My Bucks Blow-Up Plan
Posted: Sun Mar 2, 2008 1:31 am
I'm done with having a team culture that is entirely selfish while also being lazy on defense. It's been like this since before the Big 3 days, and I'm hoping this horrid year is finally enough to convince Kohl to invest in exorcising the loser mentality from Milwaukee.
I'd like to see us make two trades, both of which are based on deals fans of the teams' we're dealing with suggested with posts on this board:
First Step
Bucks trade: Mo Williams, Bobby Simmons, Charlie Villanueva
Heat trade: Shawn Marion
2nd Step
Bucks trade: Michael Redd
Blazers trade: Raef Lafrentz, Jarrett Jack, Martell Webster
Bucks 08/09 opening roster:
PG: Charlie Bell, Jarrett Jack, Ramon Sessions
SG: Martell Webster
SF: Shawn Marion, Desmond Mason
PF: Yi Jianlian, Raef Lafrentz
C: Andrew Bogut, Dan Gadzuric
That's 10 roster spots, and with whoever we draft that'd be 11. I think that this would be an incredible core to start with, as I think it could be a playoff caliber team that would play great defense. Furthermore, I think this roster would give both Bogut and Yi a perfect situation to develop, while also giving a great opportunity to Jack, Webster, and whoever we draft as well.
Now it is a big question whether or not we could pull off either of these trades, as they both are certainly better than what many Bucks fans think we can get. I don't think either are entirely wishful thinking though, but I also can see us adding more to close out either of them if need be.
Why the Blazers do it: They've been looking for a shooter for years now, and that need will be even more important to fill when Oden comes back to give him some space in the post. The team is in a great position salary cap wise, so Redd being overpaid doesn't hurt them much at all. They also need to be aggressive if they want to rise up in the incredibly competetive western conference, and despite the fact that they like Jack and Webseter, they can afford to drop both of them since neither would have a role on the team following this deal anyways. However, if it came down to it, I can see the Bucks doing this deal even if we couldn't get both of them anyways.
The only reason i can see them pass on this deal would be if they don't think Brandon Roy can play enough PG or Redd can play enough SF for them to be on the same team. However, I see Roy as a Joe Dumars style combo guard, and I also think that Redd playing as an undersized SF would be bearable considering there'd be the massive Aldridge/Oden tandem backing him up.
Why the Heat do it: The biggest reason they do this deal is if Shawn Marion wants way too much money. That team has a lot of holes, and many of their fans do not think they can afford to invest $20 million a year into Marion. Our team, however, is so desperate to improve defensively that I think we could afford to do it. Plus, our salary situation would still be a great despite this since we wouldn't be paying anyone besides Bell and Gadz real money for years.
I can see the Heat holding out for more to do this deal despite the money issue with marion, but I can also see the Bucks offering more to get a deal done. I'd be fine adding a protected future first to the heat package if we needed to, and I may go so far as to include this year's first if they were willing to give us Dorell Wright or maybe Dacquan Cook. I doubt we'd need either if they were willing to take Dan Gadzuric off our hands though, which I bet we'd prefer too.
Getting Marion on the Bucks is the key for me, as I think he'd be such a good fit that, aside from Yi and Bogut, I pretty much don't care what we'd have to give up to get him. If we had to make this a 3 way deal and send Jack or Webster or both to Miami to close it, I'd still do it. Marion would provide the Bucks with a defensive intensity, toughness, and hustle that has been absent for years, and I think we're so desperate for that kind of culture change that he'd be a bargain even if he makes giant money while having his game decline towards the end of his contract.
I also think that Marion could relish his role as top dog on a young team in the East, as the conference is so horrid that a scrappy team with Marion would have a real shot at making the playoffs. Plus, I think he'd play great next to Yi and Bogut as Yi's shooting would provide him with a ton of space to operate in the lane, and Bogut's passing would help him get a ton of easy shots in a half court offense too. This would be a young team that could develop together for years that would have the potential to do some real damage once Bogut and Yi develop.
All that while being a gritty, fun team to watch that would get people in Milwaukee excited to be Bucks fans again!
I'd like to see us make two trades, both of which are based on deals fans of the teams' we're dealing with suggested with posts on this board:
First Step
Bucks trade: Mo Williams, Bobby Simmons, Charlie Villanueva
Heat trade: Shawn Marion
2nd Step
Bucks trade: Michael Redd
Blazers trade: Raef Lafrentz, Jarrett Jack, Martell Webster
Bucks 08/09 opening roster:
PG: Charlie Bell, Jarrett Jack, Ramon Sessions
SG: Martell Webster
SF: Shawn Marion, Desmond Mason
PF: Yi Jianlian, Raef Lafrentz
C: Andrew Bogut, Dan Gadzuric
That's 10 roster spots, and with whoever we draft that'd be 11. I think that this would be an incredible core to start with, as I think it could be a playoff caliber team that would play great defense. Furthermore, I think this roster would give both Bogut and Yi a perfect situation to develop, while also giving a great opportunity to Jack, Webster, and whoever we draft as well.
Now it is a big question whether or not we could pull off either of these trades, as they both are certainly better than what many Bucks fans think we can get. I don't think either are entirely wishful thinking though, but I also can see us adding more to close out either of them if need be.
Why the Blazers do it: They've been looking for a shooter for years now, and that need will be even more important to fill when Oden comes back to give him some space in the post. The team is in a great position salary cap wise, so Redd being overpaid doesn't hurt them much at all. They also need to be aggressive if they want to rise up in the incredibly competetive western conference, and despite the fact that they like Jack and Webseter, they can afford to drop both of them since neither would have a role on the team following this deal anyways. However, if it came down to it, I can see the Bucks doing this deal even if we couldn't get both of them anyways.
The only reason i can see them pass on this deal would be if they don't think Brandon Roy can play enough PG or Redd can play enough SF for them to be on the same team. However, I see Roy as a Joe Dumars style combo guard, and I also think that Redd playing as an undersized SF would be bearable considering there'd be the massive Aldridge/Oden tandem backing him up.
Why the Heat do it: The biggest reason they do this deal is if Shawn Marion wants way too much money. That team has a lot of holes, and many of their fans do not think they can afford to invest $20 million a year into Marion. Our team, however, is so desperate to improve defensively that I think we could afford to do it. Plus, our salary situation would still be a great despite this since we wouldn't be paying anyone besides Bell and Gadz real money for years.
I can see the Heat holding out for more to do this deal despite the money issue with marion, but I can also see the Bucks offering more to get a deal done. I'd be fine adding a protected future first to the heat package if we needed to, and I may go so far as to include this year's first if they were willing to give us Dorell Wright or maybe Dacquan Cook. I doubt we'd need either if they were willing to take Dan Gadzuric off our hands though, which I bet we'd prefer too.
Getting Marion on the Bucks is the key for me, as I think he'd be such a good fit that, aside from Yi and Bogut, I pretty much don't care what we'd have to give up to get him. If we had to make this a 3 way deal and send Jack or Webster or both to Miami to close it, I'd still do it. Marion would provide the Bucks with a defensive intensity, toughness, and hustle that has been absent for years, and I think we're so desperate for that kind of culture change that he'd be a bargain even if he makes giant money while having his game decline towards the end of his contract.
I also think that Marion could relish his role as top dog on a young team in the East, as the conference is so horrid that a scrappy team with Marion would have a real shot at making the playoffs. Plus, I think he'd play great next to Yi and Bogut as Yi's shooting would provide him with a ton of space to operate in the lane, and Bogut's passing would help him get a ton of easy shots in a half court offense too. This would be a young team that could develop together for years that would have the potential to do some real damage once Bogut and Yi develop.
All that while being a gritty, fun team to watch that would get people in Milwaukee excited to be Bucks fans again!
29pts 17 rebs last night...he would be ideal next to Bogut who would take some pressure off of him and take off the double teams...