The All-star break did little to change the Milwaukee Bucks’ winning fortunes. After a layoff of five days, the Bucks defeated the Washington Wizards 119-118 thanks to an Ersan Ilyasova tip-in basket with 2.2 seconds left. While “Ersanity” has continued, wins have not. The Bucks have lost four of their last five games – falling to nine games below .500. Nonetheless, the Bucks remain in 9th place in the top-heavy Eastern Conference and three games out of a playoff spot. Perhaps just as importantly, the Bucks are only 2.5 games ahead the New Jersey Nets for the fourth-worst record in the NBA. This puts Milwaukee’s management – from the owner to the coach – in a difficult position. They have a reasonable chance to make the playoffs but a reasonable chance to get a top five pick in a draft full of talent as well.
With the trading deadline less than 10 days away, we may find out quickly what direction the franchise wants to go. Gery Woelfel, reporter for the Racine Journal Times, told a Milwaukee radio station he would put the odds of the Bucks trading Andrew Bogut, the Bucks’ longest tenured player, before the trading deadline at 70 percent. If that trade occurs – or a trade with the likes of Ilyasova, Carlos Delfino, Drew Gooden, etc. – it would be safe to assume the Bucks are rebuilding. However, there are also rumors floating around that the Bucks are interested in veteran guard Jamal Crawford, a volume scorer. As a result, it appears Milwaukee’s management is unsure which route to take – winning now or improving their draft position. Time is ticking.
While we continue to wait for something – anything – to happen, here is a brief look at the last three games for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bucks (98) at Magic (114) – Saturday, March 3.
The Good: The Bucks fought back from an 18-point deficit early in the game and were only down five points headed into the fourth quarter. Brandon Jennings posted an efficient 27 points and got to the free throw line – a frequent nemesis of the point guard – 12 times. Jennings has bounced back nicely in March, averaging 26.3 points and 6.8 assists in four games.
The Bad: The Bucks fell apart in the fourth quarter against the Magic, in what has become a consistent theme. The Magic outscored the Bucks by 11 in the final frame of this game. In the fourth quarter of all four games this year, Orlando outscored Milwaukee by 34 points.
The Ugly: The Magic swept the season series (4-0) against the Bucks in less than one month’s time.
Bucks (97) vs. 76ers (93) – Monday, March 5.
The Good: The Bucks won, which has been rare. The Bucks also beat a quality opponent, which has been even rarer. Jennings and Gooden combined for 58 points, while Ilyasova grabbed 18 rebounds.
The Bad: Although the 76ers are 23-17, they had lost five of their last seven games before heading to the Bradley Center. Still an impressive win for the Bucks, but perhaps not as impressive as a first glance would suggest.
The Ugly: Nothing to report here – unless you want the Bucks to “tank” in order to get a higher draft pick. If that’s the case, this win derailed the tank for at least one night.
Bucks (104) vs. Bulls (106) – Wednesday, March 7.
The Good: The Bucks battled hard the whole game and only lost by two points to the Bulls, who boast the best record in the NBA. The teams seemed destined for overtime until Derrick Rose hit a fadeaway jumper as time expired. The Bucks and Bulls were matching each other basket for basket the entire game in front of an energetic split crowd. It was nice to see a playoff-like atmosphere at the Bradley Center – even if it was for one game.
The Bad: The Bucks have been accustomed to buzzer-beaters for the last several years. Milwaukee has generally been on the receiving end of such baskets – sans an Andrew Bogut alley-oop off an inbounds pass to beat the Pacers last season – and Wednesday night was no different.
The Ugly: D?j? vu. The Bucks have been victims of three buzzer-beating losses in recent years – Kobe Bryant in 2010, Manu Ginobili in 2011 and now Derrick Rose in 2012. All of these were at the Bradley Center and all were fadeaways at the elbow of the court.
A look ahead: A critical section of Milwaukee’s schedule lies ahead if they want keep their playoff hopes alive. They host the Knicks – who currently own the 8th position in the East – on Friday and follow that up with winnable games against the Raptors, Nets and Cavs before the trade deadline. If the Bucks win three or four of those games, they will likely be within a game of the final playoff spot. If they lose three or four, decisions at the trade deadline could be significantly easier to make.