Read the preview Not much love for the Bucks, huh? We play in a tough division, and we have our share of questions, but I have no doubt that we'll finish in the top 10 of the East.
I don't doubt it either. Ford stays healthy, Redd stays healthy, and Bogut plays ball like we expect and they'll be up there. I don't understand how people forget that they were a .500 hundred team, and fifth in the conference before last season.
The competition in the east got better. Alot of eastern teams have made huge adjustments and additions. The Bucks didnt do much but add Bogut and Get Ford back.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The competition in the east got better. Alot of eastern teams have made huge adjustments and additions. The Bucks didnt do much but add Bogut and Get Ford back.</div> Do you know who Bobby Simmons is?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GotSkillz92:</div><div class="quote_post">The competition in the east got better. Alot of eastern teams have made huge adjustments and additions. The Bucks didnt do much but add Bogut and Get Ford back.</div> They signed Bobby Simmons, re-signed Michael Redd, and re-signed Dan Gadzuric. They also added Ervin Johnson to their front court depth, and another veteran. As far as I can see the Bucks go 8 starters deep and have some great balance on their team. They can play uptempo or play a slowed down game.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The competition in the east got better. Alot of eastern teams have made huge adjustments and additions. The Bucks didnt do much but add Bogut and Get Ford back.</div> Ever heard of Bobby Simmons? I honestly I like the Bucks chances, at best I think they could get a 7th seed(my prediction for this season) but another lottery apperance is not to far behind. With Ford coming back after having a sleeper rookie season, with the additions of Simmons and Bogut this team will be alright. Michael Redd will continue to do his thing as well as Mason, Smith and Kukoc. You also can't forget about Mo Williams as well, who well serve as a solid backup PG. So overall this team could make some noice, no competition for the Eastern Conference Finals type of noice but something to get noticed.
^ They resigned Gadzuric. The Bucks will play in a tough division, so they arn't a lock for the playoffs, even with all the additions, but they are at least a top 10 team in the East for sure.
Ok, the last 3 posts were identical. The Bucks already had Redd, Gadzuric and Ervin are probably coming off the bench. Simmons was a good sign but he's probably coming off the bench also. They're playing in the east also. Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, chitown, cleveland, Washington, and orlando all considerably have better chances than milwaukee does. Gadzuric and Johnson arent any special at center and Bogut has made it clear that he doesnt want to start. Kukoc is old and he's nothing better then a solid bench player. Theyre definetely not top 10 in the East for sure.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GotSkillz92:</div><div class="quote_post">Ok, the last 3 posts were identical. The Bucks already had Redd, Gadzuric and Ervin are probably coming off the bench. Simmons was a good sign but he's probably coming off the bench also. They're playing in the east also. Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, chitown, cleveland, Washington, and orlando all considerably have better chances than milwaukee does. Gadzuric and Johnson arent any special at center and Bogut has made it clear that he doesnt want to start. Kukoc is old and he's nothing better then a solid bench player. Theyre definetely not top 10 in the East for sure.</div> I think you're wrong on quite a few counts there, man. Simmons will start, with Mason sliding to the 6th man role. Gadzuric will likely come off the bench, but he'd start on a few teams in this league, and was a big part of ANY success we had the last couple years, so it's not like he's a stiff. Johnson is old and won't do much, but he's an important veteran leader for our young team. I don't know where Bogut said that he doesn't want to start; that's Stott's call. He may not start because a) he hasn't fully developed yet and Danny is just fine as our starting center. Bogut will play a bunch of minutes, regardless. I disagree that the Knicks, Wizards or Magic have a better chance than us of making the playoffs. I think we are at least slightly better than all those teams.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GotSkillz92:</div><div class="quote_post">Ok, the last 3 posts were identical. The Bucks already had Redd, Gadzuric and Ervin are probably coming off the bench. Simmons was a good sign but he's probably coming off the bench also. They're playing in the east also. Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, chitown, cleveland, Washington, and orlando all considerably have better chances than milwaukee does. Gadzuric and Johnson arent any special at center and Bogut has made it clear that he doesnt want to start. Kukoc is old and he's nothing better then a solid bench player. Theyre definetely not top 10 in the East for sure.</div> I agree with a few of those teams being better, 76ers, Nets, Bulls, and Cavs. However, the Bucks have something going for them the Knicks, Magic, and Wizards don't have ... team chemistry. The difference is players like Desmond Mason & Andrew Bogut welcoming a chance to compete for a starting job versus players who feel they should be given the starting job. The Knicks have a lot of question marks on their roster. The Magic are going to cross their fingers and hope Steve Francis can manage as the starting point guard, and that Grant Hill can play this season. I'm not sure I would put he Bucks ahead of the Wizards, but they are on par with them. My rankings in the East would be ... #1 Detroit #2 Miami #3 Indiana #4 New Jersey #5 Cleveland #6 Chicago #7 Philly #8 Milwaukee #9 Washington #10 Orlando #11 Boston #12 New York #13 Charlotte #14 Toronto #15 Atlanta
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Schaddy:</div><div class="quote_post">I think you're wrong on quite a few counts there, man. Simmons will start, with Mason sliding to the 6th man role. Gadzuric will likely come off the bench, but he'd start on a few teams in this league, and was a big part of ANY success we had the last couple years, so it's not like he's a stiff. Johnson is old and won't do much, but he's an important veteran leader for our young team. I don't know where Bogut said that he doesn't want to start; that's Stott's call. He may not start because a) he hasn't fully developed yet and Danny is just fine as our starting center. Bogut will play a bunch of minutes, regardless. I disagree that the Knicks, Wizards or Magic have a better chance than us of making the playoffs. I think we are at least slightly better than all those teams.</div> Its still not decided who will start but Mason and Simmons would be a great help off the bench. Gadzuric is Ok but it's still a fight for the starting position. I think it will go to gadzuric who is a very good rebounder and blocker. I agree with Johnson, he's there for his veteran leadership and short minute's he'll play. Bogut said he doesnt expect to start and he's having a mediocre preseason and didnt do so great in the summer league. I wouldnt go with a averaging more minutes this year due to his success last year in 20 minutes. bunch of minutes for bogut. Gadzuric is a good center who's going to be I think Ervin will be more involved in the starting center rotation for the bucks then Bogut will like you mentioned that he's unexperienced and hasnt showed nba skill for the position yet. And the knicks, wizards, and magic do have a better shot at the 7th or 8th position. The wizards are only going 2 get better this year and the same with the magic. The knicks have a good shot but we'll have to see how the chemistry is in the beginning of the season.
This seems to be a theme for the Bucks during this time of year. "Milwaukee Bucks get screwed by power rankings." I dont know why they dont think we will be that good
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">I agree with a few of those teams being better, 76ers, Nets, Bulls, and Cavs. However, the Bucks have something going for them the Knicks, Magic, and Wizards don't have ... team chemistry. The difference is players like Desmond Mason & Andrew Bogut welcoming a chance to compete for a starting job versus players who feel they should be given the starting job. The Knicks have a lot of question marks on their roster. The Magic are going to cross their fingers and hope Steve Francis can manage as the starting point guard, and that Grant Hill can play this season. I'm not sure I would put he Bucks ahead of the Wizards, but they are on par with them. My rankings in the East would be ... #1 Detroit #2 Miami #3 Indiana #4 New Jersey #5 Cleveland #6 Chicago #7 Philly #8 Milwaukee #9 Washington #10 Orlando #11 Boston #12 New York #13 Charlotte #14 Toronto #15 Atlanta</div> What team chemistry? Bogut, Simmons, and Ford are all new. ( Ford hasnt played in a while.) If they had so much chemistry then why did they only win 30 games last season. The knicks have made better acquisitions with curry, frye, lee, robinson, butler, and Q. The only positions in question is PF and C. And LB probably already knows who's starting. Washington was a playoff team last year. They lost Hughes but they added Daniels, atkins, and Butler. Daniels, Arenas, Jamison, Haywood, and Jeffries looks better then ford, redd, simmons, gadzuric, and Smith. Not to mention the wiz have better depth at the bench. THE WIZARDS ARE MORE EXPERIENCED also. I agree with Boston because they lost GP and Walker. Orlando is so/so to me because of Hill. But Howard is coming off a solid year, they added dooling, and last time i checked they still had Steve Francis, Nelson, and Stevenson. They might be better but its a tossup.
^If you have been paying attention to the Bucks you would know that Ford is as good as ever. Is shot has even improved.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting bangofan13:</div><div class="quote_post">^If you have been paying attention to the Bucks you would know that Ford is as good as ever. Is shot has even improved.</div> How is he better?? He hasnt played competitive basketball in the NBA for a Year. Taking a year off rehabilitating will not make you better. I wouldnt expect too much from Ford either. He's healthy but we still dont know how good he really is.
Exactly, the question at PF and C is the reason I'd rank the Bucks ahead of the Knicks. Curry is a questionable acquistion at this point, look at the articles today, Jackie Butler is outplaying Curry and James at this point. Also what's Quentin Richardson's role on the team, he looks lost right now? He's still bombing 3's to the dismay of Larry Brown, even though QRich said that's not his game. Now he's injured, and doesn't know when he'll be back. I'm not talking about who's new, I'm talking about team chemistry and guys willing to work as a group. The Knicks don't have those type of players. They have players who need the ball to be effective and who don't play much defense. Eddy Curry, Marbury, Crawford, and Richardson all like to shoot the ball at least 10 times a game. I haven't heard any of them willing to come off the bench for the great good of the team. The loss of Larry Hughes is already effecting the Wizards, specifically Gilbert Arenas. Instead of being guarded man to man, teams are doubling him immediately to get the ball out his hands or frustrating him to take a bad shot. Atkins, Daniels, and Butler are nice role players, but they don't attract the same attention Hughes attracts on the court. Plus you have Antawn Jamison chucking from the perimeter without hesitation. The Wizards will live and die all season long with the three ball.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GotSkillz92:</div><div class="quote_post">How is he better?? He hasnt played competitive basketball in the NBA for a Year. Taking a year off rehabilitating will not make you better. I wouldnt expect too much from Ford either. He's healthy but we still dont know how good he really is.</div> But we do know how good Mo Williams can be and he's more than capable of leading the Bucks if Ford cannot deliver. The Bucks are two deep at each position and very versatile.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">Exactly, the question at PF and C is the reason I'd rank the Bucks ahead of the Knicks. Curry is a questionable acquistion at this point, look at the articles today, Jackie Butler is outplaying Curry and James at this point. Also what's Quentin Richardson's role on the team, he looks lost right now? He's still bombing 3's to the dismay of Larry Brown, even though QRich said that's not his game. Now he's injured, and doesn't know when he'll be back. I'm not talking about who's new, I'm talking about team chemistry and guys willing to work as a group. The Knicks don't have those type of players. They have players who need the ball to be effective and who don't play much defense. Eddy Curry, Marbury, Crawford, and Richardson all like to shoot the ball at least 10 times a game. I haven't heard any of them willing to come off the bench for the great good of the team. The loss of Larry Hughes is already effecting the Wizards, specifically Gilbert Arenas. Instead of being guarded man to man, teams are doubling him immediately to get the ball out his hands or frustrating him to take a bad shot. Atkins, Daniels, and Butler are nice role players, but they don't attract the same attention Hughes attracts on the court. Plus you have Antawn Jamison chucking from the perimeter without hesitation. The Wizards will live and die all season long with the three ball.</div> Antonio Daniels isnt as good as Hughes but he can still score effectively and so can Atkins. If they double team then they have 3 good 3 pt shooters. Jamison isnt a chuck there's a reason he averaged 20 and 7 last year. Hughes doesnt mean that much to the wizards. Theyve already replaced him with solid players. Arenas isnt going 2 chuck the ball and get double teamed. Like I said, Arenas has been known to be a good passer. There's no doubt that he'll pass the ball to haywood, atkins, daniels, or Jamison when theyre open. Good point with the knicks. They do have problems at PF and C but realistically Curry and Davis/Butler/Lee will start. That depends on the rest of the preseason. Q has been injured but when he gets back, He'll play his LAC style ball like he said. Butler hasnt outplayed Curry. Curry hasnt played competitive basketball in 6 months or so. He's out of shape but he's still averaged 10 pts every time he plays. Marbury is the leader of the team, I dont think it matters if he has 0 pts but they still win. SM3 will do whats best for the team. If he needs to score he scores, if he needs to assist he assists. Crawford is still a huge question and so is Q. But there's a reason theyve been working in preaseason and making great additions such as LB. LB wont take crapola and will make this team play defense.
Neither Daniels or Atkins can create their own shots like Hughes could. Unless the Wizards change their offensive sets, they will struggle to score. They played a guard oriented attack last season with Arenas and Hughes, that offense won't work with Daniels and Atkins playing the same role Hughes played. The key for the Wizards will be Butler in my opinion. I have to disagree with you about Jamison, he's become a chucker. His knee injuries have caught up to him and he can't drive and take the hard fouls anymore. He's resorted to hanging out on the perimeter.
I think that the Wiz and Bucks are similar in that they've made major changes, but there's quite a bit of wait-and-see when it comes to predicting how they'll do this year. I personally can't shake the feeling that the Wizards sort of spun their wheels this offseason. Getting Butler for Brown was a very solid move, but he's more a 3 than a 2, just like a player they already had on the roster, Jarvis Hayes. Then, they grab Antonio Daniels, another smart pickup, but another guy who's similar to a player they already have, Gilbert Arenas. Not that their games are identical, its just that each is pretty much a combo guard. I don't doubt that these moves will pay off for the Wizards, but it seems that they could have done better by getting a true replacement for Hughes. I think that teams like the Bucks and Wizards will be right about the same level of 40-42 wins, fighting for a playoff spot.
