During this years NBA All-Star break I wrote a story explaining the Milwaukee Bucks’ hopes for making the playoffs. Their schedule was favorable, and they controlled their own fate.
Six weeks later, I would like to apologize to all the Milwaukee Bucks fans that held onto that false sense of hope. The Bucks were two games back of the Indiana Pacers for the eighth and final playoff spot going into a game against them last week Friday. After blowing an early lead, the Bucks fell behind by 14 in the second half and like they have all season, they made a comeback that fell just short–literally. With two seconds remaining on the clock, and down by one, Drew Gooden took a three-point shot that came up short. The Bucks remained true to form, the wrong guy took the wrong shot at the wrong time. With lethal shooters like Brandon Jennings, Carlos Delfino and Ersan Ilyasova at his disposal, Coach Scott Skiles needs to draw up more effective plays to get one of them open in such critical situations.
It was rather fitting that the Bucks’ offensive struggles caught up to them down the stretch, because all season long they were one of the worst scoring teams in the league, including a 56-point performance against Boston last month. Plain and simple, the Bucks need a true scorer to produce on the offensive end night in and night out. And no, not the type of scorer who has been hurt and hasn’t seen the floor in two seasons yet still costs the Bucks 18 million dollars per year.
Now that the Bucks season is basically over, they can begin to look forward to the offseason and how they are going to improve. Hopefully, Michael Redd will be gone by way of a sign and trade, or he just signs elsewhere as a free agent, giving the Bucks $18 million in freed up cap space with which they can test the free agent market. Most likely the Bucks will look at next season as a rebuilding year and try to put together a team through this year’s draft.
Projected to receive a first round pick somewhere between 12 and 16, and in need of someone who can score, all signs are pointing towards General Manager John Hammond pulling the trigger and drafting First Team All-American and Naismith Award winner Jimmer Fredette out of Brigham Young University.
According to draftexpress.com, because of his lack of defensive quickness and underdeveloped left hand, Fredette is going to fall to about the No. 17 overall pick, meaning that he will still be available when the Bucks are on the clock. This pick may be a risky one since Fredette is only 6-foot-2, below average height for an NBA point guard, and Milwaukee has Brandon Jennings for another two years. His height also almost makes it nearly impossible for him to be a legitimate shooting guard, and the Bucks signed John Salmons to a multi-year deal last offseason.
However, no one on the Bucks roster has anywhere near the shooting talent that Fredette possesses. This man can pull up from just about anywhere in the gym, and his quick release will make it easier to adapt to shooting over larger defenders. There is also no denying the work ethic that Fredette has and the energy that he would bring into practice every day.
Milwaukee is a small market team, and the city does not offer the bright lights of Miami or Los Angeles. Therefore, if they were lucky enough to have a shot at drafting a Terrence Jones (Kentucky), Perry Jones (Baylor), or even Jared Sullinger (Ohio State), these players would be more likely to opt out after their two-year rookie contracts are over. Fredette is a small town guy who would be embraced by the city of Milwaukee and Bucks fans everywhere.
On the bright side for the Bucks this season, they were known for playing excellent defense, and on rare nights when they were efficient on offense when they beat teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. If they could manage to bring back the same defensive minded starting lineup and add a scorer like Fredette off the bench, the Bucks would have a much better chance of making the playoffs in 2012.