Your Off-Season Plan

[AussieBuck]

I hope the Pacers get eliminated, overreact and fire Vogel. I'd throw a lot of money at him.

I'm interested in what kind of scoring team he could manage with a less flawed roster.

[ampd]

Anyone that wants Jackson has either never heard him talk or has and shares his ESPN worldview.

I've definitely heard him talk. What exactly don't you guys like about him as a coach from a basketball standpoint? I'm not completely sold on him so I'd be curious to get your opinions as long as it comes with some information to give me a better understanding.

I don't want to hijack the thread so just a couple of viewpoints would be appreciated.

He's basically Larry Drew, has the kind of opinions you get from casual PPG fans, thinks David Lee is a better pick and roll defender than Bogut, his team is an average offense with all that talent. He's one of those "player's coaches" but he refuses to work with intelligent assistants who can run the team.

Yep, if we are going to hire Mark Jackson, we might as well keep Larry Drew.

[What]

1. Clean house. New owners, new team. Target MIchael Zarren and Shaka Smart

2. Assuming we get the 1st pick, I would draft Wiggins. At 2 I would draft Parker, then Embiid at 3 and Exum at 4.

3. I would definitely look to move back into the first round, although acquiring a second high-lottery pick would probably cost too much at this point. The two teams I look at are the Suns (Picks 14, 17, & 27) or the Bulls (Picks 16 & 19). As mlloyd10 mentioned, Knight could be an option for the Bulls as a solid 3rd guard. The only player that NEEDS to be moved is O.J. Mayo.

4. Trade O.J. Mayo and pick 36 to the Utah Jazz for pick 23 (via GSW). The Jazz were one of the teams who were rumored to be interested in Mayo during free agency. The team's biggest weakness is at shooting guard, and they aren't going to waste their potentially 4th Overall pick on any SG in this draft. They could get one at 23, but not a starting-caliber guard like Mayo. The additional 2nd round pick helps the burn of the hefty contract, but the Jazz do have a ton of cap space heading into the offseason.

1 - Andrew Wiggins
23 - Zack Lavine
31 - Deonte Burton
48 - Patric Young

5. I would not re-sign anyone, but I would work to buy out Carlos Delfino

6. I'd kick the tires on MarShon Brooks for some at least somewhat-veteran guard depth.

7.
Depth Chart
PG: Knight, Wolters, Burton
SG: Wiggins, Brooks, Lavine
SF: Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Wright
PF: Ilyasova, Henson, Young
C: Sanders, Pachulia, Raduljica

Let the team play and see where it goes. A lot of players on this team do not have very set futures.
Finally given a quality team around him, can Brandon Knight develop into a better distributing point guard? If he doesn't show improvement in that facet of his game in 2014, then package him with the team's likely mid-1st round pick to move up in the 2015 draft to get a PG of the future. Or, if Wolters continues to develop, he could be that player.
If Shaka Smart can get Larry Sanders back on track, then the Bucks should be set at Center for the next 4+ years, but if he continues to have off the court issues, then the Bucks may be in a position to tank again in 2015 and get a new C.
Henson's development too will help shape the future of this team. If he develops into a quality starter, then the team has a PF for the future, but if he can't become more than a role player, then Ilyasova could be packaged with a pick to move up to get a new PF to play with Sanders, or a new C.

The future of this Bucks team, and most Bucks teams that we are putting together have very fluid futures. Assuming the younger players develop as we expect them to, this Bucks team can easily compete for a decent playoff spot and maybe a division title. It is a team reliant on player development, and the most important thing is to get the right staff around them to develop them properly

[JustinCredible]

I hope the Pacers get eliminated, overreact and fire Vogel. I'd throw a lot of money at him.

Vogel is without question #1 on my list. I think he gets fired if they don't make it at least to the Conference Finals simply because he isn't 'Bird's guy'.

[JustinCredible]

Also, we should just throw big money at the Brewer's play-by-play guy. He is really good at announcing both baseball and basketball.

[Buckfan76]

I'd fire Drew and Hammond as many have already said. For a GM someone who has the balls to make trades. For a coach yeah Shaka Smart, F. Vogel if fired by Pacers.

For the draft: If we get #1: Wiggins, if we get #2: Parker, then Embidd, then Exum. I have a gut feeling we'll get the #2 pick and draft Parker to play PF. Parker is still growing and has tremendous talent.

For trades I would trade Henson for B. McLemore

B.Knight, Sova, and Zaza to BRK for Deron Williams, and A. Anderson

TRADE OJ MAYO PLEASE!!!! Shoot I wish we could trade Sanders but no one wants him with his antics.

[Ayt]

Hayward is much better then a bench player on a good team, unless you're talking like Manu Ginobili. He's not a 1 or 2 player, but he's a hell of a player. I wouldn't give him what he's going to make, but he's a very good player.

Also, I was on the Bledsoe for the max bandwagon for a while but I'm off that as well. He's not worth $15 million a year, and honestly, I have a hard time seeing Phoenix match that with the season Dragic had.

Dragic is more of a Manu type SG than he is a traditional PG. He and Bledsoe compliment each other very well.

[Big Dog Yank]

Step 1: What Phil Jackson just released regarding Mike Woodson should apply to the Bucks' front office and coaching staff: "I have a tremendous amount of respect for [Mike Woodson] and his entire staff," [Jackson] said. "The coaches and players on this team had an extremely difficult 2013-14 season, and blame should not be put on one individual. But the time has come for change throughout the franchise as we start the journey to assess and build this team for next season and beyond."

Many GM candidates, but if the owners are true to their word they may aim for Scott Layden of the Spurs or Troy Weaver of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Scott Layden had an up and down ride as GM of the Knicks years back, but he has a wealth of experience in the NBA and may be the type of teacher the new owners need to get up the learning curve. John Caliperi has shown incredible skill in turning 18-19 year-old players into key contributors and teammates. He would be hard to hire away from Kentucky.

Step 2: Wiggins looks like the best fit/talent for the Bucks. Wiggins/Giannis would be an easy sell from a pr perspective for the upcoming season. Jabari Parker would be a huge upgrade day one due to his scoring prowess. Nice second choice.

Step 3: Bucks don't need 3 2nd round picks. If the GM likes someone in the late 1st round, it would make sense to package a couple of 2nd round picks to move up. I wouldn't trade Brandon Knight, John Henson, Nate Wolters or Khris Middleton until the new GM and coach get a chance to work with them to see what kind of potential they would have on a rebuilding team aiming for respectability. I am much higher on Brandon Knight than others on RealGM. He is a warrior and future leader who can score and defend. He may be a core piece with the right coaching.

Step 4: I would trade any of our veterans if the Bucks could get real value in return. None of the veterans will be around when the Bucks begin to seriously challenge in the playoffs. I also would take on short-term salary to get high future picks (if available). If OJ Mayo continues to greatly disappoint and/or Larry Sanders continues his downward spiral, our new owners may need to consider buying them out to eliminate significant locker room/pr distractions from the rebuild.

Step 5: I might re-sign Adrien and/or Sessions if we can get them at the right price. They play all-out, all of the time and do not bitch about playing time. They seem like good teammates and would be good role models for the young players. The Bucks will need a few veterans to fit around a young line-up in an environment where the young players will need to earn playing time.

Step 6: The Bucks shouldn't be spending huge $ on free agency at this point. We are a couple of years away from competing. There will be time for FA's after the Bucks regain their legitimacy as a contender.

Step 7: There is no 5-year plan with such a young line-up until the Bucks know what they have. The Bucks will be in evaluation mode with the young players before they can identify a young core to build around. At this point, there is not one sure thing on the Bucks roster (including Giannis).

While I disagree with a couple of items here (would rather have Parker than Wiggins and am not a fan of Calipari), this is by far the most realistic post I've seen thus far.

[Baddy Chuck]

Hayward is much better then a bench player on a good team, unless you're talking like Manu Ginobili. He's not a 1 or 2 player, but he's a hell of a player. I wouldn't give him what he's going to make, but he's a very good player.

Also, I was on the Bledsoe for the max bandwagon for a while but I'm off that as well. He's not worth $15 million a year, and honestly, I have a hard time seeing Phoenix match that with the season Dragic had.

Dragic is more of a Manu type SG than he is a traditional PG. He and Bledsoe compliment each other very well.

Bledsoe isn't exactly the traditional point guard either. I do agree they work very well together, but giving him a max contract with the way contracts are in the NBA right now you are saying he's a 1 or 2 guy on a championship team, which he isn't IMO. $15 million a year is too much. Unless you're just trying to sneak into the playoffs the next 4-5 years and not build a contender I wouldn't match that deal. You need 2 guys better then Dragic and Bledsoe or 1 guy drastically better to make that work.

[AussieBuck]

Assuming his knee is ok I can't think of a better way for the Suns to spend $15 million.

[Baddy Chuck]

Assuming his knee is ok I can't think of a better way for the Suns to spend $15 million.

To do what though? Get a 7th/8th seed the next 4-5 years? How exactly are you building that team out of that category with middling picks and prospects? They don't have their superstar guy and unless you think one is singing there (I don't) they really won't have an opportunity to get one.

[AussieBuck]

Assuming his knee is ok I can't think of a better way for the Suns to spend $15 million.

To do what though? Get a 7th/8th seed the next 4-5 years? How exactly are you building that team out of that category with middling picks and prospects? They don't have their superstar guy and unless you think one is singing there (I don't) they really won't have an opportunity to get one.

What's the alternative? Let him walk and trade Dragic for Knight or Jennings and tank? They have a near 50 win team now with plenty of scope to improve in the front court. They have the assets to shore up their bigs and be as good a team as you can get absent a superstar.

[Ayt]

Their winning percentage with Bledsoe was .651 (53.4 wins over 82 games).

[old skool]

Basically, I want to emulate the Thunder model.

So your plan would be to do well in the lottery to move up in draft position - but not move up too far - so that some other franchise wins the lottery and selects the consensus #1 pick, leaving fate to determine which player you get?



From there on, I think they call it the "Donald Sterling Plan". No expensive (quality) free agents. Lots of high draft pick rookies. The Thunder got better results but the Clips tried that approach for a couple of decades.

I agree with that approach. I just struggle to call it the Thunder model when most of the teams to take that approach have failed.

The Thunder had the 5th best odds of winning the lottery in 2007. Their most likely draft position was #6 - Yi Jianlian territory. They had the good fortune of finishing second in the lottery (being prevented from taking Greg Oden). In a best case scenario, they win the lottery, select Greg Oden, and are not considered a top contender in 2014. In a most likely scenario, they draft 6th and pick Yi or his equivalent, and are not considered a top contender in 2014.

I look forward to watching all of this unpredictability unfold.

[Slavicstan]

1a. Trade OJ Mayo to thunder for Kendrick Perkins and a second round pick in 2018 or scraps of paper.
1b. Trade ZAZA to Clippers for anything young. They need an extra big.
1c. Sign Adrian to a cheap deal.
2. DON'T TRADE SANDERS!!!
3. As you can see were going tanking again.again. Giannis determines which way our franchise moves.
OPTION A: He stays long and lean, we use him at 3 in a Paul George type role or..
OPTION B: Bulk him up, Play him at the 4, make him a low post threat and turn him into the longest power forward ever (With added range!).
4. You go with option A, draft Jabari. No questions asked, we need the scoring.
Option B, Draft Exum. We need a guy who can run the point, and he looks pretty raw. We can develop his jumper, and a Giannis/Exum pick and roll tandem sounds scary. I'm not passing on Rajon Rondo 2.0
5. I prefer to go with option B. The rotation with Exum looks like
1.Exum (Driving to the basket, NO.2 offensive option)/Wolters (Solid, big point guard, plays his role about-20 mpG)
2.Knight (Trade Bait)/(2nd Round Pick)
3. MIddelton (3 point threat)/Giannis (In certain lineups)
4. Giannis (No.1 Offensive Option, pick and roll monster)/Ersan (Trade Bait)/Adrian
5.Sanders (Best rim protector in the league, look it up)/ Henson (Solid role player)/ Perkins (Eventual buy out)

Im pulling a Philadelphia next season and trading Knight and Ersan at the deadline. Long term, Giannis and Exum are going to be Stockton and Malone, with Sanders keeping everyone away from the paint. Middleton stretches the floor, and we do need a long term 2 guard. But right now we need to set the tone for the future. Hire Shaka Smart. He can keep Larry on the straight and narrow, while getting defense out of everyone.

[Licensed to Il]

I don't think Shaka Smart is a great NBA hire right now. Great college coach, but doesn't know the league. A huge part of NBA coaching is having traveled the circuit a few seasons, knowing the rhythms of west coast trips, having networks and contacts, having a great support system of coaches that you trust and work well with, etc.

I would much rather hire a guy who played, or was an assistant in the NBA, than a guy who has had mild success in the NCAA. Also, Smart has had his success with a particular tempo and style, and in the NBA you have to be able to teach and run variations of almost every scheme.

When you think about the amount of money it would take to pull Smart from college, and the various factors listed above, it doesn't seem like a great idea. Brad Stevens of course, made the jump look seamless. But he is probably the exception to the rule on a long list of guys that have made the jump and failed miserably.

[JustinCredible]

I don't think Shaka Smart is a great NBA hire right now. Great college coach, but doesn't know the league. A huge part of NBA coaching is having traveled the circuit a few seasons, knowing the rhythms of west coast trips, having networks and contacts, having a great support system of coaches that you trust and work well with, etc.

I would much rather hire a guy who played, or was an assistant in the NBA, than a guy who has had mild success in the NCAA. Also, Smart has had his success with a particular tempo and style, and in the NBA you have to be able to teach and run variations of almost every scheme.

When you think about the amount of money it would take to pull Smart from college, and the various factors listed above, it doesn't seem like a great idea. Brad Stevens of course, made the jump look seamless. But he is probably the exception to the rule on a long list of guys that have made the jump and failed miserably.

I love Shaka Smart but I agree with this. I will admit that I don't know a ton about his coaching style outside of HAVOC, but I do know that you can't bring that style to the NBA over an 82 game season with the egos you'd be dealing with. Brad Stevens was a great fit for the NBA because of his ability to draw up plays and use advanced stats to go to his teams strengths and attack the opposing teams weak areas.

[Whiteman]

1. Fire Drew if you can find a good replacement. Keep Hammond for another year, but give him clear instructions on the kind of team you want to build.

2. Top pick: Embiid. After that it's Wiggins/Parker/Exum, no strong preference here.

3. Another top 15 pick would be nice. Not likely though.

4. See what you can get for Henson, Knight, Ersan. Only trade for rookie scale players and high character vets.

5. No need to resign anyone. The only player that needs to go is OJ Mayo, would be willing to give up a 2nd to get him out. If Carlos is healthy again you keep him. Keep Zaza as well. Both are unselfish, good character vets who are happy in Milwaukee and have little impact on winning games. Ideal for a rebuilding team.

6. Too early to target big names in free agency.

7. Focus on developing Giannis and this year's pick. Once you're confident there's enough talent to build around (i.e. Giannis makes a big step, Embiid shows enough), coach and management figure out a basketball identity for the team and shape the roster accordingly.

[ChuckBros4Life]

Jazz are showing heavy interest in Ettore Messina apparently. Don't know much about him but he was a name thrown around earlier so I'm sure he could impress. This is why the Bucks need to move fast in regards to keeping/firing Drew

[Bernman]

1. Fire Drew who was jettisoned from an average franchise and hangs his hat on nothing from offense, to defense, to player development, to inspirational ability. Hire Eric Musselman who can hang his hat on player development. He coached those early 2000 Golden St. teams, and recently has worked with Gerald Green, Danny Green, and Jeremy Lin in the NBDL.

Retain Hammond (who was a hot but unproven name from a winning organization like many are suggesting should replace him) thru the draft up until near next year's trade deadline. Then evaluate his performance at that point. It's the first time we'll be able to do it accurately without Kohl meddling. The Bucks actually drafted pretty well under Hammond. And he'll be prepared for this one, unlike an assistant GM we'd pick up who has focused on the bottom of the 1st round for his successful franchise. As far as the other aspects of Hammond's tenure, it was of course terrible. But that was with a higher-up strong arming him into decisions he didn't want to make. There were some shrewd moves reportedly vetoed by Kohl like Curry for Bogut and Conley for Sessions/Alexander. How would Ted Thompson look as a GM having to utilize free agency and trades heavily, with a strong arming owner pulling the strings mostly? Probably poor too, especially since he's not a good public speaker ala Hammond. He'd be viewed as a bumbling boob.

2. Draft Jo Jo Embiid as 1st option, otherwise go with Jabari Parker.

3. Yes, I'd try to acquire as many 1st round picks in this draft as realistically possible. This draft has a stronger 1st round than most, and picks this year for us are much more valuable than for the average franchise due to the arena deadline. With that in mind, these are my ideas:

2015 1st (only #1 protected) + John Henson for Celtics' #5/#6 pick. Draft Marcus Smart.

If Embiid is drafted w/ our own, try to move Larry Sanders + Brandon Knight to LAL for #6/#7 + Steve Nash's contract. Draft Aaron Gordon with the pick.

If Parker is drafted w/ our own, try to move Knight alone for the Bulls #16. Draft T.J. Warren. (f**k, I really wish Adams had declared, but Warren is a nice consolation prize).

With the 1st 2nd round draft pick, select Glenn Robinson Jr. Trade the other two for a few million to go toward the arena.

4. Mayo + Wolters for Carl Landry

5. Re-sign Sessions, if his price tag is reasonable.

6. Make a pitch to Ray Ray to come back and finish his career with Milwaukee. He can serve as a floor spacer off the bench, shooting coach, and extra ambassador for the team.

7. My roster construction for next season would be:

5 Sanders OR Embiid/Zaza/Raduljica
4 Ersan/Parker OR Gordon/Landry
3 Giannis/Delfino/(Warren)
2 Middleton/Allen/Robinson Jr.
1 Smart/Sessions/(Nash)

Culture, changed