Monday Morning Media Roundup: September 9th, 2019

It was like being transported back to the worst excesses of the Jason Kidd regime: Entire quarters where Giannis was left on the bench or completely frozen out, haplessly watching his team’s lifeblood pour out on the court. And just like that, Greece’s ambitions for World Cup gold were extinguished, but not before Thanasis Antetokounmpo decided it was a good idea to stir up trouble with numerous opponents his brother will have to face this season by committing a hard foul on Harrison Barnes.

Surely the Team USA guys won’t remember that when they’re playing Giannis while Thanasis collects DNPs, and surely teammates Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez were thrilled by that display of competitive drive.

Either way, the US moves on and Giannis will have one more crack at salvaging Greece’s campaign today against Czechia. With luck they’ll find a way to be blown out by midway through the third quarter allowing Antetokounmpo to avoid more minutes of stress and strain.

In addition to the WC play, the Bucks have plenty else going on: Hasheem Thabeet in for a second workout while Dragan Bender lives it up on a yacht on the Adriatic, Sidney Moncrief officially joining the Basketball Hall of Fame, an update in Sterling Brown’s case with the city of Milwaukee, and more.

Let’s roundup!

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Source: Thabeet to workout for Bucks a second time (Amico Hoops)

Where else could this week’s news pieces begin than with a report so consequential to Milwaukee’s upcoming season?

Thabeet, who is somehow already 32 and has been out of the league since 2013-14, may not have much in the tank, but there’s been more written about him working on his game than Dragan Bender this off-season, so there is that. Unless Hasheem has completely revamped his game and is now hitting threes at a Brook Lopez-esque rate it’s safe to say these workouts are more due diligence for down the road by the Bucks than anything else.

Sidney Moncrief’s tenacity on both ends separated him (NBA.com)

Enough about the 31st roster spot of tomorrow; it’s time to take another look back at the Bucks teams of yesteryear and, specifically, Sidney Moncrief and the life that led him to the top of Mount Basketball.

The piece can speak for itself, but what underlies Sidney’s story (and that of numerous Bucks players of the past) is a resurgent appreciation for the greatness of those teams of the 80s. With Milwaukee’s current iteration once again in the mix for title contention it is only natural to view that decade of dominance in a familiar light instead of one of myth and longing that presided during the depths of the aughts.

While Moncrief never obtained a ring while with the Bucks, his remarkable career is made even moreso by the path he took to reach the NBA. Enjoy your time in the spotlight, Sir Sid, you certainly earned it.

Common Council approves $400,000 settlement offer to Bucks guard Sterling Brown (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

An update on Sterling Brown’s continuing legal battle with the city of Milwaukee over the, let’s term it questionable for simplicity’s sake, arrest by MPD his rookie season.

For now it appears the settlement offer won’t be enough to get Brown to drop the case without the inclusion of an admittance that his civil rights were violated. Undoubtedly the Bucks have had and will continue to support Sterling as the case develops and the story will remain adjacent to the season.

MIL Season Outlook w/ Frank Madden (Dunc’d on Basketball - Podcast)

Brew Hoop founding father and Bucks basketball maven Frank Madden continued his annual tradition of joining Nate Duncan on the Dunc’d on Basketball podcast to break down the state of the franchise. With Locked on Bucks publishing at a slower rate the hour Frank spends educating the wider masses about Milwaukee is like a welcome oasis in this arid hellscape known as early September.

The Social Media Section

The one, the only, the undeniable Teutonia World AKA @DavidDunn21 AKA Elijah Price is back with his latest must-watch Bucks uniform content

Wonder what this could be?

Just about time to check in on Thon Maker’s progress in his first off-season as a Piston

That’s gonna be a hard “no thanks”

Numerous trade suitors are knocking down Jon Horst’s door right this minute

OK

Here’s the thing: Frank Mason apparently lives at the Bucks training facility. Dark horse for actual rotation minutes is in play

Pat Connaughton out here cradling not one, but two infants

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As the site begins to ramp itself back up into motion in its own facsimile of training camp, expect to see a steady churn of pieces doing their best to evaluate just what to anticipate from the Bucks in 2019-2020.

A golden opportunity was missed last year and, while the Eastern Conference in particular looks ripe for the taking, a small part of the collective psyche will continue to take a hit at having gotten so close to then come up short. Ultra-determined Giannis very well prove enough to make it all a moot point nine months from now, but introducing new elements to the roster (while subtracting a core piston) can’t be discounted.

For now, tune in as Greece makes a glorious last stand on the cusp of an early elimination and, as usual...

Happy Monday!