Breaking News: Walsh Accepts Knicks Job

[paulpressey25]

I was stunned to read that Isiah was owed $20 million over the next 2.5 years.....sounds like that is the big problem. Hard to believe that Isiah cost them that much money.

[bigzy]

I was stunned to read that Isiah was owed $20 million over the next 2.5 years.....sounds like that is the big problem. Hard to believe that Isiah cost them that much money.

That is indeed the hold up as Dolan does not want to cut Isiah loose and be out 20 mil. I am sure there are a lot of people looking at his contract to see if there is a way out but if there was you would have thought they could have done it it when he lost the harassment suit. It also sounds like Walsh doesn't want isiah as the coach but would try to mentor him as a Gm.

[old skool]

I see flaws in the Bucks roster, but I am not sure what else Harris should have done to improve it. Maybe Royal Ivey was the best PG available to come off the bench. Maybe Voskuhl was the best second/third string center available. The team would have been better with Skinner available at PF, but we fans would have gone ballistic if Skinner kept CV and Yi on the bench.

Reportedly Harris wanted to obtain Marion or Zach Randolph via trade. Maybe that would have worked - or not.

I liked the resigning of Mo and Bell. There were not other great options out there. I liked that Ilyasova is in Europe. Ditto Greer. They were not going to be the answer.

My biggest off season disappointment (other than Lottery bad luck) was spending almost $9-million in free agent cap money for Mason and Voskuhl. Two players that could be had by any team for a MLE. It seems like that money could have been better spent on one player, given that extending rookie contracts will keep the Bucks out of the free agent market for the next few years.

Yes, the Bucks have a couple of bad contracts with Gadz and Simmons - just like every other team in the NBA. But those contracts are not the reason the Bucks are 20 games under .500.

The flaws remain - no real point guard. No power forward that can bang inside. No small forward - except Bell - with any reliable shooting range. No exceptional defenders anywhere. And an inexperienced coach and limited coaching staff. Of those, the only flaw that Harris could have clearly addressed is the coach situation.

oLd sKool

[Epicurus]

Old Skool, your analysis and attribution of responsibility makes sense, if Harris had but one or two seasons to build a balanced and effective team. He had five and what he put on the court was a team with basically negative impact from the bench; three starters who were somewhat above average; and two positions two deep which offered nothing.

While Harris over that time didn't get to have everything he wanted; but what was on the court was not forced upon him. For that he deserves much of the responsibility for the team's record the last two years.

If not for injuries, I think last year's squad was on it way to a playoff spot and around 42-45 wins. But as we see this year and what was predicted by some statistical experts, the healthy part of last year may have been a mirage or overperformance. With normal injuries this season and with virtually the same significant players (Patterson being replaced by Mason, and Mason doing better this year than in last three seasons, albeit not as productive as Patterson was, and Yi for Skinner) the team performed about like last year's. Who put it all together? Not LK, but Harris, not TS, but Harris.

A five year tenure, even granted the worst control claims regarding the executive offices, of a gm should produce a significantly better team.

[paulpressey25]

A five year tenure, even granted the worst control claims regarding the executive offices, of a gm should produce a significantly better team.

I can't defend the guy. After five years, the only worthwhile talent he added to the team (Bogut) came by virtue of having the 1st overall pick. And arguably even that choice he/Kohl botched.

Kohl is the real problem here......but we didn't ever get one inspired drafting move from Larry at any point. That's what killed the guy.

Kohl we know meddled incessantly on trades and free agency.....but on the draft front, a good GM would have found somebody else.

[europa]

Actually, I think what we've seen this season is proof last season's team stunk as well. Villanueva has been healthy and has played like garbage most of the season and Simmons has been awful as well. Those two injuries were often cited as the biggest reasons (other than Redd's injury) why the team didn't succeed. The injuries were a factor but I don't know how anyone can sit here any longer and say that having Villanueva and Simmons would have helped last season when neither has helped this season.

I don't think that team was very good and I think it was poorly constructed. Pure and simple. The last two teams Harris and Kohl put together have stunk to high heaven in my opinion.

[paulpressey25]

I think CV and Simmons would have helped last year but that is by virtue of the fact that team still had Ruben and to a lesser extent Skinner on it.

As we've found out, Ruben was probably our second best player last year and if we brought him back, he might have been our second best player again this year (but now behind Bogut).

And for all the faults of Skinner, he could at least body up a guy in the post. His replacement Yi is awful.

But if you say add CV and Simmons to last years team and take away Ruben and Skinner, then yes, last years team would have sucked worse as well.

[Epicurus]

Except Skinner and Patterson would have still been on the team with a healthy Simmons and Villenuava. What would have happened is almost no time (if not in the Dleague) for Noel and Ilyasova.