Milwaukee Bucks 2014 - 2015 (part 1)

[BrewBalls]

If Knight is willing to take a contract similar to what Jennings got in the sign and trade with Detroit ($8MM AAV) I say resign him now. Otherwise, trade him for some quality assets (either picks or young players) and move on. Should the Bucks also look to trade Ersan and Mayo at the trade deadline to gain some cap space next offseason?

[yoshii8]

They can't extend Knight until after the season. I beleive they had until October 31st. Personally I'm not sure I want him back. He's a frustrating player to watch and I'm sure someone will give him a large contract.

[BrewBalls]

They can't extend Knight until after the season. I beleive they had until October 31st. Personally I'm not sure I want him back. He's a frustrating player to watch and I'm sure someone will give him a large contract.

The same thing was said about Jennings and and he never even signed an offer sheet. I think Knight is a talented young player but more of a combo guard than a true PG. With all of the athletic players they have on the roster, this team needs someone who can create opportunities for them and distribute the ball. Rondo comes to mind but will likely sign a max contract which I can't see the Bucks offering.

[davego]

Knight has his drawbacks, but he is so much better then Jennings. Depending upon how the year unfolds, I'd like to see if we can keep him. Going forward, I do agree that either he or OJ might have to go; I favor Knight.

[FVBrewerFan]

Should the Bucks also look to trade Ersan and Mayo at the trade deadline to gain some cap space next offseason?

 

Yes. They should be (and probably are) trying to move Mayo all season. Problem is, he won't be easy to move. Just hope he gets hot for a couple weeks and someone may want him as a scorer off the bench.

 

Sova they should move also, and I would think there are takers for him. I don't mind him being on the roster as much as Mayo.

 

Back to Knight, at least he isn't a liability on defense- which is really how this team is being built. Parker is no defensive wizard, but other than that I think moving forward anyone added to the Bucks roster will need to play defense, and be the type of player that wants to play defense. I love Knight as a combo guard off the bench, I don't love him as the starting PG.

[young guns]

30 point win in Atlanta.

http://i.imgur.com/13iI1oS.jpg

[LouisEly]

Considering that they have had numerous games missed by Parker, Sanders, Ilyasova, and Henson, and considering that their December schedule was brutal (@CLE, @/vs DAL, vs MIA, @OKC, @POR, @PHX, @/vs LAC, @/vs ATL), the fact that the worst they stand to be at the end of the month is one game under .500 is very, very encouraging.

[FVBrewerFan]

It's one thing to get a team to play hard every night, share the ball, and play defense for 30 games. We'll see if Kidd can get them to do that all season. I remember Skiles first year, he was able to get that out of the team for a while, but eventually that all went by the wayside. Not predicting that will happen with this team, but something to keep an eye on.

 

With Parker out, and Sova may be out for a while, I really want to see Giannis be more of a focal point of the offense. Also an opportunity for Henson and OBryant to get more minutes.

[GAME05]

I read that the Bucks were going to be trying out Kenyon Martin, a known clubhouse cancer.

[RockCoCougars]

Martin is washed up, but the move would be a non factor either way. For laughs, I did some reading over at the realgm board.... you would think that they were waiving Parker to bring in Anthony Mason or something. A lot of those guys seem to think that there will be a big difference between the 11 and 16 pick this year. They also actually still think that Ersan has trade value.... Dudley and Mayo too.

[FVBrewerFan]

I think Ersan and Dudley do have trade value. Dudley is a cheap vet off the bench for a title contender, Ersan has always been a guy some teams really like for some reason. Mayo, I would think his contract would prevent a trade but admittedly I don't understand how the NBA cap works- so maybe there would be an advantage for some team to take on his salary for next year.

 

Bucks, in theory, could trade virtually everyone on their roster not names Parker or Giannis.

[Baldkin]

Martin is washed up, but the move would be a non factor either way. For laughs, I did some reading over at the realgm board.... you would think that they were waiving Parker to bring in Anthony Mason or something. A lot of those guys seem to think that there will be a big difference between the 11 and 16 pick this year. They also actually still think that Ersan has trade value.... Dudley and Mayo too.

 

http://www.82games.com/Image13.gif

 

It's pretty obvious that every pick higher you have a chance at a better player. Also, #11 puts you in the lottery, with a tiny chance to move up, where as #18 (where they'd be right now as the 6 seed) puts them nowhere near that.

 

Working out a 37 year old has-been, who used to play with the coach with no roster space to actually sign him worries me. It's not "looking towards the future", neither was the Jerred Bayless signing (who happens to share the same agent as our Coach).

[LouisEly]

I think the NBA still has 10-day contracts, so with Sanders and Ilyasova out they may have taken a look to see if Martin could give them a little depth until at least one of them is back. Ilyasova has missed five games with this concussion, so maybe it might keep him sidelined for longer than initially thought.

 

He may have been a clubhouse cancer, but funny how that often changes once a guy is out of the league and out of a paycheck.

[FVBrewerFan]

Jeff Adrien is out on the street, he seemed to be a guy who can give you some minutes. Question for anyone who understands the NBA cap, roster moves, etc. Can the Bucks cut Sanders either this year or next year and use the exemption? I know they used it on Gooden, so not sure how often you can do that....

[patrickgpe]

Gery Woelfel is reporting Larry Sanders has told the Bucks he no longer wants to play basketball. Sanders, 26, is in the first year of a four-year, $44 million contract extension. He hasn't played in the last six games. On Friday Bucks head coach Jason Kidd said Sanders had the flu

 

him retiring would be the best thing that could happen to the bucks

[GAME05]

Saw another tweet from a writer who said Sanders leaving wasn't true and that he was planning on being back in about a week.

 

I think maybe we're in that stage where really nobody knows what's going on but some writers want to be the first to announce something.

 

edit: Sanders' agent just denied the Twitter post that he was done playing.

[RockCoCougars]

Sanders is a turd. It would be the best possible outcome if he would retire and the Bucks could get off the hook with that contract, but it won't be that easy. He should be suspended without pay immediately. A textbook example of a guy playing for a contract and then lying down after he gets it.

[patrickgpe]

Sanders stopped hustling after he got paid.

 

I think that the team had a players only meeting to call out Sanders about a week ago. He left the team after that, with the excuse that he has the flu.

[fondybrewfan]

Whether he is playing or not I don't think he has had much of an effect on the team. At least they haven't appeared to miss him too much. It's just incredible his career has turned sour after signing that extension. He seems to be the very definition of the money hungry athlete that is only in it to get paid.

 

Bucks should probably looking for C, PG, and SG depth this coming offseason. They can't depend on Zaza forever.

[Baldkin]

They just showed Rock Schroeder on the Bucks broadcast.

 

After saying he was inducted to the Brewers wall of honor, Pashke immediately said, "He was behind the plate for Juan Nieves' no hitter."

[LouisEly]

It's just incredible his career has turned sour after signing that extension. He seems to be the very definition of the money hungry athlete that is only in it to get paid.

I think you guys are going a little overboard here, and/or seeing what you want to see. Per 36 minutes, his stats this season compared to 12-13 have not dropped off a table - his rebounds are down a bit (12.5 to 10.2) as are his blocks (3.7 to 2.4), his points are down slightly (12.9 to 12.0) but his steals are up (1.0 to 1.7) and his FG% is almost exactly the same (50.6% to 50.0%). The way you guys are talking, you'd think that his per 36 minute averages had been cut in half or worse.

 

I don't see a lack of effort. I think he's frustrated because he gets called for everything but doesn't get a lot of calls on the offensive end. I'm wondering if he's still not 100% from the eye injury and/or if the goggles are impacting his play. He takes the goggles off when he shoots free throws, so I think he doesn't like them and maybe that's having an effect on him seeing what's going on on the court.

 

But this thought of him being a "turd" and that "his career has turned sour" and not putting in any effort is simply not true.

[FVBrewerFan]

+1. Also, by all accounts his teammates support him so I don't believe they had some sort of secret meeting to oust him. (As suggested above.)

 

I remember when Bogut went on exile to Australia for a month for "personal reasons." Everyone was curious, but very few called him names, said he was a quitter, etc.

 

We don't know what Larry is dealing with, but if it has anything to do with his mental state that's nothing to joke about.

[fondybrewfan]

The problem with Sanders more than anything is availability; her PER stats are all well and good but if he can't get himself on the court what good do those stats do you. Who knows what the issue is right now; but obviously the issues last year were entirely self-inflicted.

[Baldkin]

The problem with Sanders more than anything is availability; her PER stats are all well and good but if he can't get himself on the court what good do those stats do you. Who knows what the issue is right now; but obviously the issues last year were entirely self-inflicted.

 

Um, he missed 3 months when he got elbowed in the face and broke his orbital bone.

 

I'm not sure how that is self inflicted.

[RockCoCougars]

+1. Also, by all accounts his teammates support him so I don't believe they had some sort of secret meeting to oust him. (As suggested above.)

 

I remember when Bogut went on exile to Australia for a month for "personal reasons." Everyone was curious, but very few called him names, said he was a quitter, etc.

 

We don't know what Larry is dealing with, but if it has anything to do with his mental state that's nothing to joke about.

 

I was harsh on Bogut as well at the time. From what I remember, he walked away just as the team was starting to play well....he was extremely soft physically and mentally, and I was so glad when he was moved. Seems that some of his 'leadership' rubbed off on Sanders, though a lot of Larry's troubles have been self-inflicted. I am sympathetic to a point if he is dealing with mental health issues, but this pattern has been going on for almost two years, and he has a better support system in place with far more resources to deal with it than the average Joe. It's gotten to the point where the team needs to mandate a plan to get him back on the court, if he refuses to go along with that plan, he should be suspended without pay.