Let the tanking begin!

I'm not really following this -- Embiid and Wiggins are two totally different entities. Wiggins was seen as the sure thing coming into this year with all the press. Embiid was the guy under the radar that emerged.

 

Also, I wouldn't call a guy like Embiid a "dime a dozen"…yeah, there are a ton of athletes in the NBA. But not many guys over seven foot tall are athletic. Embiid is off the charts athletic for a seven footer…his footwork is astounding for a guy with such a limited playing experience. I think you have to go back to Robinson or Hakeem to find a big man who is so fluid.

 

I do agree with you that it sure seems like in todays NBA the decision to go big over an athlete often backfires (Oden vs. Durant). But I'm not sure there's been anyone like Embiid in recent years.

 

I also agree they need to get this one right…you miss here, and the franchise is at stake.

I personally don't trust a "raw" big man with athleticism. I want a scorer with ball skills and preferably a strong defensive skill set. Raw big men are not Franchise players to me. Look at Kevin Love- really good player, right? Rebounds, scores, has range- but he's no franchise player. And Dwight Howard- he's just like Embiid. Is he a franchise player? No he's not, and he's finally proving that in Houston. He'll, I was advocating going after the guy, and boy am I glad that didn't happen.

I look around the league and I see one common denominator- a killer. Raw big men playing 23 minutes/game does scream "NBA" to me. I hear he's considering staying- it would be the right decision.

Of course, Parker is rumored to be thinking about it too. If that happens, this draft class gets completely f*cked... Wiggins would be the only guy left. Uhhhg.

I'd be thrilled if whoever they pick turns out as good as Love or Howard.

 

I get Howard's reputation has deservedly taken a hit these past two years. But he was a dominant player and presence his first seven years, including carrying Orlando to a finals. Even this year he's averaging 18 pts., 12 boards, and 2 blocks a game...very close to his career totals.

 

And Kevin Love is at 25 points and 13 boards a game this year.

 

Neither of them are Lebron, but you're talking about a once in a generation player like that or Jordan. If Embiid is even close to those guys, that's a homerun.

 

I'm wary about the big men as well...Oden, Bogut, even going back to Bowie it just doesn't seem to pan out when you automatically opt for big. But Embiid is very intriguing. He needs more strength, but he can be that rim defender that guys like Hibbert have become. But on the flip side, he's athletic enough to have some real offensive game. It's hard to watch a Kansas game and not be blown away by his potential -- and that's with sharing a court with Wiggins.

 

 

No- need a franchise player. Need a killer.

Get the big man this year, suck balls for another year, get the best point guard available after that. 

It's been really interesting to follow the mock draft charts because things continue to change.  A lot can also depend on who is staying in school and who is coming out. 

 

Embiid will likely go #1 if he comes out because he's a big guy with freakish ability and those type of prospects (historically) tend to be valued higher than SF or backcourt players.  I also think that teams will continue to look at the "next best thing" even if there's some risk involved.

 

I love Parker's game and he's easily the most consistent/safest pick but I also wonder about his limitations.   While he does everything pretty well and he's mature he's got a ceiling to his game and the Bucks don't need another Glenn Robinson or Andrew Bogut.  Those guys did everything "pretty well" but they need a LeBron or Garnett or Durant - a dominant player.   

 

I would say that Embiid, Wiggins, and to some extent Randle all fit that mold but they are not risk-free choices either.  With Wiggins and Randle there are questions about their work ethic and with Embiid I think he needs to get stronger and work on his post game more. 

 

Still, if you get it right with a Wiggins or Embiid there's no doubt that the Bucks could go from obscurity to being relevant in a short period of time.   That's basically what happened to Seattle/OKC when they got Durant.   The Bucks need to finally hit on one of these top picks and they haven't had that since Ray Allen was chosen - but they never saw his best years for a number of reasons.

 

A few months ago I would have said they have to take Parker but I've changed my opinion a little bit on this.   I don't like some of the risks involved with a guy like Wiggins but again, if they get it right he could be the next LeBron and that's what this team needs.

 

They've been wrong or missed on so many other players over the years that what's another miss?  

The only one that seems to be a lock to come out is Wiggins. Parker and Embiid are both talking about staying. I haven't heard about Smart or Randall. If Parker and Embiid stay in school, that torpedoes the 4-6 positions.

I'll bet that Hammond is biting his nails with all this stuff flying around...

The Bucks are clearly in the drivers seat for the worst record in the league.   As it stands today the only two guys that seem to be certainties to enter the draft are Wiggins and Exum.  I think when it's all said and done Embiid declares for the draft whereas I think Parker stays in school.  

 

In reality, I think the Bucks could use any one of those three guys.  I like Knight and the alphabet kid and they have some options in the frontcourt but clearly any one of those three guys would upgrade the talent on the roster.   The other factor is that with Butler and Ridnour's salaries coming off the books after this year they could go out and pursue a free agent or two. 

 

Two years from now they have a lot of salary coming off the books so the best case scenario for Milwaukee is they secure a top 1/2 pick this year, dump salary next season, then tank and get another top pick because the 2015 draft could look pretty decent as well especially if a couple of these guys like Embiid and Parker stay in school. 

 

In a perfect world they'd get a Wiggins and Embiid or Exum and Parker in back to back years.   That would make things interesting in Milwaukee for sure.

I do not suspect they intend to "double tank". They have some cap flexibility, and with rumors of the Bucks putting Sanders on the market, with some rumblings about Ilyasova as well, who knows? Maybe they're making a play at Carmelo to double dip- Lottery and big splash FA. I seriously doubt Carmelo even considering the Milwaukee market, but the trade for Rasheed was risky for Detroit and Wallace and it won them a Championship. And Larry Drew is no Larry Brown...

I think if you asked the Bucks brain trust this year they'd say they didn't intend to tank this year but, I don't know any other way to explain it but a complete implosion.

 

Hammonds and Kohl don't seem to be the tanking type so I agree- I don't think they will purposely try to throw next season although any of us could make a business case why that's the best thing for this franchise to do.

 

There are going to be free agents next year but I doubt a Carmelo or Wade or LeBron or Bosh- the big name guys with early termination options- will want to come to Milwaukee.   There could be some other options though- namely Danny Granger, Rodney Stuckey, and Kyle Lowry.   I really wanted Jeff Teague last year and they were close but they might want to go after a Lowry.   I think Brandon Knight is a good player but will he put them over the top?   Not sure.

 

 

 

 

The good thing that this season has done is they're getting playing time for all the young players they have. Look at the Pacers- they slowly assembled talent, made a couple deft moves, made a key FA signing (West) and now they're actually going to give Miami a run this year. The landing of George as a post lottery pick was their master stroke- completely accelerated their plan without needing to completely tank. You know,  maybe Antetokoumpo is the Bucks' version of George.

Nate Wolters has actually gotten some pretty decent publicity lately in terms of post draft evaluation.   We all know Giannis has been hyped and I think Knight has played a little better than expected but I agree it's good that they are starting to feature some of their younger guys more because in reality I think they need to see what they've got.   Personally, I'd also get John Henson as much PT as they can.

 

The one guy that has played great is Khris Middleton.   He's scored in double digits something like he's last 15 games and his shooting percentage is close to 50%.   He is also a very good free throw shooter.   I think he gets lost in the shuffle because he's not a flashy guy like Giannis but I'll tell you what if he continues playing like he has maybe they have their SF of the future.   He's basically a rookie like Wolters or Giannis and is making the most of the opportunity.

 

The guy I'm really disappointed with is Larry Sanders.    He's had a nightmare season - which maybe for this year isn't the worst thing in the world because they need a top draft pick.   However, they cannot be paying him $11MM per year to play like ****.   Either he needs to get better or they need to deal him.   To a lesser extent it's the same way I feel about Ersan.   My guess is that there's a good chance at least one of them won't be on the roster next year and it would not surprise me to see them deal Ridnour or Butler or Neal because they have expiring contracts and aren't in the long term future of the club anyway.

 

We've said this for a while now but it's not like the team is devoid of talent.  They just need a stud to bring it all together.  I like the pieces they are assembling but a Durant or LeBron type talent is what they are lacking and if they can get lucky maybe they win the lottery and hit on that pick with a Wiggins or Embiid or one of those guys. 

 

San Antonio and Indiana and OKC are some examples of teams that were able to build through the draft and sign a FA or two and they became very solid contenders.  Portland is another team that is on the verge.  I think teams like Miami that make a splash in free agency are the outliers of the league.   I mean, Brooklyn and the NYK and Detroit went crazy in FA and their teams are an absolute disaster.  

 

Clearly, the Bucks could have done a better job drafting over the last several years but this past years draft is looking pretty good and they basically parlayed Brandon Jennings into Knight and Middleton- two other pretty decent young players.    If Henson can continue to develop and somehow Sanders gets his act together and they add another stud in the draft all of a sudden this team is in pretty good shape.   

 

 

What awesome news to hear comments that Antetokoumpo might rate as the top guy of the rookie class.  That is totally awesome!

 

So assuming a stud does get added. obviously the Bucks are heading in a positive direction.  I just don't feel good about Sanders from these reports.  Not only not playing well, but he seems a real tool character-wise.

 

As far as how teams become legit, look at the recent champions.  Miami (FA), Spurs (hitting lottery with Duncan + great drafts in Ginobili and Parker + just a great organization).  Lakers (FA).  Celtics (acquiring Garnett, Allen).  Going back quite a few years now but Lakers with getting Shaq.

 

So, it looks tilted in the direction of acquiring some well known superstar(s).

 

Though no doubt some of the real good teams now though not yet champions, did it the way it would seem the Bucks possibly could - Thunder, Trailblazers, Pacers.

 

I wonder how much of the Pacer's success is the emergence of Hibbert, having a big center.  Is not happening often these days.

What has really put Indiana over the top is the emergence of Paul George.   We talk about Durant and LeBron but George is a top 10 player in this league and a bonafide stud.  

You can see glimpses of that in Giannis.   His athleticism is off the charts and if he figures out the game look out NBA.  Heck, I see glimpses of that in Sanders too.   Look at Sanders last night (dominant) and for portions of last year.   They might be prudent to take a wait and see approach with him because as crappy as this year has been for Sanders they would be giving him away this year for nothing in a trade and he has so much ability.

Even with a couple of recent wins the Bucks are still up 3-4 games on the Sixers for the worst record in the league.   It's critical that they get that top seed in the lottery IMO.  We all know that doesn't guarantee anything but it ensures they can't go any lower than #4 I think.

 

 

I think that assessment of Antetokoumpo is accurate- he's very Paul George-like in that early stages his career. If he can understand the game like George has been Able to do, the length and athleticism makes him a matchup nightmare. Like George.

You add another elite player to that scenario and you have something. And at the very least, Antetokoumpo won't be the type to yearn for the bigger market. Doesn't seem like it anyway. Hammond might have really connected on that pick.

And this might shift this years pick- I still prefer the best wing available, but if they already have that wing (which we won't know yet), maybe the best big man is the right guy. Or maybe Wiggins as a developmental guy as a F, and then both guys become interchangeable. It does open up a few doors that may not have been there before. But that's if, and a big if, Antetokoumpo is that guy.

The highest  spot the Bucks can possibly get this year is 4th. The top 3 spots will go to the Lakers, Celtics and either 76ers or NY. Not that I think the NBA draft is fixed or anything like that.

Til Philly shows them how losing really works.

 

With the 5th pick in the draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select...

Don't underestimate the Bucks ability to lose close games.  They've always got a bad quarter or half of play in them on any particular night.

 

Bad win for the Bucks last night.  Only 2 games up on Philly now for the most ping pong balls.  18 games left - Philly has lost 17 straight.  Can they possibly extend it to 35 to end the season??

I finally looked at regular season standings.  Yup, 2 games "up" on 6'ers.  I also noticed Bucks took 2/3 against them.

 

C'mon Bucks, you can do it.  You can claim the cellar!

It's not Philadelphia I'm worried about. The Lakers currently are tied for the 4th worst record in the league and just shut down Bryant for the remainder of the year. I'm guessing Gasol will come down with knee tendinitis here shortly. It probably doesn't matter anyway since the league will make sure the Lakers win the lottery anyway so they can promote Kobe mentoring Andrew Wiggins.

Awful.

Philly has been in complete tank mode for weeks now.  The funny thing is that it took them a lot longer than expected to get there. 

 

Milwaukee still up 2 games with 16 to play.  C'mon Bucks, let's make this wire to wire

10 games remaining and now Philly is only 1 game behind.  26 losses in a row and they aren't purposely tanking?  LMAO!

Philly is 2 and 8 in their last 10 and the Bucks are 1 and 9 plus they got beat by the Pacers and the Pacers sat all of their starters for the entire game. You can't tank any better than that.

Well, at least the Bucks are good at something!

 

1. Milwaukee Bucks (15-64)
2. Philadelphia 76ers (17-62)

 

3 games to go.  C'mon baby, we can DO IT!!!

Okay, with 2 games to go, the 76ers would have to lose both (highly likely) and the Bucks would have to win both (highly unlikely) to tie. So tell me, is there clearly a #1 player in this draft that's going to make a difference? I mean the Bucks lost to the Pacers and the Pacers sat ALL 5 of their starters. I just don't see one player making a difference with this team.

If the Bucks loose one more game then they only secured the 4th slot in the draft. Even if the NBA lottery is "legitimate" they can only be sure of getting no worst then  the 4th pick.  And yes I do not trust the NBA.

turnip is correct, they have the best chance of any team to get the 1st pick, but odds are greater that someone else in the field gets the 1st pick. 

I was curious about  the likelihood of were the Bucks would draft if they did ended up with the worst record. I looked it up on wiki.

They most likely would pick 4th 35 7 chance.

1st 25%

2nd 21.5%

3rd 17.8%

But, a 64.3% chance they have one of picks 1-3 (going by your post).

Oh yea they did it.

Not that the Bucks got much the last couple of times they picked first.

And yes there is a 64.3 percent chance they will have a top 3 pick.

Or there is a 53.5 they will have the 3rd or 4th pick.

Parker declares. Wiggins, Embiid, Randle, Smart, Gordon... all have declared.

Next up is ping pong balls and we'll see which one the Bucks have a shot at...

I thought you said King Kong balls.

Parker coming out is huge for the Bucks and the draft lottery.   He's my #1 choice if they get the opportunity to take him.  My #2 choice?  I've flipped on this and it's Smart.   He's a 6'4" beast that competes like a mother and has a bit of an edge - sort of Gary Payton like- but he's built like  LeBron.  

Embiid should be higher on my list but the injury concerns scare the crap out of me and the Greg Oden flashbacks and comparisons are real.