Trail Blazers/Bucks: Milwaukee looks to build momentum against Portland
by Frank Madden on Nov 1, 2010 10:50 PM CDT
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On the Blazers: Blazers Edge / Oregon Live / Portland Roundball Society / Rip City Project
2010/2011 NBA Season
vs.
3-1 (2-1 road) 1-2 (1-0 home)
November 2, 2010
Bradley Center
7:00 PM
Radio: 620 WTMJ TV: FSN Wisconsin
Probable starters:
Andre Miller
PG
Brandon Jennings
Brandon Roy
SG
John Salmons
Nicolas Batum
SF
Carlos Delfino
LaMarcus Aldridge
PF
Drew Gooden
Marcus Camby
C
Andrew Bogut
(3rd) 110.5 - OFFENSE - 99.5 (24th)
(10th) 100.0 - DEFENSE - 101.4 (13th)
(28th) 91.7 - PACE - 91.7 (27th)
The Bucks got two days off after their somewhat confidence-restoring and relief-inspiring 98-88 win over the Bobcats on Saturday night, but a home/road back-to-back against the Blazers and Celtics will be a stiff test of whether the Bucks have indeed made enough progress to hang with the big boys.
Blazing Brandons. Portland started 3-0 behind the dynamism of Brandon Roy (25 ppg, 6.3 rpg), though even he was a bit off in Monday night's 110-98 loss in Chicago (4/12 fg, 17 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast). The one bright spot in Chicago was LaMarcus Aldridge, who dropped 33 on 19 shots.
On the other side, Brandon Jennings is coming off one of the best statistical nights of his career against Charlotte, dropping his first career triple-double with 20 points (on just eight shots!), 10 dimes, and 10 boards. Jennings bossed the game all night, combining his usual dose of playmaking with an uncommon amount of shot selectivity and rebounding. Delightful indeed. Still, maybe we should reserve the "best game of his career" talk for a night when he doesn't surrender 26 points on 13 shots to D.J. Augustin. Just a thought.
The Great PF Debate. It's only been three games, but it's safe to say there's a sizable segment of Bucks fans who want Luc Richard Mbah a Moute restored to the starting power forward position he occupied for the Bucks' red-hot stretch run last season. There's certainly something to be said for the "if it ain't broke..." philosophy when it comes to lineups, as evidenced by the spark he provided off the bench on Saturday night. Still, you can also understand John Hammond and Scott Skiles' interest in finding a long-term guy who at least looks like a typical NBA power forward. That was the idea behind signing Drew Gooden and immediately installing him next to Andrew Bogut in the Bucks' front line, but the early returns have been, um, mixed at best. Kind of like opinion over the summer about whether Gooden should have been signed in the first place.
Either way, Gooden is a Buck and the question now is how best to utilize him in a crowded frontcourt rotation that also includes Mbah a Moute, Ersan Ilyasova, Jon Brockman, and Larry Sanders. Personally, I don't think we've seen enough of Gooden to make any definitive judgments of his ideal fit in the rotation, but there's also no reason for Skiles to give him the lion's share of PF minutes if others are more deserving. On Saturday the Bucks were leading 13-3 when he picked up his second foul and went to the bench, so it's not entirely fair to suggest the Bucks were struggling until Luc showed up. But there's also no denying that the 6'8", 230-pound Mbah a Moute played well, while Gooden has shot just 5/17 over the past two games and has battled foul trouble throughout his first week as a Buck.
Fortunately, Gooden still has the size, rebounding ability, and scoring instincts to be a useful player, particularly given his ability to play both big man positions. I'm not going out on a limb there--Gooden's been around long enough for us to know that a) he can be a quality rotation player and b) he's never going to be much more than that. Might not be ideal for the salary he's getting, but I'm not going bury the guy after just a week. And as much as I love what Mbah a Moute brings the table, he's still a role player even as a starter. Even when the Bucks were firing on all cylinders down the stretch, Luc never averaged more than 27 mpg and a decent chunk of those came at SF as well.
So whether he's starting or coming off the bench, playing power forward or center, Gooden will play. Ersan Ilyasova will also get his chance, even if Skiles more or less gave the slumping Turk a night off on Saturday. Skiles also seems intent to get Brockman regular minutes, though if Gooden moves to the bench he could supplant a good chunk of the center minutes Brockman has been getting. And we haven't even mentioned Sanders, who seems like the odd man out unless Ilyasova's shooting touch continues to desert him or somebody else gets hurt. Even Skiles doesn't know how the minutes will end up being split up, but you can bet everyone will get a chance to prove their worth.
Portland's MIA Bigs. Greg Oden and Joel Przyzbilla are still out with knee injuries, leaving Portland with just the aging (but productive) Marcus Camby and (unproductive) Fabricio Oberto in the middle. Camby still rebounds and blocks shots, but the Bucks should be looking to test his mediocre post defense from the outset, if only to get him in foul trouble. It's a nice plan, but it's worth noting that the Clippers probably had the same one when Chris Kaman shot 4/18 from the field against Camby last week.
Nic and Wes. Bucks fans should feel pretty good about their small forward depth with Carlos Delfino and Corey Maggette, but Blazer fans are feeling pretty good about their guys, too. Nicolas Batum isn't a high volume scorer, but he's ridiculously efficient (65% TS last year, 71% going into the Bulls game) and lethal in transition, while former Marquette standout Wes Matthews is a $34 million luxury off the bench. Both guys are known for their defensive prowess, but apparently somebody forgot to tell Luol Deng, who dropped 40 on just 19 shots last night.
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Need this going into Boston tomoorw night.
Slowly but surely we are getting healthy. Bogut is an absolute beast.
Shame Portland lost to the Bulls last night
Aside from the obvious competition with the Bulls, I always feel better about beating a team on the second night of a road back-to-back when they’ve won the previous night.
Desperate v. confident
I prefer a confident opponent to a desperate opponent. Unless, of course, we’re talking about this weekend’s Packers v ’boys game. That team is in a corner crying.
Also, I would think we’ll see a lot of the Prince and the Turkish Rifle tonight. If Ersan is knocking down shots from deep, it allows Bogut to take Camby one-on-one.
Chicks Dig The Long Ball.
Agreed
but that is a long road trip, and it doesn’t help at all when you go 0-14 from beyond the arc.
"Ah gravity, thou art a heartless b*tch." -Doctor Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Nov 2, 2010 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions
I found a crystal ball today and it told me that...
Bucks Win 98-90
Jennings has 10 points and 10 assists
Maggete has 16 points in 22 minutes off the bench
LRMAM plays solid defense all game while switching between Aldridge and Roy
Sounds like...
a practical crystal ball. Down to earth. Does it say anything about today’s elections? Oops… not only is that way off topic, but I don’t think I want to know.
I’d guess the the Bucks players are as hopeful but uncertain about the game as we are. They’re starting to unify, but aren’t there yet. Against a strong team like Portland, they probably don’t really know what they can accomplish.
If I recall correctly
The Bucks were bad after having two days off or more, and the Blazers were one of the best back-to-back teams. Combine that with the Bucks still “gelling” and I think there’s a decent chance this one goes in the L column.
I hope not though. Squad Six needs to energize them to the win!
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
...But then again, it's a new season and my predictions are usually completely off base anyway
So disregard that!
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 4:09 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm looking forward to seeing the Bucks tonight.
It’s been a couple of years since my time in Wisconsin, but I still follow the Bucks from afar. But I can’t root for you tonight.
Portland had a pretty bad night last night. Most of the team looked half a step slow. But their minds were also elsewhere, with Maurice Lucas dying. I don’t know if they’re still carrying that tonight or not. Whether it will be an emotional load, or an emotional lift. But I do know that that need to bring their A-game against the Bucks to make it a game.
On a side note, last year the Blazers were crazy good on back-to-backs. Well above the league average. Hoping that they’re worn down from the Chicago game would be a mistake. Hoping that they’re still emotionally down might not be a mistake though.
Should be fun to watch.
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
Nice of you to stop by, TD :)
Always liked the Blazers, so glad to see them starting the season well in spite of their continued injuries up front. Very curious to see how the Bucks defend LMA given the current uncertainty around the PF position…we have enough bodies, but getting them to click has been an issue.
I know many people have pre-determined Gooden will fail, but I’m still hoping he can find a good niche with us—would be nice if we saw some evidence of it tonight.
Doubling Aldridge has been a good strategy in the past.
But he’s been making better decisions when passing out of double-teams this year. He’s still not making it look brilliant, however, so it might benefit you guys to try it. The best strategy is probably to let Roy get his, but make everyone else work. Particularly Aldridge.
Skiles has always been a sharp defensive coach. I might expect to see some of that. Sometimes our role players step up, sometimes they don’t.
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
I know there's not a lot of Gooden fans out there right now, but....
Once he finds his niche, he’ll be very valuable to this team – and there will even be nights where he carries the Bucks, IMO.
Let’s just hope there’s not a lot of those nites ; )
Jonny Mac picks BJ over Roy
A bit of a stretch there, Johnny.
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
I know a lot of folks love Johhny Mac....
I think he’s a tool….
And his pick of BJ over Roy confirms it ; )
Uh no, he's still awesome
and he founded the Macc fund
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 7:15 PM CDT up reply actions
Well played sir
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 7:16 PM CDT up reply actions
Haha
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 7:18 PM CDT up reply actions
The last time I watched was the awful game in Minnesota
I promise if they start slowly I will change the channel.
I never use a big word when a diminutive word would suffice.
It's okay
You’re only bad luck for real if it happens tonight.
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 7:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Ummm.... that was the last game I watched, too
But I’ll turn it off if they’re being blown out by half ; )
Like Salmons?
Sorry…
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 7:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Good early start
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
Del3ino feeling it early.
when he’s hitting shots, our offense can’t be stopped.
by ThroughBeingCool on Nov 2, 2010 7:20 PM CDT reply actions
BTW - I just want to thank Frank and everyone else on brewhoop for being so welcoming.
I discovered y’all right after the ATL series and it’s a pleasure being part of it.
And I can easily say the posters on here are WAY more informed and objective than the “other” local blogs on SB nation
Good lord Defino
Manu?
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
Spanish Horn!
I don’t know who plays NBA 2K11 but they actually play that horn sound when Delfino scores. Pretty cool.
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 7:26 PM CDT up reply actions
I can't believe how small the crowd is, or at least looks.
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
...But then it always seems like more people come in later
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 7:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Election Day
Let’s hope that has something to do w/ it.
I’m really hoping Milw can be top 10 in attendence this yr.
Anyone know where we ranked last yr?
24th in average per game
23rd in percentage of capacity. The Mavericks had 104.1% attendance.
http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance/_/year/2010/sort/homePct
I never use a big word when a diminutive word would suffice.
How is that possible?
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 7:38 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't know
I take it the listed capacity of the arena is off.
I never use a big word when a diminutive word would suffice.
Bogut with 'a bit of a finger issue'?
I saw him grimace on that and-1
Corey swatted
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
Dooling did nothing!!
one out of two ain’t bad I guess.
by ZV on Nov 2, 2010 7:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Moody Fernandez want back to Espana
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
I'm still holding out hope for Dooling
I didn’t think he’d be as effective as Ridnour was – but I also didn’t think he’d suck this bad.
That commercial with the oversized heads
Reminds me of a bug in one of the NBA Live games I had years ago. Every once in a while a player’s head would be about 50 times normal size when he was on the bench. It was terrifying.
I never use a big word when a diminutive word would suffice.
Dear God.
That sounds horrifying
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 7:48 PM CDT up reply actions
Skiles leaves our second unit in there too long
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
I love Skiles, but there are times when I hate his rotation managing
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
Very
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 7:55 PM CDT up reply actions
What a stupid call by the refs
Clean block
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
The Bucks losing this lead has to be on Skiles for leaving the Bench out too long
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
bucks are playing like me in 2k11
"Hopefully, they perceive me as a person who did whatever he had to do to win above all else. Above anything. Above stats." – Kobe Bryant
I take it that's not good?
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 8:38 PM CDT up reply actions
definitely not
i mostly just dribble around for 22 seconds and take a contested jumper, ahahah
"Hopefully, they perceive me as a person who did whatever he had to do to win above all else. Above anything. Above stats." – Kobe Bryant
Who knows....
If he makes an all-star team and the Bucks are winning playoff series, I can see him getting close to a max deal.
Only on the Grizzles, though
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 8:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Remember, player salaries absolutely, positively HAVE to be cut
I never use a big word when a diminutive word would suffice.
Refs not giving the Bucks any breaks
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
Lulz
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 8:40 PM CDT up reply actions
He's a pretty good PF
Had 33 last night
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 8:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Last year, near the rim, 3 out of 5 per game.
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 2, 2010 8:47 PM CDT up reply actions
WTF
The can any Bucks rebound other than Bogut?
Can they go a game without a terrible shooting quarter+?
I never use a big word when a diminutive word would suffice.
I'm with Moncrief
Jennings needs to be and stay more agressive, much more aggressive.
Boykins? Sanders?
I mean Gooden, Brockman, Ersan, Salmons, Jennings, all look ISH!
Once again
I don’t know how Skiles let the momentum go the other way by taking the starters out. It’s just puzzling. This is atrocious.
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
Back to Back against Boston, In Boston
Also, I am doubting Skiles’ abilities as an offensive coach. I know he focuses on defense, but seriously, does he run shooting drills? Does he make sure his players can hit an open shot? None of that ball movement means anything if you can’t drain one every so often. It’s also a sure way to get an increasingly disaffected Jennings if his passes lead to the sound of iron. Then again, Jennings seems to be working on his communication with Bogut, while Dooling and Boykins don’t seem to connect with the other Bucks at all. It certainly is different than having Ridnour distribute the ball to player’s sweet spots.
Alright, it’s been a very disappointing day (for a variety of reasons, many not basketball related). I’m going to sleep on it and see how I feel tomorrow.
by MadTown Hoops on Nov 2, 2010 10:56 PM CDT up reply actions
Politics?
"I'm not Nostradamus or anybody, so I don't know. Luckily, this is the worst injury I've had in my career so far."
- Drew Gooden, on the severity of his toe injury.
by Jacob Grinyer on Nov 3, 2010 3:08 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm pointing my fingers at Jennings and Skiles tonight
I’d like to see Boykins, Maggette, LRMAM, Sanders, and Bogut for the rest of this game.
This Team Is Starting to Lose Me
Which is saying a lot, because I was diehard for the Bucks even when Redd and Williams were in fighting and Larry K was in charge. This team hasn’t just been bad, it hasn’t been any fun. It seems like this team has a destructive split personality.
On the one hand is a rebuilding team of young stars to be that need a couple years to gel together and find that missing piece to contend. Players like LRMAM, Ersan, Brockman, Bogut, Jennings, CDR and Sanders fall on this side. The other half is a collection of fan anti-favorites who have bounced around for years and don’t show that they’ve learned the little things that make a veteran valuable. Salmons, Gooden, Maggette and Dooling represent the other side of things. Delfino appears to be the only veteran in or past his prime who truly can contribute in a meaningful way.
The distressing thing is that the bulk of our cap is committed to the contract year wonders for years to come. The collective impact of those guys on our future chemistry has me not exactly super excited. I don’t want to see Jennings and CDR learn ball hogging instincts from Dooling and Maggette. The idea of Gooden tutoring Larry Sanders in anything gives me chills. John Salmons play seems to confirm my pet theory that his knee injury was tied to being out of shape (like Baron Davis).
The season just started and the team is listless out of the gate. We’re playing like a midseason lottery contender, which is appropriate given the histories of our offseason acquisitions. I find myself wondering about the trade deadline, wondering how much of a hole we’ll be in and if a midseason deal could stir up these stiffs. Who would we trade and what for? The people I most want to see in an opposing uniform destroying that team from within are here until their mid-thirties. A backup center or a legitimate backup point is not going to put us over the edge. We’re still looking for an actual power forward to man that spot. In order to get what we need, we’re going to have to lose actual prospects with potential or a valuable role player, which may be giving up too much. We may end up losing them anyways to free agency …
This is my mindset right now. Please convince me that there is a silver lining, because for the first time since I fell in love with the NBA and Bucks basketball I don’t see anything to look forward to.
by MadTown Hoops on Nov 2, 2010 10:45 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
its a 1-3 start... relax...
im calling this right now… this team will take a little while to gel but will be just fine at seasons end… we will be one of the last teams in the playoffs and perhaps make some noise when we get there…. skiles will right this ship
This is an ugly, ugly start.
But it doesn’t help when someone goes 2-14 from the floor for just 5 points (cough cough Salmons).
Carlos Del3no was the only real bright spot tonight. Brandon Jennings had about as bad a game as Trevon Hughes did in his final game at Wisconsin (Where he had a billion turnovers).
Portland is a very good team at this point of the year. I just wish this game had been in Portland; at least we’d have the excuse of a lengthy road trip in that scenario…
Oh no, don't tell me Matt Barkley ALSO doesn't tie his shoes...
Wisconsin, throwing the Big Ten into chaos since the beginning of time...
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Nov 2, 2010 11:06 PM CDT reply actions
Agreed
and it’ll never happen.
Our Western Conference road trip from hell would be Phoenix, Lakers, Blazers, and Jazz.
Oh no, don't tell me Matt Barkley ALSO doesn't tie his shoes...
Wisconsin, throwing the Big Ten into chaos since the beginning of time...
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Nov 2, 2010 11:35 PM CDT up reply actions
The really bad one would put Denver/Utah back to back (which is common in scheduling and impossible to sweep), plus Portland and LAL...
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
Toss in the Spurs/Mavs/Rockets
and things get bad in a hurry.
Oh no, don't tell me Matt Barkley ALSO doesn't tie his shoes...
Wisconsin, throwing the Big Ten into chaos since the beginning of time...
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Nov 2, 2010 11:47 PM CDT up reply actions
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