Is CV going to remain the starter?

[DH34Phan]

Over his last 4 games, CV has averaged 14/8.5 while getting nearly 26 minutes a game.

Over his last 10 games, Yi has averaged 8/5.5 while getting 25 minutes a game.

Who should be the starter?

[DanoMac]

I think CV for sure. Milwaukee has somewhat taken the Yi publicity factor way too far.

[europa]

If he keeps playing like this he definitely should be the starter. He's been terrific the last two games and it's been great to see.

[trwi7]

CV should've been starting for at least a few weeks now.

[paulpressey25]

You've got to start CV now....and see what we have these last 35 games or so....I just think the guy thrives better with Bogut out there than playing with Gadz and Bell all the time.

Yi's major development and learning for the year is done. The guy has hit the rookie wall. Play him off the bench and then gear him up for next season.

[Duncanfan]

I am pretty sure that Yi will get back to the starting lineup once he gets back from the injury. Book it.

And if that happens, than CV should just ask for a trade and get the hell out of Milwaukee.

[msquared4873]

I hope CV will remain the starter. I think he gives our squad the best chance to win right now. The East is weak enough and with our schedule lined up like it is we have a good chance to come on strong after the break. Even if we fall short, Yi would be a good asset off the bench and being the 6th man will not hurt his development. Plus, starting CV will help his development and cause his trade value to rise. They are both great players and should both be starting next year. I am just not sure if there are enough minutes for each of them on this team.

[Fort Minor]

I am pretty sure that Yi will get back to the starting lineup once he gets back from the injury. Book it.

And if that happens, than CV should just ask for a trade and get the hell out of Milwaukee.

Couldn't blame him if he did.

I for one will be sorely disappointed if CV is benched once Yi gets back.

[WEFFPIM]

He should

[blkout]

A few of us (myself, paul... others) have been saying CV should start for weeks, now he's proving he belongs there so why mess up his confidence/form by benching him once Yi gets back.

This is my self congratulatory post to balance out the fact that I was wrong about Miami

[big_baller_shot_caller23]

cv should of been starting from day one, Bucks took this Yi thing way to far. CV is also a rookie to and needs to develp as well,

[ReddManBogieMan]

I think it would be a good shake-up for both guys. Stop CV from moaning about not playing, and give a Yi a reality check that nothing is given, and must be earned, which he hasn't for about the last month.
Once Yi starts earning more PT with good Defense and better offense and CV starts getting lazy, then you flip them again but for right now let Villanueva start, he has earned it. Yi should be groomed though as the future PF, and CV should know that too.

[GrandAdmiralDan]

cv should of been starting from day one, Bucks took this Yi thing way to far. CV is also a rookie to and needs to develp as well,

Not even close.
Villanueva was being significantly outplayed by Yi in training camp and in practice. Significantly.

Especially on the defensive end, which is what our head coach and front office were really making a priority since Coach K took over.

Villanueva was also acting like a soft little baby in practice throughout the season, which did not help his cause for getting more playing time.

Yi also started off the season outperforming Villanueva as far as the actual games. Only fairly recently has the actual game production changed.

Villanueva has no one to blame but himself that he allowed himself to get beat out for the starting PF job by a rookie who was new to this country and culture. Yi outplayed him fair and square. Villanueva has been for the most part really bad for most of the season, playing particularly atrocious defense and jacking up way too many threes with some absurdly low 5 degree arc it seemed most of the time.

He seems to have improved his defense lately from some of the worst defense in the history of Western Civilization to just run of the mill significantly below average defense. But hey, that's an improvement and I'll take it. He also has cut out SOME of the terribly advised three pointers, but unfortunately he still seems to average about 3 of those a game.

Villanueva is playing better though overall (especially offensively and when it comes to rebounding). Yi has hit the rookie wall and hasn't been playing poorly (with occasional exceptions) for a few weeks now. Villanueva seems to be trying to seize the opportunity now, and I'm completely in favor of letting him remain the starter and giving him a chance to show he can play well consistently. That would be awesome. Based on his basketball career, I am unfortunately not overly optimistic. But this is a good opportunity to give him another chance.

When Yi returns from injury, bring him off the bench. If Villanueva keeps playing consistently well and starts commanding over 30mpg, then we might also start experimenting and seeing if bringing in Yi to play SF alongside Bogut and Villanueva is a viable option for the future. I'm really not optimistic about that being a good long term idea. And we could also try and see if Yi can play center alongside Villanueva at PF. I'm not optimistic about that being a viable option either (except in rare cases) but if we are entertaining the idea of keeping all three of those guys and if all three of those guys are to become big minute players (Bogut has already cemented himself as a 35+mpg guy, no question) then there are only so many ways to do that.

The other angle is trading Villanueva.
Could we trade Villanueva and Desmond Mason (throwing in a future 1st, cash, salary filler such as Voskuhl, etc. ) to upgrade the SF position and get a good young starter there? Then we could have Bogut at center, Yi at PF, and this new guy at SF, going forward. I wouldn't have a problem having Simmons backup PF and SF in that case.

In any event, I would continue to start Villanueva until at least the trading deadline. Beyond that if he has earned it (and we haven't traded him). As a sidebar, I would also continue to give Gadzuric minutes over Voskuhl and Ruffin until the trading deadline too. Maybe he will play himself either into a trade or even into the role he is supposed to have on this team: 2nd string center who can fill in some PF minutes if need be.

[ReddManBogieMan]

^Agreed

[Isocleas2]

Nice post GAD. Sums up my take on trading CV too. Although I think I have a little more faith in the guy than yourself. He seems legitimately motivated now, with some encouragement, consistent minutes, and the promise he can get the hell out of here if he keeps playing well he could maybe even put up some double doubles on the regular. Enough to up his value high enough for us to part ways respectably. Each side having attained what they were after. Us with a piece that better fits our dysfunctional mess, and Charlie with some nice stats and an ensuing contract extension.

I'm still in favor of trading Redd now before the deadline, and then giving Mo, CV, and Bogut the keys to the offense. Bogut gets some solid work on his offense, Mo and CV get enough shots to get noticed and we can move them at our leisure. Sell high, that's my philosophy. Starts with Redd, since he's the only one of value that's disposable.

[El Duderino]

cv should of been starting from day one, Bucks took this Yi thing way to far. CV is also a rookie to and needs to develp as well,

Villanueva has no one to blame but himself that he allowed himself to get beat out for the starting PF job by a rookie who was new to this country and culture.

While i'd probably start Villanueva, i think it's just as important the he simply gets more minutes when he's playing well, especially when Yi is struggling. Hell, you can start a player and if he only plays say 19 minutes and his backup plays 30, the starter was only a starter in name only.

Villanueva said it himself, he isn't complaining about coming off the bench, he's just frustrated that during a fair number of games the last 5 weeks or so, he'll be playing better than Yi and yet Villanueva still was getting yanked from those games to insert Yi back in. On the flip side, when Yi did place decently and CV struggled, Yi wouldn't get yanked for Villanueva.

I like most here believe Yi is viewed as the future here at PF by the Bucks and there is a pretty good chance Villanueva gets traded at some point. Because of that and CV's indifference to defense, i can see why the Bucks chose Yi to start.

I do though see why at times Villanueva gets frustrated, particularly the last 5ish weeks with Yi struggling so badly. Yi will be stinking up the joint, CV comes in and is playing decent, yet Yi gets put back and can stay back in even if his play stays poor. I'm sure i'd be frustrated also in games like that.

Plus, i do think Villanueva has handled this well and hasn't been a cancer. He's a former lottery pick and finished 2nd in ROY voting. From my outsider perspective, Charlie seems to get along with Yi and is supportive of him. Each time he mentioned wanting more minutes, i don't think he did it in a corrosive fashion and never once took a shot at Yi by hinting at the poor play by Yi.

[GrandAdmiralDan]

Villanueva is playing better though overall (especially offensively and when it comes to rebounding). Yi has hit the rookie wall and hasn't been playing poorly (with occasional exceptions) for a few weeks now. Villanueva seems to be trying to seize the opportunity now, and I'm completely in favor of letting him remain the starter and giving him a chance to show he can play well consistently. That would be awesome. Based on his basketball career, I am unfortunately not overly optimistic. But this is a good opportunity to give him another chance.

Oops.
Major typo there.
That is supposed to say "has" not "hasn't"

The reason for the typo is that I originally wrote "hasn't been playing well" but then decided that wasn't strong enough, so I went with "has been playing poorly" except that I forgot to change a crucial word. Sorry for the confusion. I will edit the original post.

[MilBucksBackOnTop06]

A few of us (myself, paul... others) have been saying CV should start for weeks, now he's proving he belongs there so why mess up his confidence/form by benching him once Yi gets back.

This is my self congratulatory post to balance out the fact that I was wrong about Miami

Because Charlie has no future here, isn't that obvious to you by now?

Use your head.

Charlie is trade bait and is only benefitting us and playing like a guy who is showcasing himself and wants to get out of here.

No guy in his right fiscal mind is gonna stay here on a losing team and play second fiddle at his age behind a guy guaranteed starting minutes (Yi) in a contract year from overseas.

He is not stupid.He is not gonna stay here and coming off the bench for a losing team a year before he can get paid his first contract and risk being typecast as a role playing 6th man like that if he really thinks he can be a starter like the guy they traded him for (TJ Ford.)

You cannot have Mo, Redd, and Charlie in your starting unit at the same time with this coaching staff and philosophy. No defense or interior tough ness of team synergy and basketball acumen at all...

Neither makes what Tracy McGrady mentioned that Lebron James does and makes 'basketball plays.' Ballers yes, but winners....no.

Some guys are good players but in a paradoxical way don't know how to play the game mentally, executionally, or instinctively like a Bogut or a Yi or a guy like Ginobili the ultimate in a guy who makes 'basketball plays' and not just play basketball if you get my drift...

No disrespect, it is just a fact.

[blkout]

Because Charlie has no future here, isn't that obvious to you by now?

Use your head.

Charlie is trade bait and is only benefitting us and playing like a guy who is showcasing himself and wants to get out of here.

Would you rather Charlie starts and plays well, boosting his trade value or would you rather he stay benched playing like garbage and ends up being traded for 5 cents on the dollar?

[ReddManBogieMan]

Charlie is a good guy, and he has a knack for offensive rebounds and slipping into the lane. Unfortunately when he plays with Redd he camps out at the 3 point line and doesn't help in those areas. CV and Bogut play good together and have a chemistry. If I were coach I'd play CV intill he proved to me otherwise and then send him back to the bench.

Yi on the otherhand could probably use some rest, since he's probably had no off season rest for a couple of years. Sit Yi rest him up. See how Charlie responses. He deserves it. A couple of weeks ago I would have said Yi but right now Charlie should start.