Sports
Rookie Brandon Jennings will play a large role in the Buck’s success this season.
Bucks will open season with new faces and guarded optimism
The Pointer
Ggott172@uwsp.edu
After an offseason consisting of payroll slashing, introductions to new, exciting young players and the rehabilitation of veteran stars, the Milwaukee Bucks will begin their 2009-2010 season next week in hopes of setting a foundation that the franchise can build upon for years to come.
General Manager John Hammond made a point during the offseason to make the franchise more financially flexible. The plan began with the trade of forward Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs along with declining the option to match the Detroit Piston’s offer to forward Charlie Villanueva.
Although the moves resulted in a loss of talented players, Hammond defended the changes to the team during the summer.
“The trade we made today provides us with much needed options in both the short and long-term planning for our franchise,” Hammond said.
One such option the Bucks had came in September, when the Minnesota Timberwolves matched the qualifying offer made by the Bucks to point guard Ramon Sessions. Milwaukee decided not to match the offer and lost the steadily-improving Sessions.
This was a move that did not sit well with all Bucks fans. Alex Miller, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, was one of them.
“I didn’t mind their offseason moves, but the only bad thing they did was getting rid of Sessions. He was a solid player and wouldn’t have cost a lot of money,” Miller said. “We just let him go.”
If Bucks’ fans were worried about the point guard position after Session’s departure, their concerns may have been quelled to some degree after the 2009 NBA Draft, when the Bucks selected point guard Brandon Jennings with the 10th overall pick.
Jennings, who is best known for opting to play a year of professional basketball in Italy while waiting to reach the NBA’s minimum age requirement rather than college basketball, has given Bucks’ fans a sense of excitement for the upcoming season.
“I like B.J., from what I hear he could be one of the quickest guys in the NBA,” Miller said. “And I like how he looks to pass first.”
Head coach Scott Skiles has also been impressed with Jennings who is now starting for the team during the preseason.
“He’s had stretches in all three games, which is typical, where he’s looked really good for certain minutes,” Skiles said after a recent preseason game against the Houston Rockets. “You’ve got to be blind not to see the ability.”
In order for the Bucks to build upon their 34-win season a year ago, they will need Jennings to continue his development as a starting point guard. They will also need full, healthy seasons from their two stars, Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut.
Bogut played in only 36 games last season, missing the rest due to a stress fracture in his lower back.
Miller knows the difference that having a healthy Bogut could make for the Bucks this year.
“He’s obviously one of the most important players on the team because he does so much,” Miller said. “He can block, rebound, score, pass; he just needs to get his back healthy.”
Redd missed the majority of last season after tearing the ACL and MCL in his left knee only 33 games into the season. He is set to make $17 million this season and has a player option for the 2010-2011 season, potentially making him a trade option for the money-conscious Bucks.
Miller believes the Bucks should continue building towards the future, if the right situation comes along.
“They should try to get rid of Redd’s contract, especially if they are doing bad,” Miller said. “They should try to package his contract with Dan Gadzuric’s and see if they can get some young players and draft picks in exchange.”
If the big names stay healthy and the young players gel into Skiles’ system, Miller sees the Bucks as an up-and-coming team with a bright future.
“I definitely think they’re on the right track,” Miller said. “Its not out of the question for this team to win 40 games if they can stay healthy.”
Milwaukee opens the season on Friday, Oct. 30, in Philadelphia against the 76ers; tip-off is at 6 p.m. and can be seen on Fox Sports Net Wisconsin.
