SB Nation User Blog: Alex Boeder

The Search for a Ten at #10: Mock Drafts

Alex Boeder — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:37:38 -0000

Lawson lifts net.

You might prefer DeJuan Blair, Stephen Curry, or Ty Lawson, though there is a fair share of contention. And there are also no locks at #10 based on these 20 mocks:

Ball Don't Lie: Ty Lawson
Chad Ford: Jonny Flynn
CollegeHoops.net: DeMar DeRozan
Dime: Tyreke Evans
Draft Express: Jonny Flynn
Hoops Addict: Tyreke Evans
Hoops Analyst: DeJuan Blair
Hoops Hype: DeJuan Blair
Hoops World: Earl Clark
Inside Hoops: Jonny Flynn
Knickerblogger: DeJuan Blair
NBADraft.net: Eric Maynor
NBCSports: DeMar DeRozan
Pro Basketball News: Ty Lawson
Ridiculous Upside: Jordan Hill
Rotoworld: DeMar DeRozan
NBA Fanhouse: James Johnson
SI.com: Jrue Holiday
Sporting News: Ty Lawson
The Sports Xchange: Stephen Curry

The breakdown: Blair (3) Flynn (3) Lawson (3) DeRozan (3) Evans (2) Clark (1) Curry (1) Hill (1) Holiday (1) Johnson (1) Maynor (1)

Bucks Team 2000s: First Round vs Second Round

Alex Boeder — Wed, 20 May 2009 02:06:31 -0000

While you are voting for your preferred #10, don't forget about #41: An unusual bit of draft history has seen the Bucks score about as often in the second round as the in first since the turn of this century. Which got me hypothetical-ing...

Probable starters:
	vs
BrewHoop Court
T.J. Ford (2003: 1.8)	PG	Ramon Sessions (2007: 2.26)
Joe Alexander (2008: 1.8)	SG	Michael Redd (2000: 2.14)
Yi Jianlian (2007: 1.6)	SF	Luc Mbah a Moute (2008: 2.7)
Marcus Haislip (2002: 1.13)	PF	Ersan Ilyasova (2006: 2.6)
Andrew Bogut (2005: 1.1)	C	Dan Gadzuric (2002: 2.5)

You can choose from a few more solid second rounders, including Keith Bogans (2003: 2.14), Flip Murray (2002: 2.13), and Jason Hart (2000: 2.20) And of course this doesn't include Mo Williams (2003: 2.18), whom the Bucks grabbed after a short first season in Utah.

The only other first round option is Jason Collier (2000: 1.15). This is considering only players the Bucks actually picked, but if we went back a couple more years, the first rounders would have Dirk Nowitzki (1998: 1.9) while Rafer Alston (1998: 2.10) would become a second round possibility. Alas, this post-1900's only.

Poll

5 on 5, pick your victor.

2000s First Round Bucks

55 votes

2000s Second Round Bucks

345 votes

400 votes | Poll has closed

Landry with the smooth takeoff and landing.

Alex Boeder — Sat, 16 May 2009 01:21:09 -0000

Landry with the smooth takeoff and landing.

Land of Landry

Alex Boeder — Fri, 15 May 2009 04:14:55 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

From Milwaukee to Houston.

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Milwaukee is not in the playoffs, though the city is represented quite well.

Carl Landry (of Milwaukee Vincent) didn't miss a shot last night in a Game 6 win over the Lakers. And that came just couple months after Landry missed one shot, but absorbed another. A frightful gunshot wound, in fact.

The forward did a bit of everything in the fourth quarter: dunking, hustling for loose balls, hitting jumpers, blocking Kobe, drawing fouls. A sight to behold, and a native son to be proud of. He notched 15 points, nine rebounds, and a couple blocks in the game. Landry's shooting 71.4 % from the field against L.A.

Even if Milwaukee is not in the playoffs.

Dunk data

Alex Boeder — Thu, 07 May 2009 23:57:55 -0000

Dunk data

Just a sampling: Ramon Sessions ranked top ten in dunks among players under 6'4". Luke Ridnour didn't dunk in 2033 minutes. Former Marquette star Steve Novak (all 6'10" of him) failed to dunk in 1161 minutes.

(Link-tip: Ball Don't Lie)

Blogger MVP

Alex Boeder — Tue, 05 May 2009 02:46:52 -0000

More photos » by Amy Sancetta - AP

The blogger's choice.

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A swanky Italian automobile, to the right. I saw that driver drive for 55 in Milwaukee without even really driving.

Put on cruise control, and saved those legs. Not that Raymone can't put the pedal to the floor; he just decided for those 40 minutes on that chilly February night that it was easier to throw the ball in the hoop from 26 to 33 feet.

LeBron James is this year's Blogger MVP - it's a cinch. And if you've been following, this... follows. He was a straight-line first in each and every blogger voting session.

Plenty of dispute last summer, but LeBron cleared this up for me nicely.

Links:

Blogger MVP

Blogger ROY

KD's Top 20 Post-Lockout Playoff Series

Alex Boeder — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:35:17 -0000

KD's Top 20 Post-Lockout Playoff Series

Ray Allen is leaving another imprint on this list. Milwaukee makes appearances at #14 and #15 in the top 20 post-lockout playoff series according to Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don't Lie.

34 Numbers

Alex Boeder — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:05:10 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

Ramon Sessions and Andre Miller both have more career blocks than three-pointers.

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One for each win of the season...Yes, a new Brew Hoop tradition.

0. Keith Bogans had a +/- differential of 0 this season.

3. Malik Allen blocked three shots combined in December, January, and February. Allen also blocked three shots combined in the final two games of the regular season combined.

56. The Bucks didn't have a player rank in the top 50 in blocked shots. Charlie Villanueva tied for 66th in the NBA with 56 blocks.

43.3 %. The Bucks had a better record against the West (13-17 or 43.3 %) than against the East (21-31 or 40.3 %).

27-59. Richard Jefferson made 27-59 three-pointers from the left corner and 27-59 three-pointers from the right corner according to his hotspot chart. I just re-checked this again.

15,389. The Bradley Center averaged 15,389 paying patrons for 41 home games. That number ranked 24th in the NBA. The average attendance dropped a rather modest 206 fans from last season.

+0.6. Those Scott Skiles' halftime speeches may have worked a bit, as Milwaukee averaged a team-best +0.6 differential in the third quarter. That was the only quarter they usually (55 %) won.

54.4 %. Dan Gadzuric shot a career high 54.4 % from the free throw line.

8. The Bucks went 8-6 in December, the only month they posted a winning record.

41. Richard Jefferson led the Bucks with 41 and-ones. Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva tied for second place on the club with 26 each.

-1.65. Malik Allen produced -1.65 win shares, ranking him among the bottom 10 % in the NBA. Not everyone buys into win shares, but there is plenty of additional evidence for the skeptics that Allen was unbelievably unproductive: He also netted an epically bad -9.1 Roland Rating and Malik-Allen-career-worst 7.33 PER. Unfortunately, none of this even registers on the surprise scale.

999. The Bucks committed 999 shooting fouls.

24.1. Charlie Villanueva averaged 24.1 points / 40 minutes, topping the team. Redd (23.2), Jefferson (21.3), Sessions (18.0), and Bogut (15.0) round out the top five.

7.1. Though his production waned as the game progressed, Michael Redd was a first quarter firecracker, averaging 7.1 points in the opening period, the sixth highest rate in the NBA.

51. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute finished second on the Bucks with 51 games started. A rather incredible feat for the Principal, who managed to work his way into the starting lineup within two weeks of Opening Night. The Cameroonian's first start came in an 82-78 triumph over San Antonio on November 12. Richard Jefferson easily led Milwaukee with 81 games started.

19. After entering the season inactive, Ramon Sessions finished by leading Milwaukee in assists for the final 19 games, dating from March 4 to April 15.

5. Andrew Bogut was only eighth in minutes played (422) on the Bucks, but he led the team in technicals, with 5. Sessions, Redd, Ridnour, and Mbah a Moute played more minutes than Bogut but none were hit with a single technical.

26.0. Charlie Villanueva's usage rate, ranking 14th in the NBA.

56.3 %. Milwaukee made 56.3 % of its inside shots, ranking 29th out of 30 teams. The Bobcats (55.8 %) were slightly worse in this regard.

+2.4. Milwaukee ranked second in the NBA in turnover differential per game (+2.4).

16. The Bucks used 16 different starting lineups. How many can you name?

8. Point guards Ramon Sessions and Luke Ridnour committed eight offensive fouls each. In considerably fewer minutes, Joe Alexander committed seven offensive fouls.

844. Though he fell far below the league leaders, Richard Jefferson nonetheless won first place honors on the Bucks with 51 dunks. That placed him merely a few dunks ahead of Charlie Villanueva, who threw down 48 times. Then again, RJ eked out the extra dunks in large part thanks to playing 844 more minutes than CV.

105.6. Milwaukee averaged 105.6 points in its 34 wins, compared to a 94.8 average in 48 losses.

7-6. Ramon Sessions blocked more shots (7) than he made three-pointers (6) in 2008-09. The point guard had three of each in his rookie campaign. I noted in the photo caption that Sessions (10-9) and Andre Miller (178-118) both have more career blocks than three-pointers made. Don't leave them alone outside though; Sessions already has one memorable buzzer-beating, game-winning three to his credit, and Andre Miller made 2-2 from outside including a crushing three late to beat the Bucks in January.

1. Charlie Bell dunked once this year. Others with exactly one regular season dunk include Dikembe Mutombo, T.J. Ford, Devin Harris, Jake Voskuhl, and Adam Morrison.

38. Milwaukee's Pythagorean record was 38-44.

2.97. Ramon Sessions finished ninth in the NBA with a 2.97 assist/turnover ratio.

4. The Bucks went undefeated against four teams: Oklahoma City (2-0), Sacramento (2-0), San Antonio (2-0), and Washington (3-0).

86 %. Andrew Bogut attempted 86 % of his shots inside. That percentage ranked sixth highest in the NBA. To put that in perspective, Shaquille O'Neal (71 %) and Dan Gadzuric (52 %) both shot a much lower percentage from inside. There is a good reason for Bogut's shyness to shoot from anywhere else, and it's a bit worrying: Bogut made just 27.9 % of his jumpers.

3.3. Charlie Villanueva hoisted a career-high 3.3 three-pointers per game, and he made a career-best 34.5 % from outside.

87.7. Reserves played 87.7 minutes per game for Milwaukee, the sixth highest total in the NBA.

19.4. Andrew Bogut boasted a 19.4 rebound rate, the ninth highest in the NBA.

2. Charlie Bell posted a double-double on March 26, 2006 and then a triple-double the very next game on March 28, 2006. Those are Bell's only two career double-doubles; he just happened to string them together twice in a row. This season was the third in a row Bell did not have a double-double.

Revisiting Team USA

Alex Boeder — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:22:34 -0000

More photos » by Sam Forencich - NBAE/Getty Images

Brandon is a dandy pick for 2010 and 2012.

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Derrick Rose and Brandon Roy have delivered two of the brightest performances of the first round thus far.

Can you imagine those two guards playing together in the same backcourt?

(No, this is not Bucks-related)

With most of the basketball world's focus on the NBA playoffs, save for some attention for Euroleague and this summer's draft, not many people are talking Team USA or international ball.

But with a full regular season complete since redeeming gold, now is a good time to revisit one of my favorite topics for the first time since early September when I dreamt of Team USA's future.

Since then, we've learned for certain that a handful of players stand above everyone else on the planet right now. Good news for Team USA, because the jive five are Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade. (Note they are arranged alphabetically. Yes, there is a real order, and James is first. But that's not the point here)

The World Championships are right around the corner, in 2010. And the 2012 Olympics aren't that far off either.

That means it's time to plan. We could safely start with the aforementioned five, but they haven't promised to stay on for another run. And while they aren't necessary a package deal, I don't expect to see Kobe without LeBron, or LeBron without Wade.

I'll first assume that they will all return for another cycle. Kobe is the eldest and iffiest among the bunch, but he probably wouldn't mind further cementing his legacy. In that scenario, this is what I would like to see:

Ideal 2012

C: Dwight Howard / Amare Stoudemire

PF: Chris Bosh / Carmelo Anthony / Josh Smith

SF: LeBron James / Kevin Durant

SG: Kobe Bryant / Dwyane Wade / Brandon Roy

PG: Chris Paul / Deron Williams

Then again, there is the possibility of major turnover three years from now. What if Kobe decides three more years of such a heavy commitment is too much? If LeBron and Dwyane think there is more to lose than gain? It's no guarantee that both Paul and Williams both will want in again. Injuries happen too, and we know big men in particular can get hurt.

Just like that, the starting five could be gone.

And that brings me back to Rose and Roy, who could potentially spearhead the team in 2012.

Alternate 2012

C: Andrew Bynum / Brook Lopez

PF: Lamarcus Aldridge / Al Jefferson / Josh Smith

SF: Kevin Durant / Danny Granger

SG: Brandon Roy / Kevin Martin

PG: Derrick Rose / Deron Williams / Rajon Rondo

Based on this lineup, Howard and Bosh are probably more irreplaceable than even LeBron, Kobe, Wade, and Paul. There are other mildly attractive post player options such as David West (and maybe Blake Griffin), but I truly do hope Howard and Bosh return. Either way, the alternate, worst-case scenario doesn't look bad to me.

Friday Notes: "I wouldn't mind watching the Bucks again tonight."

Alex Boeder — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:53:17 -0000

A few notes for the day before ~~the playoffs~~ Saturday:

The Bucks won a lottery tiebreaker today with New Jersey, meaning they're 10th in the current lottery order and have 10 combinations out of the 1000 in the upcoming draft lottery. Both teams finished the season at 34-48, so the tiebreaker determined two things. First, both teams are guaranteed nine combos out the 1000 in the lottery hopper, with the Bucks getting a tenth chance by virtue of the tiebreaker. More importantly, the tiebreaker determines the order if the teams don't jump into the top three. The Bucks get the 10th pick while the Nets get the 11th pick, assuming no one jumps ahead of them and they don't move up either.

The Bucks have a 1.0% chance of winning the draft lottery and the right to draft Blake Griffin, and a little under 4% chance of getting one of the top three picks. There's about a 9% chance they pick 11th because a team behind them jumps into the top three, but there's almost no chance they end up 12th or 13th. In other words, they're likely picking 10th--which is where the Nets nabbed Brook Lopez a year ago.
Gery Woelfel talked to the WSSP crew about the 2010 Bucks. And I think you could say he's optimistic:
"I really believe the Bucks are going to make a quantum leap next season...I think they're going to be one of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference."
It certainly seemed like a healthy Bucks team was headed in the right direction this year, but any further improvement will rely on the Bucks' ability to stay healthy, retain at least Ramon Sessions (Charlie V's probably a goner), and get continued improvement from Andrew Bogut, Sessions, Luc Mbah a Moute and (especially) Joe Alexander. While I think a 6th-8th spot in the conference is realistic next year, I'm not sure I'd go much further than that at this point.

Perhaps more importantly, Woelfel states that an executive in the league office he spoke with believes the luxury tax will likely be around $71 million--which would be a big help for the Bucks given their current cap situation. As of now, the Bucks have $64.4 committed to 10 players. That includes the player options for Elson and Allen, but excludes Sessions, Villanueva, and the Bucks' lottery pick. Most recent projections have been for the tax to be at $68 or $69, so an extra couple million could make a huge difference as the Bucks try to keep as many assets as possible.
Those headline words and more, courtesy of Kelly Dwyer's fingertips.

I'll have to ask you to fill us in down in the comments section, because today's BtB will be full of holes. Full of holes, but also full of love. I've been doing this since October, killing myself to try to keep up with 30 teams playing 82 games, and yet I'm not ready to see this regular season end. I'm right chuffed at the prospects of a looming postseason, but I'm also a little bummed that the first 82 is ov-uh. I wouldn't mind watching the Bucks again tonight. And the Pacers the night after that. I'm not ready to say "goodbye" to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Charles Gardner writes that Andrew Bogut's back has not yet completely healed, but the Aussie is still targeting a mid-May return to basketball activities. Fortunately Bogut won't have to deal with international commitments this offseason, freeing him to work on his game in the gym:

"I just want to work on everything," he said. "I want to have more confidence in my outside shot. I just want to get in the gym and shoot 1,000 shots a day, once I start working out. I definitely want to improve my free throws. My stroke is great; it's just all mental for me.

"My defense definitely has gotten better this year. With coach's system, I think I've become much more confident."
Award tour: Luc Mbah a Moute fetches All-Defensive Third Team honors as concluded by John Hollinger.
The Principal also makes David Thorpe's All-Rookie Third Team and All-Rookie Defensive First Team.
And he's the sixth man on USA Today's inaugural All-Rambis Team.
First round misfire? Joe Alexander is SI.com's lottery flop.
Charlie Villanueva is slotted an even 100th in the Sports Guy's annual MVP countdown.
The '08-'09 Bucks were the 719th best team in NBA history according to Kyle Wright.
Bucksketball's offseason outlook: parts one and two of three.
The Bucks rank 24th in Marc Stein's latest power rankings.
Same old last place finish in the Central, but Jim Paschke sees change.
John Hammond reflects on Year 1 as Bucks GM.
Gery Woelfel reports from Portsmouth.
The Bucks will select Craig Brackins according to NBADraft.net's most recent mock.
Draft Express tabs Earl Clark 10th overall in their latest mock draft.