Even the most novice of NBA followers are likely to do a double or triple take when scanning the conference standings.
Why?
The Milwaukee (it’s pronounced “mill-e-wah-que” which is Algonquin for “the good land”) Bucks are sitting in 5th spot in the East, have a .540 winning percentage, won their last 4 games and won 9 out of their last 10 games and 13 of their last 16 games. Holy smokes, Batman. Is Frank Brickowski and Larry Krystkowiak lacing their shoes back up and stroking 3′s for them?
No, but there is an outcast group of guys who are playing some of the best basketball in the NBA. A group of guys who no team wants to face in the playoffs and who, individually, were not necessarily the most desirable of player options. Ask 10 true NBA fans what the Bucks’ starting lineup is and 7 of 10 would probably get it wrong. Ask anybody on the street who Ersan Ilyasova is and they will probably respond their “cab driver” and not the power forward for the Bucks, who happens to be averaging over 10 points a game and 6 rebounds a game.
The Bucks resurgence has gone under the radar much like the group of guys that are playing for them. Maybe it is because the Bucks play in Milwaukee or maybe it is because of how this group of guys are, I don’t know for sure, but probably a combination of both. Imagine if Brandon Jennings was in New York, LA, or Chicago we would probably be hearing more Rookie of the Year buzz about him, and, during March Madness, hearing more about how kids should skip college and go to Europe to follow in the footsteps of Jennings. Yet, I haven’t seen really anything of late and Jennings play has been outstanding, which gets me all that much more excited to see what Ricky Rubio can do when he comes over. Along with Jennings, Bogut and the supporting cast of players, the Bucks resurgence can be summed up by two men : their Coach and their GM.
John Hammond, General Manager of Milwaukee Bucks
Hammond came over to the Bucks in April of 2008 and immediately made an impact on the roster. First he hired coach Scott Skiles (more on that later) and with his first draft got a steal in taking Luc Richard Mbah a Moute in the second round who is now in the starting lineup for the Bucks. His first round pick in Joe Alexander seems to be a bust, but the verdict is still out, and he did use Alexander as part of a mid-season trade for scorer John Salmons. The mid-season trade has been outstanding for the Bucks and so far he has been their leading scorer since he came over.
In 2008, Hammond also re-signed Andrew Bogut to a five year deal. At the time, many thought the Bucks gave the Aussie too much money, but Bogut has shown, when healthy, to be a one of the top centers in the league and, IMO, he should be a perennial All-Star. Hammond also parted ways with Mo Williams(unpopular decision) and his contract and got Luke Ridnour in return, who has been a stable back up PG at a steep discount to Williams.
Although Hammond probably made a mistake in trading for Richard Jefferson, he did parlay Jefferson and free up some cap-space for this coming summer when he dumped him on the Spurs. He did get Amir Johnson (in a roundabout way) in return who he then moved to the Raptors in return for Carlos Delfino. Delfino, who was not wanted in Toronto, has a been a staple of the Bucks this year and has provided much needed outside shooting. He has started 51 of 60 games and averaging over 10 points a game and 5 rebounds a game.
Hammond’s biggest move thus far was when he drafted Brandon Jennings #10 in this past year’s draft. Many teams are kicking themselves for not taking a chance on Jennings and passing on him. Not sure if it is luck for Hammond to have Jennings fall in his lap, or perseverance to take the chance on him, but either way, the Bucks have him. The Bucks aren’t in the best shape cap-wise going forward compared to other teams, but Hammond has the roster going in the right direction.
Scott Skiles, Head Coach of the Miwaukee Bucks
Just like the men on his roster, Skiles was exiled as well from other NBA teams and is flourishing in Milwaukee. Skiles spent majority of his first year in Milwaukee last season putting his stamp on the team, and we are now seeing benefits in action. He was always known as hard-nosed player and coach, and these players in Milwaukee seem to be believing in what their coach is preaching to them. Plenty of the buy in approach, I believe can be attributed to the Bucks’ PG Jennings, but also, the players that are on the Bucks roster seem to all be hard working and glue type of guys (Mbah a Moute, Ilyasova, Bell). It would also be curious to know that if Jennings had gone to Arizona and not Europe, if he would have the same attitude with the Bucks this year, or would he be the “Damper Dandy” with a certain arrogance about him. It seems to me that the humbleness he received while across the pond, has lead to his level headedness in Milwaukee and probably has rubbed off on his teammates to a certain extent.
From an X’s and O’s perspective, Skiles has truly understood the importance of Bogut and Jennings playing together. They truly feed off of one another, and Bogut is and has become a superior passing big man who really helps open up Jennings’ game. The mid-season trade to get Salmons has gone smoothly and Skiles has found ways to get open shots for Salmons, who is an only an above average scorer by NBA standards, but has really done a fine job in Milwaukee as their leading scorer.
As a basketball and NBA fan, it has been a true pleasure seeing what the Bucks have put together this past year. The combination of Hammond and Skiles has truly meshed well and it really looks like they understand one another and feed off of one another. The future is a question mark as they don’t have a ton of free-agent cap space, Bogut has to stay healthy, and who wants to play in Milwaukee anyways. But, in these 2010 playoffs, I would not be surprised if we see the Bucks make a small run and upset one of the top 4 in the East.
