Looking Back at January

[Frank Nova]

I mean lets be real here... after Redd signed his deal for about 90 mil or whatever, Gadzuric and Bell got something outrageous as well. Theres over 100 mil tied into just those 3 players on our roster! 3 of the leagues top 10 bad contracts I'd say are tied up in Milwaukee with scrubs like Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric! I mean how can u be a fan of a player like Charlie Bell who has done absolutely NOTHING for this team since he was able to get his money! He even begged Kohl not to match Miami's offer sheet so he could leave and we still gave him 20 some mil or whatever...

HOW CAN U BE HIS FAN!? That is outrageous to me how anyone in Milwaukee can like Charlie Bell.. He is a prime example of why the Milwaukee Bucks are bottom dwellars every season. Not the only reason but definitely 1!

[trwi7]

I smoke at my computer all the time. It's great because if you blow the smoke out at the computer screen, it bounces back and gives you the second hand smoke too.

[jerrod]

i'm more concerned that he was eating pizza hut

dude, step your pizza game up

[europa]

I agree Bell's contract was ridiculous. You can't give average players five-year deals. Incredibly foolish decision by the previous regime. As much as people bitch about Redd's contract, if you remove Gadz and Bell's contracts, the Bucks would have $10.4M in salary to work with next season. That's why I'm always amazed that people bitch so much about Redd's contract. Sure, he's overpaid but at least he's been a good player. Does anyone honestly believe Gadz and Bell are worth $10.4M? If the previous regime hadn't made awful mistakes like that, then Redd's contract and RJ's wouldn't be such a major problem.

[apdamico]

If Bogut's back keeps acting up, as I believe it will (that's based 45-years of back-related issues) I believe Redd's absence will be felt much sooner than 10-games. I heard the same commentary from McHale, who predicted it would take 2-weeks for Redd's absense to tall full effect on the roster.

That's where Jim and Jon got it from. They were relaying McHale's comments that the Bucks might not feel the true effects of Redd's injury for two weeks or so. For the Bucks to withstand Redd's injury I think two things need to happen primarily:

1. Bogut needs to stay healthy.
2. RJ needs to play like he has the last six quarters.

Europa, totally agree. Bogus' status is obvious, but RJ's level of play lately has been impressive of late; maybe he's been reading our board

His ability to get to the line 8-10 times per games is absolutely essential with Redd out. What I've noticed lately though is that RJ is not only getting to the line but he actually finishing those drives to the basket since Redd's absence. That was the part of his game that was the most disappointing to me. Redd can drive to the basket and finish and get the 3-point plays, but RJ was looking down-right washed up, in that area, when that was supposed by be a strength that he was going to bring to this team. Maybe he likes that fact that Redd is out and the burden is on his shoulders, but the fact that his shot is finally falling closer to his career FG percentage average has to be helping him mentally.

While I'd love to see CV pick up more fouls, especially since he one of the best FT shooters on the team, he is at least driving to the basket more rather than just always settling for the jump shot. Moreover, I’ve noticed that he at least is using this shooting streak to his advantage in the fact that he making nice passes to teammates instead of taking ever shot. CAN YOU BELIEVE 6-ASSISTS FROM CV LAST NIGHT? Plus this is a contract year for him, so I believe he truly is attempting to please Skiles and Hammond and show that he enjoys being a Buck and wants to improve his game and play team basketball, instead of just jacking up every shot (like another un-named injured player).

Yes, CV's defense still needs improvement and likely will we always say that, as long as he's on the team, but he's showing improvement and trying and that's all you can ask from the guy. The mere fact that he making strides, however small or larger as viewed by this board, the heart is there to improve and that's not something we could say about CV in the past.

On another note, I don't believe we should give up on Sessions though. He's playing out of position and still very young and raw, but we could be looking at the next J. Nelson here and I'd sure hate to look back a year or two from now and say, "Damn, I wish we kept Sessions".

The Bobcats and the Knicks seem to have given up on the ideas of trading PG Felton and C/PF Lee just because they "might" lose them over the summer and I believe that's the proper approach Hammond should take with both Sessions and CV at this time. Of course if he's offered a deal he just can't refuse, then that's simply another story. However, I believe trading RJ to Portland for LaFrentz may be dead for now because Portland seems hell-bent on obtaining Salmons. Given that, I doubt they have interest in RJ or Portland is just viewing all options.

Hammond's best option at this point (as long as Bogut's back doesn't remain an issue) might just be to play the season out and see what happens this summer with the FA market. This team seems to have a very nice bond between all the players, not just CV and Bogut. This team approach is something I really like and why break up that chemistry? Plus, who's knows how bad the economical situation will be by this summer and of course we could always match any offer and attempt a sign and trade type of deal if it could benefit the team or get us under the luxury tax.

This last paragraph should bring me back some hate mail, but knowing that Gadzuric would be almost impossible to trade, I believe Hammond might be better served attempting to trade Ridnour for a SG. Not that I don't like Ridnour, but is not athletic enough to match up with more than 50% of the PG's in the league and I rather see him traded first for a SG and move Sessions back to the point before I'd think about trading Sessions (unless Gadzuric's contract is included in the deal). I'd rather see Sessions and Lue run the point for the rest of the season if we were able to obtain a decent SG, with an expiring contract, but that's easier said than done.

[aboveAverage]

Charlie bell is not a problem on this team. He is a solid player who has a reasonable contract. He plays great defense and is a decent shooter. Plus, he can play 3 positions.

Charlie Bell should be the least of our concerns.

[Frank Nova]

Yeah I completely agree with that.. Redds contract is bad but hes a top 10-15 scorer in the league every season, his offensive production never went away after he got paid. Im not much of a Redd fan but Im not really suprised about the money he got. We maxed him out but u better believe someone like Cleveland or anyone else would have atleast over paid him to leave. Redd and Rj have made all star games and been solid players. Gadz and Charlie Bell both have had only 1 semi decent season in their careers and they are making more than lottery draft pick money... That is again why this team hasnt been competative in years.

[paulpressey25]

Does anyone honestly believe Gadz and Bell are worth $10.4M? If the previous regime hadn't made awful mistakes like that, then Redd's contract and RJ's wouldn't be such a major problem.

They were terrible mistakes by the former regime. We just needed the new regime to pro-actively prevent a bad situation from turning into the apocalypse as it did when Redd went down.

What would make me feel better is if John Hammond could confide in us that he tried to get an expiring for Redd but couldn't even get that, along the lines of what xTitan said. Then I'd absolve Hammond of any complicity in the mess.

[Frank Nova]

Charlie bell is not a problem on this team. He is a solid player who has a reasonable contract. He plays great defense and is a decent shooter. Plus, he can play 3 positions.

Charlie Bell should be the least of our concerns.

You sir must be Charlie Bells relative or something... to stick up for him is ridiculous... Charlie Bell does nothing even close to "great" or even "decent" ... hes a below average 30 year old basketball player making wayyyy to much money that is a liability every time he gets in the game. His Michigan State days are long long long gone and he plays like he doesnt even care anymore, has played like that for the past 2/3 seasons now and the worst part about it is that he doesnt even try to hide it.

[Frank Nova]

Gadzuric stinks and Im pretty sure even he knows it, but atleast he tries and hustles.

[apdamico]

Bell certainly seemed to care last night and we wouldn't have won the game without him!

[aboveAverage]

I would say that Bell's defense is great. If you can shut down Joe Johnson when you're 3 inches shorter than him, that's quite an accomplishment.

And he is a decent shooter. Not great or good by any means, but he can hit some open jumpers.

Again, Bell isn't a good or great player, but he's not terrible, and he doesn't hurt this team.

[Ayt]

i'm more concerned that he was eating pizza hut

dude, step your pizza game up

Haven't you seen their commercials? Pizza Hut is gourmet, dude.

[midranger]

Now that Redd is out, I'm back on board. I just wish we'd had dumped him when we had the chance.

I must have missed when they actually had a chance to dump him........I am guessing they very well might have jumped all over that chance if it truly exsisted.

There was an article about 1 week before he got injured that at least 3 teams had made offers (Blazers, Spurs, Mavs). The "source" who leaked this info called them "garbage."

For the life of me, I couldn't come up with a Portland trade that matches salaries that I wouldn't have done.