J/S: Player and Team Report Cards

[bango_the_buck]

Bucks Report Card: Player grades

CHARLIE BELL: D-minus

Talk about a season to forget. Having never gone through the free-agent process, maybe Bell was unaware that signing its own restricted free agents is usually the last thing on a team's summer to-do list. Whatever the case, it took Bell way too long to get in shape mentally and physically after his adventure with free agency, and the Bucks lacked production from one of their top players from the previous season. Bell averaged 7.6 points on 38.1% shooting and was a target for hecklers at the Bradley Center who were unhappy with his play. He ended the season in the inactive list with a knee injury. Bell vows better things next season.
ANDREW BOGUT: C-plus

Bogut continued to show steady improvement and is slowly developing into one of the better centers in the Eastern Conference. He was among the league's top 10 in blocked shots (1.73) and almost cracked the top 10 in rebounding (9.8 ). During a stretch of the season when the Bucks made a concerted effort to go to him in the low post, he consistently produced double-doubles. He rarely missed a game and wanted to go back into the contest in Atlanta after suffering a broken nose. Free-throw shooting (58.7%) remains a work in progress. It will be interesting to see how the Bucks handle his contract situation this summer.
DAN GADZURIC: D

Gadzuric has fallen off the radar where the Bucks are concerned, and he hardly played enough to be evaluated. His total of 534 minutes played were by far a career low. The biggest impact he has these days is that his contract - which has three years and about $20 million remaining - continues to be a burden to the team.
ROYAL IVEY: C

Ivey turned out to be a nice free-agent signing. The thing about Ivey is, even though he could sink a jumper or three-pointer occasionally, he knew he was not a scorer and didn't try to pretend that he was. He knew he had to make a living by playing defense and being a playmaker, and he filled both roles pretty well off the bench.
DESMOND MASON: C

Mason brought some much needed passion to the team and took losing as hard as anyone. He found the team's inconsistency to be maddening, and while some thought he was a bit too outspoken at times, others viewed that as an expression of the zeal with which he approached his job. While not known as a scorer or a dead-eye outside shooter, Mason shot a career-high 48.2%, which was second to Bogut (51.1%). Maybe someone could have found a way to get him an extra shot or two now and then.
MICHAEL REDD: C-minus

By his own admission, this was the worst season of Redd's career. He came into training camp in the best shape of his life and full of optimism after spending the summer with Team USA. But the dream season that he envisioned never materialized, and he admitted after the season that he had no chemistry with Krystkowiak, a cloud that continually hung over the team.
MICHAEL RUFFIN: C

Ruffin was signed as a free agent to provide some size and physicality to the team, and while he wasn't called on much, he did provide some of that when his name was called. He suffered through periods of injury and long stretches when he didn't get playing time.
RAMON SESSIONS: Incomplete

Sessions lived a charmed life late in the season, when he got some extended playing time. He set the franchise single-game record for assists (24), and recorded the only 20-20 game with points and assists in team history. He hit a game-winning jumper at Washington and tossed in a halfcourt shot in Minnesota. He was named the league's Eastern Conference rookie of the month for April and definitely caught people's eye.
BOBBY SIMMONS: D-minus

A statistical line of 7.6 points on 42.1% shooting was not what the Bucks had in mind when they signed Simmons to a lucrative free-agent contract in 2005. Weight was an issue, as he bulked up while sitting out the 2006-'07 season after having surgery, and he was still heavier than he should have been this season. There was a period when there was talk of putting him on the inactive list so he could work on his conditioning.
AWVEE STOREY: Incomplete

Storey didn't play enough to have an impact, but he was a great player in practice, where he added a measure of toughness. Before games, he usually was the first one on the court, working on his game with the assistant coaches.
CHARLIE VILLANUEVA: D-plus

By his own estimation, Villanueva played well in the final 30 games of the season, but admitted before that he rode a roller-coaster. "Up and down," he said. Playing time was hard to come by early, as the coaching staff lacked confidence in his defense and his ability to be in the right place at the right time. Villanueva, though, who can flat-out score, bided his time, and his 16-rebound game against Memphis on Feb. 5 - in his first start - proved to be a breakout game. In games in which he played at least 35 minutes, he averaged 25.4 points and 10.8 rebounds.
JAKE VOSKUHL: C

It's hard to find fault with Voskuhl, who was signed as a free agent with the thought of adding some size and experience to the frontcourt. Like Ruffin, he went through long stretches in which he didn't play, endured some injuries and contributed the best he could when called upon. Through it all, he always conducted himself in a professional manner and provided an optimistic and upbeat approach in the locker room, even during the darkest days.
YI JIANLIAN: D-plus

Most rookies don't play much in the first half of the season but then get more playing time in the second half. But it was just the opposite for Yi, as once the league learned more about his game, his production, playing time and confidence level dropped off. Yi had much to contend with during his rookie season; there were any number of people vying for his time and attention, including his own personal media contingent that chronicled his every move. The Bucks love his work ethic and potential but wonder if he will be worn out when they get him back in the fall after the Olympics. The language barrier turned out to be more pronounced than the Bucks had expected.
MO WILLIAMS: C-minus

There were times in the second half of the season when the Bucks hyped Williams and Redd as one of the highest-scoring backcourts in the league. That left some to wonder, though, if that was a good thing, because over the past two seasons the Redd-Williams combination has provided some prolific offensive numbers but not many victories. Williams played much of the season with a thumb injury that probably will require surgery and had some of his better games when he played off the ball. Late in the season when he might have been worn out more mentally than physically, Williams was shut down with the dreaded "pubic symphysitis."

[trwi7]

Ivey with a C? lawlz.

Interesting note about them talking about putting Simmons on the inactive list so he could work on his conditioning.

[europa]

Interesting note about them talking about putting Simmons on the inactive list so he could work on his conditioning.

This is one of my biggest issues with the J/S. They get this type of info and they sit on it until after the season. Why the hell wasn't this written about when it was going on? They do this every single year and it bugs the hell out of me. No excuse not to bring this info to light as it's happening. That's called coverage.

And yea Ivey with a C is a joke. The rest of the grades are pretty decent. I'd probably give Bogut a B- and Redd and Mo both a C but otherwise I didn't see too much that I would disagree with.

[Chuck Diesel]

There is no more "inactive list"

[europa]

There is no more "inactive list"

True, but I think the main point here is there was discussion about not playing Simmons for an extended period of time so that he could work on his conditioning. That's a pretty interesting story and arguably a big one given the amount of money Simmons is making. And the J/S decided to write about this after the season ended.

[Chuck Diesel]

Right, all they care about is their access to the media pasta bar.

Next season they will probably list Simmons as a strong candidate for the "comeback player of the year" award.

[Bucks_Revenge]

bogut c-....WTF he was the only one who actually tried if he played with the right players he will be averaging 18/11.....why should we listen to JS anyway its not like they follow the bucks.

[bango_the_buck]

Bucks Report Card: Team grades

OFFENSE: D

It was stunning that a team with so many offensive weapons could not find a way to put more points on the board. The Bucks scored 97.0 points per game (20th in the league) and shot 44.9% (19th). Their 34.4% three-point shooting ranked 25th. In training camp, the focus was on defense, and the offense suffered. The feeling was that the offense eventually would come, but it never did on a consistent basis. The offense clicked when the players worked together and moved the ball, but that was too often not the case. After one game, a player said he felt like ordering a cake and celebrating after finally getting his first shot well into the contest.
DEFENSE: F

After the Bulls shot 67% - the highest shooting percentage by an opponent in Bucks history - in a victory at the Bradley Center on Monday, the Bucks dropped to last in the league in defensive field-goal percentage (48.0). The Bucks finished tied with Memphis for last in that category, which most basketball people believe indicates how proficient a team is on defensive. The Bucks had some of the worst individual perimeter defenders in the league, so possibly a better team concept should have been devised to help ease the pain. A couple players with a defensive mentality should top the off-season wish list.
REBOUNDING: B

This actually turned out to be a pretty good rebounding team. Andrew Bogut nearly pushed his way into the league's top 10, Charlie Villanueva and Yi Jianlian rebounded, and even some of the perimeter players ran down a few. The Bucks, in fact, ranked third in the league in offensive rebounding percentage (the percentage of available offensive rebounds that the Bucks actually got) and were sixth in overall rebounding percentage. Let's put it this way, rebounding was the least of their problems.

BENCH: D

There were times when the bench players contributed and times when they did nothing. The real thought to ponder is what would have happened if Charlie Bell had been himself from the get-go? If Bell would have been in shape mentally and physically at the start of the season, how many more victories would that have meant for the team and how might that have impacted the season? That might be a lot to place at the feet of one player, but it was a factor in the season.
COACHING: D

The complaint heard most about Larry Krystkowiak was that he tried to be too accommodating and appease players rather than hold them accountable for their shortcomings. Those around Krystkowiak the coach expected him to be more like Krystkowiak the player - a tough, hard-nosed, no-nonsense kind of guy. "We have to set rules and stick to it," Bogut said. "Whatever someone says has to go, no matter what. That's something that hasn't happened in the last couple years." And while Krystkowiak took his share of the blame, it can't be laid entirely at his feet, as this train-wreck of a season might have been a challenge for even a veteran coach. Krystkowiak thought he let the players down, but some of the players admitted that they'd let him down also.
INTANGIBLES: F

The Bucks had nothing going for them when it came to the little things that go a long way toward winning or losing games. For the second straight season, the Bucks faced a brutal early schedule that buried them by the all-star break. Some in the locker room wondered if management's desire to play to so many money-making Saturday home games threw off the schedule and resulted in a travel-heavy early schedule. The Bradley Center is hardly a House of Horrors for visiting teams, as the Bucks finished with a losing home record for the second straight season. "These are like home games for us," one player said after the Bucks had won two straight road games. Team chemistry? Surely, you jest.
OVERALL: D

Inconsistent. Underachieving. Trigger-happy. Defenseless. Poor starters. Poor finishers. Take your pick. They all apply to this team. Officials from other teams will tell you that there was some talent on the Bucks roster and there certainly was that. But it was individual talent and it was offensive talent. And with so many leaks on the defensive end, there was little chance for success. Krystkowiak was unable to make any sense of it all. Maybe the next guy can. But the new coach had better produce quickly, because the over-under on Bucks coaches is now down to 100 games.

[magpies]

Can not believe they gave Bogut a C+ and mason a C there was a hugh difference in their output and how much they showed.

Bogut at least a B, easily our best performed player of the season (still he needs to show more)
This team is in trouble and another top pick will not fix.

[WEFFPIM]

After one game, a player said he felt like ordering a cake and celebrating after finally getting his first shot well into the contest.

I think we can figure out who this was

[RAtheMONsession]

Can not believe they gave Bogut a C+ and mason a C there was a hugh difference in their output and how much they showed.

Bogut at least a B, easily our best performed player of the season (still he needs to show more)
This team is in trouble and another top pick will not fix.

There was a big difference in their output, but i wouldnt necessarily say for their effort and what they did compared to what was expected of them. Mason was the only player on this team i was impressed with other then Bogut. (and Sessions at the end)

I would have put bogut at a B and Mason a C+

Unlike most, i do not want to see mason traded this offseason.

[midranger]

No one on this team deserved an above average grade.

I pretty much agree with all that is written.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

The only thing unclear to me is what they're graded in reference to. Their salary? The expectations that the writer had for them going into the season? If it's by salary, Gadz needs an F- for sure. If it's by expectations, Mason should probably be a B, because he was one of the worst players in the NBA in N.O., but was actually mediocre here; an enormous improvement.

[bayrdbandit]

strange article all round.

bogut being lumped in with everyone else and getting a "c" is odd. he was well above average for most of the season.

i'd be putting cv on the same level as mo and redd. outstanding at times, horrible at others, but not necessarily on the same page as everyone else.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

Mo and Redd were both a lot more productive than CV. But not per dollar spent, so it depends on what your criteria is.

[europa]

Villanueva spent most of this season playing like absolute garbage. As frustrating as Mo and Redd were, neither one spent most of the season playing like absolute garbage. I do agree Bogut's grade is too low. He was the only good defender on the team, one of the few players who brought a true team approach to the court and he made gigantic strides in the last 48 games offensively. I think he deserved a higher grade than he received.

[paulpressey25]

Here's the tease line though with CV:

"In games in which he played at least 35 minutes, he averaged 25.4 points and 10.8 rebounds. "

That's a ridiculous stat. Of course I realize that 80% of the time CV didn't play 35 minutes it was his own fault for not showing up......

[paulpressey25]

I give the MJS credit for this one.....I hadn't heard this one before used as an excuse....

"Some in the locker room wondered if management's desire to play to so many money-making Saturday home games threw off the schedule and resulted in a travel-heavy early schedule."

But on it's merits, I don't buy it....these guys came out after beating Dallas to take on a floundering 76'ers team on three days rest at home and got smoked.

[trwi7]

After one game, a player said he felt like ordering a cake and celebrating after finally getting his first shot well into the contest.

I think we can figure out who this was

Pretty clear that it was Dan Gadzuric.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

Here's the tease line though with CV:

"In games in which he played at least 35 minutes, he averaged 25.4 points and 10.8 rebounds. "

That's a ridiculous stat. Of course I realize that 80% of the time CV didn't play 35 minutes it was his own fault for not showing up......

That's a chicken/egg mixup. He was only allowed to play 35 minutes when he was really playing well, so of course he has good stats in all of those games.