FanPost

Patience Running Thin




How patient must Bucks fans be?

Right now, my patience is running thin. When will the Bucks finally get over the hump and pull off a winning streak to get back into the playoffs? And looking over the last 5 or so years, when are the Bucks gonna show some consistency? Can they make the playoffs two years in a row? Can they even run off back-to-back seasons over .500? Am I too impatient? Please, I just want answers.

Diagnose the Problem

There isn't one player who is holding the Bucks back. It's the whole team. That is, the whole team's ability (or rather, non-ability) to put the ball in the hole. Right now, the Bucks are dead last in the league (yes, behind the lowly Cavs) in both PPG and FG%. Some of Milwaukee's guys who scored well last year have regressed or simply not made any improvment. Let me show you what I mean...

Brandon Jennings- 2009-10- 15.5 ppg, 37% FG, 5.7 apg
2010-11- 15.4 ppg, 38% FG, 4.9 apg

Not really an improvement for Jennings. The fact that he is shooting a combined 37% career FG% is ultra-frustrating for fans, coaches, and Jennings himself. And his foot injury didn't help anything.

John Salmons- 2009-10- 19.9 ppg, 47% FG, 3.3 apg
2010-11- 13.7 ppg, 39% FG, 3.1 apg

Major drop-off for Salmons, averaging about 6 less ppg than last year and shooting 8% worse from the field.

Andrew Bogut- 2009-10- 15.9 ppg, 52% FG, 10.1 reb, 2.5 blk
2010-11- 12.9 ppg, 49% FG, 11.5 reb, 2.8 blk

Besides a few more rebounds and blocks, Bogut hasn't really improved. I know that his bad injury last year set him back, but I was still expecting much better offensive production out of Bogut.

So, basically the problem with the Bucks right now is they can't score. Currently, they can't fix that problem unless they make a trade, which I'm all for (I'd like to keep Jennings, though, he's only 21 yrs old). I'm not talking about getting 'Melo but if there are any guys who can score on the trading block, go for it. A few extra points to allow them to get over the hump and make the playoffs (despite being 5 games under .500). The Bucks are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, which is why It angers me so much watching them lose so many games.

Solutions?

The only solution that could save this season is a trade for a scorer. The only good offensive players that could be traded before the deadline (besides Carmelo) are Luol Deng (17.6 ppg, 46% FG), Devin Harris (15 ppg 43% FG, 7.6 apg), Jeff Green (15.1 ppg, 44% FG, there has been rumors of a trade with Bogut and Green), and honestly I wouldn't mind Hammond trading for Andre Miller to help us get to the playoffs this season.

If the Bucks don't make a trade, and continue there horrible shooting, they should start thinking about the draft. I would think about giving up my Milwaukee fanhood if Hammond picked a 3-5 year project like John Henson. Hell no, that won't work. I refuse to wait 4 more years for a guy like Henson to develop, and he may not even be that good anyways. The Bucks need to be targeting a guy who is ready to play and can score in bunches, like Brandon Knight (combo guard), Terrence Jones (6'9 SF/PF), or maybe Trey Thompkins (6'10 PF, can shoot).

And besides the draft, the Bucks need to add a good player or two in free agency. They will have some money to spend when Michael Redd's 18 mil is off the payroll.

So, my point of writing this article is expressing my anger and impatience with the current Bucks, and thinking of how they can become a better basketball team today and in the future.
I want to hear what my fellow Bucks fans have to say about their current state. What is your solution to the Bucks' problems. Let me hear it!


FanPosts are user-generated blogs-within-the-blog. We require that members abide by our <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/community-guidelines" target="new">community guidelines</a> and keep things respectable.