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| 2013/2014 NBA SEASON | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
VS. |  |
| April 16, 2014 | ||
| BMO Harris Bradley Center | Milwaukee, WI | ||
| 7:00 CT | ||
| FSWI / NBA League Pass | 620 WTMJ | ||
| PROBABLE STARTERS | ||
| Jeff Teague | PG | Brandon Knight |
| Lou Williams | SG | Ramon Sessions |
| Cartier Martin | SF | Khris Middleton |
| Mike Scott | PF | Jeff Adrien |
| Pero Antic | C | Zaza Pachulia |
| 2013/14 ADVANCED STATS | ||
| 94.6 (13th) | PACE | 91.7 (24th) |
| 105.8 (18th) | ORTG | 102.9 (26th) |
| 106.4 (14th) | DRTG | 111.8 (30th) |
On the Hawks: Peachtree Hoops | HawksHoop | Hawks Basketblog | Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Bucks will wrap up their season tonight when they host the Atlanta Hawks, the team that will probably take the crown for ''opponent that executed the worst physical and emotional beatdown of a really terrible team" in this historically bad Bucks season.
The Bucks wrapped up the worst record in the league on Monday, and now have a one-game window where the result of the contest won't push their fans to the brink of insanity. Similar things are set to happen in Atlanta, where the Hawks punched their playoff ticket earlier this week. Atlanta takes over the reigns to the Eastern Conference's 8th seed, a property that Milwaukee seemed destined to build their estate on. As we all know, Milwaukee's season took one wretched turn after the other, while Atlanta--also decimated by a flurry of injuries--managed to have enough talent to still make it in to the postseason.
Banged up birds. The Hawks rested starters Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll, and Kyle Korver in Monday's loss to the Bobcats, a game which also saw Jeff Teague and Pero Antic sit out the entire fourth quarter. All of these players will make the trip to Milwaukee, but their status for the game is still uncertain. With all these guys a little dinged up and a brutal playoff series against the top-seeded Indiana Pacers on the horizon, sitting out most if not all of these players would seem logical. With both Milwaukee and Atlanta locked in to their spot in the standings, there won't be anything to gain or lose from making the decision to rest them.
New sheriff in town. The Hawks announced on Sunday that they had brought on Steve Koonin to be their co-owner and CEO. The 56 year-old who left the Turner Entertainment Networks sat down with Chris Vivlamore of the AJC for a Q-and-A. Among other questions, Koonin was asked about how he planned to get over the ownership being viewed as a ''black eye'' to a segment of the community (sound familiar?). He offered with this:
I see that as the past. I also see that as a fan that was a disappointing period. It doesn't reflect on the future. I see Danny Ferry, who is a legendary player, brilliant guy, really understands the business of basketball and how to bring in talent. We want to build an environment here where this city can capitalize on the desire of athletes, of entertainers, who want to live here and stay and play here. The way we are going to do that is to fill the arena, create a winning enterprise. It's going to take some time but we are going to put the pieces and the talent together.
[...]
If people want to deal in the past, we couldn't convert them no matter what we do. But I'm the future. Danny is the future. Bruce is the future.
Speaking of the future, here is the latest scuttlebutt on the Bucks' potential future.
Was told today Bucks owner Herb Kohl has decided on a group to sell his franchise. The $64,000 ? is what group?
— Gery Woelfel (@GeryWoelfel) April 15, 2014
Kohl & gang have done stellar job keeping Bucks sale secretive. Don't be surprised if new owners have never been mentioned in reports.
— Gery Woelfel (@GeryWoelfel) April 15, 2014
and then...
There r whispers a group from Chicago has emerged as new Bucks owners, pending league approval of course.
— Gery Woelfel (@GeryWoelfel) April 15, 2014
So where does that leave us? Well, not really anywhere new, really. The only Chicago name linked to reports has been Dr. Richard Chaifetz. Additionally, the report over the weekend that suggested that "local investors" were finalizing a deal didn't rule out Chicago being considered ''local," so it's hard to say whether Chaifetz has his own Chicago-based group or whether he is heading up a team with more local guys ( Attanasio, Hammes, Bridgeman). There is also a decent possibility that Woelfel is correct and we haven't heard the names of these new investors yet. This speculation will continue to run wild until a decision has been announced, and that decision could come as soon as this Thursday or Friday when the NBA's Board of Governors meet in New York. Stay tuned.
Future Buck? Duke freshman forward Jabari Parker is expected to announce his decision on whether he'll stay in school or go pro sometime today. Should Parker declare, the oh-so-hyped top four (that we've narrowed it down to) will all be available for the Bucks to take a look at once they figure out what position they'll be drafting in. Fingers crossed, everyone!