Milwaukee Bucks News Archive

The Milwaukee Bucks have had some impressive wins in the last few games. The highlight is without a doubt the win over Utah. Milwaukee has gone 6-4 in the last ten games. For a team that struggled to win twenty-six games last season, they are certainly looking better this year. If the current win-loss trend continues, the Bucks may end this season with a 38-44 record.

What stings in Milwaukee is the flip-flop, win-one-night-lose-the-next exchange with The Charlotte Bobcats.  The Bucks crushed Charlotte by twenty-eight on Friday night at the Bradley Center.  The turnaround came within twenty-four hours as Charlotte crushed Milwaukee.  The Bobcats lead by thirteen points at the end of the third quarter, and had command of the game throughout. 

With just over five minutes in the game, the Bobcats went to the line after Charlie Villanueva was called for a mix of technical and flagrant fouls.  With a 21-point lead, Charlotte could hang loose for the rest of the night. 

Milwaukee was playing its fourth game in five days.  They could have blamed it on being road weary, but refused.  Richard Jefferson blamed the loss on poor leadership amongst his teammates.  Andrew Bogut was out of the lineup with back problems. He is still listed as day to day as of this writing.

Milwaukee tried to defeat Charlotte with the same strategy that produced three prior wins.  Perhaps the Bobcats had finally adjusted to that style of attack. If you combine Milwaukee's scoring at the line for the first three games, they outscored Charlotte 72-40.  Milwaukee out rebounded Charlotte in those first three games as well.

One could chalk it up to one team figuring out the other, but that is what game-by-game adjustments are for. 

Milwaukee got the night off, and they face the Toronto Raptors tonight at the Bradley Center. Toronto is struggling at 13-20, winning only three of the past ten games.  Philadelphia and New Jersey both come to town in the coming week. 

The Milwaukee Bucks have won six if their last eight games. Last night's win was perhaps the best effort by Milwaukee so far. The Bucks outlasted the Spurs in a game where Andrew Bogut had 14 rebounds, and scored twenty points. Michael Redd led the team with twenty-five points. 

Milwaukee led by five after one quarter of play. The Spurs cut that lead down to two points at the half. With just two minutes left in the third quarter, the Bucks pulled ahead by 11, but San Antonio cut that down considerably when they went on a 10-2 run. They pulled ahead by four with just seven minutes to play. 

Milwaukee responded with a three point shot and a dunk by Bogut. With another three-point score by Mason with nine seconds left in the game, and the deal was done. Tim Ducan missed an easy shot, and the game went to the Bucks. 

Duncan spent part of the game riding the bench after he allowed Milwaukee to dunk the ball on three separate trips down the court. Charlie Bell returned from his knee injury to score eleven points during his 25 minutes on the court. 

Milwaukee will spend New Year's Eve battling the Houston Rockets. Milwaukee is now just two games away from a .500 record. They find themselves over twelve games behind the Celtics.

Sometimes you just have to take what you can get when you play a solid opponent.  What the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night got was a banged up Utah Jazz team.  Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur were not in the lineup right from the start.  Early in the game, Paul Millsap came down with a knee injury and limped to the lockers in the first half.  That opened the window for the struggling Bucks to overtake their opponent.   

A nineteen point Bucks lead evaporated mid-way through the third quarter when Utah scored ten unanswered points.  By quarter number four, Utah tied the game at 77.  Milwaukee was ice cold from three-point range, but timely free throws by Redd and Jefferson put Milwaukee back up by six. 

On the other side of the ball, Utah's Millsap missed a pair of free throws late in the game.  Couple that with Kirilenko's offensive foul and goaltending call and the Bucks stayed ahead for good.  Milwaukee scored 27 of 33 at the free throw line, and finally outscored their opponent in that regard. 

Milwaukee's bench scored 27 points in total.  Villanueva scored 10, and Ramon Sessions put up 13 points going 5-6 at the free throw line.  He had a very productive twelve minutes to say the least.  Six players scored in double figures with Michael Redd leading the team with 27 points.  Redd had a cold hand from three-point range.  He scored only one of nine attempts.  Milwaukee was 1-16 from three-point range for the night. 

The score was tied eight times throughout the night, but the lead only changed hands twice.  Kirilenko scored 22 points in his 29 minutes on the court.  Deron Williams scored 17 and pulled in eight rebounds.

Milwaukee hosts Detroit on December 27^th.  Detroit is currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-11.  They are 5-0 in the division, and three games ahead of Milwaukee in the standings.  Milwaukee has only won three of twelve against the Pistons in recent seasons.    

Tony DiLeo was named head coach of the Sixers this past Saturday.  He saw his team overcome injury, and defeated the Bucks.  Philadelphia overcame the third quarter loss of Elton Brand when he fell on top of Luc Mbah a Moute.  The injury, a dislocated shoulder may keep Brand off the court for days.

Milwaukee led throughout the first half of the game.  They pulled ahead by ten, late in the third quarter.  From there, Philadelphia scored 21 to Milwaukee's seven, and pulled ahead by four. 

Missed free-throws crushed the Buck's chances to regain the lead in the fourth quarter.

Milwaukee could only manage to tie the game before Philadelphia scored six strait points.

Redd scored only six points while on the court for over 34 minutes.  Luke Ridnour scored 14 over thirty-two minutes.  Charlie Bell scored fourteen points going 4-8 with 23 minutes.  Five team members scored in double digits. 

Scott Skiles didn't mince words after the loss.  He blamed the team's lack of hustle up and down the court for the loss.  He felt the lack of energy was the soul reason for the loss.  Milwaukee gets one night off before going up against the Knicks in New York on December 19^th.  New York is 11-14 for the season, and coming off of a two game losing streak. 

The Bucks road trip out west was a debacle.  Three games, with three losses are what I'm talking about.  The final blow came last night when Milwaukee lost to Golden State.  The fourth quarter was the nail in the coffin, where Golden State outscored Milwaukee by twenty-two points. 

Milwaukee has lost seven of the past nine games.  Golden State, with a record of 7-15 is struggling.  Seeing that the Bucks have not beaten Phoenix in many years, and they never seem to defeat L.A., Golden State should have been the single game that ended up in the win column for Milwaukee.  At Phoenix, O'Neal crushed the Bucks, scoring 35, and rebounding 8.  Michael Redd's 23 points that night just didn't get the job done. 

What I am finding is that Milwaukee is amassing too many fouls early in the game.  These fouls are "reach-in" hacks that put the opposing players on the line way too much, and way too early in the game.

Scanning the stats for the previous game against The Lakers, shows that Milwaukee went to the line only 26 times verses 41 for L.A.  The Lakers outscored Milwaukee 18-32 at the line.  At Phoenix, Milwaukee was 16-24 at the free-throw line.  The Suns scored 29-38 at the line.  Game after game, Milwaukee puts their opponents on the line way too much. 

Milwaukee is now 9-15 in the standings, and find themselves eleven games behind Cleveland in their division.  Their losing streak stands at three, and they face Indiana at the Bradley Center on December 13^th.    

The Chicago Bulls are two games under .500, as they lost to Milwaukee 97-90.  Michael Redd is still working his way back to full strength, so that required the bench to step up to the task.  Villanueva was five for five in the fourth quarter, capping a 13-3 run by the Bucks. 

Prior to that run, Milwaukee had to fight off a 14-2 run by the Bulls in quarter three.  That run brought the Bulls within three points, but Milwaukee pulled further ahead in short order with a six point run starting in the forth quarter. 

Andrew Bogut is still nursing a sore knee.  He had limited playing time last night. 

Key players for Milwaukee were Jefferson, and Luke Ridnour.  Luke had 12 points and 10 assists in the game. On defense, Dan Gadzuric pulled in 14 rebounds, and scored 11 points.  This came about when Bogut took a shot to the face in the third quarter, and then sat out the rest of the game. 

A quick scan of the season statistics reveals that Michael Redd has only managed to play in six games this season.  In that time, he averaged nearly twenty points per game.

Getting him back to form is sorely needed, if Milwaukee is to pull out more victories.

Milwaukee has pulled ahead of Indiana with a record of 8-12.  The Bucks are already eight games behind Cleveland, but only 3 ½ behind Detroit, who is currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.  Milwaukee's record of 4-8 on the road reveals that they must find a way to win when they are not at the Bradley Center.

This team has a spirit and drive that fans didn't see last season.  If they could put a string of wins together, they could easily be above the .500 mark.  Milwaukee plays two strong teams over the next three games.  Phoenix and Los Angeles will be tough games for the Bucks.  Charlotte is 1-4 on the road, and one would hope that Milwaukee could defeat the Bobcats at home.  Western road trips have proven to be disastrous for the Bucks in past years.  Before coming home, they will face the Golden State Warriors on December 10^th.

This will be followed up with two days rest, and a single home game against Indiana.  Then it's on the road again to face Miami, Philadelphia, and New York.  The December schedule reveals that the Bucks are facing quality teams for weeks to come. 

On a side note, Andrew Bogut  was interviewed for an Australian based podcast last month, in which he talks about his home country.  The interview can be found in the Bucks forum site.  As of this posting, the interview has not been typed up, so the only way to catch it is to log into the forum.   

Milwaukee was happy to have Michael Redd back on the court for Saturday's game against Cleveland.  Sadly, the Bucks never lead the game, and lost by 12.  The November schedule was very though, and Milwaukee finds itself in the basement with a record of 7-12.

The next two months are no picnic either.  When you talk to a Bucks fan, the claim that this team is more exciting when compared to last year.  Rational fans don't expect much from Milwaukee this season.  The rebuilding is expected to take a few years. 

In Saturday's game against the Cavaliers, Michael Redd scored a team high 20 points.  This was followed up with 19 points from Jefferson, and 16 from Ramon Sessions.

Milwaukee came within two points on a few occasions.  LaBron James took the game over in the fourth quarter, scoring all but two of Cleveland's last 15 points.

It's on to December, and the schedule is just about as tough.  Milwaukee finds itself eight games behind Cleveland in their conference.    

We are six years from the last win in Utah.  The Jazz have had great teams in that time, and that is certainly a factor.  Once again, Utah is tied for first place in the Northwest division of the Western conference.  Once again the Milwaukee Bucks are in last place of the Central division of the Eastern conference.  This is familiar territory for both teams.

If there is any difference to worth the mention is that this Milwaukee Bucks team had the Jazz down by ten points in the third quarter.  The lead slipped away in the as they were outscored by thirteen in the fourth quarter. 

Part of the blame should be squarely on the shoulders of Luke Ridnour.  His turnovers brought the Jazz within two points.  Once again, the Bucks allowed their opponent to go to the line way too many times.  This night, the Jazz made 28 of 36 free throws. 

There were eighteen turnovers to complain about as well.  If you cut those in half, the Bucks could have cut down on the twenty-two points that Utah put up as a result of those turnovers.  The same theory holds for the foul situation.  If the Bucks stop hacking away at their opponents, the points at the line go down. 

This is pretty simple stuff to talk about, but a different thing to execute.  This requires that the defensive efforts by the Bucks be anticipatory rather than reactionary.  Getting in front of men that are cutting into the paint will reduce the reactionary efforts.  Establishing your position will force the offense out to the perimeter. 

After one of his worst performances since becoming a pro, Andrew Bogut scored 16, and had 20 rebounds.  The return of Redd should help the Bucks get back on track, but executing the fundamentals is the key to winning the close games.

It was the Richard Jefferson show last night at the Bradley Center.  While Michael Redd sat out another game with an ankle injury, Jefferson got hot in the second half of the game.  The San Antonio Spurs tried their best to rally, and they came close, but a short shot by Tim Duncan with just under six seconds in the game was the death knell.

The Milwaukee Bucks broke out late in the game, and outscored the Spurs 21-2.  Down 31-43 at the half, Milwaukee needed a spark.  They outscored San Antonio in the third quarter by six points, and put up twenty-nine in the fourth. 

Both teams had their star players sitting on the bench.  Tim Duncan tried to wrestle the game from the Bucks with just over three minutes to go.  He scored fourteen in the fourth quarter alone. 

The Bucks pulled out the win, and now reside at 4-5 for the season.  Next up, they play Memphis Grizzlies on Friday at the FedEx Forum.  Memphis finds itself at 3-6, after their loss last night.  Should they lose to Milwaukee; the Bucks will be at .500 after ten games.

Scanning the conference standings, the Milwaukee Bucks find themselves in last place.  With a record of 3-5, they join the ranks of teams like Charlotte, New Jersey, Memphis, and Golden State.  There are signs that this team could do better.  Milwaukee was competitive in most of the games this year. 

It is not as if each loss was a blowout.  Michael Redd sat out the Saturday game against Charlotte.  Had he been in that one, the Bucks might have put themselves over the top.

At this point in the season, a win streak of three or four would put them right back in the think of things.  There are worse teams out there to be sure.  The Wizards are already five games back, and have yet to win a game.

A bright spot in the rookie watch would certainly shine on Luc Mbah A Moute.  The man has made 50 rebounds in the first eight games played.  He is getting 30 minutes per game, and he's playing solid defense.  This rookie was not on the first string at UCLA.  He is fast becoming a force in Milwaukee.

Richard Jefferson has put up impressive numbers so far.  His past three games have put him on the court for an average of 33 minutes.  He has scored 53 points in those past three games, and managed two assists in each outing.

Matt Freije was put on waivers just prior to the start of the season.  Matt played in five preseason games, but did not make the starting roster.

The Bucks face San Antonio at the Bradley Center this evening.  San Antonio is two games back of the New Orleans Hornets in the Western Conference.

A list of the basement dwellers are the following teams:  Philadelphia, New Jersey in the Atlantic division, Chicago and Milwaukee in the Central.  The Washington Wizards have yet to win a game.  Minnesota and the L.A. Clippers have only one win so far.    

Hot teams across the NBA would be the following:  Lakers at 6-0, Utah at 6-1 Atlanta at 6-0, and Boston is 7-1. 

The Milwaukee Bucks dashed the hopes of the Oklahoma City Thunder with a win on the road.  Milwaukee started off hot, and fought off a late game rally.  The Oklahoma players might have come out of the box a bit tight, seeing that this crowd was hyped up. 

At the end of the first quarter Milwaukee was up by ten, and pulled away with a fifteen point lead at the half.  The final quarter saw Oklahoma outscoring the Bucks by nine points, but that was not enough to take the lead.  The final score was Milwaukee 98, Oklahoma 87.

Richard Jefferson scored twenty points, and had 8 rebounds in the game.  Michael Redd also put up twenty points, and had three assists.  Andrew Bogut had thirty-one minutes on the court, and in that time he scored 14.  He pulled down seven boards, with five of those being on offense. 

Milwaukee gets a two day break before the home opener against the Toronto Raptors.

On a side note Luc Mbah a Moute saw playing time in both games.  The other rookie, Joe Alexander has not come off the bench as of this time.  I would suspect that he will be worked into a game when the Bucks have a nice cushion. 

Joe Alexander was feeling right at home when he and the Milwaukee Bucks practiced at the Guangzhou Gym in China.  The Chinese media was happy to play up the story of Joe's childhood spent in Taipei.  Yi had been traded off so this series of games needed some new meaning.  Alexander was happy to fill that void. 

When he was eight, his family moved to Hong Kong.  Within months, they moved to China, where Joe learned to play basketball.  Over the next six years Joe attended the ISB, and went on to win the MVP award for the school.  That was a first for someone born outside of China. 

He dreamed of playing professional basketball that long ago.  He accomplished that goal this year, when he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks.  His family came back to the United States and he played college ball at West Virginia University. 

For the two games he played in China as a Buck, he scored in double figures.  He was happy to see old friends during his off-time. 

For the season opener against the Chicago Bulls, Bogut will be benched with an ankle injury.  Andrew aggravated it during practice after coming back from the games in China. 

Scott Skiles hopes to bring a team that is ready to compete, but the injury bug is not what this team needs right off the bat.

The Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Warriors when Rob Kurz scored a three-point shot with just under

two seconds left on the clock.  The Chinese fans were happier to get free stuff than to see a buzzer-beater.

Who can blame them?  Yi Jianlian was traded to New Jersey, and he was supposed to be playing this game.

The cheering was balanced throughout the game.  Milwaukee erased a six-point deficit with less than ten minutes to play.

Matt Frieje scored the last basket for Milwaukee, putting them on top with 1.4 seconds to play.  That's when Kurz took the inbound pass and tossed up a shot that put Golden State in the lead for good. 

If the preseason is any indicator of how the Milwaukee Bucks will perform when the games count, we are in big trouble.

I do not think that they will perform that badly when the regular season starts.  It looks like Skiles is trying different mixes of players. 

The score is less important right now.  With that being said, the Bucks are getting blown out, so these player combinations and set ups are not yielding great results. 

The Bucks got within two points during the Pistons game, but failed to respond to a 12-0 run.  It is very hard to come back after being outscored by twenty points in the first half.  In that same game, Richard Jefferson was ejected from the game after his first half technical foul was coupled with another foul late in the third quarter.  Jefferson got so heated up that it looked like he was going to take a swing at the referee.

In that same game, Charlie Villanueva put up 26 points. 

In their pre-season opener, the Bucks looked cold.  The Timberwolves blew out Milwaukee by 38 points.

The T-Wolves were happy to see the newly acquired offensive performers living up to their expectations.

On the other side, the Bucks squad had only three players with double digit scoring.  Bogut did not play, nor did Alexander.

Still, it would have been nice to see a better performance against a team that looked so bad last year.

Their second game of the pre season showed promise in the first quarter.  The Bucks went up by 13, only to see that lead drop to 5 points by half time.  The Pistons pulled way in the third and fourth quarters.  Joe Alexander, Richard Jefferson, and Luke Ridnour were amongst the injured players sitting on the sidelines.  An injury riddled Milwaukee squad could not hold up.  The Bucks lost their second pre season game.

In game three, the Dallas Mavericks had the Bucks beaten by the third quarter.  Down 22 points going into the fourth, the Bucks had little chance of pulling ahead of a strong Dallas squad.  Dallas had five players in double figures.  Milwaukee's Michael Redd did not play in that game.  Mbah a Moute saw over thirty-three minutes of playing time in that game.  He scored ten, and pulled in seven rebounds. 

As it stands, the Bucks have yet to win a pre season game, but there is always hope.  The next match up is against Golden State, in China.  You could call that a road game for both teams.  The Chinese love basketball, so one could expect cheering for both teams.  The jet lag alone is a scary thought, but both teams will suffer equally.  The Bucks will be back in the United States to play against The Timberwolves yet again on October 23^rd. 

Will the Milwaukee Bucks surprise the NBA fans with a playoff spot this year?  Sometimes those teams who claim that they are in a building year find themselves hitting their stride years before expected.  With the addition of Richard Jefferson, this transition might be shorter than first thought.  There are times when a team can pull off a playoff win, get deeper into the playoffs that thought, and parlay that into something that attracts even better players into the club.

As Reggie White helped to bring in key players for the Green Bay Packers, a solid playoff performance might be a magnet.

Other new players on the Bucks squad such as Luke Ridnour might not rope in big shots, but they might be a bigger sum over parts so-to-speak.

Sports writers say that Skiles coaching style will take one year to get the team in shape.  They expect it to take up to three years to see results from this Chicago transplant. 

Milwaukee fans are patient, as long as the Bucks win more games this season when compared to last year.  That's the goal, win more than last year. 

Our Milwaukee Bucks will get a feel for the Chinese fans of basketball this coming October.  The Bucks will play against Golden State in two arenas.  First, they will play in Guangzhou.  The second game will be in Beijing.  Over two hundred countries will have a chance to see the teams play.  Being tapped to play these games can generate a buzz for the NBA and the Milwaukee Bucks. 

As Yi Jianlian is gone, the buzz could have been much bigger if he was still on the team.  Yi is now a New Jersey Net.

As for other Bucks matters, Mr. Richard Jefferson has cleared up a rumor that he was mad about coming to Milwaukee.  He was upset that his time with New Jersey had come to an end.  As one of the members who went to the NBA Finals with N.J. he was sad to leave that team.  Jefferson is happy with the fact that Skiles really wanted him to come to Milwaukee. 

The Bucks start their 2008 season next month. The retooled bucks will be overshadowed by the Packers.  Hopefully, the Milwaukee Brewers will be in the playoffs that late.  That is going to make it tough for the Bucks to make a splash in this sports market.  Who knows, flying under the radar for the first few weeks of the season could give the Bucks some time to win games.

Skiles thinks that this team will take a few years to become a playoff force.  A pleasant surprise would be to have this Milwaukee team make the playoffs sooner than the target date Scott has put forth.

The Bucks traded Yi, Williams, and others.  They brought in veterans.  No, there are no new high profile players coming here to Wisconsin, but the NBA doesn't have enough stars to go around.  Let's just see what the future brings with the lineup that Milwaukee has.

The Bucks will be road tested before they come to the Bradley Center.  Toronto will be their first home opponent on November 1^st.

Prior to the 2008 Olympics in China, Andrew Bogut had to get one little thing taken care of here in Milwaukee.  That little thing was his contract.  The press made no bones about it, the contract needed to be signed before he played for the Australian team. 

The pressure was a hedge.  What if Bogut got injured?  What if that injury kept him off the court, or took him out of the NBA for good?  The contract had to be settled. 

As the United States "Redeem Team" started to win its way through the Olympic competition, so did Australia. 

By the time the two teams met, Bogut came up lame with an ankle injury.  He saw very limited playing time in that game.  When it was over, Bogut had to sit on the sidelines. 

Milwaukee Bucks fans should not worry; Bogut will perhaps miss a few games at the most.  Otherwise, he will be on the court in time for the regular season opener.  It just goes to show you that Andrew had the right plan in mind.  Get that contract signed and go on to China with little worries. 

The "Redeem Team" went on to win gold in Beijing, and the Australian team was just a stepping stone to glory. 

The Mo Williams trade is official, and coming to Milwaukee will be Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin.  The backcourt is pretty full now, and Mo Williams strengthens the Cleveland team.  The Cavaliers feel that they are gaining a player who is hitting his peak years.  As most NBA fans will know, Damon Jones will suit up for his eleventh team in the same number of seasons.  Jones has played over 630 games in the NBA, and his experience will most likely speed up the learning process for the new batch of rookies.

Meanwhile Andrew Bogut was the man to beat on the Australian Olympic team in Beijing.  The United States faced our Milwaukee center on their way to a gold medal round.  The U.S. team went on to beat Australia by over thirty points. 

Andrew Bogut scored only four points in eleven minutes.  A recurring ankle injury put him off his game.  His early fouls also put him on the bench.  Patrick Mills was the high scorer on the "Aussie" team, racking up twenty points in the loss.  Bogut's team is currently 3-2 after the loss to USA. 

The first press conference with Luke Ridnour showed that Skiles finds Luke to be someone he has taken a liking to for quite a while.  Skiles commented on Ridnour's vision when bringing the ball up the court.  Considering Scott's record of thirty assists in a single game, he should know what he's talking about. 

Skiles noted that Ridnour will take the shot if he is left out in the open.  If he's covered, he will do his job of dishing the ball to the open man.  Luke Ridnour mentioned his hero Pete Maravich who died when he was just six years of age.  Luke feels that he has a thirst for basketball that is similar to Pete's.

Mo Williams might be moving on to the Cavaliers in a three-way trade.  Out of that transaction, The Milwaukee Bucks would acquire Luke Ridnour from Oklahoma City, formerly the SuperSonics of Seattle.  The NBA rumor mill has confirmed that talks between Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Oklahoma have been in action. 

This trade would give strength to the Cleveland backcourt.  Ridnour had limited starts last season.  His point-per-game average hit a career low of 6.4.  He is expected to earn just shy of 6.5 million per year over the next two seasons.  The trade will require additional compensation, as Williams is slated to earn 8.4 million next season.

During his college days, Ridnour played for the University of Oregon.  He was part of a team that twice made it to the Elite Eight NCAA Division 1 Tournament.  By his junior year, Ridnour decided to take his chances in the NBA draft, where he was picked 14^th, by Seattle.

Ridnour's rookie year in Seattle found him playing a backup role.  During his 2005-06 season, his numbers peaked.  He scored an average of 11.5 points per game that year, with a free throw percentage of .877. 

To recap the Bucks summer league schedule, Milwaukee was 3-2.  Their final game against Cleveland was an 88-72 win.  The summer league roster included Joe Alexander, Daniel Dillon, Matt Freije, Ramon Sessions, Rod Wilmont and others. 

For the Milwaukee Bucks, two interesting away games are on tap at the start of the new season.  First, the Bucks face the Chicago Bulls, Skiles former team.  Then the Bucks will face Okalahoma City in Okalahoma.  I would imagine that the former of the two is on the mind of Scott Skiles.

Yes, it will be a boisterous crowd in Oklahoma.  But Skiles will want to shine at the United Center.  The home opener is November 1^st against the Raptors.  Marquee games for the first month include Phoenix, and the Celtics.  Three former Bucks now reside in Boston.

Late in the season, the Los Angeles Lakers come to town on April 1^st.  The Bucks schedule includes a 22 game stretch, with two West and East Coast road trips.

Former Dallas Maverick Tyronn Lue signed with the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2008 season.  Lue has championship experience, as he played for the Lakers in 2000 and 2001.  This acquisition will add depth to the roster at Guard.  Along with Lue, Malik Allen was acquired at the same time.  Allen was also a Maverick, by way of the Nets. 

Lue has played in over 500 NBA games over ten seasons.  Allen is a veteran of seven years, averaging over three rebounds per game. 

The NBA summer league continues with a win by our Milwaukee Bucks.  Highlights of the game include the 21 points scored by Ramon Sessions, and a 12-point comeback run.  By the forth quarter, the Bucks kept the lead for good, and went up by as much as 16, against a struggling Detroit Pistons. 

Detroit had only one player who scored double-figures, while the Bucks Rookie Joe Alexander, scored eleven points, going 5-9 with 27 minutes.

Oyedeji put up nine points and grabbed eight rebounds in his 21 minutes on the wood. The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Pistons 73-59.  The Bucks go on to play the Denver Nuggets on 17^th and the Timberwolves on July 19^th. 

The ink is dry on the Joe Alexander contract.  Alexander signed a 4.5 million, two-year contract.  Milwaukee holds the rights to extend the contract for another two years where Joe would earn over five million in that period. 

The new Bucks rookie, coming out of West Virginia, was happy to sign with Milwaukee.

The newly acquired veteran Richard Jefferson had praise for Alexander.  He stated, "I have an opportunity to play with a [talented] young guy.

Jefferson further stated that the younger players have a tendency to push the veterans during practice.  This author feels that they also bring an excitement to the game that older players tend to forget about.

This past Tuesday, Alexander was in camp at the Cousins Center for the summer league squad.  The Las Vegas summer league starts Saturday against the Grizzlies.    

Richard Jefferson is coming around to the idea of a dynamic duo.  Michael Redd, being the eight highest scorer in the league and Richard Jefferson ranking ninth, should provide the Bucks with some serious scoring power.  On Monday, Jefferson stated, "me and Mike might complement each other even more."

Redd is a shooter that works the outside, and Jefferson works the paint.  Together, they should provide a balanced attack.  Looking forward, Jefferson admitted that come 2010, he would have been out of New Jersey anyway. 

Before playing for Australia in the upcoming Olympics, Andrew Bogut would like to clear up one little thing, his contract renewal.  Early reports stated that the contract could wait until after the Olypics, but Bogut wants to lock it in now. 

It's coming up on the final year of Bogut's rookie season, where he is set to earn 6.3 million dollars.   

In other matters, Richard Jefferson is reportedly unhappy with the trade from Jew Jersey to Milwaukee.  It is reported that he is not unhappy about the move to Milwaukee itself, but the details of the trade. 

On the up side, the newly acquired rookie, Luc Richard Mbah-a-Moute is excited to be part of the Bucks team.  He has heard good things from other players.  Milwaukee Bucks fans are looking forward to seeing what the newly acquired rookies can do to help. 

Yi has moved on to play in the big market he has hoped for.  Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian will move on to New Jersey in exchange for Richard Jefferson, a small forward who can certainly play.  To some, the trade of Yi is a surprise.  The Bucks had to make a move that would help to build the team.  Yi had more value in a trade situation vs. grooming him to be a long term Buck.

Jefferson is a 28-year-old tough-nosed player with playoff experience.  He finished as a top ten scorer this year.  During his time with the Nets, Jefferson averaged 17.4 points and five rebounds per game. 

Yi played in 66 games as a Milwaukee Buck, with 8.6 points per game along with 5.2 rebounds.  An injury slowed his progress, and by the end of his rookie season, Yi was feeling the drag of performing at the NBA level. 

Some will miss the marriage of the fans from China and Milwaukee; both had high hopes for Yi.  To think that Yi Jianlain wanted to stay was foolhardy.  He had lofty goals that could not be satiated by the Milwaukee Market. 

Simmons spent one of his three years in Milwaukee with an injury that kept him on the bench.  His six years in the NBA found him scoring an average of 10.0 points, with 4.1 rebounds. 

Joe Alexander is now a Milwaukee Buck.  Last year, Yi came to Milwaukee most reluctantly.  Nobody had to beg Alexander to give Milwaukee a chance.  He claimed that being drafted in the first round of the NBA was a "dream come true." 

Alexander also said that he couldn't wait to suit up for the Bucks.  Milwaukee had their sites on Joe, and the chips fell into place when Knicks took Italian Danilo Gallinari.  Alexander heaped compliment upon compliment when talking about being drafted by Milwaukee.  He is ready to contribute, and he is ready to take as many minutes as he deserves. 

Joe Alexander has some serious athletic ability.  He led his college team in scoring, and was an all-Big East first team pick.  He was almost named as an All American. 

Alexander spent his childhood years in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Will Wisconsin Badgers Brian Butch find a place in the NBA this year?  If he does, it will most likely be as an undrafted player.  For the few faults you could find in Butch's performance, he is considered good on the boards, and a solid team player.  Some scouts feel that he will be one of the first sixty college kids to find a job. 

He might a be a good tool in the old toolbox for a team with specific needs.  Would the Bucks find a place for Butch?  The Bucks are more likely to draft one of the following:  Eric Gordon from Indiana, Darrell Arthur from Kansas, Joe Alexander from West Virginia, and a few others. 

The options are many, once the draft gets past the top five picks.  When picking from the number eight spot, who knows where the moves will be headed.  Do the Bucks trade up?  They don't really have any current players in demand.  To me, it looks like they will keep their number eight spot and hope for the best. 

If there are any hints as to whom the Bucks like, you could look to the fact that Joe Alexander of West Virginia had his second visit.  As a player that is expected to be drafted in the top ten, Alexander won't likely be gone in the first five picks.  Skiles had a few questions for Joe, and that is why he made the second visit to Milwaukee.

Reports coming out of West Virginia say that Alexander will be drafted by the Nets at number ten.  The draft picture is quite often a guessing game when you get past the top five picks.  As for Alexander, his placement was eighth in seven of the popular mock drafts, he was considered to go ninth in two, 12 in one and 14 in another. Two very popular sports websites don't even consider Alexander to be a top ten pick at all. 

A workout video in May of this year shows Alexander performing some amazing dunks. 

What the Bucks need is someone that will gel with a team that needs to perform as one.

The showboating is not necessary. 

Who is on the way out this summer?  Word is that Michael Redd or Mo Williams will be on the move to another team before long.  New York has shown interest in Redd.  Putting together a good trade package might help the Bucks move up in the draft.  Handing over Charlie Villanueva to one of the teams ahead of Milwaukee in the upcoming draft might help the Bucks to bring in a rookie that can fill a position of weakness.

Meanwhile, Skyles spent the past two weeks talking with the Bucks players, in hopes of getting a feel for what happened last season.  Overall, the majority of the Bucks mentioned that there was a lack of teamwork and respect for each other.  Skyles style of coaching is sure to bring about the discipline that was lacking in the past.  As for his ability to get the players to respect each other, who knows if that can happen. 

Finally, will the Bucks have a chance to do what Boston just accomplished?  Boston went from worst to first in one season, after winning the NBA Championship last night.  That was accomplished after Boston acquired two All Star performers.  As the Bucks look for help in the draft, and not from a proven veteran, the Milwaukee Bucks are more likely to languish at the bottom, or slowly work their way into playoff contention. 

Milwaukee needs to make room to get under the salary cap.  Early estimates put Milwaukee at least four million over the projected cap if nothing changed right now.  It will be tough to move Bobby Simmons or Gadzuric, but if they did hit the road, that could free up plenty of cash to get under the cap.  Finally, Michael Redd will most likely be hunted down by other NBA teams, as he doesn't have the right combination of support players in Milwaukee.  Redd might look to move to another team that has stronger players. 

Do the referees decide the outcome of key games in the NBA?  Convicted felon Tim Donaghy made a statement yesterday in which he claimed that specific playoff games had their outcome altered in order to extend a series. 

This could be the "singing" of someone who's trying hard to avoid spending over two years in prison.  It's easy to blame the referee for your team's poor performance.  After Donaghy was busted in a betting scandal, it gets that much easier to blame the officials. 

The game of basketball moves at lightning speed.  If you have ever sat courtside, you might have the perspective of a referee.  They don't have the advantage of a bird's eye view, slow motion, or replay.  The fans are quick to point out fouls not called, when they see them repeated over and over during a time out.  There are no review flags in the NBA, yet. 

David Stern spent nearly ten minutes on the dock of the Staples Center last night, explaining to the press that there is no scandal here.  He repeatedly said that this is an act of a desperate man.

Looking back at last season, the Milwaukee Bucks went 4-20 during the final two months.  For the two months prior to that, their record was 12-17.  11-18 were the final numbers for November and December.  Skyles disciplinary coaching style should improve that dismal number.  The chemistry between players has to improve as well.  Bogut and Villanueva worked well together, but that effective nature has to permeate across the rest of the team before the Bucks can get above the 30+ win mark. 

Sportswriters are predicting that it will take at least two years for the Milwaukee Bucks to get to the level of a .500 team. 

Who is more likely to be traded during the off season?  Mo Williams has five years on his contract.  That could make it tough to trade him.  The market for a point guard is better than other positions, but that is no guarantee of a trade. 

A quick scan of the posts from Milwaukee sportswriters and bloggers would suggest that nobody knows who the heck the Milwaukee Bucks will draft in the first round.   Danilo Gallinari's name comes up more than once.  The Bucks have lots of big guys on the roster, and they need a small forward.  Gallinari is coming out of Italy.  The Europeans feel that he is one of the best players on that side of the Atlantic.  He's a young man with veteran skills.  He will certainly have to bulk up for the big men of the NBA, but at his age he can accomplish that in short order.  Armani Jeans, the team he's currently on, had a light schedule and didn't perform well.  

If Gallinari wants playing time, being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks would not be the worst thing in the world.  DeAndre Jordan is another name popping up, but our immediate needs do not match up with DeAndre's position. 

John Hammond could easily trade up, down, or move out of the first round, so all this talk could be for nothing.  I'm leaning toward Gallinari, if Hammond stays in the first round. 

The rumblings about the old Bradley Center had started long before the story in today's paper.  David Stern  thinks the BC is still up to snuff, but Milwaukee should start thinking about what to do about the 20-year-old facility.  To compete, the luxury boxes will need to be updated, services would need tweaking, and who knows what else.  Timing can certainly help.  If the Bucks could pull off a playoff birth, make it deep into the playoffs or even the finals, the fans would be more apt to pony up the cash for seat licenses.   It's a tougher sell when your home town team hasn't made the playoffs since 2001.  Milwaukeeans put up big resistance to the public funding of Miller Park.  As this effort would require fewer dollars, that's still not guarantee that the general public would be fired up to pay even more taxes. 

 In my humble opinion, make the product more appealing before you raise the price.  If the revenue from a new facility were to bring in bigger dollars, and then the Bucks were to use those funds wisely to built a dynasty, then we will all forget about the cost of doing business in the NBA.

Is Andrew Bogut risking his health so he can play in the Olympics?  No shot.  It is rumored that Andrew Bogut is waiting to sign his contract extension before he starts practice with the Australian squad.  The Boomers can wait for Bogut to ink the deal.  As the 2005 number 1 draft pick by Milwaukee, Bogut has come to be one of the better centers in the NBA when it comes to passing and assists.  Averaging over 12 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, Bogut has a lot to offer the Milwaukee Bucks as they rebuild the team starting with their new coach.  Skyles called him a "good, young center," and that bodes will for Andrew.  Bogut racked up more minutes than any other center in the conference. 

Bogut is still developing into an All Star performer.  While vacationing in Croatia this past April, Bogut commented to the press that he was proud of his play during the last half of the season.  Andrew needed to forget about the off-court distractions to come around to playing some serious basketball.  Some sports insiders feel that the only players safe from the changes in the Bucks roster are Andrew and Yi.  Time will tell if that comes to be. 

Meanwhile Andrew should have the new contract written up by mid June, and he hopes to be earning the lofty sum of $125 per day after that.  That's the pay the Australians will earn while training for the summer Olympics. 

On a side note, the mock draft pick for the Milwaukee bucks continue to shift back and fourth.  One thing is for sure.  The Bucks don't need a center. 

Is Redd out the door?  Part of the changes in store for the Milwaukee Bucks might include unloading Michael Redd.  Other teams around the league might find a spot for Redd, but they have to get around that massive contract first.  He is supposed to pull in over 32 million dollars in the next two years.  Bucks fans have gone through enough lean years, so trading Redd for a fine draft pick shouldn't be received in a negative fashion.  Turning this team around slowly, with young talent is a solid plan.  Meanwhile, Eric Gordon's name is coming up as to their pick. 

Time will tell if that falls into place.  Unloading Redd might have an effect on the draft picks in later rounds, but probably not in the first round. 

On a side note, Yi has been asking for donations for earthquake relief.

The Milwaukee Bucks move down one spot in the upcoming draft.  More surprising is the move of The Chicago Bulls to first in line.  That puts one of the best college players in our division, but not on the home team roster.  The Bulls will probably choose between Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley. 

Early predictions are that the Bucks will make a move for Anthony Randolph out of LSU.  Randolph has come out early, leaving him a bit of a raw talent.  First thing he needs to do is beef up for the big men in the NBA.  At 6-10, and just under 220lbs, Randolph needs to add at least another 20lbs to fend off highly skilled power forwards.  On the defensive side, he should be a formidable opponent.  He has made himself into a solid shot blocker and isn't afraid to get in there for the tough rebound.  The Milwaukee Bucks will need to spend a few years bringing this pick up to pro levels. 

If the Bucks moved up one slot, they might make a move for the Italian, Danilo Gallinari.  His shooting skills would be a plus, and his ability to rotate in and out of the game would give others a break.  Moving down one position the Bucks may take a chance on Kevin Love.  Love comes out of UCLA, as a smart player, but scouts consider him a risk.  He's known as a solid passer, and has good moves in the post.  Opposing players could exploit his weaknesses, and this guy could be a bust.  He needs to work on his lateral moves and jumping skills.  Time will tell if Love is worthy of playing in the NBA.

If the Bucks could steal anyone, I think Jerryd Bayless would be the man to shoot for.  A much hyped high school athlete, Bayless needs time to season.  All the talk about Bayless can't be just smoke and mirrors. 

Another young man to come out of college early and someone the Bucks might consider is DJ Augustin.  Augustin's speed at point guard is a plus.  He's known a leader on the court, and is willing to pass it off to the open man, but he can score on his own. 

Before the Bulls stole the coveted first pick, they were likely to consider choosing Kosta Koufos out of Ohio State.  As Milwaukee finds itself the ninth team to choose in the first round, Koufos might be the man available.  During the 2007-2008 season, he averaged 14.4 points per game, and had nearly 7 rebounds over 37 games.  The Bucks don't need another center, but at 7-0, and 265lbs, he might be a trade prospect. 

The Milwaukee Bucks have open positions to fill.  They hired a new athletic trainer Marc Boff this week.  Mark comes to Milwaukee via The Milwaukee Bulls camp.  Boff is a highly qualified trainer that spent time in Boston and New Orleans.    

Another important job has just been filled as well.  Jon Horst, working with the Detroit Pistons for the past few years, is now the director of basketball operations.  What is most important is that the management team work together to find a way to get the Bucks into the playoffs.  Herb Kohl is reportedly a "hands off" type of team owner when it comes to day to day management.  He did make a trip to Hong Kong when it came time to negotiate for Yi Jianlian.  He does have input on important matters.  What might help get the Milwaukee Bucks into the playoffs would be to have Herb Kohl try his best to bring the team and managment together.  Herb Kohl has taken flak for the draft picks, the trades, and letting Ernie Grunfeld give away some great players, but when you compare his moves to other small market teams, he falls in line with other owners.     

Milwaukee Bucks guard Mo Williams underwent surgery on his thumb last week.  The ligament damaged thumb on his right hand will have lots of time to heal from the successful operation performed by a specialist in New York.  The recovery time will be about six weeks.  In that time, Williams has to avoid any basketball related activities.  As training camp starts in October, there will be plenty of time for Mo to heal.  A thumb is important, but consider the injury to the Minnesota Timberwolves Theo Ratliff.  His knee injury in December of 2007 had him sidelined for many weeks.  Considering the nature of that injury, his healing process could be long. 

Is Kelvin Sampson headed to Milwaukee?  Sources say that he will most likely take an assistant's position with the Milwaukee Bucks.  Scott Skiles has been making inroads towards this outcome.  Sampson was forced out at Indiana this past February.  His recruiting violations were the issue at Indiana, and that won't be a problem in the pro ranks.  Until the issue is fully resolved at Indiana, we might not have an answer from Skiles.  In the meantime, Skiles is also looking at the former Buck Joe Wolf. 

As a huge star in China, Yi Jianlian has a high profile.  Living in the United States, and playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, Yi still longs to go home to carry the Olympic torch as it tours the world.  Even Yi has heard the rumor that he might get the nod.  Despite the controversy that follows the torch as it travels the world, Yi's part in this tour would be welcome by most everyone.  I know that if he does carry that torch, he will probably be the tallest man to carry that flame since the Olympic tradition has been revived. 

It's a fresh start for The Milwaukee Bucks as they hire Scott Skiles to be the head coach for the 2008-2009 season.  Will the Bucks perform on defense in the coming year?  Will the 44 year old coach bring a defensive scheme that can put the Bucks in playoff contention?  Yes, Skiles has a level of discipline that the Milwaukee Bucks didn't see in Krystkowiak, but who knows if that is what Milwaukee needs.  I know that they need change at the defensive level.  First should come the trades, then the new scheme.  The Bucks have only one way to go but up.  Skiles has already stated that he doesn't have a magic bullet that will instantly make the Bucks contenders.

At this point anything would be an improvement.  Word around the court is that some team chemistry would be in order.  Once the trades are in place, that can be addressed.  Having taken the Bulls to three playoff appearances, Skiles has some experience to bring along to Milwaukee. 

The Bucks organization signed Skiles to a four-year, 18 million dollar contract.  Skiles happens to be a friend of Krystkowiak.  Would Skiles ever consider bringing Krystkowiak back into the Bucks organization?  He didn't rule it out entirely, but right now his focus will be on making the Bucks a tougher, more defensive team. 

Milwaukee Bucks guard Charlie Bell will be sidelined for at least two weeks because of a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee.Charlie Bell suffered the injury on Saturday's 108-98 surprising victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is averaging 7.6 points, 3.1 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 24.0 minutes in 68 appearances, including five starts, this season. Bell had played 191 consecutive games for Milwaukee, dating back to the 2005-06 NBA campaign.

Milwaukee Bucks won the first two meetings of the season with the Miami Heat. Now Yi and the Bucks look to take a season series for the first time in four years when they host woeful and even worse team than the Bucks, Miami on Tuesday.

Milwaukee Bucks (24-43) is looking to win three straight over Miami in the same season for the first time since 2002-03, and can secure a season series victory for the first time since 2003-04. The Bucks are in position to do so despite injury problems.

As the season comes to a close, the Bucks have not met the expectations that most would have thought. You have this young and talented team, but for some reason they cannot utilize the talent or their youth. They lack defense and they play offense like your typical NBA team, standing around and waiting for the ball. I think the NBA can learn a lesson or two from the college level games. Where is the intensity, passion and heart for the game? Has the NBA left fans with a sour taste in their mouth? I can only buy so many shoes, jerseys, and tickets to the game. I need something in return. I want to see the NBA hustle, defend and activate their talent. As of now, I am selling Milwaukee Bucks tickets at such a cheap price I can hardly give them away. The seasons is closing, and if you ever wanted to see what an NBA player looks like up close, get them now. Tickets are going for way under face value and there are plenty available behind the players bench and courtside club seats.       

Milwaukee Bucks rookie forward Yi Jianlian sat out for the 5^th time against the Utah Jazz, missing the game with a wrist injury.

Yi originally sustained the injury in January but played through it for nearly two months-a factor, the coach said, in Yi's recent drop in productivity and a sign of his character.

Yi's injury status is of particular concern to Chinese basketball officials, who want to make sure he's ready to play in the Olympics in August. China's biggest basketball star, Yao Ming, already is out for the season with a stress fracture in his foot but has assured Chinese fans he'll be ready for the Olympics.

Injured Bucks guard Mo Williams (abdomen) and forward Desmond Mason (knee) also missed Wednesday's game and are considered day-to-day.

Milwaukee Bucks lost another game this time to Washington 105-97 on Tuesday behind another uninspiring defensive performance. The Bucks have lost six of the last seven games, allowing 111.0 points on 50.9 percent shooting in those contests. With those numbers the Milwaukee Bucks can lose to anyone..  

Milwaukee Bucks allowed 10 first-half dunks and 66 points in the paint. Are we watching an NBA team or grade school basketball?

Charlie Villanueva had another strong performance on Tuesday, scoring 24 points and matching a season high with 16 rebounds. Villanueva is averaging 24.3 points and 9.8 rebounds in his last four games, after putting up 5.0 points and 4.7 boards in his previous three. What is happening here? As Villanueva is getting better, is the rest of the team getting worse?

At this point the Bucks cannot give away free tickets. Soon, the Milwaukee Bucks are going to pay fans to come and watch the agonizing defeat. A famous quote says, "If you build it they will come". Build what you ask. Build a new team that's what. Milwaukee Bucks tickets are so cheap that parking is going to cost you more than seeing a game.

The Milwaukee Bucks recorded a season high in points and assists in their last game, a 118-106 victory over Seattle on Wednesday and was their fourth win in five home games. They've beaten Detroit, Denver and Cleveland during that stretch, and the one loss was 96-94 to surging San Antonio.  Like I said earlier, could this be the post all-star surge that many teams have. I hope so. They have looked great and still have plenty of games left to play. If they keep it up, I believe they can make the playoffs. Go see the Bucks at a cheap price before they go up.

The Bucks won...or was it a dream? Charlie Villanueva scored a team high 32 points, his highest output in nearly two years as the Milwaukee Bucks scored a season-high 118 points to beat the Seattle Wednesday night. That means if you had a ticket to the game, you can get a free Big Mac...I would take the opportunity to get my free Big Mac while I can as this comes once in a blue moon, and I mean once in a blue moon! I have to admit the Bucks did look good last night. The Backcourt is finally pulling together and producing some action. Andrew Bogut  added 21 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. Could this be a post all-star resurgent? The Bucks still have a chance for the playoffs. We have to hope that they can continue playing great ball. On a different note I found this great blog about the Milwaukee Buck. It is pretty entertaining to read. If you are a true Bucks fan, I recommend this site. http://www.milwaukeebucksfanatic.blogspot.com/ I promise that you will get a laugh. Enjoy and get your cheap Milwaukee Bucks tickets. There are still some great games left at a very very reduced price.  

The Milwaukee Bucks have reached Game 50 of the 2007-2008 NBA losing to the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas. The team is all banged up, but you can't say they remaining guys aren't trying. Or can you?  I don't know. The scores have been sort of close. In last night's game, Andrew Bogut had 24 points, but then you have Maverick's player Dirk Nowitzki hitting his first career triple-double. Pretty exciting stuff for the home team, I guess.  The last time I saw a Milwaukee Bucks player get a triple-double was Charlie Bell in 2006 when the Bucks beat the Suns.

Bucks' starting forward Bobby Simmons was out of last night's game due to a bruised left leg. Add him to Michael Redd and Yi Jianlian already sitting on the bench with injuries and you have quite a sad state of affairs for our Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks are fifth, or last in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. Long way to the light guys. Give us that write for Milwaukee Bucks Blog something to write about!

As someone in my office just said, we might be looking at saying "Here are your Kansas City Bucks" pretty soon if change doesn't come soon!

The Milwaukee Bucks have reached Game 50 of the 2007-2008 NBA losing to the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas. The team is all banged up, but you can't say they remaining guys aren't trying. Or can you?  I don't know. The scores have been sort of close. In last night's game, Andrew Bogut had 24 points, but then you have Maverick's player Dirk Nowitzki hitting his first career triple-double. Pretty exciting stuff for the home team, I guess.

The last time a Milwaukee Bucks player had a triple-double was

The Milwaukee Bucks have brought up guard Ramon Sessions from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League

Sessions appeared in 24 games (17 starts) with Tulsa, averaging a team-high 21.1 points, a team-high 7.6 assists, and 6.5 rebounds in 36.2 minutes per game. Sessions is the only player to be named the D-League Performer of the Week twice this season, claiming the award on November 26, 2007 and January 28, 2008.

A 6-3 guard out of Nevada, Sessions was the 56th overall selection by the Bucks in the 2007 NBA Draft. He has been on assignment in Tulsa for the entire D-League season. He was joined by Bucks teammate David Noel on January 20. Sessions played in five preseason games with the Bucks, averaging 1.4 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 7.0 minutes of action.

 

This is going to be another one of those years where as the NBA season winds down, you start wishing for your team, the Milwaukee Bucks in my case, continues to lose to help them in the draft.  Once the NBA playoffs are out of reach, as it seems to be the case in Milwaukee, it is really hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sure momentum in to the next season is a good thing, but so is a nice draft pick.  The Bucks have been scoring points. For example, in last night's loss to the 30-12 Phoenix Suns the Bucks scored 105 points. Andrew Bogut had 19 points. Michael Redd scored 28, but fell apart for the team in the fourth quarter when he missed three shots. The Milwaukee Bucks have lost six of their last seven games. Come on guys! You have a city ready to cheer for you. Sure we have been a little preoccupied with the Green and Gold team to the north, but we are here for you and will get back to the days of "this is our house" or whatever that silly song was.

The Milwaukee Bucks play again tomorrow night, January 24 at the Bradley Center taking on the Indiana Pacers. The NBA season is a long one, but when you sit at 16-26 you have a lot of ground to make up.

The Bucks. The Bucks.

The Golden State Warrior's Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson each scored 20 points apiece as their team tore through the Milwaukee Bucks defense from beyond the arc.


Al Harrington's third 3-pointer of the night lead the Warriors to an 11-0 run and gave Golden State a 64-36 lead in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Even some of the little-used reserves got into the action. The Warriors shot 68% from 3-point range for the game (15/22).

Kelenna Azubuike scored 16 and Harrington added 15 and for the Warriors, who were able to play some of their little-used reserves in the fourth quarter of a blowout to rest some of their starters.

Michael Redd scored 24 points to lead the Bucks, who have lost six of seven with the only win in that stretch coming Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Warriors made six of eight 3s in the first quarter to take a five-point lead. Milwaukee then missed its first eight shots of the second quarter, falling behind 38-25.

Milwaukee shot 5-for-23 with six turnovers in the second quarter, getting outscored 27-11.

Milwaukee's 11-point second quarter matched a season low for any quarter and was the best defensive quarter of the season for Golden State.

A year can be measured in many ways.  For purposes of this entry, I will say I always pause when we get close to Thanksgiving and people start getting a little NBA spirit and make plans to go to the Bradley Center to see the Bucks play the night before the big feast.  I certainly could be wrong, but this seems like a longstanding tradition with the team.

With a couple of wins under their belt, the Milwaukee Bucks have a long season ahead, but with a good home crowd, the journey could be made all the more pleasant.  The Milwaukee Bucks record going in to their game against Cleveland tomorrow is even up at 4-4.

Milwaukee Bucks tickets are readily available, but if you want super good tickets, you'll need to pony up a bit of dough as NBA tickets on the wood or near the benches carry a hefty face value.

Basketball season is finally here in Milwaukee, but not too many people in Wisconsin are even aware that the season is about to begin. The Milwaukee Brewers just finished up their first winning season since 1992 and almost clinching a playoff berth, The Green Bay Packers are tied for the best record in the NFC North at 5-1. Seeing how the Bucks are coming off of a disappointing season last year, there isn't much hype of the Bucks in Milwaukee. Last year record of 28-54 was the worst in the league. However, that should change with key additions: Yi Jianlian and Desmond Mason.

Yi Jianlian came to Milwaukee with a ton of criticism and just as much potential. The 6′11″ forward was the sixth pick in June's draft and it was originally thought that he wouldn't play in Milwaukee ( Yi wanted to play in a market with a large Asian population) . However, after a trip to China by team owner and US Senator Herb Kohl and GM Larry Harris, Yi signed a contract and put to rest any rumors of trades to Chicago or Golden State. Yi will provide depth and versatility at the forward position and should benefit greatly by having a former NBA big man and coach Larry Krystkowiak as his coach. Desmond Mason also is making a trip back to Milwaukee. Mason played with the Bucks from 2003-2005 before being traded to the Hornets for Jamaal Magloire. Mason, who initially said he was angry with GM Larry Harris for trading him, has said he's happy to be back in Milwaukee and will have his greatest impact on the defensive end of the court.

In a move that signals the end of the Charlie Bell saga, the Bucks signed former Atlanta Hawks point guard Royal Ivey to a one-year contract.

Ivey played in 53 games with the Hawks last season, 18 of them as a starter. He averaged 3 points and 1 rebounds a game. He started 66 games in the 2005-'06 season and led all NBA guards in fewest turnovers per 48 minutes (1.1).

Ivey played most of his time at point guard for the Hawks, but he should see time at both guard positions for the Bucks.

Ivey, a former Texas Longhorn, will also help out on the defensive end of the court. He was a two-time Big 12 Conference all-defensive selection.

The Bucks have not yet decided publicly whether or not to match the Miami Heat's five-year, $18 million offer sheet to guard Charlie Bell, but Ivey is a cheaper option to replace him should they not match the offer.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed their second round draft pick (56th overall) Ramon Sessions to a multi-year contract, General Manager Larry Harris announced today. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. In July at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Sessions played in four games for the Bucks, averaging 5.8 points and 2.5 assists per game.

"Ramon was an excellent college point guard and we think he can develop into a solid pro," said Harris. "After watching him perform for our Summer League Team and getting to know him this summer, we felt he would be a strong addition to our backcourt."

Sessions (6-3, 190lbs) enjoyed a successful three-year playing career at the University of Nevada, earning Second Team All-WAC honors during his junior season, in addition to being named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. During the 2006-07 seasons, he was third on the team in scoring (12.3), second in rebounding (4.7) and first in assists (4.7, second in the WAC).

Sessions, 21, finished his collegiate career with 850 points, 410 rebounds, 478 assists, and 113 steals. He started in 94 out of 97 games during his three years and currently ranks 2nd in Nevada history in assists and 9th in steals.

Source:NBA.com

China's Yi Jianlian signed a multi-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, putting aside concerns that a move to Wisconsin might not best serve the forward's career prospects and style of play. Since the seven-foot Yi was taken by Milwaukee with the sixth selection in the NBA draft in June, the potential move has been fraught with problems.Chinese media reported the forward was reluctant to play in Milwaukee and that he preferred a city with a larger Asian population.It was also reported that Yi's former club, the Guangdong Tigers, wanted to block the move and that Yi was looking to trade to another NBA club.Yi, however, said he was now firmly focused on the future.Yi's contract was worth "roughly $3 million" a year, guaranteed for the first two years pursuant to an NBA collective bargaining arrangement for rookies on the draft.

The Bucks will tip-off their preseason with a games on Tuesday, October 9 against the Chicago Bulls in La Crosse, WI. The game marks a Bucks return to the La Crosse Center for the first time since the 1999 preseason.

Two games against the Western Conference Finalist Utah Jazz will be next. Milwaukee will play in Utah on Wednesday, October 10 then face the Jazz at the Bradley Center on Saturday, October 13.

The Bucks will make their fourth consecutive preseason appearance at the Resch Center in Green Bay, this time to faceing the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, October 16.

Following the game in Green Bay, the Bucks return to the Bradley Center for the 31st Annual MACC Fund Game on Saturday, October 20 vs. Minnesota. This annual event is the cornerstone of the Bucks 31-year commitment to the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer. Since the inaugural event in 1977, the annual MACC Fund Game has raised more than $1 million dollars for children's cancer research at the Midwest Children's Cancer Center in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee will close out its preseason schedule with road games in Denver (Tuesday, October 23), Chicago (Thursday, October 25) and Minnesota (Friday, October 26).

The Milwaukee Bucks will open the 2007-2008 season with a road game in Orlando on Wednesday, October 31followed by another road game in Charlotte on Friday, November 2, the Bucks will tip-off their 41-game home schedule with against division-rival Chicago on Saturday, November 3 at the Bradley Center.

The NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs make their lone visit to the Bradley Center on Saturday, March 1. LeBron James and the Eastern Conference Champion Cleveland Cavaliers come to Milwaukee on Tuesday, February 26 and Saturday, March 22. Following the 2008 All-Star Weekend (February 17), the Bucks will play 17 of their final 29 games at home, including a four-game homestand from March 12 to March 22 (Utah, Boston, Miami and Cleveland). The team will also enjoy four straight at home from February 9 - 20 (New York, LA Clippers, New Orleans and Detroit).

Five of Milwaukee's first six games come against 2007 playoff teams (at Orlando, Chicago, Toronto, at Houston and at San Antonio). Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets will be at the Bradley Center on Saturday, February 2, while Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and the rest of the Boston Celtics will visit Milwaukee on Saturday, March 15 and Tuesday, April 8.

The Bucks will close their regular season on the road for the third consecutive season, a Wednesday night match-up in Minnesota on April 16.

Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl is making a concerted effort to meet with the team's top draft pick, Yi Jianlian. Yi did not meet with Bucks officials or have the traditional post-draft day news conference. Instead he moved on from New York to Dallas, where he played with the Chinese national team against the U.S. Under-19 team Sunday night.

Yi's agents are seeking to force a trade by the Bucks and place him on another NBA team. They had hoped he would be drafted by a team in a big market with a larger population of Asian-Americans. Milwaukee, according to CNBC's Darren Rovell, doesn't even have enough Chinese American's to fill up the Bradley Center (18,717).

A bigger market would likely mean more exposure for Yi and more endorsement deals as well. Its worth noting that Nike has an endorsement deal with Yi and they'd love to see Yi (who they are aggressively marketing in China), in a big market.

There has been talk that Yi may sit out this year if Milwaukee keeps him. Milwaukee is obviously trying to get the #6 overall pick in the recent draft to report to camp and become a member of the Bucks.

Usually I am the first person to see the value in having American sports teams draft Asian players because of the doors they can open for an organization in that largely untapped market. Ichiro, Dice-K, Matsui and Yao have all helped their teams generate new income from sponsors and media deals.

But Herb Kohl should instruct GM Larry Harris to trade Yi for something of value. Once Yi plays in the NBA Summer League (not for the Bucks but for the Chinese National Team), he'll be exposed as a raw player who is years away from realizing any possible potential. Fans and companies want to buy in to players who are stars. Yi is not going to be a star. At best, he'll be a role player instead of a bench warmer.

Will Chauncey Billups become a Milwaukee Buck next season? Though Detroit Pistons general manager Joe Dumars has publicly vowed to re-sign Billups, the Bucks have a great potential of nabbing Chauncey Billups

Chauncey Billups had expressed interest last fall in signing with the Milwaukee Bucks when he becomes a free agent. The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the few teams that could afford to sign a high-profile free agent like Billups, who the Bucks see as an established veteran who could lead their offense and alleviate the pressure on star shooting guard Michael Redd.