BrewBalls

I'll say this, and then be done. You don't know me. You don't know how much of a Bucks fan I was growing up, then realizing the Kohl really didn't care about actually winning a championship, just getting into the playoffs. I really liked David Robinson, Sean Elliott and the guys that the Spurs had, and really enjoyed how fundamentally sound they played. As I kept watching them develop, I continued to enjoy their style of play. I was still a Spurs fan, even when I moved back to Wisconsin in 2004. When I moved to San Antonio in 2008, it was wonderful. I was able to be even closer to the team, go to games.....it was great. Now, living in Houston, I'm really hoping that they win Saturday night, because I'd consider buying a ticket to go watch them here. Last night, I turned on the game, because of my past connection to the Bucks, and I laughed. That was an embarrassing loss. At home. With a chance to force game 7. They didn't show up. See ya. One game should never define a team or season. Yes they fell apart in game 6 but they played hard and held their own against a solid Bulls team in the previous 5 games. For a team who was projected to win 25 games this season with Parker to win 41 games without him for the majority of the season and win two games agianst a much better Bulls squad is still extremely impressive and encouraging for their future. If you were that much of a Bucks fan in the past I don;t understand why it took you this long to get on board (albeit for only 5 minutes) this season. This is an exciting young, up and coming team who is a few years and players away from becoming a top team in the East. Maybe you should give them more than a 5 minute window to win back your loyalty and fandom. Otherwise stick with your Spurs and stop complaining about a team you clearly do not care enough about any longer to give more than five minutes of your precious time.

No need to since Henson has handled him all series. I do agree that Butler will come out more agressive but it could backfire if he begins pressing. We have plenty of guys to guard him (Giannis, middleton, MCW and Mayo) although Mayo seems to do the best at getting into his head which forces him to make mental mistakes. This should be a great game tonight.

If the Mavs are serious about signing DeAndre Jordan then Hammonds should be calling Chandler to get him to sign with the Bucks. He would fit perfectly in the paint with our young core and provide them with some much needed rebounding. I bet he could be had on a 2yrs/$20M deal with a team option. Then look for a young center in the draft who can be mentored by Chandler and Zaza next season before getting major minutes once Zaza is gone. Upshaw and Christmas are possibilities in the second round otherwise I would look to trade up for Kaminsky or Turner.

Any trade discussions involving Cousins would have to start with either Giannis or Parker. No team, even the Kings would trade him for anything less than another top player.

This season the Bucks are 27-17 when OJ scores in double digits and 15-4 when he scores 15 or more points. The need for a legit scoring threat coming off the bench is huge in this league. And Mayo is still fairly young at 27 and could be resigned after next season depending on his asking price.

The problem is players like Giannis, MCW and Parker may never become solid outside shooters, if this is the case then we need to find role players who can to help space the florr and free up the paint for these three to drive. I'm not saying Henson isnt' a good player of that he will never be a solid contributor off the bench. what I'm saying is i think his trade value will never be higher than it currently is and the Bucks should cash in by using him to trade up and get a young center who can possibly become their starting center in the future. Also, Henson is cheap for one more season, then he will be a RFA and I'm sure there will be some team willing to pay for his potential which will raise his salary to $8-10M per especially with the projected increase in the salary cap. I like Henson as our back up center but I do not see him being a Buck after next season so I would prefer if we continue to build our young roster by using him to move u in the draft at get another difference maker in the middle.

If you look at Henson's jumpshoot it looks forced and not fluid. This is something you cannot teach and normally limits there players from significantly improving over time. He has shown little improvement offensively in the three years he's been in the league and likely will never have a consistent mid-range game. What this team so deperately lacks is quality shooters who can stretch the defense and create lanes for our best players (Giannis, Parker and MCW). We cannot rely solely on our defense to get us to the next level. Yes it is working against a team who's offense is average at best but if you match us up against an elite team like Golden State, even with solid defense, we would not stand a chance offensively to compete. Improving overall team shooting and adding more consistent offensive options is what will get the Bucks to the next level of being perennial top 10 team in the league. If you want someone who can do both, I suggested Justin Anderson who projects to be a solid 3 and D guy. This is the type of player the Bucks should be targeting in this years draft. Sorry, I just don't agree with any of this. Not every player needs to have a good jump shot. Henson provides a ton of value on defense, and at times on the boards. (That's where he needs more consistency.) Whatever he does on offense is a bonus. Giannis, Parker, and MCW are the guys that need to develop their jump shots. If those guys are going to be the big guns for the next 10 years, they need to be able to shoot the ball better. They don't need that from Henson. If I remember right, Mutumbo and Rodman didn't have any jump shot either, but I'm pretty sure they were very important pieces on great teams. The difference between Henson and the Mutumbo, Rodman and Ben Wallaces of the league is John lacks the aggressiveness and high motoer those players had. The reason he struggles rebounding is his thin frame allows stronger players to puch him around but the bigger issue is his laid back mentality. Yes he will have solid games where he flashes what his true potential could be but his lack of work ethic does not allow him to ever sustain this production. My biggest fear is he will never have the personal drive to continueously work at getting better and remain inconsistent. IMO Henson has all of the tools and ability to be a top 10 big in the league but never will reach his full potential due to his lack of desire or comepitiveness. This is what seperates those who are simply naturally gifted like a Marvin Williams and the Dennis Rodman's of the world.

If you look at Henson's jumpshoot it looks forced and not fluid. This is something you cannot teach and normally limits there players from significantly improving over time. He has shown little improvement offensively in the three years he's been in the league and likely will never have a consistent mid-range game. What this team so deperately lacks is quality shooters who can stretch the defense and create lanes for our best players (Giannis, Parker and MCW). We cannot rely solely on our defense to get us to the next level. Yes it is working against a team who's offense is average at best but if you match us up against an elite team like Golden State, even with solid defense, we would not stand a chance offensively to compete. Improving overall team shooting and adding more consistent offensive options is what will get the Bucks to the next level of being perennial top 10 team in the league. If you want someone who can do both, I suggested Justin Anderson who projects to be a solid 3 and D guy. This is the type of player the Bucks should be targeting in this years draft.

I like the fact he can shoot the mid-range jumper which should help space the floor and clear the lane for MCW, Giannis and Parker to drive. Remember he is stuck behind Marc Gasol which is why his minutes have been limited. Unfortunately, $7-8M is what i believe a young big man who can shoot and pass will cost on the open market. As for not keeping Henson, he only has one solid offensive move, lacks motivation and is extremely inconsistent. Yes, he shows flashes but can never seem to put everything together for an extended period. I'm hoping some team will look at his 36PER numbers and think they have found a diamond in the rough who they can polish up and give us something of value in return. At worst we are spending $8M on a back up center who can spread the floor while flipping Henson for a stretch 4/5 in Kaminsky who has the ability to becone our starting center in the next couple of years. Koufos is also a better rebounder than Henson whihc is a current weakness on this team.

Bucks looked great last night and I'm excited for the future. As for the future, I would look to make a few changes this offseason to continue improving the roster. 1. Trade Henson (while his value is high) and Ennis along with the Clippers 1st Rd Pick to move up and get Kaminsky 2. Draft Justin Anderson at #17 3. Resign Middleton (4yrs/$60M) and Dudley (3yrs/$15M) 4. Sign Kendall Marshall (2yrs/$3M) to back up MCW 5. Sign Kosta Koufos (4yrs/$32M) Starting Lineup: PG - MCW SG - Middleton SF - Parker PF - Antetekounmpo C - Koufos Bench: PG - Marshall and Bayless SG - Mayo and Anderson SF - Dudley and Inglis PF - Kaminsky and Ilyasova C - Pachulia and Plumlee With roughly $22M coming off the books the following season, they will have plenty of money available to sign some decent free agents to fill out the bench and extend Giannis and Parker.

I'm not sure where you got this theory from but he was traded to Dallas this time. Maybe Mark Cuban specifically targeted him or maybe not. But I think the Bucks are a defensive minded team on the rise which could interest a player like Chandler. Also they have depth at center which could help prolong his career by regulating his minutes. He just seems like the perfect center for the Bucks.

Here is how I hope our offseason goes. My wish list would be: 1. Resign Middleton (5yrs/$55M) - Gives the Bucks a pure shooter who helps spread the floor for Giannis and Jabari. 2. Resign Dudley (3yrs/$15M) - Veteran player who can shoot and be a positive influence in the locker room. 3. Sign Tyson Chandler (3yrs/$24M) - Defensive minded center who can rebound and will not take touches away from Giannis, Jabari & Khris. 4. Trade #17 Pick and John Henson to move up and get Myles Turner - Gives the Bucks their future center who can develop and learn from Chandler. 5. Trade Clippers Future Pick and our 2nd Rd Pick to get Justin Anderson towards the end of the 1st Rd - Bucks get another shooter who can come off the bench for instant offense. At 6'6" 220, he is another large body who can also defend multiple positions. Starting Lineup: PG - Carter-Williams ($2.5M) SG - Middleton ($9M) SF - Antetekounmpo ($2M) PF - Parker ($5M) C - Chandler ($8M) Bench: PG - Ennis ($1.5M) PG - Bayless ($3M) SG - Mayo ($8M) SG - Anderson ($1M) SF/PF - Dudley ($5M) SF - Inglis ($1M) PF - Ilyasova ($8M) C - Pachulia ($5M) C - Turner ($2.5M) C - Plumlee ($2M)

Unfortunately, I think players like Cueto, Price, Zimmerman and Greinke are all going to cost more than the Brewers can afford. This leaves guys like Latos, Fister, Samardzija, Kennedy and Gallardo as options for the Brewers. I would personally like to see them target Latos or Fister if thier AAV stays around $17-18M. Add Latos or Fister to our existing starters Peralta, Garza, Nelson, Fiers and Jungmann (I believe Thornburg is destined to be a back of the rotation reliever) and this rotation offers a lot of potential. They could afford to sign one of the big names. They have the cash opening up and they could defer some money(which wouldn't be horrible as their next TV Deal will start in 2020). Not sure they could do it for 25mil+, but if one of them could be had for closer to $20mil I could see it. Only problem is a lot of our players will be into arbitration by the end of one of these big deals and money could be tight in the later years. The arbitration for players like Davis and Peralta could get costly unless the Brewers sign them to team friendly extensions early on like they did with Lucroy and Gallardo. How lucky did the Brewers get when Segura refused thier extenstion offer?

Unfortunately, I think players like Cueto, Price, Zimmerman and Greinke are all going to cost more than the Brewers can afford. This leaves guys like Latos, Fister, Samardzija, Kennedy and Gallardo as options for the Brewers. I would personally like to see them target Latos or Fister if thier AAV stays around $17-18M. Add Latos or Fister to our existing starters Peralta, Garza, Nelson, Fiers and Jungmann (I believe Thornburg is destined to be a back of the rotation reliever) and this rotation offers a lot of potential.

MCW had his best game as a Buck last night. 30 PTS, 5 AST, 5 REB, 3 STL and only 2 TO while shooting 64.7% from the field. I'm not expecting him to continue this kind of production but the potential is definitely there. Again if MCW can average 15/8/5 with a decent AST/TO ratio, I will consider the Knight trade a win for the Bucks.

Personally I would be happy if Gainnis could average 20 ppg/8 reb/4 ast to go along with Parker (20 ppg) and Middleton (15 ppg). This is a young and athletic top three to build around. If MCW can develop into a solid facilitator and we can find a solid center to protect the lane this team will consistently start making deep runs in the playoffs.

Add me to the list of ones for this trade. Getting a young starting pitcher and another live arm along with a veteran SS to back up Sardinas is a decent haul for someone who has been very inconsistent and yet to match the productivity in his only successful half season. Otherwise i would be interested in 3B prospect Gabriel Quintana. He is likely 2-3 years away from contributing but offers good power and upside.

I wonder if some of the $118M they raised will go towards the new practice facility. http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2015/01/29/milwaukee-bucks-owners-have-raised-nearly-118.html?page=all

They are predicting he will sign for $7-8M per year but I really believe some team will offer him $9-10M per based on his post trade production. They really need to shed some salary this offseason (i.e. Ilyasova, Mayo and/or Pachullia) to make a run at a solid center. The class in 2015 is much deeper than the one in 2016 which should bring some of their asking prices down. Personally, I would target, Greg Monroe, Robin Lopez, and/or Tyson Chandler depending on asking price. They should be able to afford $14-16M per year IF they can trade away one or more of the previously mentioned trade candidates.

Lineup (8): C Lucroy, 1B Lind, 2B Gennett, SS Sergura, 3B Ramirez, LF Davis, CF Gomez, RF Braun Bench (5): C Maldondo, IF Jimenez, IF H. Gomez, OF Parra, IF/OF Clark/Herrera AAA - Clark/Herrera, Rogers, Peterson, Schafer, Sardinas Rotation (5): Lohse, Garza, Peralta, Fiers, Nelson AAA - Thornburg, Jungmann, Cravy, Hellweg Bullpen (7): K-Rod, Broxton, Smith, Jeffress, Kintzler, Cotts, Perez/Henderson (if he gets his velocity back) AAA - Henderson/Perez, Knebel, Wooten, Goforth, Pena

Getting Jackson back will make our bench deeper and provide them with another scoring option. It would be nice to play a 16th seed in his first game back and allow him to get into a rhythm before playing a better team in the 2nd round to even the sweet sixteen.

Looks like the Duke and Virgina losses helped Wisconsin in the eyes of some. http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25106934/bracketology-wisconsin-a-no-1-seed-after-rough-night-for-duke-uva

Can Zobrist handle 3B? I know he normally plays, 2B, SS or in the OF but he seems like a versitile player who would fit in somewhere on the roster. He will be turning 35 in 2016 and could be had on a 3 year deal. Maybe 3yrs/$33M gets it done. He is just the type of high OBP. low strikeout guy to fits nicely in the leadoff or 2 hole. This move would allow some time for either Gatewood or Lara to develop.

Thoughts about trading Mayo's expiring contract along with the Clippers 2017 Protected 1st Rd pick for Nik Stauskas. This team needs more shooters who can help space the floor moving forward. His rookie contract pays him $2.8M next season with two team options for $3M and $3.8M. He would fit in well on the second team with Ennis, Dudley, Ilyasova and Henson/Plumlee. ----- Continued here: viewtopic.php?f=67&t=32908

My choices for bench spots is based on maintaining depth in the minors. I would go with Maldy, Parra, Gomez, Jiminez and Herrera. This allows Rogers, Clark, Sardinas, Schafer and Peterson to play full time in AAA to either continuing to develop or stay sharp.