Bogut Headed to Vegas

Sounds boring, like every All-Star weekend anyway. What a cheese factory it has become. My God I just noticed this is the first post in the Bucks forum in like five days or so.

 

^ Believe me, I've wanted to post some stuff, but considering the team's level of play it would've just been a tirade against Stotts fillled with a lot of bleeps

 

I'm all for it. Complain all you want my friend, you deserve a better head coach then Stotts. I'm still confused to this day what the hell happened to this franchise after they won their first championship so quickly. Ok we know what they lost, but still, rebound! No, hire a bunch of idiots or sign guys who don't want to stay dedicated to the franchise. Ok I'm done, sorry for the temporary hijack.

 

<div class="quote_poster">M Two One Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm all for it. Complain all you want my friend, you deserve a better head coach then Stotts. I'm still confused to this day what the hell happened to this franchise after they won their first championship so quickly. Ok we know what they lost, but still, rebound! No, hire a bunch of idiots or sign guys who don't want to stay dedicated to the franchise. Ok I'm done, sorry for the temporary hijack.</div>

Nah, man, I'm glad I'm not the only one out there who's so frustrated with the Bucks right now.

I'll give Stotts this - when he's got all his guys healthy, he has shown that he can get his team to - at least in the East - a playoff level.

However, Stotts is a guy who insists on trying to run a Phoenix-style team, but he doesn't have the personnel. He's got an elite scorer in Redd, and improving 1 in Mo (who fits the Stotts style more than any other Buck), and a tremendous third guard in Charlie Bell, who can defend, score, and always makes the big play. When our backcourt is healthy, we can play a frenetic style of basketball.

The problem with all that, even with a clean bill of health, is that Stotts has absolutely NO IDEA how to use his ultra-talented 22 year old seven footer. I don't mean to make Bogut the subject of this discussion, but here's the skinny on him: he has terrific hands and a high basketball IQ. His feel for the game is really advanced for such a young player. He's a great high post passer who understands how to manipulate not only his defender, but the opposing defense overall. He can screen a guy while setting up a teammate - he's just a playmaker. He takes charges, he hustles for loose balls, he honestly is more of a dirty dog than I thought he'd be. I mean, just looking at him, you see a Euro-style white kid, but he's tougher than he looks. He's got pretty good footwork, but he's more clever than he is physically skilled, IMO. What I'm getting at here is that he needs to have the offense run, if not fully, at least partially through him. He never gets enough shots in Stotts' system, because most of the time Stotts wants the ball in one of our guards' hands - not altogether a bad idea, considering they can all handle and create, but when you've got a weapon like Andrew in the paint, you'd be a moron not to use him as often as you can. Defensively, I've been slightly disappointed in Bogut. He's not a very natural shot-blocker, and needs to learn the nuances of defending bigger, more physical guys who can score. I defenitely see a lot of room for improvement in Bogut's defensive game, but keep in mind I'm very harsh on players defensively. He's about average, but I want to see more.

So basicly, the biggest problems with Stotts are his inability to properly utilize our former #1 overall pick, and the fact that he insists on using a style that will ultimately not win us games. You give him Phoenix's roster, and he'll win 50 games. You give him our roster, and he really has no idea how to use his players. The most frustrating thing is that he apparently doesn't even try to make our guys better defensively. Nobody moves their feet, no hands in the air on shooters, I mean we practically put up a sign that says 'Jump shooters welcome'. Then, after we get torched from the wing, we get too far up on shooters, and they either pass around us into the post where we lack overall bulk (but have reasonably tough guys in Skinner and Bogut), or they just burn us with dribble penetration because Redd isn't much of a man defender, Mo is really only concerned with getting steals to start the break, and Bell, our best defensive guard, is undersized. Having Ruben has helped this year - I know most of you guys really don't watch the Bucks, but look at our defensive stats...then imagine what they'd look like without a top-notch defender like Patterson

I've got to cut this rant off, but really it's just been a snake-bitten season. And it hasn't helped that our coach not only insists on using the wrong style of play, but he doesn't get our guys to do the little things that a bad team needs to do in order to get better. I am tremendously disappointed in the Bucks so far, and there are no more second chances for Stotts. He needs to go. Simple as that. He. Needs. To. Go.

 

Well done, I agree with just about everything except the state ment about European players. The Euros can actually be very aggressive, but we don't get the right games on television in the US and Canada. Some of the players there can be weak nimble trash, but some of them are more aggressive then what I've seen ever in the NBA or NCAA.

Anyway Stotts does have to go, he really hasn't done much for this team as you've mentioned he does try to run a Suns-style offensive threat. This team is definitely not suited for that at all. I haven't been able to watch many Bucks games this season, but I always look out for them whenever they rarely appear on television. Best option being to hope that NBA TV plays a game or two throughout the year. From what I have seen, Bogut doesn't seem to play at all to his full potential. I'm really disappointed because where he came from he played an aggressive offensive style. That's the whole reason Milwaukee wanted him in the first place, but they don't utilize his strengths enough.

If the Bucks don't make the playoffs this season it likely will seal the deal for Stotts' departure, but then who would this team bring in as his replacement? Any ideas would be a welcomed exchange because I'm fresh out of names that are free on the market right now. Villa, Simmons and Redd should be a threat when they finally return from their injuries, though Bobby won't be back this season. I'd say look forward to next season. After the Raptors I like this team's youth mix the most. Should be exciting in the coming years given that this team can stay together and build off of what they have without disbanding any important pieces.

Two side notes: One- I'm not a fan of the new color scheme, are you? I mean, the old one was crap anyway, but couldn't they have put something better together then this? I don't know, I guess I'm just being a picky person.

Two- It is f'n freezing outside today! 1? F in Chicagoland with wind chill I believe set at around -18? F. How about the Brewer country, colder then here?

 

It was -10 when I woke up this morning...not sure what it was with the windchill, but it must've been -20 combined We usually get about 2-4 days all year like this, and it just so happens that we're getting 'em all in a row this year LOL

As far as other coaches for the Bucks, Mike Fratello and Rick Adelman would be atop my wish list. As much as I'd love to see the Bucks play a slower, more controlled, college-type style, I don't want a college coach. The track record is so bad, I just don't want to roll the dice and end up with some other joke. Of assistant coaches in the league right now, I honestly am not sure who I'd want - I don't pay all that much attention to those guys. However, somebody from the Spurs or Mavs system would be fine by me.

Basicly, I want a coach who will understand the need to get Bogut involved (I agree he is too passive on occasion; I probably don't like to admit it, but it's true. However, I still think he's vastly underutilized), allow the guards freedom to make plays, but also improve the team's overall defensive mindset. Right now, they are indifferent to stopping people. I want a complete 180 from that with whoever else we might get.

For all the things wrong with the Bucks right now, the fact remains that they are very young, have a potentially elite big man, and have a proven go-to star in Mike Redd. The only things keeping us from consistent playoff contention and maybe more are the inability to properly involve Bogut and our apparent lack of interest in playing any sort of physical defense. Those are two things that Stotts has proven he will never get this team to do, and issues that MUST be addressed by any future coach.