What will our "direction" be this summer?

Post #21 » by **Wade-A-Holic** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 4:26 am

The strategy HAS to be to win now. There are some addition by subtraction things this team can do, and we're not going to pull a Boston, but blowing it up again (ie moving all the contracts and adding picks) will be long and difficult. People in Milwaukee are losing patience.

dunhill · Post #22 » by **dunhill** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 4:32 am

Chasing their own tails. Is that a direction? If ealry indications are anything to go by, the FO will be filled by cronies, and the coach will either be just as bad or worse. Vicious cycle.

El Duderino · Post #23 » by **El Duderino** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 5:05 am

DrugBust wrote:My dream would be to completely gut this team. I don't care if Mo and Redd are moved for expirings and that's it. Get really bad and clear salary.

But my gut is that a big trade isn't made, we take our #7 draft pick and start next year with the same roster for the most part.

That's what i'd like to see, first find any takers for Mo/Redd, hopefully involving expirings and any draft picks possible. I'd be fine with shipping out Villianueva in any trade of Mo/Redd.

Basically do what Seattle is doing and be honest with the fans what i going on. No more half assing things, rebuild the right way.

Of course that won't happen, Kohl will do as he always does, try to put a band-aid or two on a shotgun blast wound and think things will be ok.

WEFFPIM · Post #24 » by **WEFFPIM** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 5:22 am

Wade-A-Holic wrote:The strategy HAS to be to win now. There are some addition by subtraction things this team can do, and we're not going to pull a Boston, but blowing it up again (ie moving all the contracts and adding picks) will be long and difficult. People in Milwaukee are losing patience.

This is the side I tend to lean to. This isn't because of my fandom and my obsession with the Milwaukee Bucks, at this point we have to look at the existence of this team in this city. If this team doesn't start winning, attendance will drop even further to the point where there'd be no point to stick around. You can hype up the future all you want, it hasn't helped in places like Minnesota, Memphis, and the team that needed for it to work, Seattle.

dunhill · Post #25 » by **dunhill** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 7:01 am

Seattle was gone even if Jordan, Shaq, Magic, Larry Bird and Barkley somehow found the fountain of youth and suited up for the Sonics for free.

Mediocrity leads to apathy. This is why they're in this situation in the first place.

smauss · Post #26 » by **smauss** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 1:00 pm

IMHO this dysfunctional organization will be aiming for the #1 option but will end up at the #3 option. Obviously, I'm not very optimistic and I find it hard to believe anyone can be based upon past performances. Senator, please prove me wrong, very, very wrong!

PaBuck · Post #27 » by **PaBuck** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 1:56 pm

I have lost all faith in the Senator to manage this team. You fire Harris and don't have a good replacement locked in place. Sell the team already. It is the only viable option for the improvement of the Bucks!

unklchuk · Post #28 » by **unklchuk** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 2:44 pm

If Herb or the Bucks front office had good communication with the fans, they might be able to buy patience for a rebuild. But the Bucks are like a neighbor who nods when he sees you, and always walks away. They haven't earned any trust.

So they continue to have to win now. I don't know, that ship may have sailed. You could say that the resurgence of other local sports teams (esp. the Brewers) shows fans that the dead can rise again. Or you could say, who needs the NBA? Our sports are good without them.

People close the the FO think Herb Kohl made a particularly strong, especially candid effort to reach fans in his recent press conference. He did? Didn't impress me. Good thing he doesn't have to communicate for a living; good thing he doesn't have to run for office. (He's maneuvered so his reelection is just about automatic.)

The skeptic in me can't believe I'm saying this, but if we could read Herb's mind, we may find less meddling, less control obsession, more simple desire to win than we assume. But if it doesn't result in strong leadership (from a GM) using a strong Plan, then it doesn't mean much...

showtimesam · Post #29 » by **showtimesam** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 3:03 pm

I think the bucks can rebuild, yet be a team thats competing for the 7th or 8th spot.

Lets say they move Mo, CV, and some bad contracts for maybe a decent veteran and some picks.

Then draft a starting small forward with pick 7. I could see a team with sessions/redd/Bogut and some better chemistry around them being a .500 team thats building towards brighter things in the future.

But I would love a complete Rebuild. I'd send Redd for expirings, Mo for expirings, CV for whatever.

Then you rebuild around sessions/rookie/rookie/Yi/Bogut.

LUKE23 · Post #30 » by **LUKE23** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 3:42 pm

Sessions hasn't shown anything yet to lead anyone to believe he's a starting PG on a good to contending team. Yesterday his defense was deplorable, and while it's obvious he has some skills, he's not ready to lead a team. On a good team, he's likely a backup PG.

Bogut is the only player on this roster I feel absolutely compelled to keep at this point. I'd obviously move him if the deal was right, but I think the chances of one coming along are absolutely unlikely.

I want the backcourt revamped, to draft BPA (even if it's high risk high reward player, this team needs another star), and also see what you can get for CV in the offseason.

What will actually happen? My guess is they move Mo and CV, get less than fair value back for both, draft some "solid" core guy like Augustin or Collison instead of going for a star, keep Redd, and then we are back to hoping for .500 next year. They will sell the "unselfish" mantra because they moved Mo and CV to the fans.

A new coach will be brought in, but it will not be a huge name and it will not be someone with a ton of experience behind them.

Basically, I guess I see very little changing...

Legend_Returns · Post #31 » by **Legend_Returns** » Tue Apr 8, 2008 7:08 pm

Well, I wish I had something more positive to say in this post, but I'm afraid that one thing being a Bucks' fan has taught me REPEATEDLY, it's that, when the chips are down, when all looks to be lost - count on Herb Kohl to make things A LOT WORSE!

So, here is what I envision for the Bucks' "direction" this offseason:

After an "exhaustive" search, Herb Kohl will announce that Dave Babcock will be the new GM. At his introductory presser, Babcock will explain how he feels Larry Krapstowiak "wasn't given a fair shake" this past season, and will return for another glorious campaign. No significant moves will be made with the roster other than Jake Voskuhl and Michael Ruffin being replaced by other, equally ineffective stiffs.

The best part will take place in the Milwaukee Journal and elsewhere in the city, where fans all over will write in to their hometown paper, call in to their favorite talk shows, and say things like, "Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Senator Kohl! Not only have you kept NBA basketball in Milwaukee, but you have once again brought us to the verge of the Promised Land of a first-round-playoff beatdown!" They can't help it - they're Milwaukee sports fans - it's ingrained in their DNA!

I've actually been touting this theory of mine on other boards. But, now that I'm an esteemed member of the RealGM community, I figured I'd trot it out for you guys to peruse....

Also, are you guys as excited as I am to be Witnesses to the dawn of the Buzz Williams Era?

What will our "direction" be this summer?

Our direction?