<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Bucks' game against the Philadelphia 76ers last Saturday at the Bradley Center began the portion of the schedule in which the Bucks will play 18 of their final 26 games at home. The hope all season was that the Bucks could use this portion of the schedule as a springboard toward clinching a favorable playoff spot in the NBA's Eastern Conference. But after going 2-13 in January and 3-9 in February, it will take a monumental effort for the Bucks (21-37) to secure any playoff spot. "When the schedule came out, we wanted to keep our head above water to this point and take advantage of our home schedule," coach Terry Stotts said. "We're disappointed where the record is but based on our last two games at home, we still have to take advantage of it." Guard Charlie Bell agreed that this was the part of the schedule that the players had circled. "We looked at this when the schedule came out as a time where we could really make a move," he said. "We really wish that our guys would have been healthy and we would be in a great position right now. "But it is what it is and we've got to continue to work and continue to get guys healthy and just try to take advantage of this part of the season no matter what happened in the past. Just look to the future and try to win some games." Next up for the Bucks are the Toronto Raptors on Friday. After a Sunday matinee against the Chicago Bulls at the Bradley Center, the Bucks will travel to Orlando to face the Magic on Monday. After that comes a seven-game home stand - the team's longest since 2002-'03 when the Bucks played eight straight at home - against the Lakers, Cleveland, Toronto, San Antonio, Charlotte, the Clippers, and Detroit. That home stand opens a season-ending stretch in which the Bucks play 15 of 21 at home. With the Bucks so far back in the playoff hunt, they may be playing now for an opportunity to re-establish themselves with their fans, bolster their own self-confidence, and finish the season on a somewhat-positive note going into next season. But victories in their last two games, over Philadelphia and Golden State, has provided them with a bit of a shot in the arm, and has renewed some talk of a playoff run. Both victories were over sub-.500 teams, but the Bucks are taking their victories wherever they can get them these days. "The last two games, the way we've been shooting the ball and the way we've been moving it and the way everyone's been playing, our confidence is sky-high right now," Bell said. "When our confidence is high, it's going to be hard to beat us. "Right now, everyone is really upbeat in practices and the games. When we're out there having fun, it's so much easier to play than in the last couple weeks when we were losing and it was depressing. It's a lot easier to play like this."</div> Source
The Bucks have played well since Redd returned. That was expected, obviously, but wasn't a sure thing...if you watch them long enough, you'll know what I mean. I have to do a better job keeping something in mind here: the Bucks are a very talented, young team. Their coach is holding them back, but it can't all be blamed on him. Yet there is a high ceiling for the players we've got. I think quite a bit of our future hinges on what we do with Mo Williams this off season. If he goes, we must get our hands on Acie Law in the draft. If he stays, and we get another 1st round pick and better health for Bobby Simmons, this is a deep, talented team on paper. Either way, the Bucks are a team on the rise, even thought it often doesn't look pretty. We'll just have to hope for continued improvement And Stotts to get a pink slip
