Bucks 93, Raptors 86: A Happy Home Finale
by Alex Boeder on Apr 12, 2011 1:33 AM CDT
in Recaps Selected
Email
Print
MILWAUKEE -- All is well that ends well.
Destined for an anticlimactic finish to the home schedule, the Bucks appeared ready to take anticlimacticism (yes) to a new level with a dreary start that saw them trail by double-digits early in the second quarter against a team that suited up eight players. A team that started one regular starter. A team that had five road wins in more than five months. It seemed that the Bucks, who spent the season shocking us with new lows, had saved their worst for the last game at the Bradley Center: Brandon Jennings threw a shot that hit the top of the backboard for a classic 24-second violation. The PA announcer proclaimed, "Alexis Ajinca for three." Chris Douglas-Roberts fell over. Multiple Raptors flew in for the same alley-oop.
Thankfully, it was the Infamous Milwaukee Bucks who held the Raptors down for an exciting 15-0 run late in the last game at the BC this season, instead of the other, usual way around. The defense was stout, Jennings was the gamebreaker, and the fans most certainly appreciated the comeback on Fan Appreciation Night.
But after the game, there were unusual multiple-second pauses between questions asked by reporters at the final home presser with Scott Skiles. The reporters were quiet, but it was not because there were no questions. Rather, because we all knew -- Skiles, the players, the media -- there were still no new answers.
Because -- no matter this win, no matter what goes down in OKC on Wednesday -- this season?
All is not well that ends well.
Three Bucks
Brandon Jennings. Turned the night with three straight fastbreak scores in the fourth quarter as the Bucks went from down 77-75 to up 81-77, starting with a polite lay-in and finishing with a two-handed dunk. Jerryd Bayless committed three straight turnovers right in the same stretch, and Jennings ended up winning the point guard battle after a smoking start by Bayless.
Drew Gooden. Another swell game starting at center, posting a team-high five assists after dropping 13 dimes in his last try. Also shut the door on Toronto with five straight points as the Bucks pulled away from 86-84 to 91-84 late in the fourth. He made scoring in the halfcourt in the clutch look simple, and it really sort of was against Toronto, but this late-season bloom makes you wonder if the team might try a Jennings/Salmons/Delfino/Gooden/Bogut lineup next opening night, just as they did this season -- although this season did nothing to clarify whether Bogut and Gooden possess chemistry in the frontcourt together.
John Salmons. A cruel character twist in the final pages of the season, we have reached the point where John's successes feel more like something to hold against him than anything else. This two-game 23-32 (.719) shooting run has been a sight to behold, but it also has come at home against the two very worst defensive teams in the entire NBA in Cleveland and Toronto.
Three Numbers
22-10. The Bucks outscored the Raptors 22-10 on the fastbreak. Entering tonight, Toronto ranked second in fastbreak points while Milwaukee ranked last.
0-10. Coach Skiles played all 12 eligibles tonight, even giving Chris Douglas-Roberts eight minutes in the second quarter that calmed the game down a bit for the better. But the long bench did manage to miss all ten of its three-pointers (Ilyasova 0-3, Redd 0-3, Dooling 0-2, Douglas-Roberts 1, Maggette 0-1).
10. One game after holding Cleveland's starting frontline of Ryan Hollins and Semih Erden without a single offensive rebound, Joey Dorsey pulled in 10 offensive rebounds, and 20 total.
Three Good
Victory. As ungratifying as this win is (and it is quite ungratifying), a loss would have been much worse.
Pleasant disappointments. These sparkling late-season performances by John Salmons and Drew Gooden might be nothing more than setting us up for more disappointment next season. But they did not sign one-year contracts, so there is really no point in hoping for anything except success from them -- whether the Bucks keeps them or not, they suit the team best by playing well as long as they are here.
Redd. Before the game, Coach Skiles was asked if this might be a game where he gives Michael Redd extended minutes, given that this could be his last game for Milwaukee in Milwaukee. After a couple seconds of pause, Skiles (always the sentimental type) answered:
We're going to try to win the game.
The insinuation (and that is too light of a word, because with Skiles it's all very direct) is that he would give no consideration whatsoever to playing Redd merely because it might be his last game in this uniform in this city.
And then they did win the game. And Redd played. And it was not a pretty win, and it was not a pretty Redd, but it was a win and it was Redd. And that was pretty.
Redd is the only player from the 2000 draft still with the same team, and no one from that draft class delivered a better career than the 43rd overall choice. You can idealize defense over offense, but a bunch of his much-chastised offense-only teams won more than this current defense-only outfit. Redd was a great shooter, a great scorer, and honestly, one of the greatest Bucks of all-time. After the game, Redd:
It's been a glorious 11 years. I wouldn't trade anything. I've just had a tremendous journey over these 11 years. They've seen me grow up. I've been here since I was 20 years old. It's been an amazing journey. Some ups, some downs. But through it all, the fans have been great, the organization has been great, to my family, and me also.
Three Bad
93-86. So the Bucks were missing their best player, but they were also pretty much completely healthy aside from that. That they required a fourth quarter comeback to eke out a win against one of the weakest, thinnest NBA rosters in recent memory was hardly the stuff inspiration is made of.
Playing the lottery. With D.J. Augustin's game-winner against New Jersey, a Milwaukee loss would have tied Bucks and Bobcats going into their respective finales on Wednesdays. Instead, the Bucks are up by a game for the pretend nine seed in the East, and down by a game for the actual nine spot in the lottery.
No more games in Milwaukee until October. Always a downer, regardless.
76 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
alexis ajinca for 3 mahahahahahaha
I feel like slapping Salmons honestly
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
Loosen up Skiles
What would it had hurt if he started Redd, then took him out after a few minutes? That dude (Skiles) is wound too tightly. Hmm ..think that reflects on the team? I am starting to wonder.
I certainly hope the Bucks are healthy next season. I also hope that some other coach becomes available. I know that’s a pipe dream, but I am officially off the “supporting Skiles” bandwagon.
whilst his rotations this season have perplexed
I still dont buy the simple argument that we need to get rid of Skiles, the defense has still been amongst the best in the league, I suppose as much as I don’t like it we have to hope that a healthy team will provide a better offensive punch, whilst the offense has been truly awful if we get back to being mediocre we are amongst it again
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
His teams are never good ofrensively
Wins and losses …that is what he will be judged on, just like in Phoenix and Chicago.
Skiles? Fired? Prob not. Quit? Maybe.
Scott Skiles around his team shows the distaste Felix Ungar would feel having to change diapers for a 900lb gorilla with diarrhea.
He may hate his team. He could possibly quit.
Though i continue to feel there are Really Big Things f-ed up inside Bucks management. How those play out may be bigger than a Skiles’ decision.
He cannot relate to today's players
Right or wrong, he just does not.
I agree about the management
We can’t seem to get things right. I truly believe that Herb Kohl switches gears too much, and sends conflicting signals because of it.
I think Skiles is a good coach
yes, probably not a great one, because his teams are not great offensive machines, but he generally defense is a good building block for success long term, and the Bucks were embarrasing on the defensive end for a number of years before Skiles took over, now we are one of the better teams, and that keeps us around the mark, and like last year when the offense was decent we can be a good soiid, there are plenty of things to improve on, but I dont think getting rid of the coach would help much
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
So we got worse on one area and better in another ...
Losing is still losing…..
to be honest this team has average talent, do you think another coach would do any better?
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
I could argue that Skiles has consistently stacked the deck against his offense with his rotations, and it might have cost the Bucks a few games.
But I’m too lazy to launch into a full-scale debate on the subject.
Adam Dunn is Chicago Tough: "I’m a quick healer, like Wolverine. I asked the doctor yesterday how long these things take and he gave me a general answer for the public. I’m subtracting 15 days off it."
by Juan Uribe's Plate Discipline on Apr 12, 2011 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions
I dont think anyone would argue against that
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
I thought distate
was (along with blank, maybe) the only expression that Skiles’ face could show. Didn’t cross my mind he could be annoyed with the team.
Why do you think that? Was he expecting another players that the ones he got last season? Do you heard about any disillusionment with a player not named Chris or Corey?
Tell us, Chuck.
Whoa........
No inside info here. As mentioned in other threads, Skiles has taken to talking about his team as “they” instead of “us”.
On the bench they show him looking as disgusted as the Marlboro Man at a chick flick.
His constant complaint is that the team is not doing what he tells them to do. High energy isn’t a reliable constant. Making open shots is demanded but missing. Our fine reporters here document the long pauses between question and answer in the post-game news conference.
He’ll stay if money is important to him now. He’ll leave if he still believes and has faith in his style of hoops. Unless the off-season changes the roster more than seems likely.
I’m personally up in the air on whether Skiles is flexible enough to succeed except under narrow circumstances. I like 3/4ths of his approach. It’s the last 1/4th that may run the train off the tracks. Guess we’ll see.
I actually meant that there were relatively long pauses betweeen the questions (and after the answers) that the reporters asked last night — my apologies if that was not clear.
by Alex Boeder on Apr 12, 2011 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions
Hey Alex, this is no longer timely, but do you have any idea who Jennings was referring to when he said "Some guys have the mind-set of winning on the team and some guys just don't."
I have a feeling Drew Gooden was the man (probably Maggette too), but Gooden has been putting on quite a show since those comments…even out assisting Jennings each night. It probably doesn’t matter too much at this point, but I was just curious.
Adam Dunn is Chicago Tough: "I’m a quick healer, like Wolverine. I asked the doctor yesterday how long these things take and he gave me a general answer for the public. I’m subtracting 15 days off it."
by Juan Uribe's Plate Discipline on Apr 12, 2011 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions
I do not know who Jennings was referring to — and either you know or you don’t. So I would merely be speculating (and I think we would probably speculate the same few names). I do feel pretty comfortable thinking he was not referring to certain players — Bogut, Mbah a Moute, Sanders, Dooling, Delfino, Ilyasova…
Well,
my bet then should be that he stays to see what happens next season, when all his players should be healthy. As I see it (I agree 100% with your 2/4-1/4 description, he’s too authoritarian for my taste) he belongs to a small market team. He’s not the kind of coach that can compromise with big superstar’s wishes (unless he’s as nice as Bogut or Durant) an he seems to like the underdog role a bit too much to lead a stellar team. And it seems probable that he does not understand very well young players, as Tommy seems to point out.
That said, I still beleive he’s a good choice for Milwaukee and that there is space for this team to keep growing, maybe with one or two smart adittions.
All I read is hope, hope, hope
We are always “hoping” this player or that player plays better. That’s OK if it’s one or two, but the entire team? For some of these veterans, their peak is what we have seen. Players in all sports peak, then slowly (or quickly) decline. You can’t hope that someone who is 30 is going to turn into something else, much less a star. In baseball, the peak age is said to be 27 or 28; dunno what basketball is (Frank & Co., can you help me with this one?)
John Salmons is who he is, a streaky, non-athletic scorer who can’t put five good games together. But you know what? That was his MO before he came to the Bucks. Andrew Bogut is solid when he is healthy but there is NO indication that he is ever going to be healthy enough to take this team further than he already has. Drew Gooden can be a monster on the court, then there is MOST of the time. There is a reason he has played on 7 or 8 teams; he is not a foundation player, and like everyone else on this team, is far too inconsistent.. Luc Richard and Ersan the Turk will be nothing more than complimentary players. Delfino is probably the best all-around player, but again, not a true everyday starter. Then there is Brandon Jennings. I am not sure what to make of him. So far, he has been forced to do too much at too young an age. I am sure he will be gone long before the Bucks figure this out.
If all of these players play to their potential, and the chances of that are slim, then they could reach 40+ victories next season. There is little point in “hoping” that they can be any better.
Sorry fellas …that’s how I see it, right or wrong.
err so what we should just say the coach sucks, all the players suck, everything sucks?
what is that going to achieve? I dont believe that at all, and last year we saw when we are up and about, and we have a decent offense going, we can compete with the better teams as our team defense is amongst the best in the NBA
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
Well ...I never said "suck" but ....
Being naive doesn’t achieve anything either, does it? To say we have a decent offense going is pathologically ludicrous. And yes, our defense can be good. But losing 81-73 is the same as losing 112-105.
Look my friend, I would LOVE for this team to challenge for the top, but the team we have “right now” will never do that. EVER. Last year’s success was an illusion, a fluke ..a small sample size at best. That will never happen again with this club as it is constructed. You can believe otherwise, but I will not.
In closing, I hope to God I’m wrong.
actually I said last year when we had a decent offense going
obviously if we 29th dead last this year in offense im not going to suggest it is decent
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
yeah right why even bother expressing an opinion
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
id prefer to focus on what we do well and improve on the other stuff
at least its something to build on
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
That's your choice
But I’ve been following this team for almost 40 years …I have a right to be snarly …;)
no worries ha!
last years relative success was based on a scrappy defense, so I wouldnt just dismiss it as being worthless
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
Didn't say it was worthless...
I said it was fluky ….
Getting back to my initial post ...
I defy you to dispute anything in that middle paragraph (the longer one).
im not disputing any of the opinions on the players so there is nothing to defy
I know what they are not, they are not great players but they are what we have currently in Bucks uniforms, so I prefer to look at what they can do well and try and use that to improve on this season
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
That works if a team is loaded with youth
But we are not ….at least not with youth that project to be anything more than serviceable. The alternative is trade, free agency, draft, etc ….Not saying that always works or is even possible. With the current roster, even if everyone is healthy next season, any improvement you get is going to be marginal.
yeah right lets try and not improve at all then
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
Now you're putting words in my mouth
I never said they shouldn’t "try’ …merely pointing out the prospects of improving.
marginal improvement means what.... 40 odd wins?
so basically we aim to get back to what we achieved last season? but that was fluke and illusion right?
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
Well we now have a couple different players too
So it’s not exactly a one-to-one comparison. Right now, I am considering it a fluke, yes. What proof is there to suggest otherwise?
obviously none
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
but I am prone to being patholigically ludricous
obviously if you put it that way I have no evidence to say it wasnt a one off season
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
You can keep repeating what I say ...
that is flattering ..I must admit ….
imitation is the greatest form of flattery as they say
I dont know about repetition
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
Let us say, for the sake of argument ..
That all the players return healthy. If they reach 40-45 wins, is that what we should shoot for as fans? You see what happens? We get bludgeoned into dumbing down our goals. So they do that and get eliminated in the first round. Then, after next season, we have the same players? What then? The same or worse.
I dont see how they can be successful in your view
That," says LeBron, "is for everyone that watches me play. They witness something special. You're all a witness.
Huh?
With what they have now, success is a dream …
I don't think last year was a fluke...
…so much as one of the best case scenarios for that specific group of players. Being healthy and having good chemistry is the flip side of leading the league in games lost due to injury and having your best player go through the season with one arm. So if last year was a fluke then I’d say this season was similar in that opposite direction. We were garbage and are going to finish with 34 wins. Lottery material, but hardly laughingstock territory.
The real problem is what Tom alluded to as well—there isn’t the upside in the current team to go beyond what they accomplished a year ago. At least not to take that big next step. To do that requires more talent as a starting point, but we know that’s not going to be conjured out of thin air. And that’s also where the no-man’s land problem becomes so acute. It’s the cycle of mediocre-decent-mediocre-solid-mediocre-OK.
by Frank Madden on Apr 12, 2011 6:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Admittedly, I over-stated that it was a fluke
Allow me to re-clarify. If they do not repeat last year’s stint with a healthy team next year, then it could be classified as a fluke or at the very least an abberation.
Exactly, Frank. The upside, or lack thereof, is what worries me. The hopelessness that I am feeling now is what Frnak alluded to, and that is, you can’t just conjure up talent out of thin air; the contracts we have will dictate that as well.
With our current contract situations ...
John Hammond is going to have to rob some other team without a gun, similar to what he did when he unloaded Yi and Bobby Simmons in the same trade (albeit what amounted to be an expirinig contract with Richard Jefferson).
Really like to see
Someone else starting at the 3 next year
"You play anybody and if they shoot 70 per cent from three, they're going to be tough to beat." More wise words from Chris Bosh
+1
Defintely dont’ want to see both Maggette and Delfino back at least.
Tbh I'd say both
Maggette especially if he’s not going to play, let’s trade him for another crappy contract that might get some burn at least. As for Delfino, I can’t believe we want a guy back who in 32mpg scores 11.6, 4.1 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.6 spg. I know people say he’s the glue and it’s the little things but we need someone who can score more. We have Luc to do the little things. I really couldn’t care less about Ersan coming back either, but with Delfino we have an out and I think we should use it. try to trade him to a team that needs a salary dump, and if nothing happens…don’t renew. The 3 30 point games slowed my feelings a little but I have not seen enough consistent play to justify bringing him back.
"You play anybody and if they shoot 70 per cent from three, they're going to be tough to beat." More wise words from Chris Bosh
Keep bitching against Delfino, Canada
and instead of the athletic scoring forward you wish for the Bucks, you will end sharing your views with Eduardo Najera fans. :)
I didn't know there was any
"You play anybody and if they shoot 70 per cent from three, they're going to be tough to beat." More wise words from Chris Bosh
Tell me that
Carlos Delfino is a bona fide starting NBA 3 who should be getting 30-35 minutes a game.
"You play anybody and if they shoot 70 per cent from three, they're going to be tough to beat." More wise words from Chris Bosh
Pessimistic, but drawing no conclusions...
That’s my attitude. Right now. I don’t see an obvious path to solve the team’s problems and improve the roster. My hunch is that Herb Kohl may feel an era has ended. The era of try-try-and try-some-more. Don’t know what he’ll do next.
But I don’t have to hold my breath waiting. Being a Bucks fan is just a slice of my life. It’s mature enough to wait and see what happens. And react then. Not now.
And how many times, as fans, are we going to do that?
Hope ..wait ….wait again ..react ..hope again …wait ..react ….
40 years
I’ve been a fan that long. From the start. If there’s a lesson, it’s that the owner is very important. His personality is important. And he’s going to do it his way. A fan has to accept the whole package. Not in terms of offering criticism; that’s fully legit. But in terms of expectations. The owner’s Bad is going to be piloting the plane as often as his Good.
I am worn out by this franchise right now ..
allow me some pessimism ..hehe …Look, I love our sports teams. That’s why I care and that is why I am realistic as well. I will be back next year, and hopefully, we will have a few new players to get excited about.
for me
hope doesn’t run out. it just hunkers down against reality. tries to outlive the storm.
by unklchuk on Apr 12, 2011 3:29 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I hear ya
I always look forward to the draft, no matter how weak or which pick we have. There will be some nice players there by the time our name is called – no franchise changers, but hopefully, someone who will give us some skill – something – that a current player does not possess.
The fact that Hammond and Skiles have destroyed all the good will built up last season is incredible.
I thought that would take at least a few seasons, but here we are. We can’t even dream up ways for this roster to be meaningfully competitive for next season. They need to look outside the current roster for answers (and hope).
Adam Dunn is Chicago Tough: "I’m a quick healer, like Wolverine. I asked the doctor yesterday how long these things take and he gave me a general answer for the public. I’m subtracting 15 days off it."
by Juan Uribe's Plate Discipline on Apr 12, 2011 3:32 PM CDT up reply actions
Define "meaningfully competitive"
Could they win 40-45 games with this roster assuming it’s healthy? Of course. Is that enough for people? I have my doubts…
by Frank Madden on Apr 12, 2011 6:10 PM CDT up reply actions
A competitive team next year
Would be enough for me. I am realistic enough to know that there’s no championship team on the horizon and I can live with that. This season was tough, almost as tough as the one a few years back where they were 4th in the conference at one point then lost to the raps on the final day to get beaten out of the playoffs.
"You play anybody and if they shoot 70 per cent from three, they're going to be tough to beat." More wise words from Chris Bosh
Meaningfully competitive to me means an reasonable opportunity to make it to the conference finals at least.
Alternatively, to me it means having players developing on the roster that have reasonable potential to meet the goal stated above within two years…ala the Thunder.
I think being where the Bucks are is just as bad as being where the Blazers and Hawks have been. They have no chance either…they are just a rung higher on the NBA hell ladder.
Adam Dunn is Chicago Tough: "I’m a quick healer, like Wolverine. I asked the doctor yesterday how long these things take and he gave me a general answer for the public. I’m subtracting 15 days off it."
by Juan Uribe's Plate Discipline on Apr 12, 2011 7:16 PM CDT up reply actions
@Juan - that was more point earlier.
The “upside” isn’t there.
My hunch is that Herb Kohl may feel an era has ended. The era of try-try-and try-some-more. Don’t know what he’ll do next.
The Artist Formerly known as Speedingtime/Speedy
"You want Josh McRoberts? You can't HANDLE Josh McRoberts!" --Sportscenter anchor
by Jacob Grinyer on Apr 12, 2011 3:39 PM CDT up reply actions
that's a good photo...
and it makes a sharp comment
Herb Kohl...
Does he have time to own the team even? I’d think that Senators would be pretty busy…
Never underestimate
A politician’s ability to seem busy.
I never use a big word when a diminutive word would suffice.
Hehe
The Artist Formerly known as Speedingtime/Speedy
"You want Josh McRoberts? You can't HANDLE Josh McRoberts!" --Sportscenter anchor
by Jacob Grinyer on Apr 12, 2011 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions
Photoshop CS5
What do we think about Office 2010? As we said MS Office 2010 earlier, it is microsoft office 2007 download the best version of purchase microsoft office 2007 Office ever, period office 2007 professional plus We are very Office Professional 2007 much looking forward office professional 2010 plus to a mass-market Office Professional 2010 release. Microsoft Office 2010 offers windows 7 download mellow and powerful Windows 7 Professional new ways to Adobe Photoshop deliver your best Photoshop CS5 work at the duty, home Photoshop CS5 Extended or school. Grab Photoshop CS4 your audience’s attention Photoshop CS4 Extended and in spire them Photoshop CS3 with your ideas visually. Create Photoshop CS3 Extended results with people West Wing box set at the same time Project Runway box set and stay related How I Met Your Mother box set to your files across Breaking Bad dvd set the town or around the The Tudors dvd world With Office 2010, you’re UGLY BETTY box set in direct of getting Californication box set things done and delivering Dirt dvds amazing results according Vampire Diaries dvd to your table. Equip your Skins dvds people with powerful The Legend of the Seeker dvd ways to do their best The Sarah Connor Chronicles dvd moil from more places Terminator dvd using their PC, phone Glee The Music Volume dvd or web browser.
Advertising fail?
The Artist Formerly known as Speedingtime/Speedy
"You want Josh McRoberts? You can't HANDLE Josh McRoberts!" --Sportscenter anchor
by Jacob Grinyer on Apr 13, 2011 3:20 PM CDT up reply actions
my oponion
I see dissimilarity between this fantastic story and stuffy websites like difference among cheap phentermine and expensive drugs
I tried it and it sucked.
All I saw was Chris Douglas-Roberts missing wide open layups.
Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog.
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on May 12, 2011 12:02 AM CDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
