MJS: Wes Edens says no rift in Bucks ownership group

[crkone]

Do people expect Kidd to make Tiramisu out of the piles of **** on the bench? First it's Kidd plays Giannis/Jabari/Middleton too long. Then it's Kidd put garbage lineups out there and keeps Giannis/Jabari/Middleton too long on the bench. There needs to be a cognitive realization that the bench is awful and that's why the lineups look like ****. Even when you try to stagger the bench with the starters, it still kills production.

[humanrefutation]

I remember when L&E first took over, as part of their purchase agreement, they dictated that the final decisionmaker would alternate every five years. I think Edens got the first five years, but I may not be remembering that correctly.

I also don't know whether bringing Dinan into the mix (LED) changes it into a majority-decision framework or not, but if Edens still retains the final call, I imagine he was probably behind the veto.

[M-C-G]

Do people expect Kidd to make Tiramisu out of the piles of **** on the bench? First it's Kidd plays Giannis/Jabari/Middleton too long. Then it's Kidd put garbage lineups out there and keeps Giannis/Jabari/Middleton too long on the bench. There needs to be a cognitive realization that the bench is awful and that's why the lineups look like ****. Even when you try to stagger the bench with the starters, it still kills production.

This takes me back to something I used to say about the Packers when Mike Sherman was around. Mike Sherman the GM got Mike Sherman the coach fired. The reason the bench sucks is because of Kidd's off season decisions. We easily could still have Za and Dudley here leading a second unit but we traded them for nothing and traded two picks for a broken Vasquez.

[paulpressey25]

I remember when L&E first took over, as part of their purchase agreement, they dictated that the final decisionmaker would alternate every five years. I think Edens got the first five years, but I may not be remembering that correctly.

I don't know that they agreed Edens gets the final word. But Edens was named the designated vote on the board of Governors on behalf of the franchise.

[MickeyDavis]

Every Bucks fan should be stoked right now. Our core is incredible and will only get better. We just need to build the right roster around them (easier said than done I know). We have tradeable assets, cap space and a (hopefully) top 10 pick.

[Chapter29]

Its quite a bit easier to build around a big 3 than it is to acquire that big 3 to begin with. Many teams strike out over and over in that space and live it the lottery. The hard part is done. Now comes the next challenge and I think we need a more savvy GM to get it done. Or untie his hands (previous owners and now maybe Kidd) if that has been an issue and see what he can do. I'd rather move on, but I don't know quite a bit about the situation. I just know he's been around a really long time running a really poor team. He did build a really nice young future big 3 though. Should get at least some credit for that.

[Prez]

I don't think the formula is really that difficult, it's pretty clear what we need now. 3&D off-ball PG with at least competent ball handling/playmaking ability, and athletic defense/rebounding center. Then just smart 3&D guys off the bench with a solid backup point to put it all together.

[GrandAdmiralDan]

I remember when L&E first took over, as part of their purchase agreement, they dictated that the final decisionmaker would alternate every five years. I think Edens got the first five years, but I may not be remembering that correctly.

I don't know that they agreed Edens gets the final word. But Edens was named the designated vote on the board of Governors on behalf of the franchise.

Correct.

When it was just L&E, before they announced Dinan as the third majority partner, one of L&E, I can't remember which one at the moment, described their decision making process as something that I didn't think would make for a very functional NBA franchise. They said that if both of them don't agree on something, they don't do it. I commented at the time that I didn't like that at all. I thought that could paralyze an NBA team. I don't know if that changed when they announced Dinan. I was hopeful that maybe they'd at least operate as a triumvirate. But what I really wanted (and still want) is one person, someone who truly understands modern NBA basketball, to be the sole final decisionaker. And then we brought in Jason Kidd... not AT ALL what I had in mind. I did really like the idea of him as our head coach and was very optimistic. I always hated the idea of Kidd as POBO. Insult to injury was also keeping Hammond

[emunney]

I wonder if Kidd was into bringing Thorn on. Thorn was instrumental in getting King to NJ. I hope he's not doing that again. Would rather take my chances on Kidd figuring it out.

[Chuck Diesel]

We still never got any official word from anyone why David Morway was fired. It's a fun pot to stir with the ultra sensitive Bucks & the "media" who serve as their public relations, but none of the national guys would go into it either. Morway's resume was the one I trusted most in that front office.

On a related note, I think most national media like our public relations team so much that they're hesitantto write negative (honest) things about the orginization. If Woj didn't have a long standing ax to grind with Kidd this would have never come out. The notion that Hammond is too valuable a source for for writers to **** on is also very probable.

[paulpressey25]

The notion that Hammond is too valuable a source for for writers to **** on is also very probable.

I remember a night at the BC in February 2009 right after the trade deadline after it was clear Hammond botched the Potsie pick, botched the RJ trade, botched the Redd trade and was facing a crushing cap/tax situation in the summer that might preclude re-signing Sessions even though he was an RFA. Hammond and Steinmiller are talking with Michael Hunt at length and sure enough, the puff piece appears in MJS that next morning. No mention of the massive personnel failures taking place.

Hammond is an excellent politician. He absorbed the set of self-help tapes on the topic that Ernie Grunfeld had left behind in the office.

[HaroldinGMinor]

The notion that Hammond is too valuable a source for for writers to **** on is also very probable.

I remember a night at the BC in February 2009 right after the trade deadline after it was clear Hammond botched the Potsie pick, botched the RJ trade, botched the Redd trade and was facing a crushing cap/tax situation in the summer that might preclude re-signing Sessions even though he was an RFA. Hammond and Steinmiller are talking with Michael Hunt at length and sure enough, the puff piece appears in MJS that next morning. No mention of the massive personnel failures taking place.

Hammond is an excellent politician. He absorbed the set of self-help tapes on the topic that Ernie Grunfeld had left behind in the office.

Did Hunt ever blast anyone while he was a columnist?

[DingleJerry]

The notion that Hammond is too valuable a source for for writers to **** on is also very probable.

I remember a night at the BC in February 2009 right after the trade deadline after it was clear Hammond botched the Potsie pick, botched the RJ trade, botched the Redd trade and was facing a crushing cap/tax situation in the summer that might preclude re-signing Sessions even though he was an RFA. Hammond and Steinmiller are talking with Michael Hunt at length and sure enough, the puff piece appears in MJS that next morning. No mention of the massive personnel failures taking place.

Hammond is an excellent politician. He absorbed the set of self-help tapes on the topic that Ernie Grunfeld had left behind in the office.

Could you explain the botched Redd trade please?

[paulpressey25]

Could you explain the botched Redd trade please?

In Mid-January of 2009, Hammond had on the table trade offers from Portland, Cleveland and SA for Redd. All of which would have cleared the 3-years and $51 million he still had to go on his contract. He turned em all down figuring if he waited a month to the trade deadline his bargaining power would improve on the offers. Redd blew out his knee ten days later.

Many of us at the time knew Redd's health was a ticking time bomb and that contract was going to kill our flexibility unless we cleared it.

[EastSideBucksFan]

Kohl would never have approved of a salary dump for Redd.

Can't put Kohl's meddling hand and arm tying on Hammond's Head.

[LUKE23]

Do people expect Kidd to make Tiramisu out of the piles of **** on the bench? First it's Kidd plays Giannis/Jabari/Middleton too long. Then it's Kidd put garbage lineups out there and keeps Giannis/Jabari/Middleton too long on the bench. There needs to be a cognitive realization that the bench is awful and that's why the lineups look like ****. Even when you try to stagger the bench with the starters, it still kills production.

Bucks have zero shot at the playoffs. Developing the young talent is a primary objective, but so is keeping them healthy. There is no reason to run Middleton out there 40+ minutes on back to back nights, especially with how hard he's been defended. Really, over 40 minutes is really pushing it. I'm fine with 36-38 minutes for the Big 3 assuming the rest is staggered intelligently.

[crkone]

Do people expect Kidd to make Tiramisu out of the piles of **** on the bench? First it's Kidd plays Giannis/Jabari/Middleton too long. Then it's Kidd put garbage lineups out there and keeps Giannis/Jabari/Middleton too long on the bench. There needs to be a cognitive realization that the bench is awful and that's why the lineups look like ****. Even when you try to stagger the bench with the starters, it still kills production.

Bucks have zero shot at the playoffs. Developing the young talent is a primary objective, but so is keeping them healthy. There is no reason to run Middleton out there 40+ minutes on back to back nights, especially with how hard he's been defended. Really, over 40 minutes is really pushing it. I'm fine with 36-38 minutes for the Big 3 assuming the rest is staggered intelligently.

It's more of a post on the state of the board where the same posters who bitch about the starters sitting too long when they play the whole first half bitch about them playing too much. 40+ minutes isn't much different than 38 minutes. It's 2-10 more minutes of cardio. And Thibs isn't running practices here so they aren't getting run into the ground between games. If they have heavy travel, I can understand that they might be dragging more with late nights.

[Ron Swanson]

I was never one of the posters who complained about "rotationzzz" and minutes for the young guys, so I can confidently say that I have some trepidation about running Giannis, Middleton, and Parker out there for back-to-back 38-40 minute nights.

I understand the bench has been garbage, but you also want to see Ennis, JOB, and Inglis get some burn to run out the season, especially when the games don't really matter anymore. Giannis and Jabari will develop just fine playing 32-36 minutes.

[LUKE23]

Right. There is no better time on Earth to see what those young guys have than now. We have no shot, NONE, at the playoffs.

[DingleJerry]

Agree, playing the Ennis, JOB, Inglis crew accomplishes two big things besides just finding out what you have in them. One, keeps the core guys minutes at 35ish instead of low 40s. Two, will help assure a few extra losses and draft slots.