May 1, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Atlanta Hawks coach Larry Drew reacts on the sidelines against the Indiana Pacers in game five of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Atlanta 106-83. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Friday, the Milwaukee Bucks announced they had agreed in principle to hire former Hawks coach Larry Drew as their new head coach, replacing interm Jim Boylan. Drew served as the head man in Atlanta for three seasons, making the playoffs in all three. He compiled a 128-102 (.557) regular season record over that span, though the team got out of the first round of the playoffs just once.

General manager John Hammond had both Drew and Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson in for second interviews on Wednesday, ultimately deciding Drew was his man. He made the correct decision.

Is this a particularly sexy hire for the Bucks? No. But they’re the Milwaukee Bucks; they don’t do sexy. Drew is a solid coach and this was a solid hire.

He’s a defensive minded coach with a reputation of being a strong locker room presence – a necessity for a Bucks team whose locker room fell apart last season. Drew’s teams played good defense during his tenure in Atlanta, finishing top 10 in points per possession allowed each of the past two seasons. Though in flex, Milwaukee’s roster boasts areas of defensive upside. John Henson isn’t there yet, but his athletic ability coupled with his 7’6 wingspan suggest he has potential on that end of the floor. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is one of the more underrated perimeter defenders in basketball. With young LARRY SANDERS! in the fold as a rim protecting centerpiece to build around, there’s no reason why Milwaukee can’t replicate this kind of defensive success.

Drew has the reputation of running a boring, isolation oriented offense, but that isn’t particularly true. Ideally Drew would like to play an up tempo motion oriented offense, however, he tends to build/tweak his offenses around his personnel. With Johnson on the team in 2010 and 2011, the Hawks did run a slower, more isolation oriented offense. But after Johnson was shipped off to Brooklyn, we saw how Drew really wants to coach offense. The Hawks jumped from a bottom 10 team in pace to top 10, as they took on a more up-tempo style. Drew’s motion offense featured a little bit of everything – flex motion, pin downs, post ups, pick and roll and isolation. The coach has spoken in the past about having interchangeable pieces on offense, which makes sense in a system where a lot of different players touch the ball in different spots on the floor. During the playoffs, we saw Drew make a few outstanding tweaks to the offense – tweaks that helped Atlanta take the mighty Pacers to six games.

For the majority of the regular season, the Hawks played with Al Horford at center and Josh Smith at power forward. Drew offset Indiana’s size by inserting center Johan Petro into the lineup alongside Horford and Smith, moving Smith to small forward. The Pacers were forced to guard Smith with Paul George, a smaller player, and Atlanta took advantage of that offensive mismatch by pounding Smith in the post constantly. The Hawks also took advantage of Indiana’s defensive scheme, getting Horford a bountiful number of good mid-range looks in the pick and pop game. Drew’s coaching job was impressive in helping Atlanta push a much better  Pacers team to six games.

One guy who should benefit from Drew’s hiring is Ersan Illyasova. After a breakout 2011, Illyasova took a small step back in 2012, but remains a very good three point shooter and a versatile power forward type. Drew will likely use Illyasova like he used Josh Smith in Atlanta – involving him in a lot of pick and pop action, designing schemes to get him out in space near the three point line. The difference is that Illyasova is a much better shooter than Smith, which bodes well for Milwaukee. They’ll run a lot of offense through him and he should be primed for a good 2013 season.

We can’t project exactly what Milwaukee is going to look like in 2013 because their roster is in flux. Their three most prominent backcourt players last season, Brandon Jennings (restricted), Monta Ellis (player option, but he’ll likely decline), and JJ Redick, are all free agents and none are guaranteed to return. Rumor is the Bucks would prefer to keep Ellis over Jennings, but it’s now thought that Ellis wants to go play for the Kings. It’s entirely possible Milwaukee looses all three players and has to start fresh in the backcourt.

Is Larry Drew an upper echelon coach? No, he hasn’t shown to be that up to this point. Is he a solid coach that can bring stability to a franchise? Absolutely. For a team in flux with a need for a stable locker room, Milwaukee could’ve done a lot worse than Drew. I think personnel is going to dictate Milwaukee’s success moving forward more than coaching will. With Drew, you pretty much know what you’re going to get. The Bucks will be a good defensive team with an offense built around whoever he has on the floor. Drew is a solid hire and he’ll do a good job, but he’s going to need a really good roster if Milwaukee is going to take huge strides moving forward.

The big man took it coast to coast by himself before finishing with a nice slam.

(Thanks to @SBNationNBA

for the .gif)

Mar 20, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) walks to the bench during a timeout in the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat:

Biggest Strength: LeBron James. There’s not much to say here that hasn’t already been said. At this point, James is nearly unstoppable. The consensus MVP just finished arguably the most impressive regular season in history. He has become devastatingly efficient on the offensive end, shooting 56% from the field and 40% from three. He also leads the Heat in both rebounding and assists. And the scary thing for the Bucks is that as LeBron showed last year in Game 6 of the ECF, he can turn things up a level in the playoffs.

Player To Watch: Once again, LeBron James. After finally winning that elusive championship last year, he came back with a truly dominant regular season. LeBron has reached the point where every time he plays it is must watch TV just to see what he’ll do next. No matter how quickly this series is over (and it’ll probably be over pretty quick) LeBron will give us a number of memorable plays. Whether they’re high-flying alley oops, crisp passes, or a big chase down block, you’ll just have to tune in and see. The chance to watch the greatest player of this generation should never be passed up.

Mar 15, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Monta Ellis (11) drives for the basket against Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) at the Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Milwaukee Bucks:

Biggest Strength: Rebounding. If there is any area the Bucks might have an advantage on the Heat, it would be on the glass. The Bucks aren’t winning this series, (sorry Bucks fans) but if they want any chance at stealing a game or two, they absolutely need to rebound well. Their advantage on the glass is nowhere near as big as it might look at first glance. The Bucks may have grabbed an average of 5 rebounds a game more than the Heat, but there is more to look at than just how many rebounds a team got. The two teams had nearly identical rebound percentages. (The percent of how many available rebounds your team corralled.) This is the only aspect of the game that the Bucks have a chance to win, and its vital they do so. LARRY SANDERS! will rebound, but he needs help, especially from Ersan Ilyasova and the guards.

Player To Watch: Monta Ellis. Monta Ellis thinks he has it all, and he’ll need to if the Bucks want to steal a few games. Ellis might be an infuriating player, especially for the analytics crowd because of his shot selection, but he’s certainly fun to watch. On any night, Ellis is capable of going for 40. (Even if it takes him 25 or 30 shots to get there.) In the last few months, his assist numbers have also been very good. It should be fun to watch Ellis in his first playoff series since 2006-2007 with Golden State.

Prediction: Heat in 5. This isn’t a question of who will win, rather how fast the Heat will be able to dispatch the Bucks. (Sorry Brandon Jennings.) While I certainly wouldn’t be surprised by a Heat sweep, I think the Bucks will be able to sneak out one game at home. The Bucks are just overmatched here, and the Heat will shortly be on their way to continue their title defense.

Just a short time after being ejected against the Washington Wizards for arguing a call, SANDERS! was once again sent home early for disputing a call.

A few minutes into the 3rd quarter, SANDERS! got upset initially when he didn’t get a call on the offensive end. Then, on the ensuing defensive possession, SANDERS! was called for a foul, which he was unhappy with and began arguing with the ref. He was immediately hit with two technicals, and ejected from the contest.

It was SANDERS!’ 12th and 13th techs on the year, tied for the second most in the league, behind only Kobe Bryant.

Already frustrated, SANDERS! was called for an offensive foul late in the 4th quarter. He didn’t like the call, and quickly got ejected for arguing.

As he left the court, he gave each ref a sarcastic thumbs-up. Check out the .gif below. (H/T to @Wiz_Spurtin)

The biggest trade of the deadline was the swap Milwaukee and Orlando made, which sent Tobias Harris, Doron Lamb, and Beno Udrih to Orlando, and J.J. Redick, Gustavo Ayon, and Ish Smith back to Milwaukee.

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So how has the trade worked out for Milwaukee so far? Milwaukee made the deal solely to obtain Redick, so let’s take a look at how Redick and the Bucks have played since the deal.

Mar 2, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard J.J. Redick (5) during the game against the Toronto Raptors at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 122-114. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Since the deadline, the Bucks have played 6 games, going 4-2, and widening the gap between themselves and teams behind them for the 8^th seed in the playoffs. In those games, Redick has been very solid. He’s averaged about 13 points and 2.5 assists in 27.5 minutes a game off the bench.

While Redick has been coming off the bench, he has played all of the crunch time minutes so far. And there has been a lot of them, considering the Bucks have had two overtime games, and three other games decided by 5 points or less since he came to Milwaukee. Since the trade, Milwaukee, for the most part, has been closing games with Redick, Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis all on the floor together.

Redick’s three-point shooting is his main attribute, and has been a big help for the Bucks. He creates better spacing when he is on the floor, because his defender isn’t as willing to help off of him. While Jennings and Ellis like to shoot threes, they aren’t good at it. Redick gives the team another legit shooting threat to go with Mike Dunleavy.

So far, this trade has been a successful one for the Bucks. Redick has played well thus far, and will be a big help in the playoffs (which are looking more and more certain for the Bucks). It will be interesting to see if they are able to resign Redick, as he will be a free agent after the season.

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Trading Redick wasn’t something the Magic wanted to do, but since it was unlikely he was going to resign there in the summer, they tried to get the best deal they could. Beno Udrih will be a free agent after the season, and is most likely gone. Doron Lamb is a young, but has played sparingly since the trade. So the best piece Orlando got back from Milwaukee, and the one I’m going to look at, is Tobias Harris.

Mar 6, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Orlando Magic small forward Tobias Harris (12) reacts after fouling out of the game against the Miami Heat during the second half at the American Airlines Arena. The Heat defeated the Magic 97-96. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

Harris, in his second year in the league, is only 20 years old. He played decent minutes early in the year with Milwaukee, but suddenly fell out of the rotation and rarely got off the bench in the middle of the season.

In the 7 games he’s played in since the move, Harris has been fantastic. He’s averaged almost 17 points and just over 6 rebounds in about 29 minutes a game while coming off the bench. What looked like just another prospect thrown into a trade to make the money work could end up being a steal for the Magic.

At just 6-8, there is some worry that Harris could be a tweener. Not big enough to be a 4, but not enough of an outside game to be a 3. So far, however, Harris has played very well.

He has certainly become a player to watch, and at just 20 years old, he looks to have a bright future ahead of him. If Harris can become a solid rotation player in the league, and another piece for their rebuild, then this will have been a successful trade for the Magic.

Helping Milwaukee pick up the 122-114 overtime victory was the solid play of Monta Ellis and LARRY SANDERS! Ellis finished with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. His best assist of the night came on a sweet, behind-the-head pass to SANDERS! for 2 of SANDERS!’ 13 points. SANDERS! also grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked 5 shots.

While everyone had their attention turned to that game, (and rightly so) Monta Ellis hit one of the craziest buzzer beaters in recent memory to knock off the Rockets 110-107.

Ellis’ finished with 27 points, 6 rebounds, 13 assists and 6 steals for probably his best game of the season. Maybe Monta Ellis really does have it all.

Feb 20, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick (7) drives against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

J.J. Redick’s name had been swirling about trade rumors all day, and just before the deadline, he finally got moved. The Magic had been holding out for the best possible deal all day, and they finally agreed to send him to Milwaukee.

From ESPN.com’s Chad Ford,

“The Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic have agreed to a trade that will send J.J. Redick, Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith to the Bucks in return for Tobias Harris, Beno Udrih and Doron Lamb.”

With Redick (an unrestricted free agent) almost certain to leave after this season, it made sense for the Magic to look for a deal. It was better for them to get at least something before Redick left in the summer.

So what did the Magic get exactly?

Tobias Harris, in his second year, is only 20 years old. He has rarely played for the Bucks, but he gives the Magic another young asset in their rebuilding quest. The rookie Doron Lamb has also barely gotten off the bench in Milwaukee this season, but once again the Magic get a young player on a cheap contract. Finally, Beno Udrih. Udrih has seen limited minutes this season, averaging about 7 points and 3.5 assists over 18 minutes a game. He has shown over his career that he can be a solid backup point guard, but the main benefit to Udrih is that his contract expires after this season.

Now from the Bucks perspective.

Obviously Redick is the centerpiece of this deal. He can shoot the lights out, and is an underrated passer. Redick will also be a big addition to a thin backcourt in Milwaukee. With Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis already there though, it will be interesting to see where Redick fits in the rotation. It will also be interesting to see if the Bucks are able to resign Redick, who will surely attract a lot of attention in free agency. The two other players in the deal, Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith were thrown in for cap considerations, and will play minimal roles.

With the Bucks (currently in 8^th) hanging around in the playoff race, Redick will surely be a big help in maintaining their spot during the playoff push.

Feb 13, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings (3) sets up a play during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Bradley Center. The Bucks beat the 76ers 94-92. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

With the trade deadline fast approaching, here are some of the latest news and rumors regarding potential trades around the league.

Brandon Jennings:

Is he happy in Milwaukee or not? Conflicting reports have surfaced about the young point guard’s future in the recent days.

Chad Ford of ESPN.com cited sources saying that Jennings has

“irreconcilable differences”

with the Bucks. Jennings, however, refuted those claims, saying,

“that stuff never came out of my mouth.”

We can’t know the truth, but Jennings did turn down a long-term deal earlier in the year.

If the Bucks do decide to trade Jennings, they will certainly have suitors. According to Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks would be one of those teams.

Mavs, I’m told, do have interest in Brandon Jennings and will be in mix for him if Bucks opt to make RFA-to-be available b4 Feb. 21 deadline

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 13, 2013

The Mavericks recently traded for Darren Collison, but Jennings would be an immediate upgrade at the point guard position.

Utah Jazz:

With an excess of big men, rumors have long been swirling about the Jazz making a move before the deadline. Most people thought that Paul Millsap would be the first one to go, but that may not be the case.

According to Rich Bucher,

“While I noted several days ago that Paul Millsap appeared to be the likelier Jazz big man to be dealt before the February trade deadline, an opposing team executive said there is more league-wide interest in Al Jefferson”

Whether or not they deal one of their many big men, the Jazz will likely not be able to afford both Millsap and Jefferson, especially with Gordon Hayward coming up for an extension soon.

Apr 28, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls injured point guard Derrick Rose (1) is helped off the court by medical staff during the fourth quarter in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center. The Bulls won 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE

• DERRICK ROSE, PG, Chicago Bulls
  Last season: 35.3 MPG, 21.8 PPG, 7.9 APG, 23.10 PER
  I get it, listing Derrick Rose as the Bulls’ X-Factor is weak and certainly not my attempt to be labelled a rocket scientist anytime soon. We can claim we believe in the Bulls even without him (record-wise, this checks out to a certain degree), but let’s be honest, they go as far as he takes them. Trying to pin down an exact time at which Rose will make his season debut is anyone’s guess, and trust me there are scattered reports. I’ve heard some say Christmas, some mid-March, others say he’ll miss the entire season and some (though the name escapes me) are saying he’ll be ready for opening night. Take your pick. The bottom line is that Derrick Rose is one of the most important players in the Eastern Conference and league, let alone his own team. So while it seems simple to state this, I’m of the opinion that his team doesn’t even make the playoffs if his return is closer to that mid-March date. Is D-Rose an X-Factor? It’s arguably that he is THE X-Factor. The rocket scientists concur.
• 

  Jan 6, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao (17) prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. Cleveland defeated Minnesota 98-87. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-US PRESSWIRE

  ANDERSON VAREJAO, C, Cleveland Cavaliers
  Last season: 31.4 MPG, 10.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 18.93 PER (25 games)
  Kyrie Irving is the Cavs best player, hands down, it’s not even disputable. However, “best” and “important” can sometimes carry different weightings. Anderson Varejao represents the Cavs entire defensive identity. His energy and relentless hustle encapsulate what this young team should try to be on the defensive end. Varejao’s 2011-12 season was over in early February, during which he acculated 14 double-doubles in 25 games. With some extremely young players (Thompson, Samuels, Zeller, Leuer) behind him in the depth chart, the Cavs NEED Varejao to stay on the floor and be that embodiment of defense if they want to contend for a playoff spot in the East. Varejao’s offensive numbers will look even better this season as well, playing a full schedule with Irving running the show.

• 

  Mar. 16, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Detroit Pistons guard (3) Rodney Stuckey controls the ball against Phoenix Suns guard (31) Sebastian Telfair at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Pistons 109-101. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

  RODNEY STUCKEY, SG, Detroit Pistons
  Last season: 29.9 MPG, 14.8 PPG, 3.8 APG, 17.62 PER
  When I tell you that the Detroit Pistons backcourt is thin, I’m talking LeAnn Rimes thin. The days of Billups/Hamilton are long gone and now they have Stuckey and Brandon Knight, a second year player, representing the guard situation. Listed on their depth chart right now in the backup roles are the undersized Will Bynum at point guard and rookie Kim English at shooting guard. Scary would be an understatement. Stuckey is the key to this mess. While Greg Monroe will take over as the number one option on offense, Stuckey (with his 5 years of NBA service and slight production drop last season) is the default leader in the backcourt. Even though Brandon Knight improved over the course of his rookie season and will now assume a bigger role in the offense, I think Stuckey has a near obligation to bring his numbers up and better match up with the other premier shooting guards in the league. If not, the Pistons go from bad to worse.

• 

  May 8, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers shooting guard George Hill (3) dribbles the ball against Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson (14) during game five in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeated Orlando 105-87. Mandatory Credit: Michael Hickey-US PRESSWIRE

  GEORGE HILL, PG, Indiana Pacers
  Last season: 25.5 MPG, 9.6 PPG, 2.9 APG, 15.77 PER
  Sometimes it simply comes down to the weakest starter being the most important piece of the puzzle. While he’ll replace Darren Collison and split some minutes with newly acquired D.J. Augustin, George Hill is expected to take over starting point guard duties in Indiana. Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, David West and the improving Paul George comprise one of the strongest starting combinations in the league. George Hill is the only question mark, and that could be considered reaching. Historically, Hill has never been a big assist guy (2.5 per game over 24.8 MPG in his career), but that may change this year, given that he will be responsible for being the primary playmaker and the guy with the responsibility to get the ball to the first four scoring options mentioned above. If Hill averages another 25-30 minutes per game, expect his assist number to shoot up. With his added ability to score when necessary and even defend a bit, expect Hill to help push the Pacers deeper into the playoffs.

• 

  April 13, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings (3) during first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

  BRANDON JENNINGS, PG, Milwaukee Bucks
  Last season: 35.3 MPG, 19.1 PPG, 5.5 APG, 18.46 PER
  This is the year that Jennings needs to take the next step, and I’m not talking about scoring. At 19.1 PPG, he’s proven he can score. I wrote earlier that I didn’t think Jennings was an elite point guard, because of his lack of assists and his spotty shot selection, and I completely stand by that. Perhaps a more crucial attribute that Jennings needs to strengthen for his team to succeed is his leadership. He needs to be the catalyst to bring this team together. Between himself and his star backcourt teammate Monta Ellis, scoring the basketball is easy. The Bucks have solid role players but really no real star talent elsewhere on the roster. Jennings needs to facilitate, distribute the basketball and reassess his shot selection. That is what’s going to help this team climb into the playoff picture in the East, not dropping 35 points on 13 for 31 shooting. If he grows, the team grows.

April 18, 2012; Washington, D.C., USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Monta Ellis (11) drives past Washington Wizards guard Jordan Crawford (15) at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-US PRESSWIRE

Monta Ellis
Resume: 20.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 36.6 minutes, 43% FG, 31% 3PT, and 80% FT… Team record in games played: 29-29 (0-1 without in Golden State, 0-2 without in Milwaukee)

As we get to the Monta Ellis section, you readers are in for a monumental treat. For years, my cousin/fellow die hard basketball fan Paul Clark and I have assembled a collection of names that make up the Brian Cook All-Stars. No, this is not a collection of former Big Ten players. It is also not a list of players who were irrelevant 10^th men in the mid 00’s. This is a collection of guys who come in the game and have nothing on their mind besides getting as many shots up as humanly possible. Maybe it’s a good thing that they are shooting; maybe it makes you smash your head against a wall if he plays for your favorite team. All you need to do to qualify for this hypothetical All-Star team is have a singular focus, and that is shoot the basketball like it’s going out of style. Since the list is named after Brian Cook, he is permanently retired and now a part of the Brian Cook All-Stars Hall of Fame. Since we have so many guys looking for shots on this hypothetical team, they couldn’t possibly play all 12 guys on their team because a number of fist fights would likely ensue. Let’s stick with a 7 man roster. That should be safe.

Eddie House – During a 2011 NBA Finals running diary I joked that Eddie House “looks like a crack addict who desperately needed his fix.” That’s a totally legitimate statement in my eyes. The funny thing is, the 2010-11 season with Miami was one of House’s most tame seasons. In 2010-11, House averaged 11.8 field goal attempts per 36 minutes, which pales in comparison to his 2005-06 season with Phoenix where House was getting up 19.2 shots per 36 minutes and an incredible 8.0 three-point attempts. Incredible!

JR “Earl” Smith – Hard to believe that on multiple teams with Carmelo Anthony, JR Smith could seemingly steal shots from Melo, who is known to get quite a few shots up himself.

Jamal Crawford – Crawford doesn’t have the outstanding shots per 36 minutes numbers that some of the other guys on the list will have, but if you’ve seen Jamal Crawford play, you know that he isn’t exactly a pass first guy. If this hypothetical team played a close game you’d need the Jaws of Life to get the ball out of Jamal Crawford’s hands.

Quincy Douby – Douby makes the list basically because of his college career, where he was the only scoring option on a relatively mediocre Rutgers team. Basically, he locked up a spot on the team when Pauley and I saw him shoot a 3 from inside the center court “R” on at Rutgers, with oodles of time on the shot clock.

Michael Redd – At one point you could make the argument that Michael Redd was a top 25 player in the league, and that’s when he was in his Brian Cook All-Stars prime.

Channing Frye – Maybe over the last three years Frye has just been a product of the system in Phoenix, but it seems apparent that no matter what team he is playing for he is more than willing shoot an abundance of pick and pop 3’s. It seems like he badly misses more often than not.

Monta Ellis – I have to be completely honest, I personally am not the biggest fan of Monta Ellis. It has nothing to do with him personally, I just didn’t like that he took away shots from Stephen Curry in Golden State. I guess I look at Stephen Curry the way I’m going to someday look at my son when he plays basketball. If he isn’t getting enough shots, I’m most likely going to get irritated. Now that Ellis has left Golden State, it’s allowed me to evaluate him with more of a level head, and come to some interesting conclusion… I think Ellis might just be the poor man’s Allen Iverson. Here is why:

• Ellis and Iverson both are small guards who attack the basket relentlessly and play bigger than their size.
• Off the court each guy has some issues. Ellis’s buzzwords are “Motorized scooter” and “Cell phone pictures” while Iverson’s are “Casino’s” and “Practice”.
• Even though I believe an injury free Stephen Curry is a better overall player than Monta Ellis, Ellis gets the edge because he, like Iverson, is durable and plays an incredible amount of minutes. Last season Ellis played 32 more games than Curry, and over the last 3 years Ellis has logged a crazy amount of minutes (1^st in the league in 2010 and 2011, 11^th in the league last season) in the process.
• Monta Ellis and Iverson both have an absolutely insane amount of tattoos. Well actually, it may just be one large “family tree” that covers Ellis’s whole body, but the guy is seriously inked up. I thought the two tattoos that I have are a lot.
• Neither Iverson nor Ellis shoots a high percentage, but both guys could absolutely fill it up. And maybe it’s just the fact that my memory is a little foggy, but it seems like no one has more 20 plus point first halves over the last 3 years or so than Monta Ellis. The Mississippi Missile lights it up early like people who buy their Christmas trees before Thanksgiving.

If Ellis and Brandon Jennings can figure out how to play together and share the ball (those are Gheorghe Muresan sized if’s), the Bucks could potentially sneak into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. If not, Ellis will likely be traded since he nor Milwaukee will really have much interest in keeping him there at season’s end if he can’t play with Brandon Jennings. No matter where he is, there is a Monta Ellis jump shot coming to a basketball court near you.

Apr 14, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings (3) during the game against the Indiana Pacers at the Bradley Center. The Pacers defeated the Bucks 105-99. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

Brandon Jennings is due for a contract extension and sure enough, he would like to have one before the season opens. His demand, in dollars, we do not know. But how much is Brandon Jennings worth? It depends on who you ask. This isn’t fact, but I’m sure if you ask Jennings himself, you would encounter the word “max” more than a few times. After all, he contends that he and backcourt teammate Monta Ellis can “can score like crazy.” Now, if you’re asking me, Jennings is not a max player in the least and he’s not an elite point guard either.

His path to the NBA is an unconventional, but great story and he has plenty of people rooting for him because of it. When he dropped 55 points on the Warriors in only the seventh NBA game of his career, people were sold on his scoring ability. Now I’m not saying that I’m not sold on his scoring, the guy can fill it up, but in terms of the true point guard position and the criteria that one is measured on, which is consistently making everyone else around him better, I’m not convinced that Jennings is a max guy or should be considered among the “elite.” Here are the two major reasons why:

• Like I said, a point guard’s primary duty is to make his teammates better. There’s no way you can be considered elite if your career assists average is only 5.4 per game. Last season, Jennings ranked 17th in the league with 5.5 per game, even a few spots below his own “shooting guard” teammate Monta Ellis (6.0 apg). Almost unbelievably, the Bucks were the highest scoring team in the Eastern Conference (99.0 ppg) and Jennings still averaged less than 6 assists per game. This simply confirms the obvious… Jennings is absolutely a shoot-first point guard. The Bucks have a ton of talent on the roster, but for them to get back into the playoffs, he needs to become more involved in the distribution of the rock, not just putting up shots.
• That last point is a perfect transition into the next, more significant knock on Jennings, and it’s a big one… his shooting percentage or shot selection. Brandon is a pure volume shooter and while he did average almost 20 ppg (19.1 ppg to be exact) last season, he needs a ton of shots to do so. Typically, this is not a good thing out of your undersized point guard. His FG% did improve each of his three seasons, but he still only managed .418% overall, a very low number. Considering he ranked 5th in the entire NBA in field goal attempts last season (he ranked 2nd in 3-point field goal attempts), his low percentage really hurts the team. He does shoot well from the line (81%), but doesn’t get there nearly enough to make a big impact. He absolutely needs to beware of his overzealous trigger and take higher percentage shots.

There is no doubt, Brandon Jennings is a very solid player and is currently underpaid (only making $3.2 million in 2012-13). When extension talks actually begin, the conundrum will become, to what degree do the Bucks feel he is underpaid? I sure hope they don’t dish out the max simply because the guy can score while putting up 17 shots a game… there’s simply more to the point guard position than jacking threes and trying to get over 20 points a night.

Recently, with respect to the Bucks playoff chances, Jennings was quoted as saying: “To be honest, I think everybody is (feeling pressure). We’re all on the bubble right now,  because we need to win. There’s going to be a lot of pressure on all of us, not just the coaching staff or the GM. We all know this could be it so we need to turn it around right now.”

I hope Jennings realizes that his own personal “turning things around” includes being the floor general of this team and shaping his game to include his teammates more effectively. Don’t get me wrong, I think Jennings is a borderline star in the league and I’m totally high on the Bucks playoff hopes this year. However, “elite” point guard status is still a few less field goal attempts away and I’ll be rooting for exactly that.

March 22, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Draymond Green (top) blocks the shot of Louisville Cardinals guard Peyton Siva (bottom) during the first half in the semifinals of the west region of the 2012 NCAA men

Let’s look at the following list of names: Manu Ginobili, Michael Redd, Gilbert Arenas, Carlos Boozer, Luis Scola, Monta Ellis, Marcin Gortat, Paul Millsap, Marc Gasol. What to they have in common? If you guessed that they are ALL successful second round NBA Draft picks, you are correct. Now obviously, some have experienced a higher degree of success than others, but the fact remains that their respective teams were (and in some cases, still are) extremely impressed with their late selection of talent and scouting abilities.

Now that Summer League is in the books and we’ve had a quick look at the most recent draft class, are there any second round players that could contribute right away this season or better yet, become eventual stars in the league? Though it may seem like an obvious list, if I were a wagering man (I’ll never tell), here is my best bet on four potential second round gems:

Jae Crowder, Mavericks
To this day, I’m still shocked that this guy fell into the second round, although it wasn’t by much at #34 overall. I love this guy’s game. He was drafted by the Cavs, but shipped on Draft day to the Mavs in package to acquire Tyler Zeller. I happened to catch a lot of Marquette games this past season and was enamored with Crowder’s versatility in averaging 17.5 points per game. He can score by banging down low or by using a very nice shooting stroke from the outside. His work on the glass is also impressive as he plays much bigger than his listed 6’6 height suggests. A NCAA average of 8.4 rebounds per game is nothing to joke about. I think his all-around game will translate seamlessly into the pro game and while he may never become an All-Star, he should project to a sure-fire starter and solid rotation guy for many years. He also averaged 16.6 ppg in 5 Summer League games. As much as I love Tyler Zeller (I’m a Tar Heels fan), I think the Mavs made away with a the better deal on Draft night. Time will tell.

Draymond Green, Warriors
Another guy that was projected to go in the first round, but slid down just behind Crowder. Green was a big time player for a big time program (Michigan State). A few of his Michigan St. credits include: 2012 First Team All-American, 2012 Big East Player of the Year, the all-time career rebounding leader in school history (1,095) and just the third player in NCAA history to have 2 career triple doubles in the NCAA tournament (the other two guys were named Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson… not sure who they are). In the NBA, at  only 6’7 he’ll be considered slightly undersized as a power forward, but that’s really the only position that suits him. He’s still a big body at 230 pounds and any guy that averages a double-double in college (10.6 rpg) has at least the ceiling to be a solid NBA player. I just hope in a few years time, we’re comparing Green to Al Jefferson and not Ike Diogu.

Doron Lamb, Bucks
Put Doron Lamb almost anywhere but on that loaded Kentucky team, and he gets so much more attention. His creative scoring ability, as he can both shoot the ball efficiently and get the free with contact, will translate to the league. He averaged 14.0 ppg for the Bucks in Summer League, while leading them to a 4-1 record overall. He compares well to Ray Allen and Richard Hamilton in the way he is extremely active getting open off the ball. In the league, he’ll be a knock down shooter (49% and 52% three-point shooter in two seasons at Kentucky) who may get called upon to handle point guard duties when needed, since he’s slightly in between positions in the backcourt. But with his aptitude for scoring, there’s certainly a place in the league for him and the Bucks might be the perfect place to being his career.

Robert Sacre, Lakers
Sacre could be considered the “Mr. Irrelevant” of this draft, as he was taken with the very last pick. Call me bias (he is Canadian after all), but I think Sacre fell too far. I mean, can’t we see him being the perfect backup to Dwight Howard in Los Angeles? Then, when Dwight has had enough and wants out, Sacre can step up. Joking aside, I love Sacre’s bulk and array of post moves to be successful in the league. The big knock on Sacre is that he doesn’t always play to his size and didn’t dominate the other big men in his conference at Gonzaga. Instead of exploding on the boards, he relied mostly on his size and timing to rebound and block shots. He wouldn’t be the first guy coming out of college that was said to have not used his size properly in college. Carlos Boozer anyone?

Brandon Jennings. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

Take: That these two have struggled to coexist since Milwaukee acquired Ellis at the trade deadline is hardly a surprise.  It was assumed by most that there was so much redundancy in the games of these two – score-first, shot-happy, inefficient, undersized, hyper-quick, inconsistent, and countless other similar adjectives/phrases – that Milwaukee would be lost on offense and exploited on defense.  And all that’s been true for the most part when they have taken the floor together.

Jennings, in particular, is negatively affected by the presence of his new backcourt mate.  The stats tell the whole story.  Playing with Monta, Jennings averages 17.4 points, 16.1 FGA, 2.2 FTA, and shoots 44% from the field.  When Ellis is on the bench? Jennings has healthy splits of 24.3/18.6/4.1/51% to go along with that huge +17.3 differential in plus/minus.  Clearly the freewheeling lefty prefers when his taller, older doppelgänger rides the pine.

But does Ellis? That’s where it gets interesting for Milwaukee, because the numbers tell two very different tales.

Monta’s splits when paired with Jennings in the Bucks backcourt: 19.9 PTS/17.0 FGA/4.6 FTA/46% FG.  With Jennings on the bench: 12.4/14.2/2.4/38%.  Obviously, Ellis is much more successful individually when he’s on the floor with Jennings even if the opposite is far from true.  But what’s confounding on the surface are the +/- marks of Ellis.  You’d think his -1.0 number with Jennings would plummet fo farther depths without the latter on the bench given the numbers, but it actually rises to a stellar +13.3.

This is all very confusing, so a quick recap is in order before we expound.

• Jennings fares far better without Ellis on the floor both individually and in plus/minus.
• Ellis fares far better playing with Jennings individually, but despite that his plus/minus rises drastically with Jennings on the bench.
• Jennings-Ellis plus/minus: -1.0
• Only Jennings: +16.3
• Only Ellis: +13.3

There are too many factors at play to glean much from these backwards +/- stats of Ellis, but one assumes they’re heavily influenced by the presence of awesome bench performers Beno Udrih and Ersan Ilyasova.  Each has a stellar +/- minus mark for the year overall and passes the eye-test with flying colors.  The latter in particular has been one of the better stories of this NBA year, all of a sudden capable of stringing several double-doubles on top of one another due to his vast improvement as a long range shooter and rebounder.

Monta Ellis.Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

Back on topic, the Ellis trade was one that didn’t make sense to a lot of folks from the Milwaukee perspective for the very reason discussed here.  Bringing in a player like him was bound to handicap the development – if there’s any more left, that is – of Jennings if the lefty wasn’t able to change his game, and thus far he’s been unwilling.

This will no doubt be a situation to watch closely as Jennings enters the final year of his contract next season.  Though it appears unlikely the Jennings/Ellis backcourt duo will be able to thrive based on these numbers, coach Scott Skiles had success with a relatively similar pairing in Chicago (Hinrich/Gordon) and will get a full offseason to figure things out.  But if these guys can’t make major adjustments or Skiles can’t overhaul the Bucks playing rotation, this pairing seems doomed to fail, just like so many thought it would from the beginning.

We now have the official draft order for the upcoming NBA Draft:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Utah Jazz

(more…)

Cleveland Cavaliers (61-21, Lost Eastern Conference Semifinals): D-

Any team that loses LeBron James has had a bad offseason. Any team that loses LeBron James and doesn’t make a move to account for it has had a terrible offseason. The only reason to hold out hope? They’ve hired Byron Scott, and he has a plan to implement an up-tempo system and make the requisite changes to make it work.

Milwaukee Bucks (46-36, Lost First Round): B

It was upsetting to see rising star Andrew Bogut crash to the floor at the end of the regular season and his arm splinter all over the floor as a result. It was even more upsetting to see the virtually zombified Atlanta Hawks top the Bucks in the first round before bowing out disgracefully to the Orlando Magic. Next year, though, figures to be kind to the Bucks. They managed to retain John Salmons, who was a key cog in their offensive scheme, and they signed journeyman Drew Gooden. Although his contract was a little steep, he’s a plus rebounder and a decent inside scorer that will provide valuable minutes for the Deer. Factor in Brandon Jennings in his second season and Bogut’s return, and they’re a team I’d like to watch.

Chicago Bulls (41-41, Lost First Round): A

The Bulls might not have snagged LeBron, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh, but they did just about everything else right. First of all, they secured Tom Thibodeau to be their head coach, a defensive mastermind who should do wonders for the development of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and others. Then they signed the next best thing on the market (except maybe Amar’e Stoudemire) in Carlos Boozer to anchor their post play and provide a solid companion for Rose on the pick and roll. The icing on the cake was adding Kyle Korver, possibly the best shooter in the NBA, and the defensive stopper Ronnie Brewer, who can keep most 2-guards in check. J.J. Redick would have been a nice nab, but as it stands, they did basically the best they could.

Indiana Pacers (32-50, Missed Playoffs): D+

The Pacers’ main priority this summer was to sign a serviceable point guard, and they’ve yet to do that. While selecting Paul George should be a solid player, they already have Danny Granger entrenched at the position. It probably would have been best for them to trade down in the draft and take Eric Bledsoe as the second-best 1 in the draft. Jim O’Brien’s going to have a tough time winning with this team next season.

Detroit Pistons (27-55, Missed Playoffs): C

The current roster for the Pistons probably isn’t destined for greatness, but they succeeded in re-signing Ben Wallace for two more years, and he’s still a force to be reckoned with on defense in the post. They also got Greg Monroe, who can provide quality offense in the post right off the bat. They’re not going to make the playoffs next year, but they’ll probably win more than 27 games.

• The Denver Nuggets and Carmelo Anthony are coming closer to agreeing on a contract extension.

• In two separate trades, the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Corey Maggette from the Warriors and Chris Douglas-Roberts from the Nets.

• The Lakers are trying to pursue gritty guard Raja Bell.