Milwaukee Bucks 2014 - 2015 (part 1)

[superfly]

Marshall always had upside, way back to his UNC days. I bet JKidd takes him under his wing, and he ends up being a DECENT point guard for us. Also lets Knight be what he wants to be...a shooter.

 

PG-Marshall

SG-Knight

SF-Giannis

PF-Jabari

C-Sanders

 

If Marshall doesnt pan out then I think it'll be Knight at PG and then slide everyone else up and start Ersan. All depends on the matchup on a given night. Ready or not I think there's no excuse for Parker and Giannis not playing 30 minutes a night from the get go...we aren't winning championships this year so let the kids play the minutes.

 

In an ideal world that said core of 5 needs to learn to play and mature TOGETHER. They are all young and have plenty of time to learn and gain experience (succeed and screw up).

[rwa12]

I think Marshall is already a good PG. He's just not a scoring PG, which this team really doesn't need (they have knight for that). I am also curious who will wind up finishing the games. Coach K often did not have Parker on the floor in crunch time, will Kidd do the same? I agree with the interchangeable parts thing. We should match up well with other teams second units. I'm not sure how well we'll match up with their first units. At least this team should be pretty youthful and exciting. I won't be upset if they make a surprise run to the playoffs, and I won't be upset if they stink and pick up another piece in the draft. I will, however, watch some games this year...which is more than I can say about the last few years.

[fondybrewfan]

You would think that guys like Sanders, Henson, Giannis, etc would really benefit for a really good passing PG. I like the idea of Knight at SG; but I don't know if that would work. Its questionable how effective Knight could be without the ball in his hands. Middleton would seem a better option as a pure shooting guard but it is pretty unlikely that Knight doesn't start.

[Jenkins5]

This team is extremely interesting how things will work out. I think they are very deep. I saw someone disagree with that because they are similar talent, but it my eyes that's what makes them deep. Guy 10-12 on bench are going to as solid and reliable as 6-8. That is not something they had last year. Injuries will not doom this team.

 

Also I see absolutely zero way Parker and Giannis are not starting. They have talked strictly about focusing on their development. Owners, Hammond, Kidd will have serious backlash if Parker and Giannis are not starting. They are the 2 stars that fans and the nba want to see. They are the future and the building blocks to save this franchise. The Bucks understand there will be growing pains but they are will to let those two grow from it. They will be locks at either 4 and 3 or 3 and 2 (maybe even 4 and 1) depending on the lineup they go with every single night.

 

Who makes this team

C Sanders - Zaza

C/PF Henson

PF O'Bryant Wright

Stretch 4 Parker - Illysova -

Point Forward Giannis

SF-SG Middleton - Dudley -Inglis

Combo Guard Knight - Bayliss - Wolters

SG Mayo

PG Marshall

 

There are 16 players, 15 can make team, 12 can be active

Locks

C Sanders

C/PF Henson

PF/SF Parker -Illysova

SF Giannis - Middleton - Dudley

SG Mayo - Bayliss

PG Knight -Marshall

 

Think Zaza, Wright, Wolters, Inglis, O'Bryant are all on bubble for that last active spot.

 

-Wolter will have to have big camp with all the added depth at the guard position.

-Wright won't make active team

-O'Bryant or Zaza will get that last spot I believe. They could "Redshirt" O'Bryant and send him down to D-league

-Inglis will miss almost all of camp and will prob be on IR to start out. He could us a redshirt year. If he would have waited a year to enter draft he would have possible been a lottery pick next season.

 

*Illysova and Mayo have trade value they need to bring back up, that is their worth to the Bucks. Ersan is good and could help Parker out a lot. Great stretch 4 of the bench who should be a lot better than last season. Mayo dropp 15-20 lbs and should return to typical Mayo, not that awful one we saw last year.

 

*Bucks went out and got Bayliss and Dudley so obviously they have something in mind for those two guys.

 

*Marshall is who I am most excited for. He won't score but did Stockton drop 20 points a game? He is a true passer in the mold of Jason Kidd----who he can be molded by. I really like Knight, his energy, defense, and scoring but to have an elite passer who can give Parker- Giannis- Henson - Knight the best possible chance to score and excel is huge. Knight just doesn't have that natural feel at the point. He is a Westbrook attack and score PG, I think this team needs a true PG

[FVBrewerFan]

Also I see absolutely zero way Parker and Giannis are not starting. They have talked strictly about focusing on their development. Owners, Hammond, Kidd will have serious backlash if Parker and Giannis are not starting.

 

Starting means almost nothing in the NBA. It's about minutes, and who's on the floor at the end of games. There's no reason either one HAS to start.

 

I get the PR angle of this, but it won't be good PR either if the locker room is a mess from day one because Mayo, Sova, or some other vet isn't starting. I'll leave it up to Kidd to decide who starts, because PArker and Giannis will get plenty of minutes either way.

 

Point Forward Giannis

 

I know there's been a lot of press about this, but I think we need to tamper our expectations here. 1) The Bucks already have a bunch of PGs on the roster and 2) Giannis' handles are not good.

 

I get it, it's exciting to think about a 7'0" PG, or point foward, whatever you want to call it. And he may be capable of doing that one day, but now.

[fondybrewfan]

He did play the point a ton in the summer league; just the fact that Kidd had him doing that shows what his intentions are.

 

Sure Giannis does not have the handles of a 6'3" PG; he simply can't keep the ball that low to the ground. But if he has a SF or PF attempting to guard him while he is playing point then that is a huge advantage. If they match up PG to Giannis than he will have a 1/2 foot height advantage on anyone guarding him. I see the potential for major matchup problems there; but Giannis does have to develop a ton yet.

[LouisEly]

While I'm glad the Bucks took a flyer on Marshall, I hope people don't have too high of expectations. He's on his fourth team in three years. He was waived twice, once by Washington and by the Lakers at the end of last year. If you get waived by a 27-55 team and you make close to league minimum, that's not a good sign.

[davego]

Platoon; sub 5 for 5! Be crazy!

 

Actually, I'd like to see Jason look at this as year one of a three year goal to make the playoffs and find combinations that work. By the time Jabri can buy a beer, we should try to make the playoffs.

[Baldkin]

 

*Bucks went out and got Bayliss and Dudley so obviously they have something in mind for those two guys.

 

 

They got Dudley to get an extra first round pick down the line, and they got Bayliss because he has the same agent as Kidd and that was a bit of a 'wink, wink' type of deal.

 

I can't imagine they really have plans for either one of them.

[FVBrewerFan]

Actually, I'd like to see Jason look at this as year one of a three year goal to make the playoffs and find combinations that work.

 

This. They can't get caught up in having to start certain guys, or making sure all these guards get equal playing time, or any of that. The goal this year is to find players and combinations that work, so they have a better idea what they need next season and beyond.

 

It won't do any good short term or long term to give Parker of Giannis roles they're not ready for. Believe me, I get the excitment. I'm excited too. But Parker is a rookie and Giannis is still very raw in some areas.

 

The Bucks marketing dept can and should hype these guys, but it shouldn't determine how Kidd uses them. For example, Mayo is in great shape and seems to realize he needs to have a good year if he ever wants another contract again of any size. So maybe he plays a lot at the beginning of the season, and is good enough to find a sucker (I mean team) that will trade for him.

 

So there's a bigger picture here. They have to develop the young talent, but they also need to get rid of dead weight that won't be part of this team 3 years from now. But while all of that is going on, the #1 goal is to find out who is part of the futire, and in what combinations.

[fondybrewfan]

From a purely selfish point view meant to maximize my enjoyment watching the games on TV I want as much Parker, Giannis, Henson, and Sanders as possible. I am envisioning a fast paced high flying team with all those guys on the court; especially if they have a distributor like Marshall playing PG.

 

Regardless of their win/loss record this year; they will almost certainly be far more enjoyable to watch.

[patrickgpe]

anyone else find it odd that the bucks hired a team president from New York, who will play a huge role in the selection of location for a new arena.

 

This is an important decision and I would feel better if someone that knew the city was making it. It seems like just about all of the key front office personal are out of staters.

 

Hopefully they still will get imput from key local people.

[yoshii8]

Anybody see video of the Jabari dreamshake last night? Here are the highlights from the win vs. the Grizzlies.

 

http://www.nba.com/bucks/video/teams/bucks/2014/10/09/greenbayhighlights141008mp4-3401746

[RobDeer 45]

That shake was sick!! I love it.

 

So I've been away from the state and just not in to the NBA enough to pay for the season pass to watch the Bucks. So I really have just been keeping an eye here and there from afar. I just moved back to MN and with their solid young players, I feel interested again. My question is, how are we setup salary cap wise, for the next few years? Will we be able to make an ok move in FA (I know we can't get the best in Milwaukee) soon? I'm hoping for one more bad year, but with a fun team to watch. Get one more good draft pick and then enjoy for years to come. Am I too much of a dreamer?

 

As for the stadium talk. Basketball seems like a downtown type sport. It's people getting off work and grabbing dinner and then heading to the game. It's business people entertaining. It's too bad that prices out and pushes back the real fans to bad seats, but big money always trumps that. I think because basketball is an inside sport, it lends itself to these types of business meetings/entertaining. Plus there isn't a whole lot to do in the winter in colder areas. Milwaukee may be a little more unique because it's smaller and the downtown isn't much of a draw (maybe that's trending the other way, which would be great). I could see a stadium working in the suburbs there, but I'm all for downtown. Look to our neighbors to the west. Minneapolis has done it right with their stadiums DT. I know it hurts the tailgating but it sure is nice to be surrounded by bars and restaurants for pre and post game festivities. Just my two cents.

[yoshii8]

Here's a link to the salary cap situation for the next few years.

 

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/milwaukee.htm

 

Zaza, Mayo, Ersan, Dudley's contracts all expire after next season. So, as of right now we have another year before we can be a major player in the FA market. Which will probably work out just fine.

 

I totally agree with your opinion on the stadium issue. Well said.

[fondybrewfan]

The game wasn't on TV last night but the reports on the play of Sanders and Parker are encouraging. Of course the team also had 30 points at halftime. Even with improved talent from last year they probably will still struggle to score points; especially when they have to play a half court game.

[FVBrewerFan]

Here's a link to the salary cap situation for the next few years.

 

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/milwaukee.htm

 

Zaza, Mayo, Ersan, Dudley's contracts all expire after next season. So, as of right now we have another year before we can be a major player in the FA market. Which will probably work out just fine.

 

 

That's true, of course, but they could be a player in FA next season already. Zaza and Ersan would be easy to move in trades, even Mayo if he plays well early this season.

[FVBrewerFan]

I was at the game in Green Bay last night, so I can provide a few random observations. (With the caveat I understand this is the first pre-season game.)

 

Kidd had Parker guarding Zach Randolph for a stretch in the 1st half, and as would be expected got eaten alive. They will definitely need to match him up properly on defense playing 3 or 4 depending on who the opposing team has out there. Parker and Giannis really struggled with their jumpers, the one things keeping them both from being stars. But that will come in time.

 

I don't like Knight at point, I just don't know who else would start at PG. To me, he is an ideal 6th man. But with this roster he almost has to start. Sanders and Henson were both active. Still both challenged offensively, but altered shots, got boards, all the things you want from them.

 

Middleton is the hidden gem on this roster, in my opnion. Plays good defense, smooth on offense, and can really shoot. I couldn't stop looking at MAyo, even though he didn't play. Looks like Jesus Shuttleworth's father (Denzel.) I swear he lost 350 pounds from last season.

 

Didn't see enough of Dudley, Marshall, or Bayless to really have any kind of opinion yet. O'Bryant won't get many minutes this year, but I'm convinced he can play in this league. Have a feeling the jack rabbit will be the odd man out this year, and won't see the court much either.

 

Leuer looked good by the way.

[GAME05]

maybe this is a stupid question, but if the Bucks stunk and/or traded up in next year's draft (not unreasonable to think) it seems natural they would target someone like Emmanuel Mudiay, who at least right now is the top PG prospect. and extending Sanders also isn't unreasonable.

 

so for all the money the Bucks may have in a year or two, what kind of player would they target in FA? It would seem like the starting roster would be pretty much set if they did draft a PG.

[nate82]

maybe this is a stupid question, but if the Bucks stunk and/or traded up in next year's draft (not unreasonable to think) it seems natural they would target someone like Emmanuel Mudiay, who at least right now is the top PG prospect. and extending Sanders also isn't unreasonable.

 

so for all the money the Bucks may have in a year or two, what kind of player would they target in FA? It would seem like the starting roster would be pretty much set if they did draft a PG.

 

You can count out Durant and Lebron as FA additions. DeRozan is someone I could see the Bucks targeting but would he be worth a max contract or close to a max contract?

[yoshii8]

maybe this is a stupid question, but if the Bucks stunk and/or traded up in next year's draft (not unreasonable to think) it seems natural they would target someone like Emmanuel Mudiay, who at least right now is the top PG prospect. and extending Sanders also isn't unreasonable.

 

 

Sanders has already been extended, he's in the first year of a 4 year 44 milion deal.

[superfly]

This year is going to be a learning experience for most of our team, but OJ Mayo looks surprisingly fit & in good shape. Maybe its the new Fro hes sporting...if we could somehow scrape decent production out of him we might be able to push for an 8 seed. Unlike previous campaigns for an 8 seed I would consider this one to be a great accomplishment.

[fondybrewfan]

Any guess for this upcoming season?

 

Mine are:

32-50

Parker wins Rookie of the Year

Parker leads the team in scoring

2 or 3 of OJ Mayo, Brandon Knight, John Henson, Ersan traded at the deadline

Giannis ends up being a bit of a disappointment; doesn't progress as fast as we all hoped

No all stars but Parker obviously makes rookie/sophomore challenge; Giannis perhaps as well

Middleton is a breakout player

Shortly after elections; the arena discussions become more in focus and a site is picked by year end; financing in place by the end of the league year

[patrickgpe]

super interesting tidbit regarding the future location of the bucks arena, http://www.jrn.com/wtmj/wi-sports/milwaukee-bucks/Did-Bucks-buy-Shops-of-Grand-Avenue-Mall-280661282.html?lc=Smart

 

there is a rumor that the bucks owners bought the grand avenue mall.

 

Personally i think this location is a mistake. That area of Wisconsin avenue is DEAD, adding an arena there to try to stimulate it is a bad idea. Everything is going on east of the river, and if Miller Park area isn't an option, I'd rather have it east of the river.

 

This is similar to the White Sox building their new stadium nextto the old Comisky, and it has done nothing for that area.

[Outlander]

Since the Bucks play tonight I am going to predict a 30 win season but I think they could do even better and perhaps fight for a playoff spot. In the NBA one or two guys can really make a difference and based on the little I have seen of the preseason it appear that Parker may be even better than I initially thought. If he plays well, Giannis improves and gets a little more aggressive and Sanders stays on the court it could get interesting.