The Bucks keep on winning, but hopefully they keep learning, too.
Saturday night's game wasn't as easy as any of us would have liked, but it was a win as well as a showcase of what the Bucks are capable of doing offensively when Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis are firing on all cylinders. And for a team focused on securing a playoff berth, that's a good thing. Less good was the Bucks' often chaotic defending, which looked generally disorganized against a Hornets team that made sure to punish them for every open look they surrendered. First overall pick Anthony Davis did the majority of the punishing, flying around the paint to the tune of 28 points (10/14 fg) and 11 boards, but the Bucks rode Ellis and Jennings down the stretch and finally sealed it with Larry Sanders' spectacular block of Ryan Anderson with 18 seconds left.
Next up is a trip to Charlotte on Monday, followed by a tough week that features games against the Heat, Bulls (twice) and East-leading Knicks. We should know a lot more about how the Bucks stack up against the rest of the East by the end of the month.
Stats: Box Score | B-R Advanced Box | Popcorn Machine | HoopData
Recaps: Brew Hoop | Bucksketball | Behind the Buck Pass | JS | FS Wisconsin | At the Hive | Hornets 24/7
News:
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ESPN | Heisley as possible Bucks buyer?
Could former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley emerge as a possible buyer of the Bucks? Marc Stein dropped that suggestion earlier this week:Sale speculation about the Bucks has been a staple for years, but the latest scenario in circulation has the Chicago-based Heisley making a serious bid to buy the franchise if Sen. Kohl can secure the new building (or Bradley Center refurbishment) that would cement the team's future in Wisconsin.
Heisley and Kohl are virtually the same age and have a shared reputation for taking what one might describe as an activist role in personnel matters, so I'm not sure this would be the kind of sea change many Bucks fans have been hoping for. Moreover, the whole arena issue is a rather massive prerequisite for drumming up serious interest in new ownership, so I'm not sure how serious any sale talk will get before a more concrete arena plan emerges.Kohl is 76. Heisley is 75 and cited his age as one of the factors that prompted him to sell the Grizzlies to 34-year-old technology magnate Robert Pera, but Heisley also made it clear when news of the sale emerged in June that he might not have taken that step if his dream of the Grizzlies becoming the second NBA team in the Chicago area had materialized.
Buying the Bucks would give Heisley a very-close-to-home route back into the league he loves, after those long-ago attempts to convince the league that Chicago was big enough for two NBA franchises proved unsuccessful.
- Bucks.com | Unbanning the headband
Alex's latest piece for Bucks.com is nominally about Scott Skiles' decision to allow players to wear headbands this season, but I can't help but wonder if this--along with some other anecdotal stuff I've heard--speaks to Skiles being a bit less Skiles-like in general this season. Last year of his contract, feels like he's got nothing to lose...perhaps not a bad thing? - FS Wisconsin | Bucks talk win over Hornets
Monta and Brandon are all smiles...but Skiles has some concerns. Guess the old Skiles still exists, eh? - Brew Hoop | Video: Henson shows off late against Pacers
Missed John Henson's garbage time performance on Wednesday? We've got all the buckets and blocks covered. - Urban Milwaukee | Jennings, Ellis find new digs
Brandon Jennings' commute to the Bradley Center just got a bit shorter. - JS | For Udoh, it's all in the details
Good read from Charles Gardner on one of the league's most anonymous impact players. Skiles on Ekpe:"He's always in the right spot. He's early in his help instead of late. He's a very high-level big guy for being in the right spot, anticipating the action and seeing it coming. His only thing is on the D-board and he's trying to make it an emphasis."