rebuild or patch the holes ?

[MajorDad]

the upcoming draft with new GM and coach will present potential for the bucks to move in two distinct different directions.

We can patch the holes, draft the best available player, and hope that Skiles can motivate the current bucks on how to win and play defense.

or we can do what the Seattle sonics did last year and jettison their star players for draft picks and start to rebuild this team from the bottom up.

I'm not really enamored with any current buck. i would think that Bogut and redd could both get a top 5-10 pick in return. Mo could probably get a lower first round pick in return. Yi should be able to get a first round pick in return. CV might be able to pull in a first round pick in return. I'm not saying we should trade al l of them. but i do believe all 5 players could net the bucks at least a first round pick in return. it would be nice to see the bucks with 2 first round picks rather than the other way around where we trade two first for a loser. With 1-2 trades, the bucks could easily draft a shooting guard such as gordon or mayo to replace redd and that texas A&M center to replace bogut.

if the bucks got real gm lucky, they could add Beasely or Rose to the mix. And if that happened, I wouldn't want either player being a 6th man playing behing redd or MO. A smart GM would make roo m and rade away his veteran player and allow the rookie to start.

The Bucks could make some radical changes and rebuild this team from the floor up. but will they?


if the bucks traded off YI, redd, bogut and/or Mo and started a rebuilding process, how would that affect ticket sales? Would people buy tickets to see new rookie faces verses the same-o same o? I'd like to find out how much real revenue Yi generted for the Bucks. i know the NBA benefitted from him, but how much did the bucks benefit financially?

Would the bucks make a run at a guy like marion, knowing he could leave with nothing in return? Will they jettison gadz and simmons for second round picks just to unload them?

Will the bucks trade a young player like bogut or YI or CV for an old player like J O'Neal or Camby or Brand? I hope karl realizes the mistake he made vetoing the Boozer trade.

or will they sit back, and pick up a player who will be a back-up for a few years and hope the current cast can get it done?

I'm hoping the bucks go for a complete rebuild, rather than just trying to patch the holes. and here's hoping the bucks get rid of their perimeter offense philosophy. here's hoping the bucks take a long look at Denver's team and realize that karl's offense is flawed. he had 3 all stars this year who were all healthy the entire year and the best he could do was get the 8th seed and a frst round exit.

here's hoping the Bucks gut the current team and start fresh.

what's your opinion as to what you want verses what you expect will happen?

[LUKE23]

I don't think Hammond's plan is going to be to "patch holes" per se, but to get rid of the dead weight that is not helping this team win, while adding to the talent-base in the draft.

Right now the roster only really has two (arguably 3 if you want to count Mo, but lets not go down that road) legit starters on a good team (if the proper pieces are in place), Redd and Bogut. We are horrible at the SF position, have young, unproven, maybe never realized talent at the PF slot, and PG position we can argue about all day.

This team won't do a full out rebuild. Of the current roster, the pieces I expect to stay at least for one more season and likely the near future are Sessions, Redd, Yi, and Bogut. Probably add the draft pick to that core to give you five guys we will move forward with.

Mo, CV, and to a lesser extent Simmons and Gadzuric will be used to try and address the PG/SF positions, and I expect deals to be made there that may not look good for us on paper, but could help us win games.

It will be a very interesting offseason.

[emunney]

I'm not really sure how you'd define the plan I support. I don't think it's really patching or rebuilding.

I'd call it building.

Identify the pieces which fit your philosophy of what a basketball team should be and eliminate the rest. From this point on, only add players who fit this philosophy. I don't think age or statistics should be the measure through which it's decided which players are kept or moved.

If it were me, on one side of this fence would sit Bogut, Bell, Mason, Simmons, Sessions and Yi. Some of these guys flat out might not be good enough to keep around, but they should only be replaced by guys who understand the game the same way but are more talented.

If the remaining players were replaced with youth, it would look like a rebuild. If they were replaced with veterans, it would look like a series of patches. The problem is that either of these terms imply the reparation of something that previously existed. I want to make something different.

[Johnny Newman]

I rather make a push for a win now. Kinda like how the raptors and Grizzles were the opposite expansion teams coming in. Grizzlies went with youth and it showed for years. Raptors surrounded VC with Davis and Oakley and started winning early on. I would gamble off Yi and Simmons and CV for Brand. Or something of that kind of talent to pair with Bogut and Redd and Sessions.

[paulpressey25]

Emunney did a nice job summarizing what I'd do as well, and what I think will actually happen. Whether the guys are young or old depends on who is available. If Redd nets you Elton Brand, you win now. If Mo nets you you a top ten pick in this draft, you take a young guy you like.

[midranger]

My bet is we'll try to make the team respectable next year.

Mo/Simmons/CV/#7 for Baron Davis

Redd for Howard/Stackhouse

Baron - Sessions
Stackhouse - Bell
Howard - Mason
Yi - Ruffin
Bogut - Gadz

MLE, BAE, 2nd rounder for depth.

[MickeyDavis]

This is an interesting thread because there really isn't an obvious path for Hammond to take. As stated above there are scenerios that could play out that would equal "win now" and there are scenerios that would equal "win in 2-3 years".

This is shaping up to be the most interesting off season in years. I'm really curious as to which direction Hammond will take. Or try to take.

[LUKE23]

My bet is we'll try to make the team respectable next year.

Mo/Simmons/CV/#7 for Baron Davis

Redd for Howard/Stackhouse

Baron - Sessions
Stackhouse - Bell
Howard - Mason
Yi - Ruffin
Bogut - Gadz

MLE, BAE, 2nd rounder for depth.

That's a lot for Baron, basically Mo, CV, and Westbrook or Gordon. I don't know if Davis plays the kind of D or has the kind of shot selection Hammond wants at PG either.

Then, on top of that there is the fact that outside of this past season he usually misses 20 or more games a year.

I think Redd for Howard is more plausible.

[MickeyDavis]

I've cooled on Howard but Barron as a Buck would be fantastic.

[paulpressey25]

I think we are overpaying for Baron Davis in that scenario. He's got a ginormous contract and the Warriors need to pay Monta.

I'd take him, but just not at that price. I'd do Mo/CV/Gadz for him. Keep the 7 pick.

[europa]

I don't care what it's called I just want to see Hammond get rid of the players who aren't going to help this team win and start bringing in players who will.

[redred9]

I don't care what it's called I just want to see Hammond get rid of the players who aren't going to help this team win and start bringing in players who will.

[TheGhostDog]

I have to respecfully disagree with the premise of the OP's question. By saying "patch the holes" you are implying that the Bucks have some sort of solid base in place with only a few missing parts. I think this is simply untrue. The Bucks are a bona fide bad team, chronically one of the worst defensive teams in the league. They only have 1 of 5 starters at present that even play passable NBA-quality defense. The real question is what can be salvaged from the current roster as you build the team going forward?

If you can forget (and there are many people here who won't) that Bogut was the overall #1 pick in his draft class and just look at who we can move forward with, you realize Bogut is the only solid, proven starter on this team without blatant liabilities. Mo, Redd and Charlie V are all scorers that need to be covered up for defensively - covered up with defensive-minded starting-quality talent the Bucks do not currently have on their roster. Even if we manage to bring in more defensive talent and try to hide one of the three, eventually you have to hope you can replace all your weak links. We have no talent worthy of starting at SF. Yi or Sessions might yet turn into quality starters, but haven't proven anything yet.

In short, the Bucks are a bad team that needs a near-complete rebuild. If Hammonds makes a flurry of roster changes this offseason maybe a solid nucleus could emerge rather quickly; only then can we realistically talk about what holes are left to fill.

[MajorDad]

I still see the future as having three avenues. I don't really want this thread to become a player bashing thread, but rather a thread to discuss the avenue you want or expect the bucks to take.

the first avenue is to essentually stay the same and add a draft pick and hope a coaching change will motivate the existing players. We all know we have little cap room to be able to add a quality free agent. We also know how hard it is to get rid of bad players and bad contracts. We're stuck with players like Simmons and gadz. This is the stand pat avenue.

the second avenue would be to make a big splash and trade some young players for vets like baron, Carter, Camby, brand and J O'neal and hope to win now. A lot of new GMs like to make a big trade their first two years. This scenario would probably involve trading YI, CV or our pick with Simmons or Mo for an established player. This is the avenue boston took this year.

the last avenue is primarily dependent on how high of a draft pick the Bucks have. But that avenue is to design a team and a philosophy and then start from scratch and build that team with no player safe. This would involve trading redd for a top 5 pick. if the bucks get a top 3 pick, this road would be a lot easier. This is the road Seattle took.

The Celtics proved this year that you don't need players to be playing with each other for a long time to build chemistry. talent usually beats teams with chemistry.

so the bucks could stand pat and hope the players start to perform, make major trades in an effort to win now, or build a new team from scratch.

What direction do you think hammonds will take? I realize that direction will become a lot clearer after the lottery.

[El Duderino]

so the bucks could stand pat and hope the players start to perform, make major trades in an effort to win now, or build a new team from scratch.

What direction do you think hammonds will take? I realize that direction will become a lot clearer after the lottery.

It's not like Hammond can sit there right now and decide a direction and then be sure it comes to fruition.

Look at the Celtics, Ainge didn't know that McHale would trade Garnett to Boston. It took a break for them that McHale not only was willing to trade Garnett, but that another team didn't get him first.

Hammond very well could have an idea what direction he wants to take, but so much depends on if he can trade guys on the roster he would prefer to trade, and then what teams are willing to give up.

Hammond could prefer to trade say Redd for a Howard type of vet, but get the could shoulder from other team he targeted. He could prefer trading guys like Mo/Redd for draft picks and expirings, but find no takers.

What happens in the lottery drawing and what the real market is for players on our roster will be what largely dictates the direction Hammond chooses.

[unklchuk]

I think Hammond's simpatico with The Senator is partially based on sharing the belief that the team has more talent than it has showed. I think they will try to improve the team for next year. Try to catch a bottom rung in the playoffs so the general public takes a little more interest. Sell the idea that momentum is building. (Sell the idea to the fans or perhaps to a new owner.)

So I think Improving Now is the desired result. But I suspect he has Kohl approval that the culture and several players have to change. If they can't get Better Now, they'll have to settle for what they can get.

But I expect a lot of effort and perhaps a chunk of money will go into Better Now. Those prospects are probably what attracted Hammond, Skiles, and the assistant coaches to this Great City on the Great Lake.

[NotYoAvgNBAFan]

REBUILD!

Tear it down completely! There is nothing salvagable here at all. Starting with the man who makes the most dough.

You are not gonna get lemonade out of two rocks...It is not there.

But you might have window dressing and puppeteering in GM Hammond with Kohl pulling the strings not letting him do his job, or worse not really wanting to break this thing up.

[Rockmaninoff]

I still see the future as having three avenues. I don't really want this thread to become a player bashing thread, but rather a thread to discuss the avenue you want or expect the bucks to take.

the first avenue is to essentually stay the same and add a draft pick and hope a coaching change will motivate the existing players. We all know we have little cap room to be able to add a quality free agent. We also know how hard it is to get rid of bad players and bad contracts. We're stuck with players like Simmons and gadz. This is the stand pat avenue.

the second avenue would be to make a big splash and trade some young players for vets like baron, Carter, Camby, brand and J O'neal and hope to win now. A lot of new GMs like to make a big trade their first two years. This scenario would probably involve trading YI, CV or our pick with Simmons or Mo for an established player. This is the avenue boston took this year.

the last avenue is primarily dependent on how high of a draft pick the Bucks have. But that avenue is to design a team and a philosophy and then start from scratch and build that team with no player safe. This would involve trading redd for a top 5 pick. if the bucks get a top 3 pick, this road would be a lot easier. This is the road Seattle took.

The best roads are #2 and #3. Anybody who favors #1 must love Herb Kohl mediocrity.

I would only do #2 if we could get Nowitzki. The rest of the guys you listed are either unattainable or are not worth it.

So, by in large, I'm in favor of #3. This gives the team the best chance of restructuring player payroll, as well as finding a great young player, or three really good ones.