Rosen Mid-Season Grade For Bucks: A

[Octopus Jonny]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9098 ... Conference

Charley Rosen is sort of hit or miss with me, but I think I'm able to agree here.

MILWAUKEE has responded to Scott Skiles' demand for perfection. R-Jeff has provided a defensive presence to augment Michael Redd's dynamic offense. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute plays better defense than rookies are supposed to play. Charlie V can flat-out score. Luke Ridnour runs the show with a cool hand. And Andrew Bogut doesn't often embarrass himself. Grade: A

20-23 on January 19 is pretty damn impressive for a team that isn't much different than the one that won only 26 games last year. THey're on pace for a 6-8 seed and If they end up higher than the 6 spot, Skiles will get a lot of Coach of the Year talk. This team is vastly improved.

[trwi7]

R-Jeff has provided a defensive presence to augment Michael Redd's dynamic offense.

20-23 on January 19 is pretty damn impressive for a team that isn't much different than the one that won only 26 games last year.

Are you serious? The only players that are the same are Redd, Bogut, Bell, Villanueva and Gadzuric. I suppose you could add Sessions to the list as well.

As for as 20-23 being pretty impressive, if we lose to the Blazers tonight, this team will be two games ahead of where they were last year at this time.

[jerrod]

i get annoyed with people who start sentences with "and".

his cool hand luke joke is pretty forced too


also, what twirl said is true

[LUKE23]

We're 20-24 after tonight. The D is no question improved, but the offense has not.

This is still a playoffs or bust roster. If they miss the playoffs, even if they have 38 wins, there is no way it's a A grade. That is why I hate this roster though, there is just no bust out potential in it.

[REDDzone]

The crazy thing is that the offense actually has improved (at least relative to the rest of the league). The offense went from 21st last year to 18th in terms of efficiency differential. The defense went from dead last (30) to 11th.

Probably just shows how horrible LK was.

[europa]

The crazy thing is that the offense actually has improved (at least relative to the rest of the league). The offense went from 21st last year to 18th in terms of efficiency differential. The defense went from dead last (30) to 11th.

Probably just shows how horrible LK was.

That and I think it's a reflection of the job Hammond and Skiles have done in terms of bringing in the right type of players and putting them into the proper system. There were a lot of concerns that significant defensive improvement might come at the expense of offensive improvement. That hasn't been the case. The defense is significantly better (with a healthy Bogut) and meanwhile, the offense is at least on par with last season if not slightly better statistically.

[LUKE23]

If you consider that the team was tanking most of last year, I don't know if you can say the offense has really improved. Up until the last two weeks, the offense was bottom 5 in the league.

[icat2000]

i get annoyed with people who start sentences with "and".

his cool hand luke joke is pretty forced too


also, what twirl said is true

It least Rosen uses a capital letter to start the sentence.

[steger_3434]

The crazy thing is that the offense actually has improved (at least relative to the rest of the league). The offense went from 21st last year to 18th in terms of efficiency differential. The defense went from dead last (30) to 11th.

Probably just shows how horrible LK was.

Is there a way to see where we ranked after 43 games last year? After January this team just quit and the tanking began. Obviously both rankings fell after that happened. I'd be interested in seeing if through 43 games if the ratings were similar. I remember us playing ok defense and better offense at least through the first half of the year last year.

[europa]

Up until the last two weeks, the offense was bottom 5 in the league.

So in other words, it's trending upward.

Nice.

[steger_3434]

Up until the last two weeks, the offense was bottom 5 in the league.

So in other words, it's trending upward.

Nice.

I like the half full approach. In the meantime, where's the defense been trending?

[europa]

Up until the last two weeks, the offense was bottom 5 in the league.

So in other words, it's trending upward.

Nice.

I like the half full approach. In the meantime, where's the defense been trending?

Without Bogut, there is no defense. That's why I'm leaning toward a Villanueva for Collison trade. That will maintain at least one respectable frontcourt defender available. If Bogut can return and not be bothered by the back injury, you've made a good defense even better - and good defense is what wins games, especially in the playoffs.

[LUKE23]

W/L is all that matters when the grade comes out at the end of the season. I'd say playoffs is an A grade, anything less would be a D or so, because missing the playoffs barely is the worst possible spot you can be in as an organization, especially with a maxed out roster financially and a roster with no superstars.

All grades should be given with the future of the team in mind.

[jerrod]

i get annoyed with people who start sentences with "and".

his cool hand luke joke is pretty forced too


also, what twirl said is true

It least Rosen uses a capital letter to start the sentence.

that wasn't a sentence, it was a free form thought expressed in a casual internet manner


shut up

[pasting_monkeys]

This guy Rosen really doesn't have much of a clue does he.

Check out his assessment of NY.

NEW YORK is inconsistent, but exciting. And that's enough to (almost) relegate the Zeke era to the ashcan of history. Chris Duhon is more productive in a team-concept than Twinkle-Twinkle-Little-Starbury ever was. David Lee has (almost) become an offensive force. Winston Chambers is a burgeoning star. Al Harrington's erratic shooting keeps both teams in the game. And the unheralded return of Jared Jeffries has given the Knicks a legitimate (and versatile) defender. A great job thus far by the much-maligned (especially by me!) Mike D'Antoni. Grade: B-plus

Winston Chambers!??

I'm thinking he means Wilson Chandler, and Jeffries is a legitimate scrub and nothing more.

He also spectacularly cans the NETS, who i think have overachieved so far, Harris has exploded and Lopez will be a good starting C for years to come. Considering i thought the nets would be bottom feeders all season long, I think they've exceeded many expectations so far.

And (sorry Jerrod) what's with his comment about Bogut? That he doesn't often embarrass himself? If the guy had actually watched a Bucks game he would see that Bogut is our best player. This guy Rosen seems to be searching for punch lines, not finding any good ones and just delivering them anyway.

[bayrdbandit]

This guy Rosen really doesn't have much of a clue does he.

Check out his assessment of NY.

NEW YORK is inconsistent, but exciting. And that's enough to (almost) relegate the Zeke era to the ashcan of history. Chris Duhon is more productive in a team-concept than Twinkle-Twinkle-Little-Starbury ever was. David Lee has (almost) become an offensive force. Winston Chambers is a burgeoning star. Al Harrington's erratic shooting keeps both teams in the game. And the unheralded return of Jared Jeffries has given the Knicks a legitimate (and versatile) defender. A great job thus far by the much-maligned (especially by me!) Mike D'Antoni. Grade: B-plus

Winston Chambers!??

I'm thinking he means Wilson Chandler, and Jeffries is a legitimate scrub and nothing more.

He also spectacularly cans the NETS, who i think have overachieved so far, Harris has exploded and Lopez will be a good starting C for years to come. Considering i thought the nets would be bottom feeders all season long, I think they've exceeded many expectations so far.

And (sorry Jerrod) what's with his comment about Bogut? That he doesn't often embarrass himself? If the guy had actually watched a Bucks game he would see that Bogut is our best player. This guy Rosen seems to be searching for punch lines, not finding any good ones and just delivering them anyway.

rosen has always disliked bogut. he's never liked the bucks either. he's a knob, always has been.

even with bogut playing some great basketball he still couldn't manage to say something nice. he had to use a positive-negative to compliment him. wanker.

[Mike X]

Yeah Rosen got pissed of when Bogut said he was better then Longley & Rosen is a Phil Jackson acolyte. Hes been on him ever since.