One part that was very interesting was the mention of Redd and Mo's "non-existant" relationship. If true, this supports that one of them is gone. Most likely Mo.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/bucks/281551
Bucks: Krystkowiak took path of least resistance
By VIC FEUERHERD
608-252-6175
vfeuerherd@madison.com
MILWAUKEE -- The 16 seconds of silence in response to the question may have been the most telling answer that Larry Krystkowiak has given during his short, unspectacular run as the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
"If I had to do it all over again," Krystkowiak finally said Monday night after being asked if he had the freedom to coach the Bucks the way he wanted, "things would be different.
"Some were self-inflicted. Some were external."
That begged the questions: What exactly was self-inflicted? And what were the external forces that forced Krystkowiak to coach one way while wanting to do it another?
Krystkowiak wasn't going to go there.
"No sour apples here," he said. "I want to focus as much on the positive as I can."
At some point following Wednesday night's season finale at Minnesota, Krystkowiak is going to meet with the Bucks' new general manager, John Hammond. The forecast is the two will meet Thursday or Friday, and shortly after the team will announce it is in the market for a new coach.
That is expected to be the first step in Hammond's rebuilding of the woeful Bucks, who if it were not for the New York Knicks and Miami Heat, would be the laughingstock of the NBA's Eastern Conference.
"I'm really glad I'm not Isiah Thomas (for whom) it was a daily thing all season long," Krystkowiak said of the criticism of the embattled and soon-to-be-departed Knicks coach. "I don't know how he handles it. I know it's no fun."
Tough season, situation
Krystkowiak's honeymoon wasn't long.
It lasted all of the 18 games he coached last season when he took over for Terry Stotts, who took over for Terry Porter less than two years before that. But with turnover like that, coaches shouldn't expect long honeymoons -- unless your team wins.
The Bucks haven't been on the winning side of the ledger since they were 7-6 about a month into the season. Following Monday night's 151-135 loss to the Chicago Bulls in their final home game of the season at the Bradley Center, Milwaukee is 26-55.
"There's been an awful lot of excitement in the city," Krystkowiak said, alluding to the Green Bay Packers' recent playoff run and the high expectations for the Milwaukee Brewers this year, "and we haven't shared in that."
The first real step the Bucks took in their transformation came a month ago when then general manager Larry Harris was fired. Now Hammond has inherited a massive rebuilding project.
Milwaukee has 10 players who account for nearly $60 million in payroll this season. Of those players, only center Andrew Bogut and rookie forward Yi Jianlian are considered close to untouchable.
But the other eight, including Michael Redd and his $14.5 million salary, essentially are untouchable, too, because their salaries will make it difficult to trade them.
"I'm going to let John deal with that," Krystkowiak said when asked what pieces the Bucks have left for their puzzle. "It's dangerous to start naming names."
Perhaps it's dangerous for Krystkowiak, but here goes.
Redd is too selfish, some say, and his relationship with point guard Mo Williams ($7.8 million) is non-existent. Forwards Bobby Simmons ($9.2 million), Charlie Villanueva ($2.7 million) and Dan Gadzuric ($5.8 million) are non-factors on the floor.
Forward Desmond Mason ($5 million) is a complementary player with no one to complement and at too steep a price. Guard Charlie Bell ($3.1 million) still is seething over how the Bucks treated him last summer, matching an offer sheet from the Heat despite Bell saying he didn't want to play in Milwaukee.
There is only one cure for all the problems.
"Winning," Krystkowiak said, "is pretty good medicine."
The path he picked
In January, when Redd was coming back from a thigh injury, Krystkowiak said he might bring Redd off the bench -- similar to what San Antonio does with Manu Ginobili.
Later, Krystkowiak was asked if he would consider making such a move permanent. The coach smiled at the one reporter remaining in his office.
"I like my job security," said Krystkowiak, essentially acknowledging the hammer the Bucks' highest-paid player can carry with owner and the front office.
For a myriad of reasons, that was how Krystkowiak chose to coach. We'll never know if he could have been successful if he had chosen his own route.
Apparently, it is something Krystkowiak is asking himself, too.
