SB Nation - Joe Alexander

My Soft Spot is Super Athletic Combo Forwards

David Arnott — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:38:08 -0000

More photos » by Jeffrey Boan - AP

If you caught my Reggie Miller reference in the Pacers game preview, you know I've been reading Bill Simmons's Book of Basketball. I can't find exactly where I read the observation, but I've come to agree with the assessment that Simmons is a top-notch memoirist and, at best, a hit or miss analyst. For instance, he lists Robert Horry as his 85th best NBA player of all time. All. Time. He also leaves guys like Chris Bosh out of the Top 96, but makes Tom Chambers his number 96 and puts Kevin McHale in one of his higher levels, even though Bosh compares favorably to both.

Why? Because Simmons privileges his emotions and his personal feelings over basketball production. You'll drive yourself crazy if you count how many times he uses the phrase "when it mattered". You'll also drive yourself crazy trying to parse which players he thinks were capable of leading their teams to championships. See, Dirk Nowitzki hasn't done it, so he can't. If he was capable, he would have done it. Clyde Drexler couldn't do it. Bill Walton could when he was healthy for most of a season, so, in one of the most ludicrous passages of the book, Simmons says that even if he knew in advance how it would play out, he would choose Walton as his franchise center over David Robinson, who missed significant time once in his career, was All World for his first seven seasons, merely really, really, good for four more and passable for two more.

You can't convince Simmons otherwise, because Walton gives him fuzzy feelings. He was, essentially, as good as Robinson was for the Admiral's second title, but because Walton did it for the Celtics, that's a bonus, and Robinson was just riding Tim Duncan's coattails.

I think he's utterly wrong about a lot of this, but that's okay. As long as we all know it, and acknowledge it, we can make our appropriate adjustments when listening to someone's opinions. The same thing happens to everyone. I can explain to the Official Roommate of Rufus on Fire why Gerald Wallace might be a top thirty NBA player right now, but he'll hear none of it. Try to tell him that Devin Harris isn't nearly worth his contract and might barely crack the top ten point guards, though, and he'll go on a rant about how wrong you are and scurry off to Basketball-Reference to prove you wrong.

My soft spot is for super-athletic combo forwards, both skilled and unskilled. Derrick Brown fits in that category. Joe Alexander. Crash. Josh Smith. I could go on for hours about what Michael Beasley brings to the table. I'm convinced that Cleveland could have a non-zero chance at going undefeated if they'd only play LeBron at the four. Yes, I'm totally unreasonable when it comes to these guys, and they'll always get the benefit of doubt from me. I like to think I use my Rational Hat 999,999 times out of a million, but it's impossible to get away from biases.

What's your soft spot?

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (11/4/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:07:45 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, brought to you today by Stroh's. This goes to eleven.

It's seems the reports of my demise were pre-mature. Lew-uh-vull week is well under way and the Krag is in fine form. Hopefully we'll get to see a diary entry sometime soon. It's also video day here at the Shotgun/Throwdown. So get yourself some popcorn, sit back, relax and enjoy the shows. Tips and requests are always nice. Let's get it started...

What You May Have Missed:

Bill Stewart: On The Rebound - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Stew's Views: "Nothing To Lose" for U of L - BlueGoldNews.com

Coach Bill Stewart Quotes - MSNsportsNET.Com

Gold and Blue Report for Wednesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Football: Selected Player Quotes - MSNsportsNET.Com

Fact Check - BlueGoldNews.com

Big East stock report, Week 10 - ESPN

2009 Big East Fearless Picks - Week 10 - Scout.com

Power Rankings - Andy Staples - SI.com
He still has us at #23. But the best read is in the intro.

Forde Yard Dash - ESPN

Daniels getting help with sliding skills - Tampa Tribune
This was right after merry-go-round 101. Learning to swing is an adult graduate course (double entendre fully intended).

Why is Pitt's attendance so low? - PPG
He never does answer the question from the headline.

Pitt Notebook: Receivers aim to keep passing game clicking - PPG

What's next for UC's Collaros? - Cincinnati Enquirer

Loss of five contributors in one week will hurt Syracuse University football team - syracuse.com

Syracuse Loses to LeMoyne 82-79 in Exhibition - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
Syracuse continues to define the, "well, it could be worse," category of the college sports world.

OUR HEROES - TheUConnBlog.com
UConn is enjoying this.

Frustrated freshman staying with Vols - Truth&Rumors/FanNation

UT Vols Break Out Black Jerseys – Dave and Thomas Daily Timekillers
For those of you that think our all yellow "mustard" look is bad. Not that I'm a fan of it either, btw, but it's better than this.

Video of Interest:

JP Fanshawe mentioned this in the Tell Me Why You Love Mountaineer Football thread yesterday and felt it needed posting, so here it is.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Same team! Same team!!!

This Week in Bodypainting:

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a budding Polish pop singer, but will be forever known for things other than her voice. Please welcome a personal favorite of mine, Ewa Sonnet. (Google her if you want to see more, wink wink)

via images.serialgamer.com

Stroh's image via www.neonsign.com

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Tuesday (11/3/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:21:45 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, brought to you today by Molson Export. We've made it to ten.

There's not a whole for me to comment on right now (as if you people read this for my comments), but I really just don't like this new layout, so we'll just get on with it. I work for tips and requests. The other side awaits...

What You May Have Missed:

Stew's Views: Cardinal Importance - BlueGoldNews.com

Gold and Blue Report for Tuesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Football: USF Award Winners - MSNsportsNET.Com
Short list this week.

Initial Thoughts: Louisville - WVIllustrated.com

On The Mark: Week 9 - ESPN

Mountaineers in the NFL: Week Eight Update - WVIllustrated.com

Joe Alexander Dropped by Bucks - WVMetroNews.com

Butler, Ebanks Receive All-America Votes - WVMETRONEWS.COM

News of Note:

Answer Dude heals wounds from losses - Charleston Gazette

'Season opener' was finish for WVU - Charleston Daily Mail

Cardinal coach has three QBs to choose - Charleston Daily Mail

Bulls might have provided blueprint to beat WVU - Charleston Daily Mail

Kicking themselves - Charleston Gazette

Stewart: Team has to move on - Times West Virginian

WVU tries to rebound after defeat - Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Stewart sees positives in loss to Bulls - Inter-Mountain

Stewart knows primary concern is secondary - Register-Herald

Controversy in Louisville - WVIllustrated.com

Recruiting:

Here's some video on Tobias Harris (who's visiting Lew-uh-vull right now...GRRR)

Around the League (and Beyond):

Kragthorpe cracks Gruden joke - ESPN
I gotta give the guy credit on this one.

Big East football weekly roundup - Star Ledger

Rewind: Big East Primed for Big Finish -- NCAA Football FanHouse

For Rutgers QB Tom Savage, the future is wow - Star Ledger

What next for Syracuse in the wake of departure by Williams? - syracuse.com

UC foe [UConn ed.] keeping chin up - Cincinnati Enquirer

UC's Pike expected to practice - Cincinnati Enquirer

Several USF players are nursing injuries - Tampa Tribune

Pitt expects different Syracuse - PPG

Spikes' suspension not a black eye for UF - Tampa Tribune
"That doesn't make what Spikes did right, but it's also the way the game is played." - HUH?!?! See below.

Video of Interest:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Lingerie Football Gallery of the Week:

via www.djmick.co.uk

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is one very good reason to end our banning of Cuban imports to the US. This is Mayra Veronica.

via images.celebscentral.net

Molson Export image via www.brandsoftheworld.com

Goodbye, J.R.: C's Decline Contract Option For 2010-11

Roy_Hobbs — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:22:32 -0000

Chad Ford reports:

The only other player [besides Joe Alexander] from the first-round class of 2008 to have their third year option declined was the Celtics' J.R. Giddens.

For clarification, this means that J.R.'s contract won't be renewed for next season. He'll be an unrestricted free agent, and can still sign with the Celtics. He'll still be on the roster until the end of the year, barring some sort of trade.

Recap: Sixers 99, Bucks 86

Frank Madden — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:54:18 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

Sammy and the Sixers towered over Bogut & Co.

Browse more photos »

Box Score / Recap

If you're looking for an explanation for the Bucks' opening night loss in Philly, just pick a stat. Really, any stat. Because if you compare the bottom lines in the box score you'll notice that Philly was better in every category save for offensive rebounds. The Bucks didn't shoot well, which isn't surprising. The Bucks also held to form in the foul department, sending Philly to the line for 15 more free throw attempts (which translated into 18 more points). And while the Bucks normally make a living forcing the other team into conceding turnovers and cheap points, tonight they were the more wasteful ones, turning it over 20 times and looking physically overmatched against a Sixer team that was faster, more intimidating, and more decisive.

Aside from a second quarter surge that saw Brandon Jennings (17 points, nine boards, nine dimes) quarterback the Bucks to a promising 47-41 halftime lead, every quarter went Philly's way, which shouldn't be a surprise. Andrew Bogut looked out of sorts and uninvolved (eight points on nine shots, six boards), while Michael Redd sputtered in the second half to finish with 17 on 17 shots. No one else aside from Jennings made much of an impact, though it's not really going to matter when Bogut and Redd are both off their game. While Philly's not a great team by any stretch of the imagination, they have the type of athleticism that will give the Bucks problems. More after the jump.

Three Bucks

Brandon Jennings. Could we have reasonably expected any more from the kid? The rookie's promising debut was the only thing that made this vaguely watchable from a Bucks' perspective, with five turnovers (a couple of them coming in the waning minutes as he started to press) being the biggest blemish on his line. And as we feared/expected, there were also a few moments where he was far too content to put up off-balance jumpers.

But for the most part Jennings let the game come to him, and was not surprisingly at the heart of the Bucks' two best spells of the game: an 18-4 run midway through the second quarter as well as a late 9-0 surge that briefly brought the Bucks to within five. There were a couple "wow" moments--coast-to-coast layups in the second and fourth quarters where his blinding speed was unmistakable--but mostly he was making solid decisions, taking what the defense was offering, and getting down below the foul line enough to pick up loose balls (I'd be somewhat surprised if he has another game all season where he grabs nine boards).

Lou Williams--himself still a youngin'--was a good first matchup since he was unlikely to punish Jennings' lack of physicality, and Jennings got the better of his counterpart for much of the night. But Williams scored 11 of his 16 in the second half, and Jennings could only watch after picking up his fourth foul with five minutes left in the third.

Ersan Ilyasova. Was Ilyasova good on Friday night? Um, that's overstating it. In truth there wasn't anyone beyond Jennings who stood out in a truly good way. Ilyasova was nothing if not uneven (11 points on 10 shots, four boards and five fouls in 18 minutes), looking dangerous in the pick/pop with Jennings one moment, dribbling out of control the next. Among his five fouls, at least two were on block/charge plays where he simply came to help too late; a third was when he blatantly took a foul at halfcourt to stop a break.

What's promising is that Ilyasova did show some good understanding with Jennings, working the pick/pop together to get Ilyasova some good looks that he'll hopefully convert more of from here on out. Interestingly, Skiles went small with Ersan and Hakim Warrick as his bigs on a couple occasions, including at the start of the Bucks' 18-4 second quarter run.

Michael Redd. There were some signs early on of the old Mike Redd, as he scored 12 in the first half along with some pretty respectable defense to pace the Bucks. Unlike Bogut, his movement appears pretty much back to where it was, which is good, because it's painfully obvious that the Bucks can't afford Redd to be off his game.

Three Numbers

29. The weirdest part of the first 24 minutes? The Sixers had only five free throw attempts, well below what we expect from an opponent of the hack-happy Bucks. Eddie Jordan must have noticed at halftime, because his gang came out looking to take it to the Bucks in the second half, and sure enough, they racked up 29 freebie attempts in the final 24 minutes. When you look at the two teams' personnel it probably shouldn't be that surprising, as the Sixers were simply too athletic and physical for the Bucks to handle in the second half.

15. Three quarters of the Bucks' 20 turnovers came in the second half, leading to plenty of transition opportunities and depriving the cold-shooting Bucks (40%) of much-needed possessions.

6. No Sixer particularly stood out, and Williams and Iguodala tied for the most shots with just 12 apiece. But what they lacked in star performances they made up for in balance, as Iggy led six Sixers in double figures with 19 points, nine boards and seven dimes.

Three Good

Young Buck. He's looked like the real deal ever since he first put on a Bucks jersey in Vegas, and tonight we finally saw him bring the goods in a real game. Take heart, Bucks fans.

Where games happen. Did I expect a win? Nah, not really, But on opening night just have a game to watch is something worth appreciating. Now we just need a good game.

Saturday Night Fever. The Bucks were the last team to start the season, so it's just as well that they only have to wait 24 hours to try to bounce back from a disappointing opener. Bring on the Pistons already.

Three Bad

Lacking Luc. Was anyone expecting Luc Mbah a Moute to only play 18 minutes? Starter Carlos Delfino was suspended. Joe Alexander is hurt (and apparently the Bucks have given up on him anyway). And the Sixers' swingmen seem like just the type of athletic, versatile players who Mbah a Moute would be especially useful against.

Apparently not. Luc came out trying to play like a small forward offensively, but had just three missed jumpers to show for it and Skiles seemed to lose faith quickly, opting instead to go with mostly three guard lineups. Considering that meant Charlie Bell getting 31 minutes and Roko Ukic playing nearly nine minutes, mostly as a two guard, I don't really get it.

Emo Bogut. I thought we'd retired this term, but as has too often been the case against Philly, Bogut just couldn't get into the game. On a handful of occasions Bogut fumbled quick interior passes from teammates, and he generally looked sluggish following a solid preseason. Some blame also goes on his teammates, who didn't provide him many post looks, but in general the Bucks need a lot more from Bogut than this.

Brickin'. This applied to a lot of things tonight. We'll see much worse from the Bucks than 40% shooting this year, but it wasn't a good start, as Kurt Thomas was the only guy who made better than 50% of his shots. And the line wasn't much kinder, as the Bucks converted just 11/19 from the stripe. Oh, and I'm officially giving up hope on the whole "Andrew Bogut becomes a respectable free throw shooter" dream.

Jennings to start opener

Frank Madden — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:37:44 -0000

More photos » by Darren Hauck - AP

Ready or not, the Young Buck era is set to begin

Browse more photos »

JS: Jennings will start opener
We all know Skiles wasn't going to start Brandon Jennings just because it would make the Bucks entertaining...even if that's what most of us were hoping. And given the learning curve faced by young points, it would have been perfectly understandable to bring the rookie on a bit more slowly. So the fact that Skiles is willing to roll the dice with his lottery pick in game one says a lot about Jennings' progress and, perhaps more importantly, how hard he's worked in practice thus far. Then again, Skiles was pretty vague in his explanation of the move, so maybe he just wants to get the kid on the court to start the learning process.

"I felt like both guys played really well in the preseason in most of their minutes," Skiles said. "It's just my call. Even when I talked to Luke, it's not like I could give Luke five set reasons.

"It's something I'm electing to do, start him from opening night and see what happens. It will then depend on how he plays, how we play all those issues."

Jennings' task was certainly simplified by having only Luke Ridnour and Roko Ukic as competition, but the list of 20-year old starting rookie PGs is fairly short. Even with Jennings as a starter, it's likely Ridnour gets 20+ mpg on many nights, as you know Skiles won't hesitate to lean on the veteran when Jennings hits his inevitable rough patches. He certainly had his fair share in the preseason, which you might guess from his 33% shooting from the field and nearly three turnovers/game in 26 minutes. Jennings' endurance has also been brought up a number of times in Vegas and the preseason, so I'd be surprised if he gets 35-40 minutes in the near term. Either way, it's exciting to know we won't have to wait for Jennings to get his chance to prove himself.

New York Times: Jennings, an N.B.A. Trailblazer, Encounters Bumps in the Road
Karen Crouse at the NYT has a short feature on Jennings' transition from Europe to the NBA.

Jennings’s birthday was Sept. 23, and he celebrated by staying up late polishing his game. He texted Sampson, who lives less than a mile from him, at 9 p.m. and asked if he would meet him at the gym, and they worked deep into the night.
So far Jennings’s decision-making has impressed his coaches. He moved into a condo less than a mile from the Bucks’ training center in St. Francis, Wis., far from downtown Milwaukee and its beckoning nightlife.

Woelfel: 30 wins
Gery Woelfel checks in with his preseason thoughts.

Hunt: Alexander not coming back?
Michael Hunt seems pretty certain Joe Alexander's team option will not be picked up by the end of the week, which would make the '08 lottery pick an unrestricted free agent next summer. Is Hunt editorializing or does he know something? It seems like it might be the latter.

The Alexander pick stands on its own as a mistake. Even if he somehow develops late as he did at West Virginia, he will do it elsewhere. Not that there was a debate before, but the fact that Alexander is out until maybe mid-January assures that the Bucks will take the unusual move of not extending a lottery pick's contract.

Hardwood Paroxysm: Central Division
Rob Mahoney dishes on the Central, including among other things the Bucks PG spot:

The Bucks now have honorable intentions, but we can’t expect things to get better overnight. For one, the point guard situation should be the league’s running punchline. I love Jennings more than most, and to me he has star written all over him. But I’m positive of the fact that he’s not ready to play the lead for a playoff team, no matter how uncompetitive the bottom of the Eastern Conference is.

Award Time

Stop-n-Pop — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:15:31 -0000

I thought it would be a fun idea to put up a list of awards at the beginning of the year, guess on them, and then see how everybody does at the end of the season. I'll put my guesses up top and you can put your picks in the comments. The winner gets 1.3 million Hoopus Points, which can be used on the good feeling of your choice.

MVP: Dwight Howard
6th Man: Manu Ginobili
Most Improved: Chris Douglas-Roberts
Defensive POY: Dwight Howard
ROY: Blake Griffin
WC Finalist: Dallas
EC Finalist: Orlando
Champion: Orlando

What would a prediction segment be without a few made-up categories?

Best Player on a New Team: Vince Carter
Most Overrated: LMA
Most Overrated (runner up): Danny Granger
Most Underrated: Mike Miller (Yep, this one is going to sting a bit when he's finally placed on a team where his attempts to blend in actually work.)
Best Coaching Performance: Rick Adelman
Worst Coaching Performance: Brad Childress (It transcends league boundaries)
Best Rookie PG: Jonny Flynn
Rookie PG with most wins: Ty Lawson
Most Frustrating Rookie PG: Brandon Jennings
Number of Wolves Trades: 2
Where Rudy Gay Ends Up: San Antonio
Will the Wolves keep the Clipper pick? Yes
Where will the Wolves draft in 2010? #1 (Come on folks, it's an inevitability; they finally get the #1 pick with the 2 best players likely being a PG and a PF.)
Biggest 2nd Year Jump: CDR
Biggest Rookie Flop: Hasheem Thabeet/Jrue Holiday/Jordan Hill/Gerald Henderson (4 way tie)
Biggest 2nd Year Flop: Joe Alexander/Jerryd Bayless (tie)
Championship window closes for: Boston, Dallas, and San Antonio
First team to flinch in the face of 2010 free agency: Miami
Will Corey Brewer become a legitimate starting NBA 2/3? No.
Which T-Wolf gets traded first (bonus points for picking the right team)? Brian Cardinal + Ramon Sessions in a combo deal to either Philly, Memphis, or Portland. (BTW: Does it still boggle your mind that Portland didn't go after Sessions instead of Miller?)

Well folks, that about does it. What say you?

Thursday Notes: Alexander out for months, Bogut giving away tix, more previews

Frank Madden — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:43:37 -0000

JS: Alexander out 8 to 12 weeks
The news just keeps getting worse for Joe Alexander. He was already facing an uphill battle to earn early season minutes after missing the first week of camp with a hamstring injury. And now comes news that he'll miss at least a couple more months after partially tearing the same muscle while rehabbing last week.

Alexander's absence further complicates the Bucks' decision about whether to pick up his 10/11 option for $2.76 million, but realistically this injury shouldn't be the deciding factor. Given his option is fairly modest by NBA standards, the Bucks would have to be extremely pessimistic about Alexander's future to turn it down. Admittedly he's been a disappointment--especially compared to some of the guys picked after him--but if the Bucks think he can be at least rotation player with upside to be somewhat better, then picking up the option makes sense. That's not a very high hurdle. If the Bucks were to decline his option, Alexander would be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Joe's reaction:

"The hamstring injury is a very temporary problem," he said. "Extending my contract has to do with what's going to happen over the next four or five years.
"If you put that against what's happening with me in the next month, this hamstring thing is a very small issue. So I don't think it should affect the contract decision; I don't think it will."

MACC Fund Game Friday
Find tickets by clicking the above link. Charlie Villanueva is expected to make his first appearance in Milwaukee since signing with the Pistons; hopefully he'll get a warm reception.

Mannix: Redd keeps options open
Chris Mannix profiles Michael Redd's comeback, including this sure-to-be-taken-out-of-context quote:

"It feels like we have eight or nine new guys every year," Redd said. "It's a little like a high school team."

Insert joke here.

BUCKS.com: "Squad 6" a chance to win season tix
This is pretty cool: Andrew Bogut and the Bucks are giving away 100 lower level season tickets--but only if you're willing to earn it.

Open audition...to show in 30 seconds or less why you have what it takes to join Squad 6! If Andrew and his squadron leader like what they see, you'll get one FREE lower level season ticket and the privilege to showcase your die-hard dedication at each and every 09-10 Bucks home game.

I guess the only catch is that you'll probably wan to bring a friend to the tryout--otherwise you'll be sitting by yourself all season. But hey, free tickets are free tickets.

BrewHoop: Jalen Rose doesn't do his homework
I appreciate when the folks at ESPN and other national media outlets take a moment to talk about the boys in green and red, but all too often it just reinforces what we all assumed: they really don't follow the Bucks in the first place. It's not surprising--with 30 teams, the national media isn't going to pay attention to all of them. So if you're a small market AND you're consistently mediocre, this is what happens.

Bucksketball: Season Preview
Jeremy's predicting 37 wins, three more than we guessed a week ago. I hope he's right.

BUCKS.com: Season Tip Off Free Lunch
Thursday, October 29th @ the BC. Everyone's welcome.

Recap: Bobs 94, Bucks 87

Frank Madden — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:11:52 -0000

More photos » by Darren Hauck - AP

No time for resting, Brandon

Browse more photos »

Box Score / Recap

Is there anything more exciting than recapping a non-televised preseason road game? Don't answer that. The good news is that we're now just a game away from the real deal. The MACC Fund game is Friday--always a great night--and then a full week off before the Bucks open things up October 30th in Philly.

As for tonight, the Bucks came out flat and fully earned their 55-40 halftime deficit in Charlotte, conceding an all-too-typical 25-7 edge in free throw attempts while allowing the Bobs to outshoot them (50% vs. 46%) to boot. Bogut started well with 8/4 in the first quarter and Ilyasova came alive a bit in the second with 11 points on a flurry of jumpers, but overall the Bobs just whipped 'em. They closed the gap a bit in the third as Delfino (14 points) hit three triples and Jennings hit three long jumpers to bring the Bucks to within 65-62. But Bogut and Redd sat out the fourth and watched the Bobs push the lead back to double digits before a late rally got the Bucks within seven. Oh well. On to player commentary after the jump.

Jennings. Fortunately, most of the key players we've spent the summer speculating about look reasonably ready to go. That starts with Brandon Jennings, who followed up his 16/7 effort on Saturday with a solid line against Ray Felton and DJ Augustin: 14 points, eight assists four turnovers, two steals and a +11 rating in 27 minutes. Augustin matched Jennings' shooting line (6/13) and finished with 15, three assists, two turnover and four steals in 38 minutes, so the rook more than held his own. In contrast, Luke Ridnour was 2/6 from the field with two assists, two turnovers and three fouls in 15 minutes while logging a -23 differential.

Sure, Jennings can use all the reps he can get; you don't learn to be an NBA point guard over six or seven games. But depending on Skiles' tolerance for careless turnovers, Jennings could have the inside track to start on opening night. I wouldn't expect him to play 35-40 minutes even if he does get the starting nod, but Jennings is a nice contrast to the situation of a year ago when the Bucks were just hoping Joe Alexander might be able to earn rotation minutes (and not much has changed).

The big guns. Andrew Bogut also logged his second consecutive double-double, making 6/8 from the field to finish with 14 points, 10 boards, two blocks and four turnovers in 28 minutes. That's the most burn he's seen all preseason, up from his previous high of 25 minutes on Saturday. The turnover issues that started last year reared their ugly head again in the first half, culminating in a lost ball and an offensive foul in the final 30 seconds of the half. But he hung on to the ball in the third quarter and scored six as the Bucks made their run.

Michael Redd never got going in this one, finishing just 3/7 from the field in 25 minutes. But Redd's already shown this month that he's in pretty good shape so let's not lose sleep over it. He's looking healthy and we all know what he's capable of--now let's just get on with the real games.

Forwards. The Delfino/Thomas tandem has seemed to work pretty well to start games, so I'd guess that's the pairing we see on opening night. Mbah a Moute's contributions are almost impossible to tell from just a box score, so I won't even bother. But it seems as though Skiles prefers the flexibility of bringing him off the bench anyway. Same goes for Warrick, who's kind of the anti-Mbah a Moute in that his main role will be carrying the scoring burden when Redd/Bogut are out of the game. Warrick barely played tonight, but he's been good all preseason and is a fairly well-known quantity at this point.

Ersan Ilyasova has spent too much time fouling and not rebounding this preseason, but he scored a tidy 14 on 11 shots tonight to go with five boards in 21 minutes.

Monday Notes: BDL's preview, Skiles talks, Thomas starting?

Frank Madden — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:28:00 -0000

Ball Don't Lie: Bucks Preview
Kelly Dwyer and co. offer their take on the 09/10 Bucks and the good news (from my perspective at least) is that they predicted even more wins than we did (35 vs. 34). Good to see we're not chugging the local Kool-Aid. Admittedly, that's still more than most members of the national media, but then again most of them also think Joe Alexander has the inside track for the starting SF position. I'm looking at you, Tim Legler. More from KD:

Together, they're either the biggest mess of a forward rotation Scott Skiles has ever seen, or something clicks and they goof their way into the playoffs.

Yes, the playoffs are a strong possibility, especially with Skiles on hand and everyone healthy. I just worry to bits about the point guard situation right now, and the overall philosophy moving forward beyond 2009-10.

I'm officially in love with the idea of "goofing" into the playoffs.

WSSP: Skiles talks

The Big Show had Skiles on before the Wolves game, where he talked a bit about Jennings, the power forward situation, and the lost preseason of Joe Alexander. First off, you know Skiles isn't the type to lavish praise on guys unnecessarily, so I love to hear him use the word "dominating" to describe Jennings' play...even if it's just practice. Maybe Allen Iverson isn't his role model after all.

It's also clear that the preseason hasn't cleared up who Skiles will go with at the starting power forward spot. There's no doubt who's had the most impressive preseason--that's Warrick. But at least for the short term (ie against Elton Brand on opening night) it seems like Thomas will be the guy. Whether the Bucks would stay with Thomas against Detroit in game two is probably a separate question. On WSSP Skiles used Rashard Lewis as an example of the type of player Thomas would struggle against, and Charlie Villanueva (if he actually starts) would be somewhat similar. Whatever happens, expect there to be plenty of ebbs and flows as the season progresses. Via Charles Gardner:

"A lot of it kind of filters down from Bogues (Bogut)," Skiles said. "If I want to start Kurt with Bogues, and then Hak (Warrick) is the first logical guy to bring in and I may use Danny, then it seems there aren't many minutes there for Ersan.

"But I think other nights there will be plenty for him. He's a better player than he was when he was here before. He spaces the floor with his shooting, and he's not afraid to mix it up. It may be a challenge certain times getting him enough minutes, but maybe it won't."

The Painted Area: 2009-10 NBA Win Over/Under Predictions
Apparently the Vegas over/under on Bucks wins this year is 25.5, which seems really low.

Shoals: Bucks Preview
You don't read Shoals because you want a conventional season preview.

Since the team's another bunch who could make the playoffs but probably shouldn't, and thus would do well to let nature take its course and find themselves in the lottery again, they need to sink some money into a super-secret lab that succeeds in turning BJ into an international star. Local, small markets, these words mean nothing anymore. Jennings is the perfect Weapon X for creating a star who outstrips his actual marketing reach. Just don't waste it out of fear that he might curse. Forget "Blog superstar," how about "blog watershed"?

NBA.com: Bucks banking on a backcourt led by rookie Jennings
This is technically NBA.com's season preview for the Bucks, but Steve Aschburner's main piece is all about the kid.

SLAM ONLINE | " 30 Teams, 30 Days
Bryan Crawford is not a believer, folks.

Dime: Bucks Preview
Same with Austin Burton.

SI: Scouts like Lakers, Cavaliers, Celtics in 2009-2010 season
Mark it down: scouts say the Bucks will be the East's worst.

ESPN: Experts say last in the East
On the bright side, Jemele Hill expects the Bucks to finish 13th. Chris Sheridan raises the best point--what can the Bucks get for Michael Redd, and how quickly will they be looking to pull the trigger on him?

SB Nation - Joe Alexander

My Soft Spot is Super Athletic Combo Forwards

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (11/4/09) Edition

What You May Have Missed:

News of Note:

Recruiting:

What's On Tap:

Around the League (and Beyond):

Video of Interest:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

This Week in Bodypainting:

Miss Throwdown:

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Tuesday (11/3/09) Edition

What You May Have Missed:

News of Note:

Recruiting:

Around the League (and Beyond):

Video of Interest:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Lingerie Football Gallery of the Week:

Miss Throwdown:

Goodbye, J.R.: C's Decline Contract Option For 2010-11

Recap: Sixers 99, Bucks 86

Jennings to start opener

Award Time

Thursday Notes: Alexander out for months, Bogut giving away tix, more previews

Recap: Bobs 94, Bucks 87

Monday Notes: BDL's preview, Skiles talks, Thomas starting?