<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Rookie forward Joe Alexander signed a contract with the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, a deal that guarantees him $4.15 million over the first two years. Under the league’s rookie salary scale, the Bucks hold options for the third and fourth years of the deal, at $2.3 million and $2.9 million, respectively. Alexander, a 6-foot-8 forward from West Virginia, was the eighth overall pick in the June 26 draft. The 21-year-old played three years with the Mountaineers and averaged 16.9 points and 6.4 rebounds as a junior last season. The rookie received high praise from veteran forward Richard Jefferson on Mondayat a Bradley Center news conference. The Bucks made a trade with New Jersey to acquire the 28-year-old Jefferson on draft day, a few hours before selecting Alexander in the opening round. The Nets, who drafted two spots after the Bucks at No. 10, also were keenly interested in Alexander but selected 7-footer Brook Lopez when the West Virginia player was off the board. “Talking with (Nets President) Rod Thorn before the draft, everyone was very high on Alexander,” Jefferson said. “He’s a talented kid, and a lot of people think his upside is tremendous. “This is coming from my team; they really wanted him. Here, I have an opportunity to play with a young guy. From everything I’ve heard, he’s a competitor, and he’s only going to push myself and push some of the older guys. You need young guys. “The best team I’ve ever been on had good young guys and they were pushing the older guys in practice and making them work. I think a guy like him, you add that to your already talented backcourt and your already talented frontcourt, and I think you’re in a good situation.”</div> JS Online
You confused me with your title Shake <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Bucks general manager John Hammond has said he expects Alexander to begin his pro career at the power forward spot, although he eventually also might play at small forward. “You can say we’re a little undersized if we do that,” Hammond said. “But that’s OK. Right now in the NBA there are a lot of people who are playing small like that. “I think we can do that, and that’s going to be up to Scott (Skiles). I think Joe will do anything it takes to get better and anything it takes to help our team win games.”</div> Joe will begin his career playing PF, not necessarily be in the starting lineup
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bangofan13 @ Jul 9 2008, 10:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I am looking forward to Summer League so I can witness this athleticism going for my team.</div> Jefferson and Alexander is a very athletic F tandem. Should be interesting to watch them. Add in Redd's shooting, and the Bucks should be vying for a playoff spot this year. What are your thoughts on Bogut?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Vintage @ Jul 9 2008, 11:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bangofan13 @ Jul 9 2008, 10:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I am looking forward to Summer League so I can witness this athleticism going for my team.</div> Jefferson and Alexander is a very athletic F tandem. Should be interesting to watch them. Add in Redd's shooting, and the Bucks should be vying for a playoff spot this year. What are your thoughts on Bogut? </div> I think Bogut is a very talented player who has the skill and will to become an All-Star. A big problem is that with little national coverage fans look at his stats and say he is a bust cause he is not producing 20/10 a night. In reality, the nights where he did produced 20+/10+ it was because plays went through him. Some nights he just doesn't get involved in the offense because Redd and Mo were chucking 3's all night. If the Bucks simply got him involved in 75% of the plays he would be so affective because he has a good offensive game, and he is a hell of an unselfish player with great court vision so he would make passes to open up layups or open J's. Hopefully Skiles involves him more then he our previous coaches did.
