Bucks.com Charlie Villanueva Q & A

[MILILL]

'Sheed and CV should never be put in the same sentence let alone compared. CV will never be 'Sheed; granted, his ethic and antics can come to question at times, and he may not show a 100% all the time, but he's still attentive and at times clutch when it's important.

[RayRayJones]

I think (or maybe hope) CV will break out this year.

I said last month or so when we were discussing if CV would go before/after Mo's trade, that he'd be damn close to a 16/10 PF for us. As I'm bored on a Wed. night, I decided to do a little stat calculating. As our starting PF last year, he averaged 30mpg, just a hare over. He had 12.2RP48 last year. I'll use 32mpg because it's likely "guaranteed" he's our starter and will likely average around 32mpg and it's easier to calculate. So that's 2/3 of what he'd average in 48mins, also known as 8.2rpg. Figure out his RP48 as a starter, it's 12.8, 2/3 of that = 8.6rpg. So, not quite a 10 rebound year, but with new coaching and the conditioning he speaks of, he'll be close.

On the other hand, as scoring per 48, as a starter he averaged 23.8pp48. 2/3 of that and he's looking at 16ppg. So a good 16/9 season I think can be pretty much locked for CV. The impact of coaching under Skiles (ie. discipline and determination brought by Skiles to players) and his own determination for that big contract and conditioning, could lead him towards the double-double, and I don't think it's that hard of a reach considering he was somewhat close last year, with Bogut already.

[Raptors90102]

Well, a lot of CV's production depends on how Skiles runs his offense. If he chooses to run his offense through his wings (just like he did in Chicago), than Bogut and CV will have average an offensive year at best. Bogut would be around the 14/11 mark and CV would be around the 13/9 mark. If, however, skiles uses common sense and runs the offense through his bigs (utilize Boguts post game dumping the ball to him in the low post or CV's slashing ability letting him generate offense using his good passing skills while also using that low post jump hook), the Bucks could profit from it. It'll open up the floor for the shooters like RJ, Redd, Bell, Ridnour et al.

But if Redd continues to dominate the ball and is now joined by his luetenant, God help the bucks and us fans.

[crkone]

I wish CV would play under the basket more. He has just great touch there. When he throws up an ugly ass shot within 5 feet of the basket, it always goes in.

[BDUB_30]

its an ideal situation for the bucks and charilie ... The bucks need a capable PF , and charlie needs a big contract !


he was the one guy whom i truly didnt want to return . I think he is very selfish on the court , and I think his defensive woes work hand in hand with his lack of offensive production . They both stem from a lack of intensity/focus , and a certain amount of pure selfishness . Im just glad we have a coach that will without a doubt handle charlie approprietly if he thinks he can get away with this kind of b.s . I dont want to see charlie stepping out on the court with the " i gotta get mine mentality " ...


With all that being said , he still does have a great amount of potential ..but were talking about a serious transformation in charlies approach / maturity for him to reach that potential . I dont see it happening , but i hope for our teams sake and for charlies future sake it does .


I dont see it any other way , it is going to be very hard for charlie to not have the " i gotta get mine " mentality in a contract year .He without a doubt has a bottom line ( sounds like a double double is the goal ) , and if that bottom line doesnt fit in with the teams concept everyone is going to have a problem.


Charlie , if you want to get paid ... heres my suggestion . HIT THE OFFENSIVE GLASS ! If charlie can be active on the offensive glass he can up his worth tremendously, increasing his statistical production without going outside of the teams concept it will be nothing but a + for him . If hes going to be breaking off plays , taking poor shots , hes going to be one poor man next year if not overseas . Put it this way , if he plays like hes played thus far in his nba carrer , he will find himself in skiles doghouse in no time with allen getting the bulk of the minutes if not flat out starting over charile ....I dont want the charlie v that weve seen thus far in his nba carrer on my team , but i do not deny the potential for him to be a very capable nba starter ..he needs to man up and put in some f'n work out there .

[carmelbrownqueen]

Villanueva likes new frontcourt partner
By Charles F. Gardner
Thursday, Sep 18 2008, 07:08 PM

Charlie Villanueva is excited about the Bucks' upcoming season, and he has good reason for it.

Villanueva will be given every chance to grab the team's starting power forward position, now that Yi Jianlian has moved on to join the New Jersey Nets. And the player acquired by the Bucks in the Yi trade, Richard Jefferson, will be Villanueva's new frontcourt partner at small forward, along with center Andrew Bogut.

"Jefferson has been to the (NBA) Finals before, and he's been in the league for seven years," Villanueva said. "He knows how to win.

"I think we're going to complement each other real well. Jefferson is not a selfish player. He's a slasher type of guy; he plays defense. He can guard the 3 (small forward) and the 4 (power forward). He doesn't interfere with what I do or Bogut does. He's just a tremendous player, and his experience will help us."

Villanueva went to Los Angeles in early July and stayed for more than two months, working out with his good friend, Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers, and several other NBA players, including Tyson Chandler and Emeka Okafor. The Bucks forward also hired a nutritionist and radically changed his diet.

"That's something I didn't take as seriously as I should, and I'm definitely changing that," Villanueva said. "I eat a lot of organic food. I eat five meals a day but very small portions. I'm not getting tired as easy, and I can tell the difference."

Villanueva devoted time during the summer to help youngsters in the Dominican Republic and New York, and he received the NBA Community Assist Award for August. Through the Charlie Villanueva Foundation, he distributed 10,000 pairs of recycled shoes to children in the Dominican Republic. He met with kids in Puerto Plata, Cabrera, Nagua and Santiago during Labor Day weekend.

"There was a lot of work put into it, but it was a success," Villanueva said of the program, which also included a free basketball camp for hundreds of Dominican youngsters. "The reason I do things is to create awareness."

Now it's time for Villanueva, the seventh overall pick by Toronto in the 2005 draft, to turn his focus to the Bucks' season and his third year in Milwaukee.

"I've never been in the playoffs, and I don't know how that feels," Villanueva said. "That makes me mad. This is my fourth year in the league, and I've just got to hang in there. At the same time, I think it's going to be a real good season."
http://blogs.jsonline.com/bucks/archive ... rtner.aspx

[LUKE23]

Well, it's good to see something concrete on how he is working hard (i.e. hiring a nutritionist, which is a huge part of improving fitness) instead of just hearing the "I'm working hard, I've been working out" lines.

No reason not to expect success from CV this season. Every factor is playing to his advantage.

[Duncanfan]

This is a make or break season for him. Either he establishes himself as a cornerstone of this franchise alongside Bogut or he cuts his own ticket out of town..

[carmelbrownqueen]

Updates from that article with more quotes:

Villanueva said a friend sent him a text message saying ESPN was reporting Yi and Bobby Simmons were going to the Nets for Richard Jefferson.

“I was, like, ‘There’s no way,’ ” Villanueva recalled. “In my mind, I thought it was me going to be traded. With all the hype he (Yi) got . . . that one caught me off-guard.

“I was, like, ‘OK, whew.’ ”

Indeed, the 6-foot-11 Villanueva is being given a great opportunity to seize the starting power forward position, with Milwaukee’s new management team in place with general manager John Hammond and coach Scott Skiles.

Yi is in New Jersey and Jefferson is taking over as the Bucks’ starting small forward. It’s a much different situation from a year ago, when Villanueva wasn’t sure whether he or Yi would be starting, and the 7-foot rookie gained the nod in training camp and for the first 48 games of the season.

“It’s funny how things work,” Villanueva said in an interview Thursday. “When the season was over, I had my doubts. I didn’t think I was going to be back.

“I hate to make excuses, but now I’m clear-minded. I already know what to expect. It (the situation last season) was very hard. I was very frustrated at times, my minutes being inconsistent. But that’s the past; it’s over with. It was a learning experience.”

Despite coming off the bench much of the year, Villanueva averaged 11.7 points (ranking fourth on the team) and 6.1 rebounds per game. But it was a second consecutive disappointing season with the Bucks for the former Connecticut star, after he was limited to 39 games (17 starts) by injuries in 2006-’07.

He had been acquired in the summer of 2006 in a trade that sent point guard T.J. Ford to Toronto.

“After the all-star break last year, I was a 15 (points) and 8 (rebounds) guy, something like that,” Villanueva said. “My goal is to be a double-double guy; that’s something I want to be in this league.

“I know it’s going to take a lot of work, but it’s something I can definitely do. Nothing is easy.”

Villanueva worked with trainer Robbie Davis in Los Angeles for two months this summer and also hired a nutritionist. The 24-year-old worked out in Los Angeles along with Lakers players Lamar Odom and Sasha Vujacic, New Orleans center Tyson Chandler and Charlotte power forward Emeka Okafor.

“I think the most important thing for me, especially having a coach like Skiles, is conditioning,” Villanueva said, “and being in as top shape as possible. I don’t think he’s going to wait up for anybody. I better be on the train early.”

Villanueva has been working out at the Bucks’ Cousins Center training facility for the past few weeks, and he said he had been impressed by newly acquired point guard Luke Ridnour, who has been getting acquainted with some of his new teammates.

“I’ve been playing with him, and I like him a lot,” Villanueva said. “One thing about Luke, you run the floor and he’s going to pass you the ball.”

The Bucks will open training camp Sept. 30 and have a week of practice before opening the exhibition season Oct. 6 against Minnesota.

“There’s change, you can tell already,” Villanueva said of Skiles’ influence. “You can just feel it, just by his presence. He’s won before; he’s a tough coach.

“At the same time, I think he wants what is best for his players. I think there are a lot of similarities between him and (Connecticut) coach (Jim) Calhoun. I actually spoke to Calhoun about that.

“I like to be challenged, and I know he’s going to challenge me.”

Seems to be bonding with Luke already. That's good..

Right now, everything he is saying sounds good, but everything always sounds good when CV is interviewing but his actions never are reflective of all that "good" talk. Until he plays consistently, it's all BS to me.

[Buck You]

It was the same jibber jabber last year before the season. "Larry K is a tough guy, this team will play defense." Oh, and remember this beauty of a quote.
Larry K" I'm in a position where if a guy doesn't play defense then I won't have to play him."

[EastSideBucksFan]

ESPN.com has an article up on his community efforts as well


http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/hispanic ... id=3589196