Milwaukee Bucks 2013–2014

[1992casey]

Training camp starts at the end of the month, and national anthem auditions are being held in only nine days, so it makes sense to start a new thread for a new season.

 

Please feel free to use this topic to continue any discussion from the previous thread. For those who want to catch up, here's a link to the last two pages of that topic:

 

viewtopic.php?f=67&t=28774&start=700

[homer]

Larry Sanders is just about my favorite Buck since Ray Allen. Not that he's a hall of famer or anything but the dude is just a cool cat.

[patrickgpe]

its been a while since i have been this excited to see a bucks team play. they won't be that good, but they have no egos. i am looking foward to see henson and sanders continue to grow as well as to see brandon knight play. they bucks have had a bunch of guys of late that didn't want to be here, i think they finally have a team that wants to be in Milwaukee, which is huge.

[brwrsfan]

I hope the young guys develop, particularily Henson and Sanders, but I hope they lose every game they play. This team is not close to a winner and next year's draft class is loaded. The higher the pick the better, even if it means this season is awful. I hope at least.

[fondybrewfan]

This back and forth between Jennings and Sanders is really rather odd. Obviously Jennings was forced at times to take most of the tough shots but that was primarily his undoing for dribbling the ball so darn much and in general not being a very good passer or finisher. I will be shocked if Jennings all of a sudden turns into some efficient pass first point guard in Detriot. I just don't see it.

[patrickgpe]

I hope the young guys develop, particularily Henson and Sanders, but I hope they lose every game they play. This team is not close to a winner and next year's draft class is loaded. The higher the pick the better, even if it means this season is awful. I hope at least.

 

i hope so too, but i see this team as a 7th / 8th seed. I don't understand much of what they did this offseason, besides the Jennings trade. They did what the bucks always do, brought in a bunch of above average veterans. Guarantees them a playoff spot especially this season when teams are tripping over themselves to see who can tank more.

[Outlander]

Vegas sees the Bucks at about 29 wins, that is tempting but I don't see them winning more than 32 so might pass on betting on them this year.

[davego]

I'm pretty confident they will finish over 29. Not because they are world-beaters, but because the tanking by others at the end of the year might get silly.

[RockCoCougars]

I'd probably bet the under 29 for wins. I think that wins in the division (both Cleveland and Detroit look improved) and against Western conference opponents are going to be few and far between... I'm guessing that most of their wins will come against the dregs of the East. A couple of key injuries and this team could be really bad.

[davego]

Ok, Rock. I'll wager one virtual beverage.

[trwi7]

Not a chance this team finishes with less than 29 wins unless Ersan and Sanders miss big parts of the season.

[jjkoestler]

Predict the Bucks 13-14 record:

24-58

[davego]

34 wins.

[fondybrewfan]

Well the bad news is that the absolutely got blitzed in their preseason opener.

 

The goods news is that the Greek looked like he should be able to step in and play right away. Drew gave him a lot of minutes last night. Henson also showed a nice offensive game I thought.

 

But the team is going to be bad, no doubt about it. With mostly starters on the floor they were losing like 21-6 to am improving but probably still mediocre Cleveland team.

[trwi7]

That was more of a good news/good news thing for me. They look awful and Giannis looked good. Caron Butler looks done, so chalk that up to another stupid Bucks veteran move.

[homer]

The only thing about last night that I took away was the Giannis might be OK eventually. Other than that I don't know how you can make any conclusions about this team based on one pre-season game.

[Outlander]

It is kind of cool that Giannis is wearing #34. Maybe it is the basketball gods giving Bucks fans a gift for losing Ray Allen.

 

Predict 32-50.

[FVBrewerFan]

That was more of a good news/good news thing for me. They look awful and Giannis looked good. Caron Butler looks done, so chalk that up to another stupid Bucks veteran move.

 

Caron Butler is done based on a few minutes in the first pre-season game? I guess Aaron Rodgers is done too. Look, Butler didn't cost much and he can be easily moved at any time. In the meantime, by all acccounts, he has been great to have around the young guys. That's about as important right now for the Bucks than anything else.

 

We need to remember, they have barely installed the offense. New coach, almost all new players, etc. It won't look pretty at first. But this team could get close to .500 and make the playoffs. I know, I know, #8 seed and done again. The difference this year is they have young players with talent, and the vets are very easy to move if it comes to that.

 

Meanwhile, they'll find out what they have to build on. I much rather take this approach than tanking, which has almost never worked. OKC is the only team I can think of where that has worked in the last 10 years or more.

[bani1717]

Meanwhile, they'll find out what they have to build on. I much rather take this approach than tanking, which has almost never worked. OKC is the only team I can think of where that has worked in the last 10 years or more.

 

This is right on the cusp of your 10-year number, but Cleveland was terrible for a few years before getting the #1 pick in 2003. They had a few good years from 2006-2010.

[fondybrewfan]

Cleveland has also been terrible recently and managed to get #1 picks in Irving & Bennet and another Top #5 pick in Waiters. I don't think that they outright tanked; Lebron leaving had a lot to do with it. But they were bad for 3 years and are now reaping the benefits.

 

Charlotte has been terrible but they have made so many bad picks that they are no closer to being good than when they started.

[Outlander]

Meanwhile, they'll find out what they have to build on. I much rather take this approach than tanking, which has almost never worked. OKC is the only team I can think of where that has worked in the last 10 years or more.

I guess everybody's definition of tanking is different but based on the last 30 years or so you need a franchise type player in the draft to win a championship:

 

Heat - Wade, obviously had Lebron James as the best player and Shaq the first time but still had the franchise player through the draft.

Mavs - Dirk Nowitzki

Lakers - Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson during the 80's

Celtics - Pierce and Larry Bird in the 80's

Spurs - Tim Duncan and David Robinson

Pistons - Isiah Thomas during the late 80's early 90's, 2004 team does appear to be the exception to the rule.

Bulls - Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen

Rockets - Hakeem Olajuwon

 

Obviously every one of those teams needed help along with the franchise player but each of those teams with the exception of the 2004 Pistions did have a franchise, hall of fame player through the draft. The Bucks or any other team need to find that player or players through the draft if they want to win a championship. Based on the opinions of smart basketball people there is the potential to find that franchise player in the 2014 draft.

 

With that said I don't think they have to tank, they will be bad, if they stick with the young players they should be real bad but I imagine the vets will still get a lot of minutes. There does seem to be talk among the local media that the attitude is better on this team and there are a bunch of good guys, to me that does not matter because the veterans are not very good and while they do have some young talent they are inexperienced and their talent will not translate to winning this year.

 

Edit: On a side note it is rather amazing that only 8 franchises have won championships over 30 years, we criticize the Bucks a lot but 75% of the league has as many championships as the Bucks.

[brwrsfan]

At least the Bucks have the one title, albeit a long time ago. There are still plenty of teams without any.

 

And yes, they will suck this year regardless of who plays, just a matter of how much.

[trwi7]

Caron Butler is done based on a few minutes in the first pre-season game?

 

No, Caron Butler is done based on the last few seasons he's played.

[Baldkin]

Meanwhile, they'll find out what they have to build on. I much rather take this approach than tanking, which has almost never worked. OKC is the only team I can think of where that has worked in the last 10 years or more.

 

And the strategy of signing over the hill veterans and trading young talent/assets for half-season (or 1.5 season) rentals that they've been using for 25 years now has worked how well?

 

The Bucks have had 1 good team (maybe 2, if you count "Fear the Deer") since Kohl became the owner, and both of those were built on top 5 picks.

 

Besides, you've forgotten about Orlando (Howard), Miami, Denver (Anthony), Utah (D Williams), NOH (Paul), and LAC (Griffin) who all "tanked" and got top picks.

 

I would've been extremely excited to watch this season had the top 9 been:

 

Sanders, Henson, Ilyasova, Udoh

Middleton, Giannis

Knight, Wolters... heck, I'll even include OJ Mayo.

 

Instead of getting to watch the young guys, I am going to end up with a season of watching Luke Ridnour, Carlos Delfino, Caron Butler, Gary Neal and Zaza.

[davego]

For now. I suspect Drew will flip the lineup come January.