- Bucks.com releases the team's preseason schedule, highlighted by a trip to China, where Milwaukee will play the Golden St. Warriors twice. They tip off at the Bradley Center against Timberwolves on October 6.
- An ESPN.com panel of 25 collectively ranks the Bucks 11th in the East, with a projected 35 wins.
- SI.com's Chris Mannix gives the Central Division teams a summer report card. The Bucks are top of the class with an A-.
Hammond still has some things to do (figuring out if Michael Redd is in the team's long-term plans, for one) and his decision to draft Joe Alexander after trading for Jefferson was a little puzzling. But Hammond has Milwaukee back on the right track.
- Chris Colston at USA Today tabs the Bucks 18th in a first version of preseason power rankings. That places them ninth in the East.
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Michael Redd is the NBA's 46th best player according to Tom Ziller at FanHouse. The always keen Ziller is in the process of counting down the league's top 50 players.
What the Hades in wrong with being one-dimensional if you're among the best in the world at that one dimension? Redd is an elite scorer: he's unstoppable 80% of the time, he's efficient. He never turns over the ball in score mode, a real special quality given how much offense he creates on his own. Scoring is a pretty important part of basketball -- we act like Redd did the equivalent of tiddlywinks in 2006-07, just because the Bucks were awful.
- Brett at The Bratwurst is a little underwhelmed looking at the offseason moves.
- JS Online's Don Walker reports Charlie Villanueva is working with SolesUnited, a shoe donation program. Great stuff, CV.
- Brian Hood, writing for Fox Sports, devises an All-NBA Football team and slots Richard Jefferson at tight end.
- The Bob Boozers Jinx's J.D. Mo again questions Michael Redd's Olympic performance, as well as local media coverage. Redd certainly was underwhelming on the court. He only played 73 minutes, and for good reason. The glut of guards in front of him (Kobe, Paul, Williams etc.) played better in Beijing, which isn't surprising because they are, well, better players. Redd isn't a good defender, and was cold shooting the ball (32.3 FG% and 27.8 3PT%), rendering him not terribly useful on a team of the most polished players on the planet. Of course, he didn't really have a chance to work his way into a groove, and he's not suddenly a bad shooter. He was simply off for what amounted to about two NBA games worth of minutes. That happens. Recall the heroic Kobe Bryant's first 45 minutes for Team USA in the Olympics? Went like this: 37.0 FG% and 6.7 3PT% with four assist and four turnovers. When you look at the big picture though, Kobe fulfilled his role. Redd? He obviously didn't contribute anywhere near the level of Kobe or most others, but I can't say "he was not a factor in winning the gold." Remember the FIBA's last summer? The tournament that qualified Team USA for the Olympics? Redd hit 53.0 FG% and 45.3 3PT%. That came against lesser competition, and for smaller stakes, but it was a necessary step toward gold. Glen Davis shot 58.3 FG% and played an important role in the first round against the Hawks, but notched 15 minutes total in the Finals. Sure, Atlanta isn't Los Angeles, just as the FIBA's aren't the Olympics. No one is crowning Redd or Davis as the vital player on a champion. But don't tell Davis he didn't earn a ring. And don't say Michael didn't factor in winning gold.
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Friday Notes: Preseason schedule released, power ranking season commences
By
Alex Boeder
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