Big 3 needed? Who is the target? Draft, FA or trade?

[paulpressey25]

I've been working on it for almost two hours. If you're looking for good news with regards to the Bucks contending before '19, you won't get it.

This is where we'd debate definition of contention. The 2003-04 Nuggets went from 17-65 to 43-39 in one year on the backs of Melo at 19 and Nene at 21.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DEN/2004.html

That was the year then that started a decade long run of playoff appearances. Now did they hit massive playoff success? No, but I guess the question is would people here accept what the Nuggets had from 2003-2013 as worthwhile?

To me their example bodes more for the need for that third stud prospect than them needing more time for Melo and Nene to develop.

[blazza18]

I don't think I'd make a big splash this summer, but if Jabari, Giannis and the 2015 pick show enough next season then the player I'd add to be that veteran PG presence would be Mike Conley.

[ReasonablySober]

I've been working on it for almost two hours. If you're looking for good news with regards to the Bucks contending before '19, you won't get it.

This is where we'd debate definition of contention. The 2003-04 Nuggets went from 17-65 to 43-39 in one year on the backs of Melo at 19 and Nene at 21.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DEN/2004.html

That was the year then that started a decade long run of playoff appearances. Now did they hit massive playoff success? No, but I guess the question is would people here accept what the Nuggets had from 2003-2013 as worthwhile?

To me their example bodes more for the need for that third stud prospect than them needing more time for Melo and Nene to develop.

No, I don't consider one of the Melo teams contenders. HIghest win total was 54, they were better once he left.

Have you looked at the rosters the Nugs trotted out there? During their only legit run they had Melo (24, again age) he was playing in the WCF next to Billups, JR Smith, Nene, K-Mart and Birdman. Every other Melo team got wiped out in the 1st.

A bunch of early playoff exits and one token conference final before shipping our "star" away in a trade seems like a terrible thing to sign up for. We've been down that path before.

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

you guys need to unblock my ass off all your foes lists and please tell me wtf im missing about jrue holiday. statistically hes having his best year in NO. obviously I haven't watched him this year so what gives?

He's a guy who looked like he' be able to do everything but it never really happened so he's now meh at everything. What's his strength? I guess he's still young but he doesn't look to have improved.

thanks for answering. pressey and newz did too. I guess I know whose left on this board that actually reads my stuff.

im not sure the answers convinced me but not a soul backed me up either. considering I haven't watched him in awhile ill be forced to go along.

[paulpressey25]

Have you looked at the rosters the Nugs trotted out there?

But that is part of the discussion here. Do we need the third wheel. You could make the case that if Denver tanked in 2003-04 they'd be coming into the 2004 draft with that last high draft pick they needed and could have started winning quickly thereafter. In that top ten you had Dwight Howard, Okafor, Deng, Ben Gordon, Devin Harris, Iggy, etc.

No guarantee the Nuggets get any of those guys (they could have drafted Arujao or Luke Jackson) but I'd argue that had they gotten say Iggy or even Gordon that their run would have been more meaningful and they wouldn't have needed to have waited as long. Landing Dwight puts them in the WCF within a year or two IMO.

[WeekapaugGroove]

This is gonna sound like a cop out but with the question of do you need a big 3 the answer is maybe. You certainly don't if you have two super stars and 3 or 4 other really good rotation pieces. But even then it really depends on some luck. Even great teams have teams they don't match up well against and if you catch one of those in the playoffs you might lose to a lesser team.

It's really really hard to win a chip in the nba. I feel like some folks here over simplify it saying hey we can tank this yr and land that 3rd piece and boom contender in 3 years. Shoot even the teams that drafted shaq, durrant, and LeBron didn't win a ring with those guys. It takes a combination of great drafting and developing of those picks, smart gming where you find some diamonds in the rough or perfect role players to compliment your stars and some luck with injuries and matchups.

to me the 2 most important pieces of a contending team is a really savvy gm and a coach with a good system. I hate Hammond so I don't think he's the guy. I was skeptical of kidd but am starting to come around on him a bit.

It does kind of suck that in today's landscape with so many tanking and just plain terrible teams you can't really get a top 5 pick if you simply show up and play hard every night. I was one of the few who liked the proposed lotto changes and it was kind of for this reason why not reward those teams in the 5-14 range with a little better chance to move up in the draft over the truely incompetent franchises?

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[Ayt]

Age doesn't matter if it's the right player.

Sam Cassell was 29 when he joined the Bucks and gave the team 5 exceptional years as PG.

I'm not adding Rondo to this team. Partly because of age, partly because of fit, and partly because of potential chemistry concerns. He's just a really bad fit for this team moving forward.

And mostly because he's gigantically overrated. I'd rather not watch Rondo pound the air out of the ball for the next 4-5 years as he moves into his 30's.

[buckboy]

I'd love to get a top 5 pick as much as the next guy, but our last big 3 was built through a combination of Top 5 picks (Ray, Glenn) and a great trade for Cassel.

The OKC 3 superstars drafted within 3-4 years model is awesome, but just not always doable. I don't see why we can't get our third guy through a trade or FA. Just need to be smart.

It also wasn't a very good big 3.

Also, the only big name free agents I'd be interested in are Butler and Dragic.

I wouldn't mind Beverly at a decent price. I really hope we don't sign Knight, although I think we will.

And to echo, I think mattg, Tyler Ennis is terrible. I wouldn't trade a 2nd for him.

[Jez2983]

Pfft, we have Kendall Marshall.

[hege53190]

I've been working on it for almost two hours. If you're looking for good news with regards to the Bucks contending before '19, you won't get it.

This is where we'd debate definition of contention. The 2003-04 Nuggets went from 17-65 to 43-39 in one year on the backs of Melo at 19 and Nene at 21.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DEN/2004.html

That was the year then that started a decade long run of playoff appearances. Now did they hit massive playoff success? No, but I guess the question is would people here accept what the Nuggets had from 2003-2013 as worthwhile?

To me their example bodes more for the need for that third stud prospect than them needing more time for Melo and Nene to develop.

No, I don't consider one of the Melo teams contenders. HIghest win total was 54, they were better once he left.

Have you looked at the rosters the Nugs trotted out there? During their only legit run they had Melo (24, again age) he was playing in the WCF next to Billups, JR Smith, Nene, K-Mart and Birdman. Every other Melo team got wiped out in the 1st.

A bunch of early playoff exits and one token conference final before shipping our "star" away in a trade seems like a terrible thing to sign up for. We've been down that path before.

A 10 year stretch where our lowest win total is 43 games and we win 50+ games 5 times, 49 another and a 50 win pace in a strike shortened season another? All the while we have a indisputable top 5 player in the league?

Where the hell do I sign up? Did they draw the unenviable task of playing in the loaded conference? Definitely. But that does not mean we should pu pu what those Nuggets teams did.

Would I rather have a championship contender? Yeah but I would easily take a half decade of 50+ win seasons.

If they play in the East they are probably a 2000 era Pistons type team and does Carmelo leave that? Well yeah he probably does because he is an idiot but hopefully Jabari and Giannis are smarter.

[EastSideBucksFan]

Sign the next Jimmy Butler.

KJ McDaniels. Give him the MLE.

Those are the kind of deals/players we should be looking at this offseason.

[CannondaleF400]

I'd like the Bucks to grow with the scorers they have now with Giannis, Jabari, and Middleton. Build around these scorers with passers (like Marshall), defenders (like Sanders), and rebounders (like ?). I would be ok with signing BK to a decent deal if and only if he takes a bench role. Adding another scorer might disrupt the chemistry that is building.

[Bucks_MacGyver]

I think Wes Matthews is a perfect fit he can defend the best player on the other team and can shoot from the outside. That's what we need.

[CannondaleF400]

I think Wes Matthews is a perfect fit he can defend the best player on the other team and can shoot from the outside. That's what we need.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... 02&y2=2015

Middleton isn't that far behind Matthews statistically and is 5 years younger and would be had for less $. Matthews has advantage defensively but not sure if worth the $.

[drew881]

Sign the next Jimmy Butler.

KJ McDaniels. Give him the MLE.

Those are the kind of deals/players we should be looking at this offseason.

76ers will match that without blinking. They are always under the salary threshold.

[EastSideBucksFan]

Sign the next Jimmy Butler.

KJ McDaniels. Give him the MLE.

Those are the kind of deals/players we should be looking at this offseason.

76ers will match that without blinking. They are always under the salary threshold.

76ers are building their team in a different way. If he tells them to ffff off and not match, maybe they don't. Regardless, if he's the guy we want, force the issue and make them pay if they want to keep him.


Signing young players with upside to value contracts is the theme of next offseason IMO.

[GoldenAntlers]

Butler is probably the only person I actually throw money at (or Gasol, but I think both get re-signed). I have mentioned Rondo a couple of times because I do believe he is a good fit, but really I think we can take one more year of a slow rebuild. I guess I don't really care if it's a huge splash, as long as any move made is moving forward and makes the Bucks an even more enticing FA landing spot for that final piece.

[randy84]

Sign the next Jimmy Butler.

KJ McDaniels. Give him the MLE.

Those are the kind of deals/players we should be looking at this offseason.

76ers will match that without blinking. They are always under the salary threshold.

76ers are building their team in a different way. If he tells them to ffff off and not match, maybe they don't. Regardless, if he's the guy we want, force the issue and make them pay if they want to keep him.


Signing young players with upside to value contracts is the theme of next offseason IMO.

My understanding is that he gets to pick his next team because of the one year deal. Anyone know if that is correct?

[EastSideBucksFan]

According to Woj article, KJ will be restricted next summer once Sixers make qualifying offer of $1.2M.

[drew881]

How much is the cap going up? Is this the year it jumps up high because of the new TV contract? Because the Bulls are only losing 4.5 in projected salary and will still be at 61 mil without clearing a major contract (Rose, Gasol, Gibson, Noah, Mirotic). How are they planning on re-signing Butler?