Tomorrow is going to be chaos with news all over the place on the player movement front, so I thought rather than commenting on NBA news under Brew Hoop articles, we should start a general NBA post. Any thoughts on the weekends non Buck news can be discussed here. Some additional news on the Lakers CP3 mess after the jump.

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Last season I wrote the fanpost "Ranking the roster" concerning ranking players on the pre-season roster from 1 to 15 based on importance to the success of the Bucks season.  I added a wrinkle, a second number indicating where would that player stand on the roster of a championship contending team? The second number provides a gauge of the team's depth, which has improved a great deal this year.  In fact, ranking the roster was much tougher this year than last due to the outrageous depth at the forward spots. This is my 2010-2011 edition ranking the roster.

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A four team trade that went down today between Houston, New Jersey, New Orleans and Indiana.  I figured that would make today a good day to start a general NBA fanpost for Bucks fans to discuss news and stories outside of Milwaukee.  Trade details on the other side of the jump.

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Since it is the dog days of summer as far as basketball news goes, I thought I would throw out a topic for discussion. 

There has been a lot of discussion of this team's depth and versatility and the options it will provide for Skiles.  Which lineup are you most looking forward to seeing Skiles put on the floor this coming season?  This is not to ask who is your starting five, but which lineup would you like to see on the floor and why?

The lineup that intriques me most is after the jump.

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Bucks and Kings have agreed to sign and trade to send Jon Brockman to Milwaukee, sources say.

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Let me be clear, I am a fan of Ersan Ilyasova, he was a tough rebounder and scrappy defender who also could step out and shoot the three.  He is basically the opposite of Charlie V., in terms of toughness and tenacity.  I just thought I would set up a post to discuss the topic.

The question, early as it may be, is whether the Bucks will have enough playing time available to keep two stretch fours on the roster.  If not, is Ilyasova the player that should be used to aquire a backup point guard?

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[Thanks to Brick for kicking us off -Frank]

Since I haven't seen a post yet dedicated to tonight's summer league game I thought I would throw one up. 

A few things to note about the Memphis squad:

Memphis has several players in Las Vegas that have had some burn in the L.  Leading the way is O.J. Mayo.  He is in Las Vegas to test his mettle as a point guard.  If his first summer league game is any indication, he has some work to do.  Last night against the Hawks he had three assists to go with eight turnovers.  He did lead Memphis in scoring with 20 points on 8-13 shooting.

Memphis roster also includes last year's #2 pick Hasheem Thabeet, who should provide a defensive challenge for Sanders and Gallon, Sam Young, DeMarre Carroll, Hamed Haddadi, the Iranian national, and Darrell Arthur.

One player absent from the team is Xavier Henry.  According to ESPN's Chad Ford, they are having a contract dispute despite the rookie salary scale.  Teams can pay anything from 80% to 120% of rookie scale amount. In 95% of cases, teams pay the 120% amount.  Memphis, on the other hand, is trying to lowball Henry, so he is holding out of summer league play.

Game starts tonight at 7:00 PM Central.  See you then.

There have been some recent fanposts that have drawn the rage and fury of Brew Hoop participants.  It seems to me that the silent treatment is the best technique for preventing fraudulant or deceiving posts.  Commenting on the post, challenging his sources or arguing against his logic are only feeding his desire for attention.  If you read a fanpost and it drives you crazy, just let it atrophy with no comments until it goes away.

Just a suggestion.

Evaluating the forward position, I realize the bucks are a high quality starter away from being a consistent playoff threat.  What strikes me though is the incredible bang for the buck (no pun intended) the team is getting out of their current forward crop.  The combined salaries of Delfino, Warrick, Ilyasova, and Mbah a Moute is $9.3 million.  Meanwhile their combined production per game is 37 points, 20 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.8 steals.  I realize that I am not using any of the advanced stats for this argument, but consider the salaries and production of some forwards in the league:

Caron Butler ($9.8 Million) 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.5 steals

Luol Deng ($10.3 M) 18 PTS, 7 RBS, 2 AST, 1 STL

Andre Iguodala ($12.2 M) 17 PTS, 7 RBS, 6 AST, 2 STL

Tayshawn Prince ($10.3 M) 10 PTS, 4 RBS, 2 AST, .6 STL

Josh Smith ($10.8 M) 15 PTS, 9 RBS, 4 AST, 2 STL

Comparing the per game numbers of four players to one makes little sense.  I merely wanted to emphasize the bargains that these players are providing for the Bucks in light of their production.  Hammond has done a great job of plugging in a diverse group of forwards at an incredible value.  Given the league's concerns over salary caps and luxury taxes, it is important to get role players at a reasonable price.  After the Harris era of bench players getting starting salaries, it is good to see the direction the team is headed.   My hope is that Hammonds will continue to show talent for getting role players cheap so that if a star caliber player in that $9-$12 million level becomes available in the future, the Bucks will be in a financial position to make a deal.

Going into the coming season, how would you rank the Bucks roster from 1 to 15 based on importance to the success of the Bucks season? 

For an added wrinkle, where would that player stand on the roster of a championship contending team?  For example, everyone knows that Redd is a #2 player making #1 money.  Some may even argue he would be # 3 on championship caliber team.

This is how I would lay it out, with first number being Bucks ranking and second being the contender ranking, with "D" standing for developmental league.  The second number will not include each number up to 15 like the first, showing the quality (or lack thereof) of the team's depth.

1/2 Michael Redd - Redd's scoring and perimeter skills needed for Bucks team that loses Jefferson and Villanuava.

2/3 Andrew Bogut - Bucks struggles on defense last year emphasize Bogut's importance inside.

3/4 Brandon Jennings - If Jennings has a great year, the Bucks playoff chances move up another level, if he doesn't Bucks crowds will be chanting for Sessions all year.

4/6 Hakim Warrick - The high flying Warrick's skills on offense need to be complemented by improved defense and rebounding in order to see those starter's minutes he wants.

5/7 Luc Mbah a Moute - Luc's abilities on defense and as a glue guy will be important in a front court that, well, lacks those qualities.

6/8 Luke Ridnour - If Jennings struggles early on, it will be up to Ridnour to run the offense.

7/9 Carlos Delfino - Delfino's versatility as a swing player, playing both shooting guard and small forward, gives the team a swing option that doesn't involve the 6'3" Bell playing small forward.

8/10 Ersan Ilyasova - Ilyasova's arrival fills the role of poor man's Charlie V., providing perimeter shooting and rebounding.

9/9 Charlie Bell - With the acquisition of Delfino and drafting of Meeks, Bell may move down into the rotation to serve the important role of backcourt stopper.

10/11 Kurt Thomas - He's got a lot of miles on his tread, but Thomas provides post defense and rebounding at power forward and center, with a center role being potentially more important if Bogut can't stay healthy.

11/14D Joe Alexander - The ability of the team's new acquisitions to play multiple positions relieves pressure on Alexander to be a big contributor this season, but being a lottery pick means he has to cut down on mental errors and show some consistency.

12-13/ 12-13 Francisco Elson/ Dan Gadzuric - Elson and Gadzuric are interchangeable in their performance and importance to the team's season.

14D/15D Roko Ukic - Ukic escapes the 15th place because of preseason doubts about Jennings' ability to take on his role as play maker this season.

15D/15D Jodie Meeks - Meeks will move out of the cellar if Redd gets hurt, providing an important perimeter presence.

What do you think?  I know this is all relative,  but I would like to hear where you think the players would stand on the Bucks or with a contender.