the kind of news that Sen. Herb Kohl and Bucks management love to hear while trying to convince Yi Jianlian that Milwaukee really is a wonderful place to live.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Charlie Villanueva = China's Worst Nightmare
Just when you thought the Yi Jianlian situation could not get any stranger, the Guandong Tigers hit you with a curveball. Today the chief of Yi's Chinese team, Chen Haitao, clarified why exactly there was no way that Yi could play for Milwaukee:
"This is not -- as media reports have said -- because Milwaukee, as a city with very few Chinese people, is not good for Yi's commercial development," Chen said.
"Rather we want to find a team suitable for Yi's growth. That's the root of the problem," he added.
Ok, so why exactly isn't Milwaukee a good place for Yi's growth?
Chen expressed concern that Yi would have trouble getting game time with the Bucks, whose squad boasts Australian 7-footer Andrew Bogut and a number of other tall young players.
"The national team and the Olympic Games are now our key considerations ... If [Yi] goes to a team where he can't compete, that would be being irresponsible to the national team," Chen said.
This explantion has two very important aspects to it, so here is a look at both of them:
We Do Not Understand: The most striking aspect of Chen's explanation is the assertation that Yi might not be able to get much playing time in Milwaukee. Andrew Bogut and "a number of other tall young players" are cited as the cause for his apprehension. Now, if Chen is indeed sincere in his statement, one of two things must be true; either he does not understand the NBA game, or they fear that Charlie Villanueva is an All-Star caliber power forward. As far as not understanding the NBA, or more specifically Yi's role as a player in the NBA, Chen somehow thinks that Yi will be competing with Andrew Bogut for playing time. Here is a quick little news flash; Bogut is a classic center, Yi is a mobile and athletic power forward. Yi is never going to cut into Bogut's minutes or vice versa because the two play different roles. It is obvious that the Bucks drafted Yi because they thought he would compliment Bogut, not compete with him. Also...who exactly are these other young seven footers who are going to keep Yi on the bench? Brian Skinner? Dan Gadzuric? Please. So that leaves only Charlie Villanueva as Yi's main competition for minutes. Villanueva is indeed quite a talented player, and in the future he could reasonably develop into a consistent 16 PPG / 8 RPG kind of guy. Consider however, that Villanueva is coming off shoulder surgery that caused him to miss half of last season, and that even when he did play he started less than half of the time. So this is the big barrier to Yi getting playing time? Does Chen actually think that the Bucks would have used such a high draft pick in a loaded draft on a player they were going to sit behind Villanueva? Give me a break.
For Love Of Country: As far as Milwaukee is concerned, the Bucks should be most worried about Chen's belief that playing in Milwaukee will hurt the Chinese national team in their preparation for the Olympics. China is hosting the 2008 summer games, and it is quite obvious that the Chinese Olympic committee has targeted men's basketball as a marquee event in which they are determined to succeed. Why else would China have gone to the trouble of having the national team (sans Yao) play in the NBA Summer League? It is certainly understandable that China is focused on developing Yi at all costs; the only real hope of medaling in the Olympics for China rests upon Yao and Yi becoming a dominant tandem. Yao is already there, but anyone who watched Yi's summer league performance knows that he has a lot of growing to do between now and next summer. So is there any situation where Yao is going to get substantially more playing time than Milwaukee? This again goes back to point one, that Chen and the rest of Yi's camp are showing that they have no clue how the NBA works. What team is going to give a raw 19 year old more playing time than Milwaukee is offering, and fits the orignal demands of being in a larger media market and having a large Chinese population? I mean, how much playing time would be satisfactory? Bogut played 28.6 minutes per game his rookie season, and it isn't unreasonable to think that Yi could at least approach that number splitting time with Villanueva. Is 25-30 minutes a night not enough for Yi and his camp to be happy? If so, than Yi is not likely to find any team with which he will be pleased this season.
Here is the most important thing to draw from these latest comments. All of the people that have been saying that Yi and his camp don't have the guts to stand their ground are flat wrong. The stakes have been raised substantially and if the real concern is in fact related to preparing Yi for the 2008 Olympics than the Bucks can kiss Yi goodbye, China is not going to back off on that one. So please Milwaukee, do what you should have done in the first place; get Brandan Wright. Don Nelson and the Warriors love Yi, and Wright is about as much value as the Bucks could hope to get out of Yi at this point. The worst outcome of this situation for Milwaukee would be if Larry Harris got into a peeing contest with the Yi camp, and his pride caused the Bucks to walk away empty handed. Now is the time to do the smart thing and walk away from Yi. Too bad Milwaukee couldn't have done that on draft night.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Bucks Beware
So now it begins.
Ever since the NBA Draft Yi Jianlian has been oddly silent in regards to his situation with the Milwaukee Bucks. So much so that even when he agreed to an interview with an NBA.com reporter he stipulated that there could be no questions regarding Milwaukee. (And the reporter accepted. Journalistic integrity? Anyone?) Now however, the complexion of Yi's situation is begging to become much clearer than mere speculation. Yesterday both Marc Stein and Chad Sheridan offered new insight on the state of the Yi saga. Sheridan wrote:
"If the stalemate continues, the only way Yi could make himself eligible for the 2008 draft would be to sit out an entire season. If he were to return to his pro team in China for the 2007-08 season, the Bucks would retain his NBA rights.
At this point, if I had to say whether I thought Yi will ever play a game for the Bucks, I'd have to say no. Yi's camp seems extremely determined to force the Bucks to trade his rights, and at a certain point I believe Harris and the Bucks owner, Sen. Herb Kohl, will simply throw their hands up and decide they don't want the headache anymore."
Stein also offered a similar take:
"Yi's camp insists that he won't sign with the Bucks and that the 19-year-old is prepared to play no professional basketball for a year to make himself eligible to re-enter the draft in 2008, unless the Bucks trade his draft rights....
...Yi didn't outright demand a trade but, according to sources, insisted that it remains his wish -- as opposed to an agenda being pushed by Nike or his American agent Dan Fegan -- to play in a bigger market with a larger Asian population."
There are two extremely important points in the above quotes. First, Stein reports that Yi himself (not just his agent) wants out of Milwaukee. The assumption by many was that Yi was merely letting his agent handle the situation, and that he himself did not have a strong feeling either way. Assuming Stein's info is accurate, that does not seem to be the case. The second, and most important point, is that Yi and his camp are making serious rumblings about sitting out a year alltogether and entering the 2008 Draft. (A possibility that I first broke two weeks ago) If Yi is in fact serious about carrying out that threat Milwaukee would find itself forced to either trade Yi or risk losing him for nothing.
Now comes the tricky part. If the Bucks do decide that trading Yi is their only option, what are their options? Yi has expressed a desire to go to a team in a larger media market such as Chicago, New York, or Sacramento, or Golden State. New York would seem to be out of the running after the trade for Zach Randolph, and the Bulls are likely satisfied with their young frontcourt duo of Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. That leaves Golden State and Sacramento as the most likely trade partners for the Bucks. In examining Sacramento's roster they appear to have very few assets that would be attractive to the Bucks. Milwaukee was seeking to fill a need at either PF or SF through the draft, and the only real trade asset that the Kings have at either position is Ron Artest. The problem for the Kings is that their three top young talents (Kevin Martin, Francisco Garcia, and Quincy Douby) all play SG, where the Bucks already have an All-Star in Michael Redd.
The best trade situation for the Bucks would by far be with Golden State. The Warriors were said to be very high on Yi heading into the draft, and they have the perfect assets to go about acquiring him from the Bucks. Consider; the Bucks need depth at SF and PF. The Warriors have the PF the Bucks would desire in Brandan Wright and could also package one of their free agent SFs (Matt Barnes or Mikael Pietrus) in a sign and trade. Such a deal would benefit both teams, as the Warriors would get the player they coveted all along by merely moving a SF they likely would not have re-signed and the Bucks would add young talent at both of their need positions while saving some face.
Whether or not the Bucks do decide to go the trade route with Yi will likely not be decided for quite some time, as the season is some two and a half months away. What is certain however, is that the Bucks must tread carefully in this situation lest they alienate Yi entirely and lose him for nothing.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Start Your Engines
Today is the first day that NBA free agents can officially sign new contracts. So other than a few deals we already know about being made official, what other storylines are there to follow in the next few days? Here is a look at the current status of some of the top remaining free agents:
Gerald Wallace: Most speculation has Wallace re-signing with Charlotte for a 6 year deal worth in the neighborhood of $60 million. There are persistent rumblings however, that Dallas still has a strong interest in Wallace. The Mavericks have been mentioned in the Wallace discussion ever since free agency began, and for the life of me I can't understand why they are interested. Don't they already have a young and athletic small forward in Josh Howard? Why would Dallas want to bring in another $10 million a year guy just to back him up? Even beyond that however, for Dallas to sign Wallace it would require a sign and trade deal with Charlotte. All signs seem to point to Wallace taking the easy route and taking the long term deal from the Bobcats. The second order effects of that signing would be very interesting to observe in Charlotte, mainly in regards to the future of Adam Morrison. The team just recently brought in Jason Richardson via a trade (signed for the next four years), re-signed SG Matt Carrol to a six year contract, drafted SF Jared Dudley with their 1st Round pick, and are close to re-signing Wallace. What kind of message do those signings send to Morrison after a lackluster rookie campaign? It would seem to me that management might be saying none too subtly that they are ready to cut their losses with Morrison.
Where Does Mo Go?: After Chancey Billups and the Pistons agreed to terms on contract extension Mo Williams suddenly found himself as the best point guard available in free agency. As luck would have it though, three of his potential destinations have dried up; the Lakers took Javaris Crittenton in the draft and then signed Derek Fisher, the Grizzlies took Mike Conley, and the Hawks selected Acie Law. Those moves essentially leave Williams with only two options, one being re-signing with the Bucks to the tune of about $8 million a year, or taking less money to go to the Miami Heat. What his choice essentially boils down to is whether or not he wants to compete for a championship now, which would require taking less money, or if he is willing to stay with Milwaukee through their rebuilding process.
Rashard Lewis is Stinkin Rich: It has just been reported that the Magic and Sonics have agreed upon a sign and trade deal for Rashard Lewis, with Orlando sending Seattle a second round pick. This move will allow Orlando to sign Lewis to a six year deal worth $127.2 million. Lewis will make $25.6 million in the final year of the contract. Read that last sentence again, and then try and tell me this deal is not going to be a disaster for the Magic, especially since it means that they won't have enough money to re-sign Darko Milicic which happens to complicate another situation...
Memphis Wants Your Big Man: One of the more interesting and and least talked about subplots in free agency is the Grizzlies mission to acquire a big man to pair with Pau Gasol. Going into the draft the Grizzlies had two glaring holes in their roster at point guard and power forward, and they wisely chose to address the point guard issue in the draft considering the previously discussed lack of quality point guards on the free agent market. The free agent crop at power forward however, is much more promising. Initially the Grizzlies were rumored to be after Chicago's Andres Nocioni, but the Bulls and Nocioni have since agreed to an extension. That leaves Anderson Varejao and now Darko as the Grizzlies' two main targets. Varejao is a restricted free agent and the Cavs have been saying all along that they will match any offer. So assuming that Memphis does not vastly overpay Varejao in order to dissauade Cleveland (which is in luxury tax territory) from matching the deal, that leaves Memphis with Darko.
Gerald Wallace: Most speculation has Wallace re-signing with Charlotte for a 6 year deal worth in the neighborhood of $60 million. There are persistent rumblings however, that Dallas still has a strong interest in Wallace. The Mavericks have been mentioned in the Wallace discussion ever since free agency began, and for the life of me I can't understand why they are interested. Don't they already have a young and athletic small forward in Josh Howard? Why would Dallas want to bring in another $10 million a year guy just to back him up? Even beyond that however, for Dallas to sign Wallace it would require a sign and trade deal with Charlotte. All signs seem to point to Wallace taking the easy route and taking the long term deal from the Bobcats. The second order effects of that signing would be very interesting to observe in Charlotte, mainly in regards to the future of Adam Morrison. The team just recently brought in Jason Richardson via a trade (signed for the next four years), re-signed SG Matt Carrol to a six year contract, drafted SF Jared Dudley with their 1st Round pick, and are close to re-signing Wallace. What kind of message do those signings send to Morrison after a lackluster rookie campaign? It would seem to me that management might be saying none too subtly that they are ready to cut their losses with Morrison.
Where Does Mo Go?: After Chancey Billups and the Pistons agreed to terms on contract extension Mo Williams suddenly found himself as the best point guard available in free agency. As luck would have it though, three of his potential destinations have dried up; the Lakers took Javaris Crittenton in the draft and then signed Derek Fisher, the Grizzlies took Mike Conley, and the Hawks selected Acie Law. Those moves essentially leave Williams with only two options, one being re-signing with the Bucks to the tune of about $8 million a year, or taking less money to go to the Miami Heat. What his choice essentially boils down to is whether or not he wants to compete for a championship now, which would require taking less money, or if he is willing to stay with Milwaukee through their rebuilding process.
Rashard Lewis is Stinkin Rich: It has just been reported that the Magic and Sonics have agreed upon a sign and trade deal for Rashard Lewis, with Orlando sending Seattle a second round pick. This move will allow Orlando to sign Lewis to a six year deal worth $127.2 million. Lewis will make $25.6 million in the final year of the contract. Read that last sentence again, and then try and tell me this deal is not going to be a disaster for the Magic, especially since it means that they won't have enough money to re-sign Darko Milicic which happens to complicate another situation...
Memphis Wants Your Big Man: One of the more interesting and and least talked about subplots in free agency is the Grizzlies mission to acquire a big man to pair with Pau Gasol. Going into the draft the Grizzlies had two glaring holes in their roster at point guard and power forward, and they wisely chose to address the point guard issue in the draft considering the previously discussed lack of quality point guards on the free agent market. The free agent crop at power forward however, is much more promising. Initially the Grizzlies were rumored to be after Chicago's Andres Nocioni, but the Bulls and Nocioni have since agreed to an extension. That leaves Anderson Varejao and now Darko as the Grizzlies' two main targets. Varejao is a restricted free agent and the Cavs have been saying all along that they will match any offer. So assuming that Memphis does not vastly overpay Varejao in order to dissauade Cleveland (which is in luxury tax territory) from matching the deal, that leaves Memphis with Darko.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Introducing...The Yi Meter
When you think about Yi Jianlian's characteristics, a couple of things jump out at you. He is really tall, athletic, and has a very good perimeter shot for his size. When I first heard that description of Yi, three names popped into my head; Dirk Nowitzki, Toni Kukoc, and Nikoloz Tskitishvili. All three of those players fit that same description, yet fall all across the spectrum in how that skill set ended up serving them. Will Yi be an MVP like Dirk? A solid pro like Toni? Or a bust like Nik? From time to time we'll check in on the Yi Meter to see where Yi stands. It will likely be reactionary, and it will unlikely be fair. Enjoy.
For the first installment of the Yi Meter we found Yi somewhere between Toni and Nik territory. Why? Yi did show some scoring skill when he put up 23 points against Memphis in the Summer League, so that points to the hype perhaps being correct on Yi's skills. On the other hand though, this happened:
Getting posterized in a Summer League game, and then getting taunted afterward by the guy? That is a Tskitishvili move if I ever saw one. Therefore, in spite of the 23 points Yi is going halfway between Nik and Toni for this installment of the Yi Meter.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Yi and the CBA
In looking through some of the posts I have seen today pertaining to the Yi Jianlian situation I feel that a clarification of Yi's bargaining position is needed. The first point that needs to be dealt with is the simple question of "How long does Milwaukee have Yi's rights?" To answer that question, here are a pair of excerpts from the NBA's collective bargaining agreement:
Section 4. Negotiating Rights to Draft Rookies.
(a) A Team that drafts a player shall, during the period from the date of such NBA Draft (hereinafter, the “Initial Draft”) to the date of the next Draft (hereinafter, the “Subsequent Draft”), be the only Team with which such player may negotiate or sign a Player Contract, provided that, on or before the July 15 immediately following the Initial Draft (for a First Round Pick), or in the two (2) weeks before the September 5 immediately following the Initial Draft (for a Second Round Pick), such Team has made a Required Tender to such player. If a Team has made a Required Tender to such a player and the player has not signed a Player Contract within the period between the Initial Draft and the Subsequent Draft, the Team that drafted the player shall lose its exclusive right to negotiate with the player and the player will then be eligible for selection in the Subsequent Draft.
Also pertinent to this topic...
Section 5. Effect of Contracts with Other Professional Teams.
If a player is drafted by a Team in either an Initial or Subsequent Draft and, during a period in which he may negotiate and sign a Player Contract with only the Team that drafted him, and either (x) is a party to a previously existing player contract with a professional basketball team not in the NBA that covers all or any part of the NBA Season immediately following said Initial or Subsequent Draft, or (y) signs such a player contract, then the following rules will apply:
(a) Subject to Section 5(b) below, the Team that drafts the player shall retain the exclusive NBA rights to negotiate with and sign him for the period ending one (1) year from the earlier of the following two dates: (i) the date the player notifies such Team that he is available to sign a Player Contract with such Team immediately, provided that such notice will not be effective until the player is under no contractual or other legal impediment to sign and play with such Team for the then-current Season (if applicable) and any future Season; or (ii) the date of the NBA Draft occurring in the twelve-month period from September 1 to August 30 in which the player notifies such Team of his availability and intention to play in the NBA during the Season immediately following said twelve-month period, provided that such notice will not be effective until the player is under no contractual or other legal impediment to sign and play with such Team for the then-current Season (if applicable) and any future Season.
In simple terms what the above sections say is that if Yi does not sign a contract with another pro team (Chinese or European) in the next year then Milwaukee will lose their rights to Yi and he will then be eligible for the 2008 Draft. Therefore, if Yi and his handlers truly are determined to keep Yi out of Milwaukee they could just have him play for the national team for a year and then re-enter the draft leaving the Bucks completely empty handed. I can assure you, coming out of the deepest draft in recent memory with nothing after having the #6 pick will not fly with Bucks' GM Larry Harris. If the Bucks are unable to sign Yi to a contract by the time the season starts they need to trade him. Plain and simple. Otherwise they won't get anything from the pick at all. So who would be buying? Golden State was mentioned many times as a possible destination for Yi, but their trade to get Brandan Wright has likely ended their interest. This essentially leaves the 76ers as the only major trading partner left that has expressed interest in Yi all along. At this point, don't you think Larry Harris wishes he could take it all back and just draft Joakim Noah instead?
What this situation exposes is the fact that foreign players have the upper hand in these types of negotiations as long as they are willing to sacrifice a year's worth of income. Certainly the NBA and the Player's Association did not foresee such a power play at the time when they wrote the CBA, but this loophole certainly needs to be closed when the next CBA is negotiated. Otherwise elite prospects who are unhappy with the team that drafts them could follow Yi's lead and essentially choose their team, rendering the draft useless.
Update: As pointed out by Henry Abbot at True Hoop, if Yi is still technically under contract with his Chinese team the Bucks window of opportunity would be extended for a 12 month period after the end of that contract.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
NBA Draft: Picks Breakdown
In examining the picks from last night's draft some of them are pretty simple to evaluate. Greg Oden to the Blazers. Good. Kevin Durant to the Sonics. Good. There were a number of intriguing picks and stories that developed during draft night, so here is a look at some of the most intriguing picks, whether they be steals, terrible picks, or just plain great picks:
The Pick: The Milwaukee Bucks selecting Yi Jianlian with the #6 pick
The Scoop: Leading up to the draft myself and many others pointed out the rather odd choice by Yi Jianlian and his representation not to let Milwaukee see Yi work out. Speculation was that Yi's camp wanted him to play in a large market with a big Chinese population, a description that did not exactly fit Milwaukee. Some even believed that if the Bucks were to select Yi that he would either try to force a trade or go back to China. The truth behind those beliefs is set to be revealed as there are already rumblings that Yi might not only miss the team's training camp later this year, but that he may not even show up for Milwaukee's post draft press conference tomorrow. Something tells me this pick may not have been worth the trouble. By the way, check out this picture of Yi from Time Magazine in 2003 when he was *15* years old. Yeah right, my left foot he is 15 in that picture.
The Pick: The Chicago Bulls selecting Joakim Noah with the #9 pick
The Scoop: I don't often agree with Stephen A. Smith, but I am completely with his analysis on this pick. To put it simply, The Bulls already have what Noah is selling. Isn't Tyrus Thomas the same player except with a slightly better offensive game? The Bulls did not need another high energy rebounder, what they needed was a scorer in the low post. The most distressing aspect of this pick was that there was indeed such a player available in Spencer Hawes who went to the Kings at #10. It isn't that Noah is a bad player, he just does not seem to be what the Bulls needed with that pick.
The Pick: The Washington Wizards selecting Nick Young with the #16 pick
The Scoop: Young fell a bit lower than where many people had projected him to go, but ending up in Washington may well be the perfect spot for him. The Wizards started DeShawn Stevenson at SG this past season essentially on a one year rental. Young is a major upgrade at that spot, and at worst will be the Wizard's 6th man headed into the season. His offensive skills combined with the Wizards up tempo style and hole at the SG spot will make Young an impact player sooner rather than later.
The Pick: Everything the Portland Trailblazers did
The Scoop: The Blazers had an unbelievable evening. Putting aside the Zach Randolph trade, here is a quick rundown of the moves and picks they made: Drafted Greg Oden with the #1 pick, traded cash to the Suns for the #24 pick which they used on Rudy Fernandez, traded cash and the #42 pick to the 76ers for the #30 pick Peteri Koponen, drafted Josh McRoberts with the #37 pick, drafted Taurean Green with the #52 pick, and finally they drafted Demetris Nichols with the #53 pick. It goes without saying that Oden is a great pick. The other five selections however, are what make this draft truly special. Fernandez and Koponen are great talents that can take the time to develop overseas and then come to Portland a few years down the road to contribute. The three second round picks of McRoberts, Green, and Nichols are complete and utter steals. McRoberts is a lottery talent that came out too early, Green was the floor general and leading scorer of the two time national champions, and Nichols was arguably the best three point shooter in the entire draft. To put it bluntly the Blazers' draft picks tonight, the $30 million in contracts that they have coming off the books in two seasons, and the fact that they already have Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge makes this team a championship contender sooner rather than later.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Proceed With Caution
There is a story that is bubbling under the surface of the NBA draft that not many people are talking about for some odd reason. It is a story that could completely change the order at the top of the draft, as well as cause a great deal of controversy. So what is this story? The story is that it appears that Yi Jianlian and the Chinese government might be pulling an Eli Manning. To explain, here are some qoutes that show the situation pretty clearly.
From SI.com:
"China finally approved him for the draft last year after shooting down the idea in '06 citing a lack of preparation and "basketball skills, experience and physical stamina" that do not meet requirements to compete at an NBA level. In fact, the CBA is closely monitoring this year's NBA draft and may decide to pull Yi back if they believe the team that selects him is not a suitable one."
From The Journal Times:
"...Dan Fegan, Yi’s agent, and the Chinese government want to get him placed in a large market, preferably with a large Chinese population."
And finally from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
"The Milwaukee Bucks won't get a first-hand view of Yi, whose camp has declined a workout request by the team. Bucks director of player personnel Dave Babcock wanted to go to Los Angeles to take a closer look but was rebuffed by Yi's agent, Dan Fegan."
A reaction to Yi refusing a workout with the Bucks might be that he has received a promise from a team picking above the Bucks' #6 pick. This logic is thwarted however, by the fact that Yi held a workout earlier this week for the 76ers, who hold the #12 pick. The implications are obvious; Yi is trying to pick which teams he will go to and if a team that he (and the Chinese government) do not approve of selects him he is going to at least threaten to go back to China, probably to force a trade. Even the threat of such an action would likely be enough to scare off the Bucks, since the chance of losing a chance at gaining a player from this year's deep crop of lottery talent could be crippling for the Bucks for years to come. This entire situation brings to mind the 2005 Draft, where the Orlando Magic selected Fran Vazquez with the #11 selection only to have Vazquez announce he would be staying in Europe. Vazquez won't be suiting up with the Magic anytime before the 2009-2010 season, and the Magic missed out on players such as Sean May, Gerald Green, and Hakim Warrick who were picked soon afterwards. The Bucks would be wise to avoid drafting Yi and experiencing a similar scenario.
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