The Bucks basically had a fire sale this off-season and the team is without Richard Jefferson, Charlie Villanueva, and Ramon Sessions. They did end up drafting Brandon Jennings, who couldn’t get into a college because of low SAT scores, so he played a mediocre year in Europe. Can you really put your franchise in the hands of a guy that couldn’t handle simple word problems on the SAT? It’s going to be a long season in Milwaukee and this team appears to be a few years ago from contending for anything but a lottery pick. Here is my 2009-10 NBA Preview for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Additions/Subtractions – Let’s start off with the people who aren’t on the Bucks this year. Ramon Sessions, Richard Jefferson, and Charlie Villanueva are all on better teams and the Bucks will miss them severely. Sessions was a huge surprise last year, but you can’t ignore his scoring ability. The additions on this team aren’t exactly huge names, but they did do well with the draft. They picked Brandon Jennings, who is flashy and Milwaukee needs some sort of identity and he can help this team in that department. Jodie Meeks was a big-time scorer at Kentucky and could end up becoming a Ramon Sessions typer of player for the Bucks. In a “I didn’t forget to mention” section, they also acquired Hakim Warrick, Amir Johnson, and Kurt Thomas, take what you will from this, it doesn’t mean much.
2009-10 Expectations – They over-achieved a little bit last season by winning 36 games. They have to expect a season around their 2007-08 season when they only won 26 games. They are in a rebuilding mode since they lost nearly half of their scoring by either trading or not re-signing Jefferson, Sessions, and Villanueva. You know your team is in trouble when you have Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Amir Johnson as your starting forwards. If the Bucks can get another lottery pick next year to help out at SF/PF, this team could be good in a couple years.
2009-10 Prediction – Michael Redd will be traded this season for more youth. They need to move him, he hasn’t been the same since his injury two seasons ago. Brandon Jennings, if he can get enough playing time, could end up being a Rookie Of The Year contender, but Luke Ridnour is currently scheduled in as the starter. The Bucks aren’t very good defensively and they will be in the bottom 5 in the Points Against category. Scott Skiles, a fellow Indiana white boy, will be on the hot seat and could end up being fired if he doesn’t get more than 25 wins out of this team. It isn’t fair that they drained this team of talent, but he will be the fall guy if this team becomes laughable.
2009-10 Win Total – 23-59
