The Bucks demise

[jaybird2001wi]

Yi Jianlian is the latest of basketball players who are not keen on being a Buck player. Agent or not, should this even be considered "news" or put in the "no, duh" file?

The Bucks have not gotten any respect since they lost the Conference finals against the 76ers 6 years ago. First they traded Ray Allen, Kevin Olle and Ron Murray for Gary Payton, a guy who never even wanted to play in Milwaukee to begin with, and Desmond Mason.

Then they subsequently traded Mason AND a first round pick to New Orleans/Okla City for Jamaal Magloire who in turn was traded to Portland for a bunch of spare parts.

Then they lost Payton to free agency (big surprise there) and when the Bucks picked Andy Bogut No. 1 in the draft two years ago, Payton made a mockery out of Milwaukee when he was on the Best Damn Sports Show and had an opportunity to poke fun of Milwaukee while interviewing Bogut himself.

Then they traded an oft-injured point guard for an oft-injured swingman who was thrusted into the power forward position.

It seems like Larry Harris has changed his rebuilding plans every year, or doesn't even have a rebuilding plan at all.

Where is the team identity right now? We got Michael Redd, who takes himself out of the game when he isn't having his best of shooting nights. We also have a guy in Yi "E" that doesn't even want to play and his dumb agent is trying to force a trade from the Bucks and then we have an injure-prone Charlie Villanueva. We have an injure-prone "Ron Artest-light" in Bobby Simmons and a child molestor in Ruben Patterson, who for some odd reason, forgot to register as a sex offender in Cincinnati in the offseason. Doesn't Patterson "have guys" that can remind him to do something as simple as that?

On top of all of this, we can't even get guys to come to Milwaukee even if we sent them to Silk Exotic every night to satisfy their "taste buds." We have more logjams in the frontcourt than a Chicago traffic jam. No one in the frontcourt even knows their role anymore. Bogut is supposedly the "rebounder" while Villanueva sometimes walked around in circles last season wondering what he was supposed to be doing out there.

We can't even begin to trade Simmons and his salary for even a basket of balls and when was the last time we actually had a perennial all-star draft pick with exception to Redd? Bogut isn't there yet and who knows what Yi's next move will be.

[Chio151]

Cats and dogs living together.... mass hysteria!

 

The bigger question is: How does the demise of the Bucks correlate to the overall demise of the NBA as a whole?

 

The NBA is headed for NHL territory if they are not careful.

[billyhallfan]

i'm done with the Bucks, the last two years I've went to two games, both because I got free tickets, I am just getting sick of the crap that goes on over at the BC, if the Brewers aren't in town, I go to Admirals games, but not the Bucks, they've done enough to lose me, I just hope that they leave town all together, and we can maybe bring the Mustangs back.

[Jopal78]

Can you really have a "demise" when you were never good to begin with. Seriously, the Bucks have been bad since about 1992. Sure they had a moment in the sun with the Big Three, but that is actually more like the meat in a crap sandwich.

[rwa12]

I actually decided before the draft that I was done with the Bucks, BHF summed it up in saying that they did enough to lose my support. Not sure who I am going to follow as a replacement, (I am one that still actually enjoys the NBA). I enjoyed watching G-State in the playoffs, they are certainly under consideration.

[jaybird2001wi]

When or IF Yi Jianlian comes to the Bucks, I wonder if he will be abused more inside than an alligator wrangler? And why do the Bucks insist on signing nothing but "shooters" who can't even shoot? And I seriously wonder if defense is in their vocabulary.

[jlau20]

I've pretty much stopped watching the NBA and the Bucks also. Just isn't that entertaining for me anymore. Whoever said that the NBA is going the same way as the NHL is going to be right eventually, as much as David Stern tries to "clean it up..", etc.

 

Totally on the same page as you BHF, much rather go to a Ads game than a Bucks game, way cheaper and way more entertaining if you ask me.

[trwi7]

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Then they traded an oft-injured point guard for an oft-injured swingman who was thrusted into the power forward position.

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I'm sorry but this line is ridiculous. This is Villanueva's first injury ever. He's not injury prone, nor oft injured.

[berniebrewer4life]

BHF,

 

Milwaukee having some form of pro football again would be cool. I remember going to Mustang games as a kid and i had a bit of fun.

[hurricanecrush]

The beginning of the end was when Don Nelson was forced out, which coincides with the beginning of the Herb Kohl era.

[jaybird2001wi]

Everyone believes the beginning of the end was when Herb Kohl bought the team. But the Bucks have the worst revenue deal in all of basketball.

None of the stadium revenue from concessions goes to the Bucks and the Bradley Center is now considered obsolete. But where can we build a new Bucks stadium in an already tough to fit downtown area? And the taxpayers are still upset over Miller Park, so the building of a new Bucks' arena is waaaaay out of a question unless Kohl is willing to fork over a substantial amount of money.

Once Kohl sells the team, can we say "St. Louis Bucks...Cincinnati Bucks....?"

[Diskono]

Quote:

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BHF,

 

Milwaukee having some form of pro football again would be cool. I remember going to Mustang games as a kid and i had a bit of fun.

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I'd welcome the Rampage back, myself.

[bigjase]

I still watch the Bucks a little, but when Ray Ray got traded, that was a huge blow. I still believe he could have been the face of the franchise. We could have built a winner around him.

[logan82]

I blame the demise of the Bucks on George Karl. I believe he was the GM when Ray got traded. I can see why Ray got traded with Redd on the bench though. Since then we haven't kept a coach for more than a couple seasons so I guess I blame Larry for keeping us down. It seems like he trades half the roster every off season. Why did Porter get fired? I thought he was a good coach. If you look at the top teams in the league they all have some level of consistency in their rosters and coaches. Larry is playing GM more like a fan than a GM. Good thing I am a Badgers Hockey fan so I have something to watch in the winter.

[jaybird2001wi]

I believe it was Ernie Grunfeld who traded Ray Allen for Payton. Karl was just the coach. What was worse is Payton and Cassell had to find a way to co-exist in Milwaukee that season.

[danzig6767]

Basketball is much more a team game than baseball,just aquiring talent won't win if the pieces don't mesh together.Harris seems ok at aquiring talent,but not at building a team.

 

With that said,Harris isn't like a Packers GM where they are given full power to aquire players and coach.He has Herb Kohl butting in and owners aren't the talent evaluators they believe they are.

 

My guess is we are seeing the last year of Larry Harris running the Bucks.

[thablingster]

The Bucks demise began the day they traded Ray Allen in my opinion. It is disappointing, but at the same time not a whole lot can be done in the grand scheme of things.

[AdvantageSchneider]

Wow I just read about Yi on ESPNet here.

 

Bye Bye Yi

 

Reading this article sure doesn't make me optimistic about Yi ever playing for the Bucks. How long does Harris have if Yi doesn't sign with the Bucks? Would he make it to December? This was such a deep draft, there was a lot of talent where the bucks were and to come away with a big fat zero would be just horrible. Yi might have been the best player on the board left when the Bucks picked, but I'm sure the second best player or even the third best player would have helped them tremendously.

[Roscoe Chill]

the Bucks have been bad since about 1992. Sure they had a moment in the sun with the Big Three, but that is actually more like the meat in a crap sandwich.

 

Come on...they were one freaking game away from the NBA Finals in 2000. That's hardly bad since 1992 and hardly meat in a crap sandwich.

 

As far as the current situation goes, I don't think Yi ever plays for the Bucks, and that's too bad...but I don't blame the Bucks for drafting him.

[danzig6767]

As far as the current situation goes, I don't think Yi ever plays for the Bucks, and that's too bad...but I don't blame the Bucks for drafting him.

 

I think he will eventually

 

1.The owner of his rights in China would have to allow Yi out of his contract so Yi can sit out a year without getting professionally paid,or else Yi can't go back into the 2008 draft.That would mean he loses his cut of Yi's money that comes from say signing with the Bucks this year.

 

2.Yi can't play any basketball except with the national team or else he can't go back into the 2008 draft,not good for his development.

 

3.He loses a year of NBA money and a year of development against NBA players.

 

4.There was a poll in China where 68 percent of people there felt he should sign with the Bucks and i actually read a Chinese message board translated into English.I was suprised at how many were on the Bucks side and how many felt Yi was making China look bad.Plus,many basketball fans outside of Milwaukee in the US are viewing him as a prima donna who should prove himself on the court before making demands.None of this helps his marketability.

 

5.China wants him developing as a player in preperation to the 2008 Olympics being held in China.He'll get alot better playing an NBA season than by only practicing against his crappy Chinese teammates.

 

6.Sitting out a full year and slowing his development still won't assure Yi that he'd end up on one of his prefered teams in the 2008 draft.Teams he's prefer may not want to draft him in 2008,may not be in the position to draft him,or an "undesirable" could draft him on the belief that Yi/his handlers wouldn't be insane enough to sit out a second season.

 

Two years of little organized basketball would be terrible for his development as a player and if he shunned two teams as an unproven player,i think the backlash would be tremendous.He'd being sitting out all this year only to enter the 2008 draft with absolutely no certainty that he'd get drafted by a team he desires.

 

My guess is they drag this out,but there is plenty of downside in him sitting and i just doubt it happens.I'm around 90% he's in the NBA this season and about 75% it's with the Bucks.

[Mr QL]

Hmmmmmmm, no lose in losing some of you so called "fans".

[MessiahRp]

Quote:

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Seriously, the Bucks have been bad since about 1992.

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So is the drafting of Todd Day officially the date the Bucks jumped the shark?

 

Also as for football, I read somewhere that the Milwaukee Arena League team drew the best attendance in the league.

 

Rp

[tigerbrew]

Frankly, I getting annoyed with Yi's behaviour and I think he is a racist. This is USA not China, if he wants to play in a city with lots of Chinese, he should go back to China.

 

In the Chinese media, Yi claims that he is a humble person and sincerely wants to play in the NBA to improve his skills for the national team. I think it's all a big farce, Yi is actually an arrogant prima donna, insincere and a liar.

 

I hope the Bucks and commissioner Stern stand firm and united on this matter. Allowing Yi and his camp to succeed with their tactics to circumvent the draft would set a very bad precedent for future Asian players.

[qrk10000]

I would err on the side of caution before casting judgment the whole Yi situation. This is China we are talking about and they historically been control freaks. They have quite an interest in where he ends up and I believe they are the ones holding up the process here.

 

I can remember how the whole Yao situation initially unfolded and it took Yao a couple of years in the league before he finally essentially told the Chinese government to back off. It was not well received either.

 

Yi is young with stars in his eyes and is playing the game that he has been told him to play. I still believe that when it comes down to it, he will tell them that he wants to sign with the Bucks rather than sit out a year. He wants to be in the NBA and Milwaukee should be a really good fit for him.

 

I am not a big NBA fan anymore but I do think the Bucks have some talent. They got killed by injuries and poor coaching last year. Unless the basketball gods care to have fun again with the Bucks and their fans this year, I don't see that happening again. Redd and Bogut are solid at their positions. They have several options at small forward. If Mo returns, the point guard position is ready. That only leaves power forward a question mark and some of that could be answered once Yi signs. I still question their depth at point guard and in the front court, but I am encouraged by their youth and the fact that they have a nice group of players now.

 

Someone wrote about team chemistry and that is a very good point. It is very critical in any sport, but especially in the NBA. That is why guys like Iverson still do not have rings. From my exposure to the team, I feel like they do have solid team chemistry and that could be improved even more if Desmond Mason returns. Some have called Bogut a cancer but I disagree. I think he is passionate and was frustrated with the system (or lack thereof) that Stots ran. I have been disappointed with his performance so far, but would like to see what he can do with Coach K at the helm. The same goes for Charlie V. I really like his attitude and his dedication to the community. He definitely has shown some signs of leadership since he arrived here. Last year was a wash due to his injuries but if he struggles this year. If the Bucks play him at small forward this year (or as a 6th man) I think he could make a very positive impact.

 

I still think they need to add another front court pressense beyond Yi, but I am sure Harris has his hands full with signing him, Mo, Charlie Bell, and Ersan right now. Hopefully there will be someone left once those pieces are in place.

[Point Beer Is Best]

Does every player who plays in the NBA have to first make themselves eligible for the Draft? That's one improvement that I'd like to see MLB make - otherwise the international talent goes to the "desirable" markets or those who have the most money. Imagine if Dice-K had to enter the draft and wound up playing for Washington or Kansas City.