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Overall
Win/Loss Record (as of November 30th): 2-13, fifth place Central
Division
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27
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This Month:
27
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Team
Statistics and League Rank
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Individual
Statistical Leaders
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SDH’s Worst of the Month: Larry Sanders
 Here is a story that is often too typical in the NBA: a young player has a career year after being all but invisible for most of it, gets a fat extension by his team as a reward for his performance--and how does he repay that confidence? He comes into the season completely out of shape, playing extremely crappy and injures his hand after just three games in all situations, a bar fight. That's the story of Larry Sanders--a player whom after having a moderately respectable 10 point, 10 rebound and three blocked shot per game last season saw his numbers take a nose dive the following year. As if it were not bad enough that this came after the Bucks signing him to a four year 44$ million contract extension, he ends up causing the team even more humiliation by getting himself caught up in a fight which later results him in missing all of November due to a broken hand. Hopefully this is just a small hiccup of what could potentially be a long and fruitful career, but knowing the Bucks' luck, Sanders may just end up on their long list of regretful moves thuis past offseason. |
SDH’s First of the Month: John Henson
 After having what some may say a rather nondescript rookie campaign, John Henson has exploded in his sophomore season coming off the bench to post nearly 11 points, 7 rebounds, and a little over 2 blocked shots per game in just over 25 minutes. Henson also lead the Bucks in field goal percentage as he has connected on nearly .550 of his shot attempts and it comes in very handy since Milwaukee ranks currently in the bottom in the league in both scoring and field goal accuracy. What is most shocking is that despite his blossoming into a fine offensive player in his second season, Henson is still upstaged by less than adequete veterans who play ahead of him. Hopefully, coach Larry Drew will wake up and give this young up and coming pivot the minutes he deserves as Henson should be considered as the sole bright spot on what has been a rather awful looking Milwaukee bucks team. |
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When writing about this team, a great wave of sadness and pity course through my fingers when I touch the keys of my keyboard because here is a team that no matter how much it tries, will never be anything more than mediocre with nothing more to look forward to other than at best being able to slip into the last playoff spot only to be quickly booted out. Last season, the Milwaukee Bucks reached their peak as a franchise winning just 37 wins, just enough to grab the final slot in the Eastern Conference playoffs only to be quickly cast aside in the first round by the +Miami HEAT as they got swept in four games. Once the season came to a close, it was time once again for Milwaukee to start back from scratch all over again as three of the teams key players quickly bid farewell and left without even looking back: both +Monta Ellis and +JJ Reddick chose to take their chances with free agency rather sign choose to re-sign with the team and +Brandon Jennings bolted via sign and trade with the +Detroit Pistons where the Bucks received pennies to the dollar in return. All that was left from last season's Bucks team were a haphazard roster that could not even win in the +NBA Dleague whose best player was an overpaid power forward with no real post skills and whose only offensive weapon was a moderately accurate three point shot. It did not help that despite having oodles of salary cap space, the Buck could not even throw their money away to get even a moderately decent free agents since Milwaukee can be considered as possibly the least desirable destination in professional sports to play in. The Bucks as always, were forced to settle for left over scraps and grossly overpay players who would otherwise not even be worth the league's veteran's minimum salary such as over the hill players in Zaza Pachulia (5.2$ million), and Carlos Delfino ($3.1 million). The best the Bucks were capable of acquring from the free agent market was OJ Mayo, who had come of his best season playing for the +Dallas Mavericks after having three less than stellar years with the +Memphis Grizzlies and Gary Neal, who despite playing a key role in the +San Antonio Spurs' run to the NBA Finals, had garnered little if any interest in the off season. In fact the Bucks front office felt so desperate that they were really, willing and able to offer Larry Sanders--a player that would be considered sub par at best--to a max contract extension even though on the open market, he probably would not be even worth half that amount. One look at the entire team and one can see a roster consisting of the "who's who of who cares" as it is constructed with nothing more than useless spare parts of over the hill players and rejected castaways so it is understandable to see how this team can be so terrible at so many things. Statistically, the Bucks can be categorized as the worst team in the NBA period, as they not only boast one of the worst records in the league, but they rank at the bottom of almost every statistical category. Offensively they are the third worst scoring team, second worst in field goal percentage and are one of the bottom ten in the league at turning the ball over to their opponents with the team's only saving graces being that the rank among the top ten in the league in free throw and three point field goal percentage. Unfortunately, the Bucks cannot take advantage of their strengths as they are barely capable of hanging onto the ball when they have possession as they rank 23rd in the league in field goal attempts as well as in three point field goal attempts, and are third worst in the league at getting to the free throw line. On the defensive end, Milwaukee has been routinely manhandled thus far as they have lost by an average margin of 12 points, while at the same time allow their opponents to abuse them on the boards for a 46 to 39 rebounding differential and scorch them on the floor shooting nearly .500 percent accuracy. It would be so easy to blast such a team for its rather pathetic play, but to do so would be rather cruel and callous to say the lease like beating up on the handicap and elderly--there is simply no good that can come from that. At least there is some good news coming from Milwaukee in that their first round pick +Giannis Antetokounmpo has shown flashes of star potential despite seeing rather limited playing time averaging about six points and four rebounds in just 16 minutes over 16 minutes per game. What is even more impressive with thus 19 year Greek swing man is not just his skills and athleticism, but also his feel and knowledge of the game as can be seen in his extremely high efficient numbers shooting .500 from the field and .462 from beyond the arc. Although at this moment, his production does not yell out "Rookie of the Year," Giannis does give folks in Milwaukee some slight glimmer of what's to come in the future as Antetokoumpo, whose name is just as fun to pronounce as his game is just as fun to watch, may become the big star that Bucks fans have been searching for such a long time. Unfortunately with his talent and skill, there is the sad reality that even Antetokoumpo, with his ridiculously long name, will be headed to greener pastures once his rookie contract ends leaving the Bucks with nothing once again. Even if the team tanks the season and manage to win the first overall pick in next year's draft, all the excitement and fanfare will be short lived as that player will most probably be gone by the it is time to negotiate for a long term extension as Milwaukee holds the dishonorable distinction as being the sweaty and stinking armpit of the league. Now thankfully, this piece has mercifully come to an end and I can now go and simply bawl in ties after having to write about such a sad and downtrodden team such as the Milwaukee Bucks. Give the team credit however, that despite its rather depressing outlook, it still has a loyal and passionate fan base that supports it win or lose, but as everything that has to do with the Bucks, all the love and cheers in the world are all in vain when there is no hope to be had. Watching the Bucks play is like watching a sick or lame animal and the only way to end its suffering is a shotgun bullet to the head to put it out of its misery. Much of the Bucks problems have to do with a hard headed owner who plans to keep the team in Milwaukee until the team slips out of his cold dead fingers thus making it impossible to attract new investors, or even talent to help the team win. So until that glorious day when the Bucks will be finally free to escape that beer soaked frozen wasteland, the team will continue to endure the voyage on the long road to nowhere with the odd playoff appearance or two as its sole reward. Now with this piece finally over, I can calmly walk into my bathroom and have a long awaited cry after having to write this rather depressing review. |
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Wednesday, December 18, 2013
SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for November: 27. Milwaukee Bucks
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