Kohl already looking to replace Harris; Harris fired; Latest--John Hammond hired

[trwi7]

Bell is making less than $4m, not sure how you include him in large contract

 

The problem is you can find guys off the street to do what Bell does.

[craigharmann]

Just had to add in my WOOO-HOOOO in response to this. Thanks Herb! Now, put a guy who can do a good job in there and LET HIM DO HIS JOB!

[don1481]

Dumping Harris is the first step towards fixing that team. I agree that if Herb can find a buyer that wants to keep the team in MIL, then by all means he should do so. If he can't... he needs to keep the team until he can.

 

People criticize the NY Knicks trade that Herb nixed; to be honest, I'm glad he did so. I do NOT want a cancer like Randolph anywhere NEAR the Bucks. Except, of course, when he's not caring for the team that they're playing against. The guy has been nothing but a head case since he came into the league. Talented at times, yes, but even another year of Randolph after this one would have really been bad. I'll give Kohl props for that. Trading garbage for self-destructing, team-imploding garbage is never a good route. I'm sure Portland is beyond thrilled they were able to unload Randolph on the sucker known as Isaiah. Speaking of GMs that need to be shown the door... Mr. Thomas' record is beyond descriptors bad.

[bobbledude25]

I think they need a GM that doesnt take any %%!@ from Kohl and actually has final basketball decision authority.

 

Problem with that is if the GM gives trouble to Kohl he'll just fire him and go with some cheap guy looking to get his feet wet. This franchise is screwed until Kohl sells.

 

This picture is great though.

http://bp2.blogger.com/_YuzlNQeaNr0/R904zuix8iI/AAAAAAAAAHE/ulvZEV_700w/s400/BagProtest.jpg

 

I was at this game and saw these guys. you know what that kids sign says, "Where Amazing Happens". Pretty funny stuff.

[jaybird2001wi]

Charlie Bell is a rich man's Rafer Alston with less of an attitude. I'd rather have Alston without the attitude than Bell any day of the week. We have too many "shoot-first" players who simply can't shoot and can't play a lick of defense.

 

But anyway, this team was in trouble from the get-go. Ever since they traded for Gary Payton a few years ago, the Bucks began its decline. The team continues to sign players who are only shooters as I said above without even taking into consideration the defensive aspect. Villanueva and Bogut are the teams only quality rebounders and I just simply hate this team so much. I will always be a Bucks fan by default since I am an "all-Milwaukee fan" except for college sports (I like Notre Dame football, only out of state team I like and even they are a sad state right now). But there is nothjing to like about this team, no one knows what they are doing on the court as I have firmly stated countless times before and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this team is just plain boring.

What irks me the most is why and how did it take Herb Kohl this long to figure this out? No one even cares about this team anymore, it is almost like the burning question: "If a tree falls in the forest and no one's around to here it, does it make a sound?" The same principle can be applied here about the fans, "If the Bucks leave Milwaukee causing the Bradley Center to be vacant, would anyone even know?"

 

Bill Simmons for GM!

The reason Kohl has held onto this team for so long is the constant fear the team will move once he sells to an outside investment type guy. But the good news is that since the Seattle SuperSonics are almost in Oklahoma City now, if a new owner were to arrive, they will lose that bargaining leverage.

But why on Earth is a politician who once owned a chain of grocery stores and continues to receive no contests in every U.S. Senate election since he got elected so stubborn to not allow the GM power to make trades to at least help this team.

 

According to WTMJ, this was in the works since last June when Kohl declined to offer Harris a new contract. Kohl knew this team wasn't going anywhere by January, so he just decided to allow the team to tank games for a lottery pick and made Harris out to be the scapegoat. So hopefully, Kohl will sense the urgency when selecting a new GM and give the new GM the keys and allow him to be totally in the driver's seat.

[trwi7]

Dumping Harris is the first step towards fixing that team.

Nothing will be fixed until Kohl decides to sell. We've had several GM's, coaches and players come through here the past 20 years and nothing has made the team better. The one constant has been Kohl.

 

I was at this game and saw these guys. you know what that kids sign says, "Where Amazing Happens". Pretty funny stuff.

Those are the RealGM boys. Loud and proud making Kohl look like an idiot. I love it.

[jaybird2001wi]

The confusing thing about that picture is when on Earth did they ever sell Ruben Patterson jerseys and why? He was only a Buck for a year.

[don1481]

Nothing will be fixed until Kohl decides to sell. We've had several GM's, coaches and players come through here the past 20 years and nothing has made the team better. The one constant has been Kohl.

 

Yes - that is the next step... provided Herb finds an owner that'll keep the team here.

 

Anyone have any updates on how the Junior Bridgeman group is coming with getting an offer together...?

[brewtown82]

Someone should start a Bill Simmons for BUcks' GM facebook group or something.

[jazzytrav]

Already sent him an email http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[olsonnet]

I received my Bucks season ticket renewal form in the mail today (great timing after that debacle last night). Hire Simmons as GM and I'll write the check the next minute. If they go with Babcock or anyone with a prior relationship with the team, nothing is going to change (as if it would anyway with Kohl still calling the shots).

[Oldcity]

I heard part of the press conference, and Kohl did say that they would likely look outside the organization for a GM.

[gypcasino]

The Heat road juggernaut continues as they score 54 points at Toronto.

Just sickening.

[LouisEly]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FuQubpmDbDA

 

Thought you'd appreciate it.

 

For those of you complaining that the Bucks should be making more moves, Just think if the Bucks HADN'T made any moves the last few years and just resigned their own guys. Their roster would be Dirk Nowitzke, Ray Allen, Michael Redd, Rafer Alston, TJ Ford, Yi, Bogut, Ronald Murray...

 

 

[patrickgpe]

First off, for those who want Simmons to be a GM, that would be a terrible move. He has no experience in ACTUALLY making trades. Its easy to write about trades and criticize others after the fact. Making your own is a hole new ball game. Bringing in Rick Sund, Dave Babcock, or Dave Collins is no solution either. Besides bringing in Walsh and letting him do what you want, I don't have a good solution. All i know is we need to get someone from the outside with a proven track record. Those 3 fail that category. I hope Herb is embarrassed and remembers the only time he has had remote success since 1991 was when he let Grunfeld run the show, and Karl coach.

[berniebrewer4life]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FuQubpmDbDA

 

Thought you'd appreciate it.

 

For those of you complaining that the Bucks should be making more moves, Just think if the Bucks HADN'T made any moves the last few years and just resigned their own guys. Their roster would be Dirk Nowitzke, Ray Allen, Michael Redd, Rafer Alston, TJ Ford, Yi, Bogut, Ronald Murray...

 

 

Had the bucks not agreed to trade dirk, Dallas would have drafted him with the pick before. IIRC anyways.

[LouisEly]

Had the bucks not agreed to trade dirk, Dallas would have drafted him with the pick before. IIRC anyways.

 

No, the Bucks really wanted Robert "Tractor" Traylor and Dallas picked him. If Dallas really wanted Nowitzke, then why didn't they pick him? And if they passed on him, and the Bucks thought he was really better than Traylor, then the Bucks were under no obligation to trade him. It was because Milwaukee wanted Traylor, not because Dallas wanted Nowitzke. The Bucks wanted Traylor, so Dallas said, "Fine, then pick Nowitzke and (the tall dude from Notre Dame) and we'll trade you Traylor."

[trwi7]

Had the bucks not agreed to trade dirk, Dallas would have drafted him with the pick before. IIRC anyways.

 

No, the Bucks really wanted Robert "Tractor" Traylor and Dallas picked him. If Dallas really wanted Nowitzke, then why didn't they pick him? And if they passed on him, and the Bucks thought he was really better than Traylor, then the Bucks were under no obligation to trade him. It was because Milwaukee wanted Traylor, not because Dallas wanted Nowitzke. The Bucks wanted Traylor, so Dallas said, "Fine, then pick Nowitzke and (the tall dude from Notre Dame) and we'll trade you Traylor."

 

The Bucks did that trade because Traylor was unlikely to be there when the Bucks picked and the Mavericks were comfortable in feeling that Nowitzki would still be there so the Bucks traded up to take Traylor. Nowitzki was never going to be a Buck. If we didn't make that trade then Dallas takes Nowitzki before we even pick.

[Gobias Industries]

patrickgpe[/b]]First off, for those who want Simmons to be a GM, that would be a terrible move. He has no experience in ACTUALLY making trades. Its easy to write about trades and criticize others after the fact. Making your own is a hole new ball game.

At least it would provide entertainment. I'm so sick of the mediocrity that comes from that franchise. If any team is ever gonna make a groundbreaking front office move like this, it should be the Bucks. They really have nothing to lose.

[dogs with bees in their mo]

Had the bucks not agreed to trade dirk, Dallas would have drafted him with the pick before. IIRC anyways.

You recall correctly. It is NOT possible for the Bucks to have gotten Dirk. Dallas had the earlier pick and would've just drafted him if they weren't able to arrange the deal with the Bucks that got them another later pick. (I'm really sick of telling people this. It's not possible. If you think it was possible, from now you should think it was not possible. Because it was not possible. Seriously, not possible.) Also it's highly unlikely that the Bucks would've kept Redd and Allen for $15 million per year at the same position, drafted Yi if they had Dirk, gave Alston the contract he wanted if they had Ford, etc. And Murray was waived by the Pistons last month so I don't know why he was included.

 

As for Simmons, at least he would be willing to dump salary. However, his whole career is about second-guessing moves after the fact and saying something should have obviously been different. Warrants mentioning. Kohl wouldn't let him dump salary anyway, he's been on the one-year plan for 20 years. The only way the Bucks will become a contender under Kohl is to get lucky in the lottery.

[twobrewers]

First off, for those who want Simmons to be a GM, that would be a terrible move. He has no experience in ACTUALLY making trades. Its easy to write about trades and criticize others after the fact. Making your own is a hole new ball game.

Did you actually read Simmon's article on the subject?

 

Now, here's where you say, "Come on, a sportswriter couldn't really take over an NBA team." And this is where I answer: "Au contraire!" You don't need to be a former player to run a team, and run it well. Ever hear of Bryan Colangelo, the 2005 and 2007 Executive of the Year? He never played a minute in the NBA. Neither did Houston's Daryl Morey (who stole Luis Scola from the Spurs), Seattle's Sam Presti (who turned a trade exception into three first-round picks) or Memphis' Chris Wallace (who gave away Pau Gasol & oops, forget I mentioned him). For every Jerry West, there have been five McHales and Isiahs. Only recently, Mark Cuban told Memphis' Commercial Appeal, "One of the biggest misnomers in sports is that you just get a basketball person and let him run it. There's no other business in America that would get a salesperson to run it just because he was the best salesperson."

 

What has Steve Kerr done that gives you the impression that he knows how to make trades? The Suns hired him and let him take on the bloated contract that is Shaq. The point is, there isn't really a "training program" for NBA GMs - they can come from any background.

[craigharmann]

LouisEly wrote:

Robert "Tractor" Traylor

Now there's a name that makes me shudder in pain. Almost as good as Shawn Respert.

[endaround]

The difference is Steve Kerr knows everybody in the NBA. Simmons knows the guy who sold him his Clipper season tickets.

[Roscoe Chill]

Don Nelson was all over Nowitzki, and no one else was except Rick Pitino and the Celtics. Sure I guess the Bucks could have reneged, but the people that are saying that the Mavs would have just drafted Nowitzki are correct.

 

Yes the Bucks did want Tractor, but I too get a tad annoyed when people say that the Bucks could have just kept Nowitzki...that's not how it went down. The Kings and the Sixers could have foiled the Mavs-Bucks trade at picks 7 and 8 if they chose to, but they didn't, as I said Nelson and Pitino were the only two execs who saw Nowitzki as special.

 

If Dallas really wanted Nowitzke, then why didn't they pick him?

 

Because they knew all they had to do was stay ahead of pick 10. So they got another player out of the deal and still got their man. If they had a feeling that Milwaukee, Sacramento, or Philadelphia wanted Nowitzki, they would hav just picked him.

[smbrewersfan15]

Dirk wouldn't have played in Milwaukee no matter what. Dirk was said to have only been willing to come to the US if he played for Don Nelson. They essentially handcuffed the Bucks when Traylor was picked at 6. Still don't get why they liked him so much. If the Bucks ended up hiring a competent GM like Jerry West I would be completely shocked because that would mean Kohl would have to stop all his meddling and actually allow someone to get trades done. I just think the Bucks will continue to be bad as long as Kohl has his flunkies okay decisions for the GM. That is utterly ridiculous. It's like Doug Melvin having to get approval from some lawyer of Mark A's before making a trade. The thought of that is just ludicrous to me.