Milwaukee Bucks Thread 2008–2009 (part 1)

[yoshii8]

I could see the Bucks using Damon Jones expiring contract in a deal for some bench help. There was an article in the js about the Bucks needing some scoring off the bench. I'm not sure who is available, but I would like to see a guy like Joe Smith or Damien Wilkins brought in.

[Gobias Industries]

Man, I'm liking these red uniforms.

 

 

Frustrating first quarter. The Bucks are outplaying them, just not making open shots after the hot start.

[RyDogg66]

I could hardly get past the opening roster announcements. Here it is, the home opener (right?) and I swear I have seen more enthusiasm at a county jail line up.

[Gobias Industries]

I can't believe they played Bruce Springsteen - The Rising. This team needs Mark A in the worst way.

 

This team isn't so bad 6 or 7 deep. Players like Bell and Gadzurich getting minutes is just a killer though. How the hell is Gadz getting PT over Elson? And jesus, for a 1/2, Bell has to be the worst shooter I've ever seen.

 

It's half time, and the Bucks should be killing them. Redd has had several open looks, and has bricked them all. He's terrible.

[TSack27]

Just wonder if I'm alone in my thinking that Jon McGlocklin is getting more bitter as an announcer each of the recent years?

 

I'm trying to remain respectful of his status as an original Buck, starting the MACC fund, and all the time he has given from the announce booth over the past decades. BUT, it sure seems like he is quick (and loud) in pointing out the problems with the on court play of current players. I know the Bucks have done their share of stinking up the joint with recent teams, and I probably got spoiled with how Bob Uecker got us through those difficult late 90's - early 00's years, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to listen to the current Bucks television broadcasts.

[Gobias Industries]

I think McGlocklin almost cares too much, if that makes any sense. He's hard on the players when they screw up. He was devestated after Calderon hit that 3 late, and he ripped Sessions pretty hard (deservedly so). Uecker had his good friend Jack Daniels to get him thru the brutal years, whereas J-Mac can't really do that right at courtside. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

Luc Richard is a steal. I didn't like the pick initially. I thought Chris Douglas Roberts out of Memphis would have been a better pick at the time, but there's no way I can complain now. The guy is already a really good defender, and has the potential to be great.

 

I can't help but imagine if we only had drafted Brook Lopez over Alexander. That would take Gadz out of the rotation, and we don't lose anything since Alexander hasn't even got off the bench yet. I think we're a major player in the East if that scenario happens.

[trwi7]

I can't help but imagine if we only had drafted Brook Lopez over Alexander. That would take Gadz out of the rotation, and we don't lose anything since Alexander hasn't even got off the bench yet. I think we're a major player in the East if that scenario happens.

I completely agree. That would've given us a good big so we could play one less of Allen and Gadzuric. He's also very likely to have more trade value going forward if we would decide to go that route. A quality big is more valuable than a quality wing (and you can't even call Potsie quality right now.) Lopez so far is averaging 9 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in 22 minutes this year. I know it's only two games, but at least he can get off the bench.

[rm121978]

I was at the game last night. Opening night, Saturday night game, upper bowl $10 for all seats, many lower level seats for $20, the game was free if you bought a 10-pack, and it was still half empty. I expect there to be about 8,000 people there on Wednesday (of course they'll announce 14-15,000 somehow). This franchise is in trouble. Nobody cares, and I don't think winning would even solve that.

[gypcasino]

Wednesday

I'm trying to decide if I should snag some lower level seats on StubHub for $10 or hold out and see if I can talk a scalper down to $5.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif

 

 

[Gobias Industries]

Nobody cares, and I don't think winning would even solve that.

The only time I can recall winning not creating interest in a team is the Marlins. And Miami fans are an absolute joke. The Bucks had very good support during their run with the Big 3.

 

I do agree that just getting to the playoffs as a 6,7, or 8 seed won't garner much interest. The Bradley Center will be packed if the team plays hard and gets somewhat deep in the playoffs though.

 

The situation is actually very similar to the Brewers during the early part of the late 90's/early 2000's. They finally got a decent coach, and all indications are that the GM should prove to be solid. Now they just need get a new arena. If Kohl agrees to stay out of all the decisions, I'm okay with him staying as owner.

[bucks2281]

This franchise is in trouble. Nobody cares, and I don't think winning would even solve that.

 

I remember hearing that about the Brewers in 2002-2003. I heard people say: "Even if the Brewers make the playoffs, they'd be like the Braves, and the games wouldn't sell out." Obviously, we know how that turned out.

 

The Bradley Center was awesome during the 2000-2001 season. The fans were loud and the place was packed. I was quite disappointed that the Bucks didn't even approach a sellout, but if they start winning, the fans will show up and interest will rise considerably. Like Gobias said, that always happens. In a northern/midwest city, that's a given.

 

Edit: There's one exception: The Nets. Game 4 of the 2003 NBA Finals in NJ was not a sellout. That's mind-boggling.

[trwi7]

This team needs to be consistently good for fan support. And by good I mean a perennial playoff team that doesn't eek in as an 8th seed with a losing or .500 record. Nobody's getting excited about that.

[RyDogg66]

Fixing Basketball is what needs to happen. Basketball, to me is more like Football than baseball, and it should be played that way with the schedule. If I were commissioner I would immediately slash the season down to 60 games and play those 60 games over 20 weeks. The next thing I would do is have ALL teams play on the same days. Those days would be Wednesday, Friday nights and Sunday afternoons, with a marquee game on Sunday Night. Also, I would have weeks alternate home and road. A team is either on a odd week schedule or an even week schedule. If on an odd week schedule you would play Weeks 1, 3, 5, etc. at home, that would be Wed, Fri, Sun, and then even weeks on the road, Wed, Fri, Sun. I would also shorten the game to 40 minutes and take away a personal foul from each player, making it more like college with 5 personal fouls.

 

The playoffs would be shaved to 6 teams per league, with the top two earning playoff byes while the first round goes back to a 5 game series for seeds 3-6. In the playoffs, no more than one day off in a row. This guarantees your top teams in the round of 4 in each conference, which has to be good for ratings, it also rewards them with a bye, rest and home court, thereby making the regular season more meaningful.

 

To me, the nature of baseball being a game of repetition is the reason it needs to be played out to a 162 game season and played everyday, because the law of averages needs time to let the best teams rise to the top. I do not believe this is the same in basketball and 82 games is just way too long, especially when 8 teams make the playoffs.

 

This is just my two cents as an extremely casual fan. It just seems to make a lot more sense.

[BrewCrewForever]

I do like the new red uniforms. That is about all I can say that I like about the Bucks. Just no interest at all.

[trwi7]

Solid win on the back to back tonight. Easily the best part of the game was when Mike Breen called Joe Alexander Potsie. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[razzzorsharp]

Redd injured his ankle.

[bullox]

Solid win on the back to back tonight. Easily the best part of the game was when Mike Breen called Joe Alexander Potsie. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

What's the story behind the name?

[yoshii8]

That was a big win at MSG against the Knicks after losing the home opener, Prince Luc looked good again, man that guy is very good defensively. Altough the Knicks still don't look very good w/ D'antoni as there coach, they have a pretty bad roster.

[fondybrewfan]

Good win yesterday, I will take 2-2 after 3 of 4 on the road. It would have been nice to steal that Toronto game though. The only problems I have with the NBA is the one on one style of play (The good teams don't do this on most nights), the long season, and the fact that 8 teams make the playoffs when most times the 7-8 seed is under .500. I loved the Bucks when we had the Big 3 and most of my friends did to. When they traded Ray Allen they were pretty much dead to me for the next couple years. Terrible GM's, terrible coaches, terrible players, and a moron owner have led the Bucks to where they are today. They are taking some good first steps here so I am starting to get interested again. They have a good core group.

[trwi7]

What's the story behind the name?

On realgm we had summer league game threads, Potsie was playing terribly throughout the whole summer league and one of our mods on there came up with the name Potsie. If anybody doesn't get it, here's a quote from Wikipedia about Potsie from Happy Days.

One of the characters main traits was his inability to play Basketball with any semblance of talent. Because of this, and because of the shows popularity, his name entered into the vernacular. In other words, an extremely poor basketball shot is known as "a potsie weber."

 

So one of the mods first called him that, we kept it going after he first called him that, Charlie Bell reads and occasionally posts on realgm and I guess he passed it on to the team who started calling him that.

 

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

Really liking what I see out of Luc M-M, cautiously optimistic at the 2-2 start... it's still very, very early...

[Gobias Industries]

So one of the mods first called him that, we kept it going after he first called him that, Charlie Bell reads and occasionally posts on realgm and I guess he passed it on to the team who started calling him that.

That's a pretty funny story, but also kind of sad at the same time. If that doesn't give JA motivation to get better, I don't know what will.

 

I kind of bought into the hype right before the draft, mostly because of how athletic he is and how he projects to be a player we could really use. But Brook Lopez, Brandon Rush, or even Robin Lopez would really look nice on this team right now. I'm certainly willing to give JA at least a full season though before I'd label him a bust.

[yoshii8]

A little off subject, but what does everyone think of the Iverson for Billups, McDyess and Samb deal that just happened?

 

I don't really like it for either team, but I'd say this gives Iverson a better chance to go to the finals if he can gel w/ the Pistons. Also long term, this will clear a lot of cap space for Detroit.

[davego]

I saw that too and was confused. I suppose from the Dever end of things it gives then a bit better defender and quicker player at the point. Good idea on the Iverson/Mellow combo, but never panned out. I wonder if Detroit is after something bigger come post-season with those cap dollars? In between now and then; I suppose this loads them up for a run...but I'm not sure how Iverson is that much better then Billups.

[RobDeer 45]

Does anyone know if you get Bucks games this year with FSN WI in the Hudson/ River Falls area with Directv? It has been blacked out in the past and have not been around to check this year.