SB Nation - Ersan Ilyasova

Game 25 Preview: Blazers vs. Bucks

Dave — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 07:09:23 -0000

Amir Johnson and Ersan Ilyasova audition for "So You Think You Can Dance?" I'd be keeping my day job, guys.

Game Time: 5:30p.m. Pacific TV: Comcast

When news came down that Milwaukee's main star, Olympian Michael Redd, had strained a knee tendon and would be down for an indefinite period the assumption was the Bucks were going to struggle. Correction...the assumption was the Bucks were going to struggle even more than they otherwise would have struggled, which was presumed to be a fair amount. Surprise! Milwaukee has actually managed to eke out a decent season so far. They're 10-11 overall but were cruising at 9-7 before a tough road swing and a home date with the Cavaliers busted them in the chops for four straight losses. They won their last game against Toronto and are looking for a critical gasp of air while they're near the surface because the L*kers and Cleveland are next on the docket.

The guy getting all the headlines for the new-look Bucks is rookie Brandon Jennings. The 6'1" 20-year-old has posted double-figures in every game of the season but one including pasting 55 on the Warriors back in mid-November. Jennings is also dishing 5.7 assists, grabbing 3.8 rebounds, and shooting 44% three-point range. He's actually better from distance than he is inside the arc. You literally have to watch him everywhere because he's made a cottage industry of tearing teams apart and then letting his teammates feast on the carcass. In fact there's a bright, nearly-straight line running right down the middle of the Bucks' schedule. When he tops 40% shooting on the night the Bucks win. Under that and they lose. He's everything for them right now.

That doesn't mean that Jennings is absent help, however. A bright spot on the season has been Turkish forward Ersan Ilyasova. He's long, rangy, and tends to score and rebound in flurries. Oh, and he too can shoot the three. He doesn't bring it every night but he's a double-double waiting to happen, especially if you take him lightly. Luke Ridnour's defense hasn't improved any since his Seattle days but he's found a niche with this team taking smart shots and dishing the rock when Jennings doesn't have it. Veteran sharpshooter Charlie Bell also haunts the roster along with small forward Carlos Delfino. Both of them can hit the long ball as well.

If you're starting to notice a pattern here that's because there is one. The Bucks take and hit a ton of three-pointers. The constant threat of toxic rain keeps the middle clear for penetrators and for center Andrew Bogut, who started the season slowly but now is rounding into form, averaging 52% from the field, 15 points and 9 rebounds. Forwards Hakim Warrick and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute round out the rotation adding athleticism and a little more scoring punch.

In their element any of the Bucks players can cause you harm, which is the secret to Milwaukee's battle plan. They want you thinking in four directions at once. They like to space the floor and watch you scramble. On good nights you need to field at least two octopi in order to cover them all.

Unfortunately most of these guys are spotty, up to and including Jennings himself...likely due to being a rookie and all. When it goes bad for the Bucks it goes really bad. If they're in the 80's they're done. They are just not set up to win that kind of game. It happens every now and again because they're neither a great paint scoring team nor a fast breaking team. They rely on the jumper and the jumper is a fickle mistress. When push comes to shove they'll settle for getting up more shots than you do and hope for the best.

Here's the thing, though. Unlike Bucks teams of yore this year's incarnation often wins when scoring in the 90's because (gasp!) they can play a little defense. Mind you, we said a little. Nobody's going to confuse this team with the Robinson-Duncan Spurs. But they get after it most nights, possibly because they play a legit 10 guys and keep them fresh. What they lack in individual prowess they make up for in covering ground, though they can get caught lapsing in transition sometimes. Like many young teams their defense tends to feed off of their offense. On nights when the scoring is easy the energy is high. Grind them down offensively and they'll lose focus on the other end too. Their huge, HUGE Achilles Heel is that they foul like a mug-mug, again an example of enthusiasm over true defensive chops. They're giving opponents 29 free throws on average while drawing fewer than 20 themselves, losing around 7.5 points per game at the stripe. Even a decent turnover differential can't make up for that.

The Bucks are better offensive rebounders than defensive. Their eyes light up when they get a chance to score. You have to worry about nearly every forward they put out there plus Bogut. Boxing out is an important skill against them.

Pivotal Points to the Game

1. Just deal with Jennings somehow and the Bucks are your oyster. Unfortunately that key has been on the chalkboard of every team they've played since he broke out. Obviously you should never leave him alone to help on anyone else...ever. If he gets a single shot uncovered beating sticks should appear in the hands of the coaches. Portland's propensity to mix defenses may come in handy here, as he's yet inexperienced in the league and overall. Throw different looks and different players at him. If nothing else put Bayless on him and let them fight.

2. The Bucks KILL teams that play fast and play no defense. The Blazers' best bet is to grind it out and make them work for their points.

3. Limit their offensive rebounds. Remember lots of shots are going to come long and on the whole you have better rebounding guards than they.

4. Take care of the ball, eh?

5. If you don't drive on this team and draw some fouls it's like telling those Publisher's Clearing House guys to get the hell away from your door when they bring that oversized check and balloons down your walk.

Final Thoughts

Need a win here. Just take the good things you did last night, repeat them, and patch up a small hole or two. At least you know you won't have LeBron driving a truck through your roadblock tonight. Come out to win this one and don't let go until you have done it.

Check out the Milwaukee point of view at the fantastic Brewhoop!

You can enter tonight's Jersey Contest form right here.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Recap: Celtics 98, Bucks 89

Frank Madden — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:16:20 -0000

Box Score

Let's not kid ourselves. When your team has dropped eight of its last nine, there's no such thing as a moral victory, even if it's a hard-fought game on the Celtics' home floor. But let's at least say this: the Bucks' rather predictable loss in Boston at least had more to do with the Celtics being damn good than the Bucks simply being bad.

Unlike Sunday, the Bucks were playing catch-up early but this time held their composure for about 44 minutes. A big reason was Andrew Bogut, who settled the Bucks early on by dropping a series of hooks with both hands en route to 12 first quarter points. Brandon Jennings again had a slow start, missing three shots before heading to the bench midway through the first, but came back in time to toss a tough runner high off the glass going to his left for a three point play to end the first. Improbably, the Bucks not only were in it, but had a one-point lead.

The second quarter was largely the same story from a flow perspective. Both teams rested their starters for longer stretches, and Bogut was held shotless with two turnovers, though he also notched three assists. But as much as the Celtics made short spurts, they couldn't put together the consistency needed to put the Bucks away. The Bucks again finished respectably, as Delfino buried a late three and Jennings dropped in a floater near the buzzer to bring the Bucks within a point at the half.

Third quarter? Same story. Kevin Garnett (25 points, 9/13 fg) started to get on a roll in the third, burying four open jumpers as Rajon Rondo (11 pts, nine boards, 13 ast) used P&R to get in the lane and kick to open teammates seemingly everytime down the court. But Bogut answered with eight of his own and the Celtics' role players had less luck--Eddie House and Brian Scalabrine among those missing open looks that had the Garden crowd ready to explode.

Unfortunately, in crunch time the Celtics simply played like the Celtics. And the Bucks, well, they played like you'd expect the Bucks to play on the road against the league's best defense. After Delfino found Ilyasova surprisingly open for a layup to tie it at 86, Rondo (40% ft shooting coming in) hit a pair of freebies and stuck a mid-range jumper shortly thereafter. It was the capper on a big quarter for Rondo, who scored all 11 of his points in the decisive period, including 5/7 from the stripe. Bogut then turned it over on consecutive possessions, and Garnett dumped a righty hook over Ilyasova to extend the Boston to lead to 93-86. Ballgame.

Three Bucks

Andrew Bogut. Bogut finished the game with an unsightly seven turnovers, but that shouldn't overshadow the fact that he was miles better than he's been the past three games (25 points, 11/17 fg, 14 rebs, five assists, two blocks). It was mostly what we expect of Bogut at his best: when he posted deep he finished with both hands, and when further out he was able to put the ball on the deck and get equally good looks. He even had one improbable turnaround fadeaway with the clock running down and made each of his three free throws--one of those nights apparently.

Ersan Ilyasova. Garnett was able to take it to Ilyasova on the rare occasions he got the ball on the block, and Ilyasova's shot generally wasn't falling from outside. But otherwise the Turkish Delight held his own about as well as could be expected against Boston's best, scoring 19 (6/17 fg, 2/6 threes, 5/6 ft) to go with eight boards, and three steals in 43 minutes.

Carlos Delfino. Jennings (7/19 fg, 17 pts) had a flashier night, but Delfino provided both some shooting (12 points on 5/10 fg, 2/4 threes) and passing (team-high five assists). I'm not sure I like Delfino orchestrating the offense too much, but it's tough to complain when Delfino plays Ray Allen (13 pts on nine shots) to a draw.

Three Numbers

52.2%. Though the Celtics couldn't crack the century mark, it's not to say the Bucks defended particularly well--Boston ended the game right around their averages with 108.9 pts scored/100 possessions and 98.9 pts/100 allowed. They came out looking to pound the Bucks inside, and eventually found their mid-range groove as well.

The Bucks certainly worked hard, but Rondo was seemingly able to draw the extra defender at will, forcing the Bucks to leave either Perkins open under the basket or Garnett open on the perimeter. And even though Rondo was basically no threat to score himself most of the night, he made almost no mistakes finding his talented teammates (13 dimes, one turnover). Whether it was the screener or someone setting up shop in the corner, Rondo's vision was tremendous and he's got the teammates to make him look good.

14. The Bucks got after it on the offensive glass and it helped keep them in the game--14 offensive and 45 total boards helped offset the Bucks' 43% shooting.

17. Turnover differential has generally been one of the Bucks' saving graces the past two seasons, but not tonight. The Bucks coughed it up 20 times--a whopping 17 on Boston steals--as the Celtics simply gave them no margin for error. The Celtics are just impressive all the way around on defense: they defend one-on-one, they take away passing lanes, they hedge/recover on P&R, they close out on shooters when you move the ball. The Bucks might not have seen the Celtics at their best tonight, but they probably saw enough to know why they're once again one of the league's toughest teams.

Three Good

The Anchor. Technically Bogut's been back for over a week, but it's been three games since we saw the Bogut we want to see. As is so often the case, Bogut's ability to finish around the hoop was closely correlated with everything else about his game, and it was nice feeling like the Bucks had someone they could count on to create scoring opportunities whenever the crowd was starting to get into it. Turnovers not withstanding, this is the Bogut that we need to see every night.

The Prince. If practice made perfect, then Luc Mbah a Moute's development as a jump-shooter wouldn't be progressing so miserably. But as much as the Prince has struggled with his shot, his work-rate and footwork on defense is still a sight to behold. Paul Pierce didn't have a terrible line tonight (15 pts on nine shots, five turnovers), but thanks to Luc, he was among the least of the Bucks' problems.

Bouncing back. Unlike most of their recent losses, the Bucks at least didn't have anything to be ashamed of tonight. It was a road game, the Celtics are good, they were in it until late, blah blah. And tomorrow night the Bucks get a chance to bounce back quickly against a Calderon-less Raptors team in Milwaukee. No excuses.

Three Bad

Closing time. It's no secret that the Bucks don't have proven scorers they can rely on in crunch time--a void that was all the more obvious when you watch the Celtics with KG, Pierce and Allen all ready to drop daggers when the Celtics need a hoop.

Sure, Jennings has made some big shots, but he's had even more misses and turnovers--a theme that continued tonight as he misfired on a pair of late threes. Tonight Bogut fell victim to the turnover bug as well, coughing it up twice in the last four minutes as the Celtics made their surge. So while we used to always complain about Mike Redd's one-track mind late in games, I wouldn't mind having an 04/05 or 05/06 Redd around to make life easier at this point. Sadly, I'm not counting on it.

Bench. Luke Ridnour and Hakim Warrick have typically been reliable bench scorers of late; maybe not both at the same time, but typically one of them has provided a shot of energy to the second unit. Not tonight. Ridnour didn't make a field goal before going down with an elbow injury in the third quarter, and Warrick was a complete non-factor in 13 minutes. All told, the Bucks got just nine points on 2/11 shooting from the short bench of Ridnour, Warrick, and Bell.

Rondo'ed. It was a matchup of contrasting roles and styles for Jennings and Rondo. While the more trigger-happy Jennings is already carrying the burden of an entire franchise 20 games into his career, Rondo has steadily developed into one of the league's best all-around PGs while sharing the stage with three all-stars. I doubt either team would want to trade their guy for the other one--the Bucks need to roll the dice with a potential superstar and the Celtics need their more experienced jack-of-all-trades. On the positive side, Jennings showed some creative shot-making around the hoop...but he also missed all eight of his jumpers outside 15 feet. Live and learn.

Recap: Magic 100, Bucks 98

Alex Boeder — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:14:56 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Jennings and Howard: Agony and ecstacy

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Box Score

MILWAUKEE - They aren't the defending conference champs for a reason; they are the defending conference champs for many reasons. Unfortunately, 16,128 saw just enough of those reasons at the Bradley Center tonight, where the Bucks lost for the second time this season, for the second time in a way that hurts all the way home.

The Bucks hosted a road team that entered Milwaukee with wins in Boston, Atlanta, and Toronto (twice) already this season. Those three at home against other teams? 19-2.

Orlando wins the pregame matchups when everyone is ready to roll, but: Howard + Carter - Bogut - Mbah a Moute = Abject Inequality. Still the Bucks raced to a lead, and not just a lead, a double digit advantage that ballooned all the way to 17 in the third quarter before Jason Williams and Vince Carter popped that balloon with threes and dunks like it was 1999, or thereabout. The YouTube wonderbackcourt of years past combined for 16 points in the final six and a half minutes of the third.

A back-and-forth fourth quarter ended after Ersan Ilyasova and Luke Ridnour both missed shots with less than a half minute and the Magic up two. But Ilyasova and Ridnour were more heroic than scapegoats despite the misses, and the shorthanded Bucks were more impressive than anything else despite the loss...

Three Bucks

Ersan Ilyasova. Milwaukee's Man of the Match missed a free throw late and then a potential game-winning three with half a minute to go, but there's no faulting someone who earned a (partial) standing ovation for a single offensive rebound -- especially when it was one of seven reeled in off the offensive glass.

Ilyasova hauled in a rebound of a missed three pointer by Brandon Jennings in the third quarter, earning a roaring approval from the crowd as Milwaukee called for time. The Bucks missed five shots in a row in that series midway through the third quarter, but Ersan kept possessions alive all night.

His day in the late-game sun will come; he's too good of a shooter to keep coming up short in the clutch. But for now I'm fully satisfied with his Howardish 20 points and 16 rebounds and un-Howardish zero turnovers. Would anyone rather have Charlie Villanueva right now?

Luke Ridnour. The vet, backup point again outplayed Jennings tonight, but let's keep him coming off the bench, where he's thriving. I continue telling myself (and you) that he can't shoot like this forever, but Ridnour's aim remained very on for at least another night. He was easily the team's most efficient offensive player with 20 points on 9-15 from the field, and he made his only free throw and three pointer.

But like Ilyasova, he missed at the end. And that decision to shoot a tough, fadeaway jumper with a new shot clock available and 27 seconds remaining in the game was certainly questionable. But he wasn't worrying about degree of difficulty the whole night, and they were mostly falling until then. Both he and Ilyasova gained the confidence throughout to attempt those decisive shots, and that's nice. So is 20 points, 6 assists and a couple steals from the backup point guard.

Hakim Warrick. Four straight 15+ point games for Warrick, who is forming a rather sufficient power forward duo along with Ersan. Hak belongs around the basket. He can start his dunk from just about anywhere inside the perimeter and make it happen. That's high percentage, even if he misses a dunk, like he did once tonight (those two points would've been nice). And he usually has that one-track-dunk-mind. So it was a bit strange to see three falling-away jumpers look so very clean in the first half.

I like that he made those jumpers, but even on a good night like this one he only made 3-7 on shots outside the paint. Warrick is one of the few Bucks who is capable of getting to the line (led the team in making a modest 4-4 free throws tonight) and he gets there when aggressive. Diversifying the offensive portfolio is great, but right now he can drive to the basket with authority like no other Buck, so let's focus on that, cool?

Three Numbers

6. The Bucks committed just six turnovers in the entire game, the same number as Dwight Howard had all by his lonesome. The starting backcourt of Jennings and Bell combined for just a single turnover in 70 minutes.

8-9. Milwaukee made 8-9 three pointers to start the game, helping push them to an early lead. Ultimately they couldn't sustain shooting threes like that, or not-so-coincidentally the lead. But they still outshot the three-point-happy Magic from outside, making a marksmanlike11-19 in the game compared to 8-22 for Orlando.

56.0 %. A game after facing the league's most accurate from the line in OKC, the Bucks faced the NBA's worst free throw shooting team, and the Magic lived down to the billing by hitting just 14-25 (.560) from the line. Combined with Milwaukee's hot outside shooting, this one was ripe for the taking.

Three Good

Happy home. I don't know (or maybe I don't want to know) how close to .500 the Bucks can play on the road, but all indications are that they will post plenty of wins at home. The only two losses so far came against a very good Mavs team on a Dirk overtime buzzer-beater, and now tonight against the (improved) defending Eastern Conference champs by a couple points. Milwaukee had chances to win both games, and opponents haven't looked very happy following pre-game warmups at the BC this year.

Not a bad home performance yet among eight, and attendance reached a season-high 16,128 tonight... feelin' like a legit home court advantage.

Supersubs. Missing three usual starters in Bogut, Redd, and Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee's bench realistically shouldn't be so hot. Especially compared to a very good, deep team in better health. Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick, and Brandon Bass lead one of the finest seconds units in the league, but the Bucks' bench was better tonight. The aforementioned Ridnour and Warrick were stars and scored a dozen more points (36) than the entire Magic bench.

And with Dan Gadzuric accurately deemed helpless against Howard (4 fouls in 4 minutes), Kurt Thomas assumed the unenviable task of guarding the superstar for almost 30 minutes. He slowed, even frustrated Howard some, and pulled down a few offensive boards in a solid run off the bench.

Care. Skiles has spoken often recently about the Bucks turning the ball over too much. Just six turnovers tonight. And after a couple weeks having trouble while facing tremendous defensive pressure and specific gameplans targeting him, Jennings didn't commit a single turnover against a good defensive team, ranked 5th in the NBA coming in.

Three Bad

Leads to losses. Going into this game, the Bucks had no business winning, but once you accumulate a lead as big as 17, it's yours to lose. And they lost it. The Magic are really good, and if this was something new, it would be more understandable. But after so recently blowing the Hornets game, it's not new at all. And they crashed pretty hard against the Bulls to start this month, too. I don't see the Bucks coming back from big deficits to win, so there is really no evening out here.

The Bucks led by 17 points with under three minutes in the first half after a three by Jennings. Even against a premier opponent like the Magic, that's a healthy lead. But Milwaukee quite quickly gave it up, as Orlando closed to within nine by halftime.

In fact, the Bucks closed quarters poorly all night. After allowing that game-high 17 point second quarter lead dwindle to nine, they finished the third quarter even worse. Up 70-58 with four and change left in the third, the Magic went on a 15-2 run to take a lead into the fourth quarter. And we know how that quarter ended...

The end. Skiles maintained that it was the correct decision to play straight-up defense down by two on the final possession.

"I would foul if it was a bad foul shooter, but we've got to be able to make a stop right there, get the rebound, take a timeout, and have another chance," Skiles said.

But with 27 seconds and thusly a three second difference between the shot and game clock, the Magic could and should have waited until the last second to shoot, which would have left maybe a second if the Bucks secured the defensive rebound... which obviously was never meant to be anyway. Not sure I'm comfortable with that defensive philosophy though. Okay, I am sure. That I'm not.

Hurting. If Redd was perfectly spritely the past few games, that would be a bigger problem than any. So it's reassuring in some ways that Mike is still hurting; at least we can assume he will eventually play better, which shouldn't be too difficult. But the fact the team's two biggest, pre-Jennings names never seem quite right is a real worry hanging over the franchise even while the rest of the club plays so admirably in their absence.

It doesn't help that Mbah a Moute, who was originally considered day-to-day, doesn't physically appear ready to return right away.

Orlando Magic 100, Milwaukee Bucks 98

Ben Q Rock — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:50:38 -0000

by Morry Gash - AP

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Dwight Howard and Vince Carter, who scored 25 points apiece, led the Orlando Magic to a 100-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in a game in which Orlando trailed by as many as 17 in the second half. Rashard Lewis scored the winning bucket, a bank shot off the dribble after driving to his right, with 44.7 seconds left to punctuate a quietly effective night for him. The Bucks had plenty of time to respond to Lewis' bucket, and got a wide-open, three-point look for Ersan Ilyasova at the top of the arc, but it fell well short. Luke Ridnour corralled the long rebound and--apparently going for a two-for-one opportunity--put up a wild jumper almost immediately, but was well off the mark. The Magic needed to shoot, and Carter did. Howard tipped the miss off the glass, and Matt Barnes, inserted for defense on the Bucks' final possession, secured the loose ball to preserve the victory. It was, in short, a wild finish to an entertaining game that saw banner performances from several participants.

Team	Pace	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
Magic	88	113.2	55.8%	18.2	31.0	19.2
Bucks	85	115.4	47.2%	14.4	28.8	7.1
Green denotes a stat better than the team's season average; red denotes a stat worse than the team's season average.

Some nights, it's not your night. It's a sports cliche that's become cliched because it is, well, true. And when the Magic entered the Bradley Center locker room trailing by a score of 56-47, they might have felt that way. The Bucks shot an absurd 7-of-8 on three-pointers in the first half, and reserve forward Hakim Warrick roasted whomever guarded him inside with a variety of quick moves off the dribble; never before has Magic backup center Marcin Gortat, a stout defender, looked so overmatched. There's only so much a defense can do when it forces the opposition to take contested jumpers, and those jumpers wind up going in. The Bucks, without Andrew Bogut manning the pivot, had no inside game to speak of apart from Warrick's explosive drives. Their jump-shots, some of them wide-open, dropped and dropped and dropped all night, but particularly in the first half. Ridnour made all manner of runners and floaters in the lane, many times after absorbing contact but not earning the benefit of the whistle. The Bucks very much take on the demeanor of their head coach, Scott Skiles: they scrapped, fought hard, never gave up... however you want to put it. The point is they played impressively tonight, missing two of their best players (Bogut and Michael Redd), on the second night of a back-to-back, against the defending Eastern Conference champions. I can't say enough good things about them.

But the Magic were simply better in the second half, and they earned this win. Coach Stan Van Gundy was right when he told the press that the Magic's poor starts in the each of the last two games are causes for concern, but it's hard not to come away impressed with their effort in the second half. Howard avoided foul trouble the entire game and looked to take his D to another gear after intermission, recording all 4 of his blocks in the final 24 minutes, including 2 on 1 possession, and another late in the game when isolated against Bucks rookie point guard Brandon Jennings, who attempted to shoot a jumper over the 6'11" center, to no avail. That the Bucks converted a higher percentage of their three-pointers (57.9%) than their two-pointers (36.6%) is no surprise, given Howard's deterring presence in the lane.

Howard's offense, though, was even more impressive. 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, with only one dunk and three layups. Everything else? Rolling hooks, from either side of the lane, with either hand, and soft touch. Put-backs. He looked like a refined offensive player, teasing impatient Magic fans with glimpses of an elite post game. Alas, tonight's showing is probably the exception to the rule as far as offense is concerned... but the Magic will, quite obviously, take the points any way they can get 'em.

Howard's emergence overshadowed a gutty performance by Carter, who needed 4 stitches to close a gash in his mouth sustained when Charlie Bell inadvertently caught him with an elbow. True to form, Carter proceeded to challenge Bell at every opportunity once he returned, and did so with excellent results. He, like, Howard, finished with 25 points, as I mentioned. He continued to attack the basket, as he's done more often in recent weeks, which can only be a good thing. He missed a few inside looks he should have made, which has been a season-long trend, but the point is he rarely settled for long jumpers. Progress.

The superstars' scoring inside opened the floor up for Lewis, who responded with his best game of the season. He sank 2 of his 3 three-point looks, but also looked to score from mid-range and at the basket; he was not a standstill shooter today. His 9 boards (4 offensive) made him the Magic's second-leading rebounder. A quiet, steady, encouraging game for Lewis, who had struggled with his shot earlier this year as he shakes the cobwebs that gathered during his suspension.

And how about Brandon Bass tonight? Playing for the first time in 10 days, Bass came on and showed why the Magic made him their top free-agency target this summer. In a shade under 9 minutes, Bass scored 8 points on 3-of-4 shooting, grabbed 4 rebounds (2 at either end of the floor), and blocked a shot. His D, which was one of the factors that knocked him out of the rotation lately, still needs work, as he let Warrick blow by him on the left baseline for a monstrous jam... which he missed, luckily enough. But 4 rebounds in 8 minutes, for a power forward who came into the game averaging just over 3 in 21 minutes per game, is tremendous, and the sign of someone who wants his job back. He outplayed Ryan Anderson (2 points and 2 assists in 7 minutes) tonight and showed that he can be useful against certain kinds of teams.

I've made a lot of this recap sound rosy, which is bound to happen when the Magic overcome a big deficit to win late. Still, there are several causes for concern. Defense, sure; Milwaukee shouldn't be able to score 115 points per 100 possessions on anyone, at least not with Redd and Bogut on the sideline. They made tough jumpers a lot of the night, which they had to do given their personnel. But the Magic should be worried that Ilyasova managed to grab 16 rebounds against them, especially 7 on offense. He's a fine player, but against great rebounders like Howard and Gortat, he should not be able to get free. Turnovers were also a problem for Orlando. Point guard Jason Williams played 34 minutes without committing any, against 10 assists, which is great to see. But Howard and Carter committed 9 themselves, of the Magic's 18 total. It's true that Milwaukee tends to force a lot of turnovers, so some of that is to be expected. However, under no reasonable circumstances should the Magic give the ball away once every five times down the court. That sort of offense won't get it done against the NBA's better teams.

The Magic wrap up this four-game, five-night, four-city stretch of their schedule tomorrow evening in New York. If they can hold off the fast-paced Knicks for their 8th win in 9 tries, they'll wind up turning a lot of heads. But they can't look ahead to hypothetical results, lest they get run off the floor in the first half, as they almost were tonight in Milwaukee and Thanksgiving night in Atlanta.

Game 16 Recap: Oklahoma City 108, Milwaukee 90

Zorgon — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:42:17 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

Whoh.

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Yahoo! Sports Box Score:

As I entered this game and saw the Bucks making a late first quarter run, all I could think about was how good the ball movement was on that team. Fortunately, while good ball movement may look pretty when they actually do score, it doesn't do a lot for winning games if the scorers aren't there. The team seemed to rely on a certain scorer getting hot an fueling the team. In the first, that guy was Carlos Delfino. In the second, that guy was Ersan Ilyasova. In the third, that guy was nobody. Nobody. They didn't score a point until there was 5:45 left to go in the third. Talk about total collapse. Needless to say, from that point on, the games was mostly garbage time, and the bucks never got closer than 10 from that point on.

You have to admire the complete shut down of Brandon Jennings. I really thought he'd take advantage of the fact that Mike Wilks was on the floor, but Wilks managed to hold his ground. I guess it was just an off night for him.

One has to admire the quality of post play that occurred on our side of the ball. Nenad Krstic was getting blocks and rebounds, Sefolosha got a double double, and, as a team, the Thunder destroyed them in the rebounding department. Ilyasova mostly concentrated on his mid-range game, Gadzuric was totally useless, Kurt Thomas is old, and former SuperSonic Francisco Elson only played in garbage time. This left all of the inside work to the undersized Hakim Warrick, who managed to do some extremely fancy dunks (one of which resulted in a BS technical foul call for hanging on the rim). Because of this, he earns tonight's Thunder Plunderer award. Unfortunately, he alone could not stem the tide of inside exploitation by the Thunder.

On our side of things, the game couldn't have gone more perfectly. Kevin Durant had another superb performance, with 33 Points, 12 Rebounds, and 5 Assists. That easily gets him the Thunder Wonder Award. And, as good of a job Sefolosha did going 13 and 11, I have to give the Thunder Down Under award to Russell Westbrook, for not only getting 20 Points, 6 rebounds, 7 Assists, and 2 Blocks, but also fro completely outdoing Brandon Jennings, who only had 12 Points, 3 Assists, and 3 Turnovers.

The Thunder Blunder of tonight is D.J. White, who did a bad job filling in for Nick Collison, who has a sore knee. 10 Minutes, 1-5 Shooting, 2 Rebounds, and 1 Assist? Eh. At least Ibaka, who didn't have too good of a game himself, managed to get 7 rebounds. Need evidence as to why both of these guys don't get minutes? Look no further than here, where they totally managed to screw it up on a day where the inside play was plentiful.

Also, you have to give props to the crowd. Obviously, they put on their best masks tonight, as it never would have been this loud if the Thunder were playing the Bucks normally. Still, it's nice to see them shop up when it's most needed, and show the nation what we're made of. I'll never re-watch the game on TV, as ESPNs coverage of the NBA is putrid, but I'm sure the announcers spent about 10 minutes commenting on "how loud it is in the Ford Center". And that's a good thing!

Next Game: Versus the Rockets, Sunday, November 29th, at 6 PM Central Standard Time

Bah, yet another annoyingly early 6 PM home game....at least I can look forward to what could become our tenth win!

Poll

If I told you we'd be 9-7 after 16 games, would you believe me?

Yes

28 votes

No

38 votes

66 votes | Poll has closed

Game 16 Preview: Oklahoma City vs. Milwaukee

Zorgon — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:46:20 -0000

More photos » by Darren Hauck - AP

Neither of these guys will be playing tonight, which could, in itself, explain why we lost to the Bucks twice last year.

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This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.

Time: 8:30 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma, ESPN

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): BrewHoop, Bucks Diary, The Bob Boozer Jinx, Bucksketball

Backstory: Well, it's that time of year again. Everybody has loaded up on Turkey, I'm ready to go buy discounted video games like some sort of crazed mad man, and the Thunder are getting ready to take on the hot hot Bucks on National Television. Wait, what was that third one?

That's right, the Thunder are on National Television. After an impressive 8-7 start, ESPN finally considers them to be hot material, at least, hotter than a blowout matchup between the Suns and Timberwolves. And rightfully so. This matchup, in an national perspective, could be seen as a proving ground for both teams. Both are playoff teams right now, which nobody expected at the start of the season. And both are probably not considered to be long-term success teams. That is, most are expecting them to fall into the lottery by the time the season is over. So, who's expected to win?

To be honest, they should expect us to win. The Bucks do have a better record, but their wins have only come over Detroit, Minnesota, Denver, Golden State, New Jersey, Charlotte, and Memphis. Aside from the win against Denver, they've pretty much won against all of the NBAs current doormats. And their losses don't look that much more impressive, with losses to the sub-.500 76ers, Bulls, and Hornets, with the only other losses coming to the struggling Spurs and the rather good Mavericks. Thus, if you put it all together, the only good teams they've played have been Denver and the Mavericks. They've visited almost every non-playoff team in the East (besides the Wizards) and almost every non-playoff team in the West (besides the Clippers, Kings, and Jazz). Now, I'm not saying that the Bucks continuing their run of success in the weaker East isn't possible, I'm just saying that this team isn't the powerhouse we thought they were. Combine that with the loss of Andrew Bogut and possible loss of Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, and you have one giant over-hyped sandwich.

On our side of things, things feel much more real. We're coming off of a huge wins in Utah and Miami, with a more minor win against the Wizards and losses against the Magic and Lakers. All of that doesn't look bad on paper, but it covers up our past losses to teams like the Clippers and Kings. If we can win this game, it will put us at 2 games above .500, and in a very good position moving forward. Thus, this game will decide, on a national stage, whether we are just another bad team having a good early season run, or whether we really are ready for the playoffs.

Below: Matchups, Prediction

Matchups:

Center: Nenad Krstic vs. Dan Gadzuric

Ah, the Bucks resident backup Center, Dan Gadzuric. He could double-double in this game, if he gets enough minutes in which to do so. However, I'm pretty sure Krstic will have the better scoring night, as no one knows Gadzuric as a defensive stalwart or anything.

Power Forward: Jeff Green vs. Ersan Ilyasova

Ilyasova is a rare example of how going back to the Euroleague can help your game, He was drafted in 05, played only in the D-League, and then played only sparingly in 06-07. Since he wasn't happy with his situation, he went to play for F.C. Barcelona, averaged decent stats for two years, improved his game, and then came back to the Bucks, where he's now a rather successful Power Forward, averaging 10 Points, 7 Rebounds, and 1 Assist per game in only 22 minutes. Still, this is weaker matchup for Jeff Green, so if he can stay out of foul trouble, he should manage to put up good numbers, and can probably beat Ilyasova in every category.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant vs. Carlos Delfino

You read correctly, Carlos Delfino is indeed playing Small Forward. He went to play in Russia last year and averaged decent statistics, but Delfino is already a known quantity, so that only served to raise his stock and get him decent pay. Nevertheless, even though Delfino is a jack of all trades who will produce in every category, he will almost certainly be overpowered by Kevin Durant and scored upon many times.

Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefolosha vs. Charlie Bell

Charlie Bell, at one point, was the worst shooter in the NBA. He's improved since, but he's not going to be a scoring threat any time soon. He'll fill up the intangibles, just as Thabo will, making this matchup a draw.

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook vs. Brandon Jennings

And here is the matchup of the hour. Brandon Jennings is the super rookie who decided to play in Europe for a year, and, boy, has it paid off. He has averaged 23 Points, 5 Rebounds, and 6 Assists in his rookie campaign, all while sporting very stylish haircuts (I've seen him with the flat top, the faux-hawk, and whatever you call the badass hair-style he has now). If Scott Brooks is smart, he'll have Thabo defending this guy, because Russell Westbrook doesn't have a chance in hell of stopping him. Jennings wins this matchup easily, and I shudder to think what will happen if Mike Wilks is forced to step on the floor.

Battle of the Benches:

This is a complete waste of time. Even without Mbah A Moute and Bogut, the Bucks still have a much more powerful bench, containing former SuperSonic Luke Ridnour, former Raptors star Roko Ukic, former Grizzlies star Hakim Warrick, and Kurt Thomas. We have Harden, Etan Thomas, Collison.....and Mike Wilks. Oh yeah, they still have Michael Redd off the bench, too. I'd say they get the win.

Coaching and Intangibles:

The one intangible on the Thunders side to pay attention to is Mike Wilks. It's not know if we'll have to play him, but if we do, the situation could get drastic, especially against the amazing Brandon Jennings. On the Bucks side, it's not know if Michael Redd can return to his former scoring form yet. If he can, it would certainly create a dynamic duo of a back court, making our situation even more desperate. Where's Kyle Weaver when you need him?

Bottom Line:

The Bucks are like the Raptors of a couple of years ago. They signed foreign talent, combined it with what they had, and became a threat to win on any given night. But, the team is flawed. If Michael Redd can't find his stride, then Brandon Jennings is the only serious scorer on the roster. If Thabo shuts him down to an extent, we can get an easy win. But, if they can get both of their scorers going and have another X-Factor step up, then we're screwed. Also, watch Mike Wilks. If he plays, he could be a huge liability when defending Brandon Jennings. Hopefully, it won't come to that.

Prediction: Oklahoma City 110, Milwaukee 105

Sorry, Bucks fans. I think we've got this one in the bag. Too bad the game is on the worst sports broadcaster of all time.

How do you think the game will go? Vote in the Poll!

And, again, feel free to drop any comments you might have during, before, or after the game below. I'll be in the Ford Center cheering the team on, but I'll be back to write a recap later tonight. Go Thunder!

Poll

Who's going to win tonight?

The Oklahoma City Thunder

23 votes

The Milwaukee Bucks

7 votes

30 votes | Poll has closed

Bobcats Lose to Bucks 95-88; Highlights and Lowlights

David Arnott — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:09:50 -0000

More photos » by Jeffrey Phelps - AP

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The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 95-88, powered by a huge first quarter from Brandon Jennings and solid production from Hakim Warrick and Ersan Ilyasova.

We'll have more in the morning, but here are some highlights and lowlights:

BAD

-- Free throws are fast becoming the Cats' most important flaw. Tonight, they had a big advantage in getting to the line, but only shot 26-43 from the charity stripe. That's 61%, folks.

-- Three point shooting is still terrible. Yes, even if they're bad at it, they have to take threes, because otherwise the opposing defense can simply collapse into the lane, but the Cats are so bad at it they must consider severely reducing their three point attempts. 2-13 tonight.

-- The offense did not improve with an increased tempo and pace. (I'm guessing about that. It felt like the pace had increased, but I haven't confirmed.) Fewer possessions in a game provides greater variance in outcomes because each possession means more to the game; it's a reasonable strategy for poor teams to grind the game to a halt. However, increasing the offense's pace and tempo can create a greater advantage if it leads to easier baskets. The Cats seemed to increase the pace a notch, but it's not leading to easier baskets. It seems they're simply taking shots earlier in the shot clock.

-- I suppose it's hardly a bad thing that they couldn't contain Jennings, because few teams have contained him, but I'm still disappointed the Cats' defense has seemed to drop off from the excellent D of the first few games. In addition, Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin were almost comically bad, a combined 1-7 from the field, and Felton had 2 assists. Was that Jennings's defense? Or was it more our guys' ineptitude? I'm not sure.

-- Boris Diaw is probably hurting. He didn't have his normal offensive game, and Warrick and Ilyasova were constantly pounding the Cats inside and outside, respectively. Perhaps it was just the matchups, but I'm concerned over whether or not Diaw's trying to play through a back injury that is hurting his game too much.

-- Gerald Henderson only got a few seconds in the game. What was the point?

GOOD

-- At times, the increased pace worked, and it seemed to benefit Gerald Wallace's offense most. He ended up with 22 points to go with his now-expected 10 rebounds.

-- Stephen Jackson played to the higher end of his abilities, scoring 22 and only turning it over twice.

-- Derrick Brown! 16 minutes for the rook is about 14 more minutes than I could have hoped for him. Awesome.

-- Mad props to the Milwaukee game day crew. I don't know if it was a malfunction or not, but sometime in the second half, I think all in-house sound effects stopped. The PA guy was still going, but there was no music, no chimes, no thumping beat during possessions. Just the sweet sound of a few thousand people cheering along the ebb and flow of a basketball game.

Here we go again? Bogut to miss 2-4 weeks

Frank Madden — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:04:22 -0000

More photos » by Gary Dineen - NBAE/Getty Images

Sadly, we won't be seeing this for a while.

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Just when it was starting to be fun to be a Bucks fan, this happens. Figures, right?

The Bucks announced today that Andrew Bogut will miss up to a month thanks to the so-called "left leg strain and contusion" he suffered in the waning minutes of last night's win over New Jersey. Bogut suffered the injury on a loose ball under the Nets' basket, playing one more possession before walking to the locker room under his own power. It was hoped the injury would be a minor one, but an MRI today said otherwise.

As always seems to be the case when Bogut gets injured, the Bucks' description isn't particularly informative--kind of like the "leg sprain" Bogut suffered in October 2006 (His whole leg was sprained? What does that even mean?) or the misdiagnosed back injury that ended his season a year ago. As you might remember, Bogut took less than a month to recover from his leg sprain, which was initially thought to shelve him for 6-8 weeks. I'm not sure how similar this injury is, but hopefully he again beats expectations and is back in a week or two (and yes, I'm blocking out what happened last year, when the exact opposite happened with his back injury...happy thoughts, happy thoughts).

Bogut's injury comes just as Michael Redd is getting healthy, so if you were looking for an experiment to demonstrate the relative values of each guy, now you'll get it. In Bogut's stead you can obviously expect to see more of Dan Gadzuric and Kurt Thomas, and Francisco Elson might even make an appearance. But after a strong start to the season, Gadzuric hasn't played more than nine minutes in any of the Bucks' last four games, and Thomas hasn't played in three of the Bucks' last five (maxing out at six minutes). The Bucks will probably be going small more regularly as well, so don't be surprised to see Ersan Ilyasova getting more minutes in the pivot. How well the Bucks can hold the fort without Bogut is unclear (see our poll), but it will clearly have a lot to do with Brandon Jennings' ability to continue shouldering the scoring load. All we can say is this: feel better, Drew.

Poll

Andrew Bogut is out...what now?

In Brandon we trust.

357 votes

And thus begins the Bucks' annual downward spiral.

232 votes

589 votes | Poll has closed

Redd targeting return next week

Frank Madden — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:40:06 -0000

Charles Gardner and Jim Paschke reported after today's practice that while Michael Redd will again be in street clothes tomorrow against Golden State, he is targeting a return sometime next week. The Bucks continue their homestand through next Friday with games on Monday against the Mavs, Wednesday against the Nets and Friday against Charlotte. Until then, Redd will continue to rehab the patella tendon in his left knee, which he strained in the Bucks' home opener against the Pistons on October 31. Via Gardner:

Redd indicated he was able to do some running and jumping but he had not yet gone through a practice session with teammates. "I'm doing a lot more dynamic movements, testing it and putting it in positions it would be if I was playing," the Bucks veteran said.

The elephant in the room: how will Redd's return impact a Bucks team that has started firing on all cylinders since he went down?

Let's start with the obvious. I had Bogut pegged as the Bucks' most important/valuable/irreplaceable player before the season started, and Jennings' incredible start has allowed him to leapfrog Redd in that category as well. Part of that stems from Jennings' and Bogut's ability to impact the game in multiple ways, and part of it is a positional thing--center and point guard are simply much more important positions than off guard.

That said, I certainly won't go so far as to say the Bucks are a better team without Redd. As much as people underestimated the Bucks' personnel coming into the season, this is still a team that lacks reliable scorers and all the numbers back that up: 26th in scoring efficiency, 25th in eFG%, and 29th in FT/FG. Redd's ability to create his own shot and get to the line is exactly the kind of thing that could help the team play at an even higher level, even if it means some sacrifice on the defensive end (where the Bucks still rank 1st in efficiency).

The challenge for Scott Skiles is in making sure that Redd's return doesn't starve Bogut and Jennings of their touches. It's probably less of a concern with Jennings, who will still be able to pick his spots as the guy who brings the ball up the court every possession. The bigger concern is whether Redd's return stifles Bogut's touches. The big man has had 14 or 15 fga in each of the the past four games and he's responded by averaging 19.5 ppg while converting at a 60% clip. Heck, he's even made nine straight free throws over the past two games. But beyond his high efficiency, Bogut is also the Bucks' only low post threat, and he's even been commanding double teams at times. That kind of thing makes the game easier for everyone--Redd and Jennings included. And while I certainly wouldn't blame Redd for Bogut's lack of scoring against Philly and Detroit, there's obviously a tradeoff involved between getting each guy his touches.

For some time, the consensus on Redd is that he'd probably be best as the third banana on a good team. The consensus has also been that we probably wouldn't see that happen in Milwaukee. Could it be changing? Quite possibly. It's tough to extrapolate the success of six games against mostly mediocre competition over a full 82-game season, especially given how many injuries the Bucks seem to sustain each year. But the third banana part seems pretty real right now.

You might reasonably even suggest that the Bucks bring Redd off the bench a la Manu Ginobili in an attempt to better balance the firepower between the first and second units. We could certainly see it as Redd works his way back from his injury--he also came off the bench in his first game following his ankle injury last November. But it's still a bit of a leap to see Skiles go that route on a permanent basis, even if Redd could still get 30-33 minutes in a super sixth man role.

There are of course other ways of making the situation work, and the pressure is on Skiles as much as anyone to figure out the best route. For one he can focus on staggering his starters' minutes throughout the game, so that you minimize the amount of time both Redd and Bogut are resting. We saw that in the first half of the opener, when Skiles gave Redd a short rest midway through the first and then brought him back when Bogut sat down with a minute left in the period. Against Denver the Bucks played a combined seven minutes where neither Bogut nor Jennings was on the court, and going forward it's those kinds of situations I'd prefer to avoid.

Skiles could also move Hakim Warrick back to the bench and let Ersan Ilyasova take over as the starting PF, which shouldn't ruffle too many feathers. Kurt Thomas is still around as well, but he seems to have fallen out of favor with Warrick and Ilyasova holding down the PF spot and Gadzuric playing effectively at backup center. Warrick has plenty of experience as a sixth man and was largely expected to be the second unit's offensive sparkplug before Redd's injury helped convince Skiles to bump him into the starting five. Warrick may not be an elite scorer by any stretch of the imagination, but he gets to the line and you can at least run plays for him. That alone makes him pretty unique on the current roster.

Recap: Bucks 96, Pistons 85

Frank Madden — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:55:21 -0000

Box Score / AP Recap / JS Recap / GameFlow

With less than a minute to go in the first half of the Bucks' home opener, you would have been forgiven for getting that same old feeling about the Bucks. Down 49-33, with Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd offering little help for the second straight night, it would have been perfectly acceptable to start extrapolating a long, long season. If the Bucks sort-of-stars were MIA, how were they ever going to win games? Anyone see John Wall or Derrick Favors lately?

Fortunately, the Bucks apparently have a bit more up their sleeve than just Redd and Bogut. Namely, they have Brandon Jennings (24 points, 9/15 fg), who for the second straight night was the fulcrum of seemingly everything good that happened for the Bucks. The rook had a perfect third quarter, making all seven of his shots en route to 16 points that catapulted the Bucks from down 11 to up 11. And when Jennings wasn't getting it done, Hakim Warrick and the Bucks' role players were. Warrick scored 21 of the Bucks' 52 bench points, and his 15 free throws were representative of a more active, aggressive approach that provided a stark contrast to Friday night.

Three Bucks

Brandon Jennings. Remember when we were wondering if he would be able to win the starting job? Like, you know, a week ago? Apparently time flies when you're a hyper-talented 20-year old.

Like Friday night, Jennings drilled a three in the first couple minutes of the game, but unlike the Philly game it didn't foreshadow a big first half. Rather, Ben Gordon and Rodney Stuckey used screens and hot shooting (well, what you'd expect from Gordon) to eat Jennings up in the first half (he guarded both guys at times). It wasn't particularly bad defense, but this is the NBA. Working hard simply isn't enough to shut the other guys down.

Then in the third quarter something happened. The Bucks started spreading the floor, running more high pick/roll to give Jennings room to use his speed. And Young Buck found a bit of a zone, which shouldn't be too shocking for a guy that once made 13 threes in a high school game. It started with a floater in transition, the Pistons' disorganization in transition allowing the rook to dart into the paint. Down five. Two minutes later, Redd found Jennings for a no-hesitation, catch and shoot triple from the left wing. Still down five.

And then with just over five minutes remaining in the third came a one-man 9-0 run that turned a two point deficit into a seven point lead. Two mid-range jumpers, then the play that may well be the lynchpin of Jennings' early season YouTube mixes (see above). Jennings just took the ball from Kwame Brown near the foul line, and immediately launched himself down court, navigating around Rodney Stuckey with an around-the-back to his right before corkscrewing himself for a reverse lefty lay-in on the right side of the hoop. Pandemonium, or at least as close to it as you can get from the just-over 15,000 people in attendance. And he wasn't quite done. On the next possession he skipped around a high screen on the right side and buried another triple from the right wing.

Overall, 24 points and three assists would suggest Jennings was just bombing away for himself, but in truth he was pretty consistently creating looks for teammates, much like a night earlier. The big difference was the Bucks didn't seem able to convert consistently, especially in the first half when Jennings took just four shots.

Hakim Warrick. With the Bucks' big money guys misfiring, Warrick provided the crucial scoring to keep the Bucks in it early (11 points at the half) and added another 10 in the second half. And while he's a bit too eager to fire up his backward-leaning 18-footer, he made up for it and then some with his willingness to attack the rim regardless of how many Pistons were standing in his way. He even made 1/2 from deep, though it was out of necessity--the miss coming at the first quarter buzzer and the make coming on a shot clock-beater from the right corner.

Warrick also did well when he wasn't the one finishing. He's not really known as a guy who makes teammates better, but he and the rest of the Bucks' bench did well moving the ball even if their mediocre shooting kept their assist totals down. Charlie V hit some shots in the fourth to finish with an OK line (12 pts on eight shots and six boards) but Warrick was better by a mile.

And he doesn't have a $35 million contract. Nice.

Luc Mbah a Moute. A night after an invisible debut in Philly, Mbah a Moute looked more like the old Luc. Nothing huge, and his line barely registers in a quick scan of the box score. Still, he tied Bogut for the team lead with eight boards and just played. Less worrying about shooting jumpers like a small forward should; more playing defense, crashing the glass and using his work rate to get easy buckets.

Three Numbers

+8. The Bucks out-fouled the Pistons (29-28). No surprise there. But their aggressiveness paid off at the free throw line for a change, as they were +8 in attempts and +5 in free throws made. Most of the credit goes to Warrick, who accounted for 15 of the 33 attempts. The best part about Warrick is how fearless he is around the rack; he simply expects to put it down every time he gets it near the cup, and all the energy seemed to be contagious, as the Bucks hauled in 16 offensive rebounds, 12 by the bench.

36. The Bucks don't have the look of a team capable of explosive offense, and looked the part with 38 first half points. So the Pistons were probably a bit shell-shocked when Jennings and company came out in the third and started making everything. The end result was a 36-14 edge, the only quarter the Bucks won on the scoreboard.

4. How can the Bucks win when they get a grand total of 4/15 shooting from Redd and Bogut? In general, they won't (see below). Which is why the lack of production from the big guns is cause for concern.

Three Good

The kid. We probably shouldn't hand him the key to the city quite yet, but it's impossible not to be excited by what we've seen so far. His style is unmistakably that of a point guard, but tonight we saw he could also carry the team as scorer for stretches.

Scott Skiles won't be surprised; he alluded in the preseason that Jennings would have to play that role at times. That doesn't make him Allen Iverson, though the Bucks won't mind if Jennings score like him at times. And as much as Iverson has become a four-letter word in any discussion of point guards, the truth is that great points have to score at times. Paul, Nash, and Deron Williams do it.

Role players. Jennings and Warrick were the only double-figure scorers, but they didn't pick up the slack for Redd/Bogut alone. Ersan Ilyasova didn't really have his shot going but was active (nine pts, six boards, four offensive and +13) and combined nicely with Warrick, each setting the other up a couple times. Mbah a Moute picked up the slack for Carlos Delfino, who started the game with a great move to the cup but seemed too eager to launch 27 foot threes after that. And as much as I give Dan Gadzuric a hard time, he stepped up tonight (4/5 fg, five rebounds) and allowed Skiles to sit Kurt Thomas the final 43 minutes of the game.

Something to talk about. You can't fault the city of Milwaukee for being skeptical of the Bucks right now. They've been mediocre-to-bad for too long, and a summer of exodus won't win over fans, even if CV and RJ aren't nearly as valuable as many assumed. So it's crucial the Bucks win some games and do it in a way that people can appreciate. Jennings provides the flash, and he's clearly going to be a guy who gets people talking. But the hard work has to be a team effort.

~~Three~~ Two Bad.

Bogut. Bogut got into early foul trouble and never got on track for the second straight night, finishing just 2/7 from the field for six points and eight boards before fouling out in 27 minutes. I thought he looked slightly better than in Philly, but that's not saying too much. Bogut's had a penchant for slow starts over his career, and his long layoff following his back injury can't help.

But the Bucks can't afford to have Bogut this uninvolved for the next month. Part of that is on Bogut--he needs to get deeper position on the block, get more freebies off the offensive boards, and catch the ball when his teammates find him in the paint (more of an issue in Philly). But the Bucks also need to do more than throw him the ball in the post five times a game. More pick and rolls, more high post where he can face up. You're paying him to be a cornerstone player, and now play him like one, too.

Redd...and his knee. Redd scored nine on just 2/9 from the field, and left the game in the fourth due to reported soreness in his surgically-repaired knee. He appeared to come down a bit awkwardly after a right-handed breakaway dunk in the third (see video above), which probably shouldn't be surprising given he seems to get hurt every time he dunks. The good news is that Redd's departure is being termed precautionary and he's expected to be ready on Tuesday when the Bucks play in Chicago.