SB Nation User Blog: Frank Madden

Recap: Jazz 105, Bucks 94

Frank Madden — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:11:20 -0000

This might be a new-look Bucks team, but the second half in Salt Lake City tonight looked eerily familiar to a year ago, when the Bucks allowed a promising third quarter lead dissolve into an 11-point loss. This time the final margin was 105-94, as Utah's young perimeter players stepped up again in Deron Williams absence. C.J. Miles tallied 25 and Ronnie Price 16, while old reliable Carlos Boozer had his usual 20/11 before departing late with a quad injury.

Three Bucks

Andrew Bogut. Having played only 16 minutes last night, Bogut looked fresh in tallying 16 points (6/13 fg) and a season-high 20 boards while handling the unenviable task of marking Carlos Boozer. Offensively he couldn't exploit his size advantage most of the night, but as usual the Bucks' guards didn't give him many easy buckets either (I'm looking at you, Luke Ridnour).
Richard Jefferson. Jefferson's night seemed somewhat disappointing only because it started with such a bang. Though RJ had just two points in the game's final 20 minutes, he had 23 in the first 28 minutes and was a crucial part of the Bucks' 29-6 run that stretched across the end of the second and beginning of the third quarters.
Charlie Bell. Bell followed up his 25 point effort in Denver with 15 in Utah, the kind of numbers which would be even nicer if Bell was able to provide them off the bench. Instead, Redd's absence continues to force Bell into major minutes, which to his credit he's made the most of the past two nights.

Three Numbers

.514. Aside from the middle portion of the game where they seemingly lost interest, the Jazz were by far the more active team, creating easy buckets by cutting, stealing, and getting out in transition. It's no surprise then that they made a very healthy 51% of their shots compared to the Bucks' 44%.
10. Aside from their number of dunks, the Jazz's activity level also shines through in the block department, where they killed the Bucks 10-1. Most of the swatting was done by Paul Millsap (5) and Andrei Kirilenko (4)--not a bad pair to bring off the bench.
13. The Bucks entered the final stanza in a strange position: they were winning. However, the Bucks' two point edge was blown away by the 31-18 edge the Jazz built in the fourth. Overall it was a game of lopsided quarters: the Jazz won the first by 10, the Bucks won the second by 12, and the Jazz took the fourth by 13.

Three Good

Bogut's back. Still no signs of greatness in the post (we can dream, right?) but it's difficult to complain when your big man drops a 16/20 line. The Australian anchor looked at home in the state where he played his college ball and once again helped the Bucks win the rebounding battle, 41-37.
Coming back. It looked like the road weary Bucks were on their way to getting blown out when they trailed by 16 early in the second, but as we've seen a number of times this season they didn't back down. Sessions, Bell, Jefferson, Mbah a Moute and Bogut helped the Bucks climb out of their hole and then some, keying a 29-6 run that turned a 45-30 deficit with 6:54 left in the second into a 59-51 lead with 9:32 left in the third. What happened next? I'll direct you to the "Three Bad" portion below.
Home cooking. The best part about the Bucks' back-to-back out West? It's over. The Bucks now have a crucial--but very winnable--game Friday against New York at the BC, before heading out on the road again.

Three Bad

Going cold. Basically, the Jazz won because they remembered what they were doing at the outset of the game. Price, Brewer, and Kirilenko dared the Bucks to keep up with them and the Bucks couldn't match the their intensity and athleticism. Instead the Bucks took a lot of jumpshots and couldn't grab quite enough offensive rebounds to make up for their crooked shooting.
Ridnour. Ridnour couldn't get much going offensively (eight points, six assists, three turnovers) but his bigger problem was that Jazz fill-in Ronnie Price easily outplayed him with 16 points (7/13) and six dimes. Price caused problems with his quickness and generally seemed the more lively of the two starting points.
Laying off. Fouls have been an issue for the Bucks all season, and they again outfouled their opponent tonight by a margin of 27-20. It's hard to criticize the Bucks for being more aggressive defensively than in the past, but one thing that always gets me is how a Buck defender will often get right up on a man on the perimeter and make himself vulnerable to a dribble drive, even when the offensive player is a much better driver than shooter. While it looks very intense and ball-hawkish, most of the time it just opens up the defender (Richard Jefferson, Charlie Bell, Joe Alexander, to name a few) to allowing a successful drive to the hoop or a foul. Hey guys, sometimes it's OK to dare a mediocre shooter into taking an 18-footer.

Game Thread: Bucks/Jazz

Frank Madden — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:12:01 -0000

Bogut brought the thunder last time in Utah; last night so much.

Bucks (5-7, 3-4 road) @ Jazz (7-4, 5-0 home)

Gametime: 8:00 p.m. central time (FSN-W)

Bucks	Position	Jazz
Luke Ridnour	PG	Ronnie Price
Charlie Bell	SG	Ronnie Brewer
Richard Jefferson	SF	Andrei Kirilenko
Luc Mbah a Moute	PF	Carlos Boozer
Andrew Bogut	C	Mehmet Okur

Injuries:

Bucks: Michael Redd (sprained ankle) has missed eight straight games. Charlie Villanueva (hamstring) has missed three in a row.

Jazz: Deron Williams (sprained ankle) is unlikely to play. Mehmet Okur (strained back) has said he is likely to play. Brevin Knight (groin) is also doubtful.

07/08 Series:

Mar 12: JJazz 114, @Bucks 110

Jan 14: @Jazz 98, Bucks 87

08/09 Advanced Stats:

Bucks: Offense: 24th (103.2 points/100 possessions) Defense: 14th (105.1) Pace: 19th (90.4)

Jazz: Offense: 8th (108.3 points/100 possessions) Defense: 11th (103.8) Pace: 24th (90.0)

Three points:

Everybody hurts. We all know the Bucks' injury troubles, but the Jazz have actually had it worse--making their 7-4 start all the more impressive. Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, and Brevin Knight have all been banged up lately and their continued absence would be a major boost for a Bucks team playing yet another back-to-back. Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Trib writes that Williams should miss out again tonight while Okur and Kirilenko should be a go. For the Bucks, it looks like Michael Redd will be out for a ninth consecutive game while Charlie Villanueva continues to be a question mark as well.
Empty the bench. Well if you were wondering what the Bucks' reserves looked like, wonder no longer. In last night's loss to Denver, Austin Croshere dusted himself off for his first real action of the year and looked damn solid, going for 17 points and six boards in just 18 minutes. Joe Alexander also made the most of early and prolonged action when Carmelo Anthony single-handedly put the entire Bucks' starting lineup in foul trouble. Alexander went for a career-high 14 points (5/12 fg, 2/5 threes) along with four boards, three blocks, two steals and just one turnover in 31 minutes. Ramon Sessions had 10/6/6 but those kinds of numbers are becoming rather pedestrian for him.
Wherefore art thou, Richard and Andrew? Following his best offensive game of the season Saturday against Boston, Bogut took a knock to his knee early in Denver and never looked involved afterwards. He tallied four fouls and four turnovers in 16 minutes, making his only shot and grabbing four boards. Especially with two of the Bucks' best scorers already out, Bogut can't afford to be such a spectator. The same can be said of Richard Jefferson, who was hardly a factor after picking up three fouls in four minutes against Carmelo Anthony. Jefferson ended up playing only 23 minutes, bringing his totals for the past two games to 26 points, six boards, and five dimes in 59 total minutes.

Coverage:

SLC Dunk / True Blue Jazz

Garnett suspended, Bogut fined for Saturday incident

Frank Madden — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:48:04 -0000

Garnett suspended, Bogut fined for Saturday incident

BDL's J.E. Skeets has video and reaction to the Saturday dust-up between Andrew Bogut and Kevin Garnett, which has now earned KG a one game suspension. Bogut's technical foul was also upgraded to a flagrant one, which isn't unreasonable. I do think there was some intent on Bogut's part to flail a bit more than usual, but it would have also been harsh to suspend him for something so marginal.

How the Bucks might survive a brutal November

Frank Madden — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:15:09 -0000

While the Bucks' 5-6 record isn't going to turn many heads in L.A. or New York, it's tough to complain given what they're up against: an obscene eight back-to-backs in the first month, 12 of the first 19 on the road, and seven games and counting without Michael Redd. Add in all the new faces and the team's miserable preseason performance, and it's difficult not to feel a bit relieved with what Scott Skiles and company have managed to pull off in the first eleven games. Then again, the Bucks have little time to pat themselves on the back, with six of their next eight on the road, including back-to-back road games in Denver and Utah.

Granted, the Bucks almost always provide fans a brief glimpse of promise in November, last year's 7-4 start being a prime example. Even then there were some warning signs: the Bucks were winning close games and getting blown out in their losses (three of four came by 15+ points), tell-tale signs of a team that's been lucky rather than good. And over a full NBA season, it's always better to be good.

Statistically, the Bucks thus far have been neither lucky nor unlucky, as their point differential has them at an expected win% of .460 compared to their actual win% of .455. For the most part they've beaten the bad teams and lost to the good ones, both home and road. They've been slightly unlucky with Redd and now Charlie Villanueva on the sidelines, but neither injury is likely to be a long-term issue.

Is that...defense? Though their penchant for cold shooting has seen them drop to 25th in offensive efficiency, the Bucks' 12th-ranked defense has kept them afloat. That's right, 12th best in the entire league. While the season is less than a month old, there's certainly reason to believe the Bucks can finish in the top half of the league defensively, a feat which hasn't occurred since...1991. I'm not sure how a team can be below average defensively every year for 17 straight years, but somehow the Bucks have managed to pull off the feat.

While it's difficult to quantify individual defensive performance, 82games' opponent stats show that Villanueva is the only Buck regular who has allowed an opponent PER of over 14.4--which is pretty damn good. With the exception of Jose Calderon, Ridnour and Sessions have generally managed to contain opposing PGs, but they'll face even stiffer tests this week with Chauncey Billups and Deron Williams. On the wings, Jefferson and Mbah a Moute have generally done well against everyone not named LeBron, while Bogut continues to play the sort of solid defense that he showed last year.

Rebound, rebound, rebound. For all their problems in 07/08, the Bucks were actually a decent rebounding team, so it's not a complete shock they would stack up fairly well in this department. Still, are they really this good? Let's take a look at rebound rate, which measures the percentage of available rebounds a team gets, thus normalizing for team pace and total available boards. At the moment the Bucks rank second in offensive rebound rate (32.1%) and first in defensive rebound rate (76.8%), mainly because they're getting average to above-average rebounding from virtually every position (player rates are a % of all available rebounds while they're on the court).

Player	Position	Rebound Rate	NBA Positional Rank
Andrew Bogut	C	18.9	11/50
Charlie Villanueva	PF	18.6	5/70
Luc Mbah a Moute	SF	14.8	3/51
Joe Alexander	SF	11.3	16/51
Richard Jefferson	SF	8.8	31/51
Luke Ridnour	PG	7.8	9/65
Ramon Sessions	PG	6.5	25/65

Granted, some of these rankings are deceptive. For one, Mbah a Moute has been getting more minutes as a PF lately and Sessions has been playing a fair bit of the 2 with Redd out. Still, the rebounding provided by Bogut and Villanueva has been excellent and has somewhat mitigated their troubles in getting things going offensively. But it's also important not to overlook someone like Ridnour, who doesn't put up big raw numbers yet consistently gets to rebounds more often than opposing PGs.

Another question is how sustainable these numbers are. Ridnour had sub-5.0 rebound rates the past two seasons and has never been better than 5.7, so his current rate seems somewhat unsustainable. Bogut and Villanueva were at 16.5 and 15.0 respectively last year, so their current rates are also well above where they were last year, though it's hardly rare for young bigs to improve on the glass. Jefferson used to be an excellent rebounder for a small forward--he was consistently around the 10-11 mark early in his career--but his rebound rate cratered to a paltry 6.2 last year. So the glass half full view would say he's just getting back to where he should be.

They'll likely need to continue rebounding at a high rate to stay afloat as long as Redd and Villanueva are out, as recent games have seriously exposed their lack of scoring depth. At the moment, Jefferson, Ridnour, Villanueva and Bell are all shooting 40% or less while only Bogut and Gadzuric are making more than half their shots. Hopefully some mean-reversion will kick in at some point, but even then the Bucks aren't likely to be offensive juggernauts. As long as that is driven mostly by their focus on defending, that's OK, but if they're defense goes south it obviously will place extra pressure on the offensive end.

The kids are alright. I'm not about to categorize the Bucks as a deep team--it's hard to feel good about a bench that features Malik Allen as the only "true" PF and Francisco Elson and Dan Gadzuric as the backup 5's. But the Bucks have been given a major boost by the versatility of Sessions and Mbah a Moute, and Joe Alexander has also managed to move into the forward rotation of late.

Sessions actually leads the Bucks in PER (18.32), but it's likely that he'll continue to come off the bench in the near term given he's much better at creating his own offense than Ridnour. While the Bucks' starters haven't been great offensively by any stretch of the imagination, the bench is that much worse, so Sessions' ability to get to the rim helps noticeably. With Redd sidelined there are plenty of minutes available for Sessions, who has been playing with Ridnour in the backcourt down the stretch anyway. But Skiles will have an interesting decision to make once Redd is healthy--presumably Bogut, Redd, Jefferson, and Mbah a Moute will be on the court, but can Ridnour hang onto the point guard spot in crunch time?

As for Mbah a Moute, let the record show that he actually became the starter before Villanueva hurt his hamstring, and at the moment it's difficult to see why Skiles would change things up once Villanueva returns. Mbah a Moute is simply a baller: just put him on the court and he'll find a way to help you. While he's undersized for a 4, his boundless energy and athleticism allow him to be productive guarding either forward spot. And though scouts were adamant that he could neither dribble nor shoot, he's shown a decent ability to put it on the floor along with a rather smooth 18-footer. It's a bit strange that he never showed much improvement during his three years at UCLA, but Bucks fans can count their blessings that John Hammond, Dave Babcock and Scott Skiles were one step ahead of everyone else when they picked him 37th overall. His finishing around the hoop could definitely use some work--21% of his inside shots have been blocked--but it's difficult to complain about a second rounder putting up 10.6 ppg and 7.5 rpg along with excellent defense.

And while Mbah a Moute has overshadowed eight overall pick Joe Alexander, the rookie from West Virginia has also benefited from increased minutes with Redd and now Villanueva's absences shortening the bench. He clearly has a ways to go, particularly on the defensive end, but Alexander's shown good range, a very quick first step, and better-than-anticipated court vision thus far. Everything he does seems to be at top speed, so one of the most important things he can do is learn when to slow down and when to go all out. Either way, all the early talk in the preseason about Alexander being a bust is looking increasingly misplaced.

Game Thread: Celtics/Bucks

Frank Madden — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 02:29:39 -0000

Celtics (8-2, 3-1 road) @ Bucks (5-5, 2-2 home)

Gametime: 7:30 p.m. central time (FSN-W)

Celtics	Position	Bucks
Rajon Rondo	PG	Luke Ridnour
Ray Allen	SG	Charlie Bell
Paul Pierce	SF	Richard Jefferson
Kevin Garnett	PF	Luc Mbah a Moute
Kendrick Perkins	C	Andrew Bogut

Injuries:

Bucks: Michael Redd (ankle) has missed six straight games and is day-to-day. Charlie Villanueva tweaked his hamstring on Wednesday and missed last night's game in Memphis

Celtics: None.

08/09 Series:

November 7: Celtics 101, Bucks 89

08/09 Advanced Stats:

Celtics: Offense: 27th (100.6/100 possessions) Defense: 2nd (95.8) Pace: 10th (92.9)

Bucks: Offense: 24th (102.1 points/100 possessions) Defense: 11th (103.6) Pace: 17th (91.0)

Three points:

Back-to-back. Both teams traveled overnight to Milwaukee following Friday games, so neither team will be particularly well rested. While the Bucks were sneaking out of Memphis with a win, Boston had their six game winning streak snapped at home by the Nuggets--a surprise in general, but then again swapping Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups should make Denver a much better basketball team.
Lessons learned. The Celtics are the Bucks' first repeat customers of the young season, with Boston having dealt the Bucks a 101-89 loss just eight days ago. Richard Jefferson had it going early against Paul Pierce with 14 first quarter points, but Pierce had a superb all-around game and came away with the W, despite the Bucks led by as many as 13 in the first quarter and hung close through three quarters. In the fourth they ran out of ideas as the Celtics' ball movement and stifling defense was too much. Hey, they're champs for a reason. An obvious key for tonight: taking advantage of the Celtics' bench. In the first meeting the C's got solid minutes from Eddie House, Leon Powe, Big Baby, and Tony Allen, which spells big trouble when you also have to deal with the likes of Garnett, Pierce, Rondo, and Allen. Last night in Boston that wasn't the case, as House was the only non-starter to hit a shot.
Getting offensive. Scott Skiles' teams have never been synonymous with offensive efficiency, so it's not surprising that the Bucks' improved defense (11th overall) has not gone hand-in-hand with a similar improvement in offensive efficiency (24th vs. 21st last season). Of course, part of that is likely due to the absence of Michael Redd for the past six games--both the defensive improvement and the offensive sluggishness. What's interesting is that aside from the Bucks' huge 37-assist game against Washington, their assist numbers have been pretty poor in spite of often playing with two point guards. Only once in the past five games have the Bucks tallied more than 17 assists, and in three of those games they've had as many or more turnovers as dimes. In other words, the assists Redd creates for others with his shot-making probably outweighs his own lack of playmaking.

Coverage:

Bucks.com Preview w / CelticsBlog

Recap: Bucks 101, Grizz 96

Frank Madden — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:16:11 -0000

Among the many sobering lessons learned by Bucks fans in recent years: few commodities are as precious in the NBA as road wins. That means a nervous 101-96 overtime win in Memphis should suit the Bucks just fine, even if Scott Skiles might have seen his blood pressure rise a bit in the process. Yet again the Bucks dug themselves a deep hole early, falling behind by as many as 16 in the second quarter--before storming back with a 27-15 third quarter that tied it going into the fourth. But unlike against the Spurs on Wednesday, the Bucks couldn't hold off a late Grizzlies' comeback, blowing an 84-76 lead with 2:26 remaining, in no small part due to turnovers on three of four possessions.

But just as all was looking lost, Ramon Sessions (20 points, six boards, four assists) stepped up to drill a triple from the top of the key, giving the Bucks a new life that they made the most of in OT. Following an O.J. Mayo miss and a desperation heave by Sessions to end regulation, the teams traded baskets in OT before the Bucks pulled away in the final minute. For Memphis, Mayo was the man early with 15 first half points (and 25 total) while Rudy Gay took up the burden late (24 points), but the Bucks' more balanced effort managed to eke it out.

Three Bucks

Prince Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Charlie Villanueva's future as a starter is looking decidedly bleak right now, as CV's pulled hammy paved the way for the Prince to set new career highs in both points (19) and rebounds (17). As you might guess from his ugly shooting line (6/16), Mbah a Moute didn't have his jumper working, but the good thing about energy guys is that they don't really need it to contribute. The Bucks outworked the Grizz on the glass all night long, with Mbah a Moute single-handedly outrebounding Memphis on the offensive glass (ten to eight). Time and again he wriggled past Darrel Arthur, Marc Gasol and Hakim Warrick to snatch Bucks' misses, earning the Bucks' crucial second chances on a night where they made just 39% of their shots.
Ramon Sessions. OK, I think we can safely say that Sessions' Rookie-of-the-Month performance last April has now been validated--this kid's very much for real. Playing in just his 25th game as a pro, Sessions made 8/16 shots and was again the major catalyst off the bench before joining Luke Ridnour in the backcourt in crunch time. Just as importantly, his three with 9.2 seconds remaining kept the Bucks alive when their collapse seemed imminent.
Luke Ridnour. Though Richard Jefferson led the Bucks in points (26), differential (+14), and also hauled down ten boards, let's take a moment to acknowledge Ridnour's rock solid performance: 14 points, six boards, seven assists, and zero turnovers. Sessions has deservedly been getting all the buzz of late, but Ridnour was a steadying influence all night and iced the game by going 6/6 from the line in the final minute of OT.

Three Numbers

62-36. The Bucks utterly annihilated the Grizzlies on the glass, outrebounding them by 26 in total. In fact, the Bucks grabbed nearly as many offensive rebounds (23) as the Grizzlies managed defensive boards (28), a feat I can't recall happening anytime recently. The Bucks' poor shooting certainly created more opportunities to chalk up rebounds, but full marks to Mbah a Moute (17 total), Bogut (15), and Jefferson (10) for outworking their opponents all night.
7. Bogut continues to struggle to find ways to get involved offensively, though 5/8 fg would normally suggest he needs the ball more. Still, it's hard to argue that with a straight face on a night when he also racked up seven turnovers.
48:35. Jefferson tallied more than a full game's worth of minutes for the second time this season, the OT game against Washington being the first. And while his stroke was eluding him (8/26 fg, yikes), Jefferson has clearly become the Bucks' undisputed leader with Michael Redd on the sidelines--playing big minutes, being a go-to guy late, defending opponents' top wing scorers, and frequently taking his younger teammates aside for veteran wisdom. At this point he often gets by more on savvy than pure explosiveness, but Jefferson has also shown a renewed effort on the defensive end and on the glass. So far, so good.

Three Good

Road wins are good wins. Yes, I'm going to say this every time the Bucks get one. The Bucks now have three road wins in six tries; they need just four more wins away from the BC to match their paltry 07/08 total of seven. And while great teams might have the luxury of complaining when they win ugly, the Bucks should be thrilled to escape Tennessee with a win.
Kiddie patrol! With Redd and now Villanueva on the shelf, there's been plenty of opportunity for Sessions, Mbah a Moute, and Joe Alexander (who also was productive in his 13 minutes) to earn playing time in Scott Skiles' rotation. And let's give the new coach plenty of credit, too. Bulls fans were almost taunting us in the preseason that Skiles would prefer guys like Malik Allen and Tyronn Lue over talented but inconsistent youngsters, yet aside from the opening couple of games there's been very little of those boring old vets--and justifiably so.
Ready to rebound. The Bucks aren't exactly deep up front, but that hasn't prevented them from being among the league's best on the glass. The key? Getting above average rebounding from basically every position. Going into tonight's game, Bogut ranked 8th out of 47 centers, Villanueva 5th out of 69 PFs, Mbah a Moute 6th out of 51 SFs, and Ridnour 6th out of 65 PGs. Jefferson, Sessions, and Alexander are also all average or better.

Three Bad

Sweating with the Oldies. Like most fans, I admit to being rather biased when it comes to the bench: I'd much rather deal with the rough edges of Sessions and Alexander than watch steady-but-perpetually-below-average guys like Allen, Croshere, and Lue. So I won't worry too much about Allen and Croshere getting some early but unproductive minutes in Memphis, though the Bucks will likely need them to contribute at some point.
Lucking out. Marc Iavaroni doesn't have a ton of job security in Memphis, and the Grizzlies' offensive strategy might give you some idea why. After riding Mayo's hot hand early, the Grizz got away from the early ROY favorite for long stretches of the second half, despite the Bucks' struggles to contain Mayo in basic PnR situations from the top. Instead, the Grizz allowed the disappointing Mike Conley--who still can't shoot or get to the rack against NBA defenses--to handle the ball most of the time. That greatly simplified the Bucks' task.
Bell's blues. Charlie Bell's stroke still doesn't look right, which becomes all the more troubling given the Bucks' lack of scoring depth without Redd and Villanueva. In spite of back-to-back solid efforts against Cleveland and Phoenix, Bell's 0/4 effort in Memphis now has him shooting just 32.7% for the month of November.

Recap: Bucks 82, Spurs 78

Frank Madden — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:01:03 -0000

It's rare that you can look forward to a game against the Spurs, but the Spurs sans Parker and Ginobili just aren't the same, are they? That was painfully clear tonight, as the Bucks stumbled their way to an ugly but hard-fought 82-78 win at the BC, rallying from a 12-point halftime deficit to pull it out in the late going. Mike Redd was once again in street clothes, and the Bucks will be awaiting word whether Charlie Villanueva's tweaked hamstring will condem him to the sidelines as well. How bad is it for the Spurs? They featured a starting backcourt of rookie George Hill and journeyman Roger Mason, while someone named Anthony Tolliver also played 28 minutes. Yikes.

Three Bucks

Andrew Bogut. Bogut's been taking some heat lately for his lack of offensive production, and tonight wasn't exactly a breakout game in the scoring department: 10 points, 5/10 fg, and not a single trip to the line. But Bogut at his best does a lot more than score, and that was certainly the case tonight against a decent big man by the name of Tim Duncan. Playing a season-high 42 minutes, Bogut grabbed 17 boards (seven offensive), dished out four assists, recorded three steals and didn't turn the ball over, something he's struggled with greatly as teams double him more frequently this year. And with the Spurs missing two-thirds of their big three, Duncan needed 20 shots for his 24 points and grabbed just five boards along with four turnovers. No, Bogut didn't have an answer for Duncan in the late stages, but we'll take it. Bogut's game highlight? Befitting of his post offense lately, it started with him mising a short hook with five minutes left in the fourth. But rather than drop his head and sulk, he tore away the rebound from Duncan to reset the offense. Moments later he got what he deserved, hammering a one-handed follow dunk off Charlie Bell's miss.
Ramon Sessions. At this point there doesn't seem to be much doubt that Sessions brings more to the table than Luke Ridnour, but for now there's something to be said for using Sessions' scoring ability with the offensively-challenged second unit early and then keeping him in to close games. It wasn't a monster game for Ramon, but efficiency sure is nice to see from your young PG: 13 points on 5/7 fg along with three boards, three assists and no turnovers in 24 minutes. More importantly, it was Sessions who quarterbacked the team to a 21-2 run that gave the Bucks their first lead midway through the fourth. He also had a huge pickpocket of Tim Duncan with two minutes left and a layup past Duncan with 30 seconds to go, keeping the Spurs at arm's length. He continues to get in the lane with ease, in stark contrast to Ridnour--whose lack of explosiveness means he can't get much more than floaters in the lane.
Richard Jefferson. He didn't exactly come out guns blazing, but Jefferson got the Bucks back into it with ten in the third and added a further six in final stanza. All told, RJ tallied 19 along, nine boards, and just one turnover--and probably enjoyed having to guard Ime Udoka and Michael Finley rather than LeBron James or Paul Pierce.

Three Numbers

11-8. The Bucks are the only team to have a winning record against the Spurs in the last ten years, and they kept it up tonight against a team that didn't look too much like the Spurs of old. I think they'll take it.
14. If you're going to lay bricks all night, you better be ready to get some of them back, and the Bucks did just that with 14 offensive rebounds compared to seven for the Spurs. It carried over to the other end as well, as the Bucks outrebounded San Antonio 47-37.
7. It wasn't a big assist night for the Bucks (17), but along with their prowess on the glass they also helped themselves greatly by taking care of the ball, turning it over just seven times.

Three Good

Scraping one out. Beating the Spurs in their current state isn't anything to be too proud of, but at the moment the Bucks should be focusing on surviving November. Some beautiful basketball would be great, but the Bucks aren't good enough to worry about winning ugly.
Youth movement. The Bucks' lack of depth has been severely tested by Redd's absence, and you can only imagine what will happen if/when more injuries come (let's hope CV can go on Friday). As a result, Scott Skiles hasn't had too much choice but to take a look at his youngsters. Fortunately, Sessions and Mbah a Moute (another extremely solid 11/7 night) have outplayed their starting counterparts and helped keep the Bucks afloat. Even Joe Alexander has gotten regular minutes of late, looking (dare I say?) pretty solid. Gold stars all around, kiddies.
Saved by the D. With few options outside of Tim Duncan, the Spurs aren't the most difficult team to guard right now, though Michael Finley (8/12 fg, 19 points) did his best to pick up the slack. The Bucks also did their part in the second half, once again finding a way to buckle down on defense and turn the Spurs into a jumpshooting team while the Bucks made their 21-2 run. In conceding just nine free throws, the Bucks also found a way to D up without much fouling, an area they've frequently struggled in so far.

Three Bad

Et tu, CV? Sure, Villanueva hasn't exactly been Mr. Consistency (has he ever?), and tonight marked the first time 08/09 that Skiles gave Mbah a Moute the starting nod over CV. Still, Villanueva's the only true PF on the roster and losing him for more than a game or two would make things awfully...uh, interesting up front. The good news is Mbah a Moute has been better than CV anyway, but after that the pickings are slim. Malik Allen has been largely MIA of late but would likely get some of that burn and Alexander would no doubt also get some smallball time at the 4--which unfortunately isn't his best position. If CV is out on Saturday, expect Elson to see more time against Kevin Garnett.
Half empty. Scoring 15 points in the first quarter is bad; compounding it with just 16 in the second is downright miserable. No doubt the Bucks' 12 point halftime deficit would have been a lot worse against a healthier Spurs team, but tonight one half was enough to get it done.
Starting guards. Bell's managed to put together a couple decent games of late, but in general he's still struggling to find his shot and doesn't look much like a starting NBA guard. The same can be said of Ridnour, who had a hot hand in Cleveland yesterday but otherwise has been roundly outplayed by Sessions of late. Is it just his back bothering him? Hopefully that's the explanation.

Game Thread: Bucks/Cavs

Frank Madden — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:08:54 -0000

Bucks (3-4) @ Cavs (5-2)

Gametime: 6:00 p.m. central time (FSN-W)

Lineups:

Bucks: Luke Ridnour / Charlie Bell / Richard Jefferson / Charlie Villanueva / Andrew Bogut

Cavs: Mo Williams / Delonte West / LeBron James / Ben Wallace / Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Injuries:

Bucks: Michael Redd (ankle) has missed three straight games and is day-to-day. He practiced on Monday but remains sore.

Cavs: Darnell Jackson is out with a wrist injury.

07/08 Series:

08/09 Advanced Stats:

Bucks: Offense: 25th (101.4 points/100 possessions) Defense: 13th (102.9) Pace: 10th (93.2)

Cavs: Offense: 5th (110.5 points/100 possessions) Defense: 15th (103.2) Pace: 23rd (90.1)

Three points:

Mo's house. No doubt the most obvious subplot of tonight's game will be Mo Williams playing against his former club for the first time since the August trade that sent him from the shores of Lake Michigan to those of Lake Erie. Mo's first seven games as a Cav have been somewhat hit or miss: 14.1 ppg, 4.9 apg, 3.3 to, and a .425/.333/1.000 shooting line. Aside from the fact that he's made all 16 of his free throws, his numbers are down across the board thus far, though a) it's still very early and b) he probably doesn't need to put up huge numbers to help Cleveland win games. If he can keep defenses honest with his shooting (likely), not be too terrible defending (less likely), and otherwise stay out of LBJ's way, Mo should fit in just fine. I'd be surprised if he doesn't play well tonight, though the Bucks could also benefit if he comes out too hellbent on doing everything himself.
Is 'Mon the new Mo? Still nursing a sore ankle, Michael Redd is not expected to play for the fourth straight game, which should give Charlie Bell another chance to start and Ramon Sessions the chance to be the Bucks' primary sixth man. Redd's absence also means we'll continue to see Sessions and Luke Ridnour each playing major minutes, which should delay a point guard controversy for the time being. With Redd out and the Bucks needing offense from their bench, Sessions has also taken on a much more free-scoring approach than many had expected following his assist rampage last April. He's now averaging a rather startling 17.2 ppg, 6.2 apg, and 3.6 rpg in five games...which is eerily similar to the 17.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 3.6 rpg that a certain ex-Buck and current Cav averaged last season. No wonder he's so excited to face Williams tonight. Of course, aside from having much better court vision than Mo, Sessions is also much more of a slasher than Mo--his 14 fta against the Suns are nearly as many as Mo has all year. The downside is that Sessions doesn't have anywhere near the mid-range game Mo has developed, and both guys aren't earning their money on the defensive end. Still, no one would have wanted to deal Mo if he was coming off the bench making $700,000, so Bucks fans should be rather thrilled to be getting Mo production without the politics or hefty pricetag.
Bogut's malaise. What's wrong with Andrew Bogut? Though his scoring (.543 TS%) and rebounding effiiciency (18.4 rebound rate) are up over last year, Bogut's yet to put together more than a quarter or two of good offensive play in a row and on Saturday even his defense--which had been strong thus far--looked porous against a suddenly resurgent Shaq. Some of Bogut's early season frustration can be attributed to foul trouble, which kept him sitting for much of the first two games. It's also led Scott Skiles to be overly cautious with him since, as Skiles has opted on a couple occasions to sit Bogut with two fouls in the second quarter. Still, Bogut's had trouble getting into a rhythm in the post and he's also been slow to adjust when teams have begun doubling him in the post. Nearly 20% of the possessions he's used this season have ended in a turnover, compared to 12% last year, which has been indicative of his difficulty in finding the open man out when help comes. Oh, and shooting 40% from the line? Not cool either. Granted, Bogut's $60 million extension doesn't actually start until the 09/10 season (he'll make $6.3 million this year), but don't expect him to get a free pass from fans if he doesn't come up with some better all-around performances.

Coverage:

Bucks.com Gameday / Fear the Sword / Cavs Board

Recap: Celtics 101, Bucks 89

Frank Madden — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 05:42:34 -0000

The Bucks brought their modest two game road winning streak to Boston Friday night, but alas: the Celtics don't ball like the Thunder and Knicks. The Bucks jumped out to an early 25-12 lead and kept it close for three quarters, but the Celtics finally turned it on in the fourth and pulled away for a 101-89 win at the newish Garden. It was befittingly all about balance for the Celtics, who got a perfectly-rounded 18 poinst, 10 boards and seven dimes from Paul Pierce, in addition to 16/9 from KG and 54 points from their bench. Richard Jefferson again led the way for the Bucks, tallying 20 points (8/15 fg) and five boards as the Bucks' were again missing Michael Redd.

Three Bucks

Richard Jefferson. When the Bucks were racing out to their early lead, it was all about Jefferson. He again had it going early, scoring 14 in the first quarter and just as importantly all that offense seemed to distract Paul Pierce, who had a quiet first half. Unfortunately Pierce and the Celtics woke up in the second half while RJ couldn't sustain the Bucks' flagging effort.
Luc. Another night, another solid effort. Mbah a Moute chalked up nine points and nine boards in 23 minutes, and held his own when matched up with Pierce and Garnett. To be honest I would have liked to see more of Luc against Pierce, but Skiles understandably preferred to give the nod to Jefferson most of the night. His burn was also somewhat limited by Charlie Villanueva getting almost 35 minutes.
Joe Alexander. Normally this section is reserved for the Bucks' best performers, but on a night when few guys were at their best let's talk a little about the Bucks' lottery pick. With the Celtics winning by double digits and Skiles probably looking ahead to tomorrow night's home contest against Phoenix, Alexander played the final 5:34 of the game and finally broke his NBA good egg by draining a three from the left wing. A couple times Alexander made quick attacking moves that drew help defenders, allowing him to find an open man.

Three Numbers

11. A big part of the Celtics' terrific defense is the way they defend inside, and 11 blocks--seven by Kendrick Perkins--show just how tough they can be. Defensive Player of the year KG set the tone early by blocking Bogut's dunk attempt in the opening minute.
28. It wasn't quite the 37 assist night the Bucks had on Wednesday, but the Celtics' 28 dimes were more than enough tonight. Especially in the second half, the Celtics were finding daylight on the perimeter and using the Bucks' collapsing defense to find open teammates inside. As a basketball fan you have to appreciate it; as a Bucks fan not so much.
0. Alex mentioned in the preview that Ramon Sessions came into the game averaging 8.3 apg, but that number will fall to 6.3 following Sessions' 11 point, zero assist, five turnover outing against Rajon Rondo and Eddie House. Though he had some nice aggressive moves into the lane, Sessions couldn't get teammates involved like in the previous three games, in large part due to that stifling Celtics defense.

Three Good

Starting Fast. A couple days after racing to a 15-point lead early against Washington, the Bucks seem to have developed the nice habit of starting fast, and that carried over to the world champs' house, too. Riding Jefferson's hot hand, the Bucks surprised the Boston faithful by leading 25-12 mid-way through the first and 30-23 at the end of one. That means the Bucks have now won the first quarter in four of their six games and trailed by just two in the other two games (Chicago, Toronto).
VNuv's Bottle of Windex. I expected the Celtics to post Garnett more than usual given Villanueva's normally soft defense, but Villanueva managed to stay in the game if for no other reason than he brought energy to the glass. He finished with 12 boards, with six of them on the offensive end.
Garbage Time. Wait, this is a good thing? Well, when you're on the front end of a back-to-back, there's a slight silver lining to having your scrubs play the final six minutes--it affords the regulars a bit more rest. Bogut had trouble with the C's interior defense (11 points, 4/11 fg) but only played 26 minutes anyway, so he should be reasonably fresh for Shaq and company tonight at the BC. Jefferson played 33 minutes following his 49 minute effort on Wednesday.

Three Bad

Ball Movement. The beauty of the Celtics' defense isn't that they have five lock-down defenders, but that they always seem to know when to double, when to hedge, and when to gamble in the passing lanes. They're particularly good at clogging up the middle, which begins with Rondo's perimeter defense--by never losing his man, Rondo allows his big guys the ability to help more selectively, rather than having to try to erase hismistakes. So after the Bucks racked up a delightful 37 dimes on Wednesday, the Celtics lived up to their reputation as the Bucks managed only 17 assists against 22 turnovers. With Bogut struggling to find a rhythm, the Bucks could have really used Redd, as they seemed to run out of ideas offensively in the second half.
Garbage Time. The good news is the Bucks got to rest some of their big guns for tonight's game against the Suns, but the bad news is of course that they had to throw in the towel in the first place. While that happens to most opponents at the Garden, it was also the first time in six games that Skiles has gone to his scrubs in the fourth quarter.
Double Dutch. In the first half Skiles brought Francisco Elson off the bench to defend Garnett, an interesting matchup given the history between the two. Shortly thereafter Dan Gadzuric joined Elson on the court, which I believe marked the first time the two Dutch big men were on the court together at the same time. The Netherlands only got a brief glimpse of the Bucks' double Dutch lineup, however, as Gadzuric exited less than two minutes later. Given Gadzuric's less-than-cerebral style, I've been somewhat surprised by Skiles' preference for him over Elson, but tonight we saw a decent reason why as Elson went 0/5 in 13 minutes.

Recap: Bucks 112, Wiz 104

Frank Madden — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:46:27 -0000

Ten minutes in, it didn't seem like the Bucks could lose. With 10 minutes left, it didn't seem like the Bucks could win. And yet after 53 minutes that's just what happened, the Bucks rallying from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit and escaping with a 112-104 OT win at the BC. With Mike Redd nursing an ankle injury, Richard Jefferson delivered with 32 points, nine dimes, and a couple of steals in nearly 49 minutes of action, while the little man combination of Ramon Sessions (22 points, eight assists) and Luke Ridnour (20 points, 11 assists) led the Bucks' comeback effort.

Three Bucks

Richard Jefferson. Jefferson started off on fire with 14 in the first, helping the Bucks to an 18-point lead and the sense that it would be an easy night at the BC. Yet the Bucks then went cold. Like, ice cold. No, make it absolute zero cold. Fortunately, Jefferson came back in the fourth and got some help, too. While he couldn't lock down Caron Butler all night (27 pts, seven boards, five TO), Butler missed four of his last five as Jefferson came out on top.
Luc Mbah a Moute. It's becoming a broken record, isn't it? Another game, another big performance from the 37th overall pick. Though he missed the potential winner at the fourth quarter buzzer, Luc was again a catalyst and continues to show much more polish on the offensive end than anyone expected with 17 points on a tidy 8/10 shooting, including some big hoops late. And on defense it was the same old story, as he helped contain Antawn Jamison to just 6/19 shooting.
Luke Ridnour. There's no way I should mention Ridnour without Sessions, but let's leave the youngster for later. Ridnour returned from missing two games with back spasms and must be feeling better, as he had by far his best game as a Buck scoring 20 on 13 shots in addition to his 11 dimes and seven rebounds. He also had some low points, namely when he turned the ball over for a bucket and followed it up with an offensive foul on the ensuing inbound. Still, if this is the kind of game that Ridnour will deliver once every week or so, the Bucks should feel pretty good about their point guard position. And no, I did not expect to be saying that a week ago.

Three Numbers

37. I almost couldn't believe the Bucks had that many assists, but there it is. Ridnour, Sessions and Jefferson combined for 28 by themselves, and the Bucks had only eight field goals all night that didn't include an assist. I don't think the Bucks can win consistently without Redd, but the benefit of playing two point guards at the same time is that you can at least be sure the ball will be kept moving.
51. I'm having a hard time figuring out how the Wiz can get 51 free throw attempts and still lose, but they did. Mostly it was because they couldn't cash in from the stripe--they missed 17 times from the line, which also happens to be the number of free throws made by the Bucks. In reality the Wiz can blame this one mostly on wasted opportunities--their misses from the line and their terrible 2/18 shooting from deep.
9. That was all the Bucks had to show for an awful second quarter in which the Wiz outscore them by a staggering 19--turning a 30-17 Bucks lead after one into a head-scratching 45-39 deficit after two. It got even worse from there as the Wizards led by as many as 14 in the third and fourth before the Bucks made their run.

Three Good

Car RamRid. If Sessions and Ridnour are going to keep playing like this together, they'll need a nickname. Ridnour took back his starting spot following two solid performances from Sessions, but it's tough to think about a brewing PG controversy when the two played so well together. Sessions moved into the off-guard position for much of the night, playing a crucial role in the fourth with his ability to get into the lane and either dish or finish himself. Don't expect to see too much of Tyronn Lue in the near future.
Comeback Kids. Yes, these Bucks should beat these Wiz at home. Without Arenas and Haywood, Washington's lack of size and depth should spell major trouble given the Bucks' success of late pounding the ball inside. So while there should be a sense of concern that the Bucks needed so much drama to dispatch the boys from D.C., there's also something to be said for digging yourself a hole and still managing to climb out of it. Whereas last year's club seemed content to roll over at the first sign of adversity, the 08/09 Bucks are looking in the early going like a fairly plucky bunch. In particular, the Bucks were able to turn the screws defensively in the final 10 minutes tonight, with Mbah a Moute and Jefferson stepping up to put the clamps on Jamison and Butler, respectively. Hmm, Scott Skiles much?
Fun with the Wiz. What is it about playing the Wizards? I know they're a zany bunch, but something about the motley crew from the capitol leads to entertaining (if not pretty) basketball. In January, the Bucks' improbable home OT victory prompted me to call it the "strangest, least predictable" game of the season, and the two teams set out to provide an encore tonight. Redd and Arenas were also missing from that game. The only disappointment was that we weren't treated to yet another buzzer-beater.

Three Bad

The Return of Emo Bogut (kinda). His final line looks OK--10 points, 13 boards, two blocks--but Bogut continues to struggle from the line (2/7, now just 6/18 for the season) and he's turning the ball over far too carelessly in post. Tonight he looked passive for much of the night in spite of the Wizards' massive size disadvantage, and when he does get in the post he's still too vulnerable to double-teams. At this point I'm not sure why any team wouldn't double him immediately, as his superior passing from the high post still doesn't translate fully to back-to-basket situations.
Schedule toughening. From a practical perspective tonight's game was crucial given what the Bucks have coming up: in Boston Friday, at home to Phoenix Saturday, and then road games next week in Cleveland and San Antonio. Winning two of those would be awesome and one would be very acceptable.
Going for the Jugular. Up 18 in the first against a shorthanded Wiz team, a good team doesn't let up. But the Bucks simply lost their rhythm offensively and couldn't keep Washington off the line on the other end, underscoring what we already knew--the Bucks remain very much a work in progress.