If you believe some insightful NBA officials, it’s simply because the Bucks are playing the waiting game. They are biding their time until the Memphis Grizzlies’ season ends and they can talk to Grizzlies free-agent in-waiting coach Lionel Hollins.

Some NBA insiders claim Hollins is still very interested in the Bucks’ job. They note Hollins enjoyed his brief stint in Milwaukee, forged a good rapport with the Bucks’ management and is even intrigued by a few of the team’s players.

NBA.com: Cleveland won the NBA’s draft lottery last night for the second time in three years (and the third time in the past 11 years).  With a core of Kyrie Irving (and perhaps Nerlens Noel?), the Cavs threaten to be the future Central Division roadblock that Chicago and Indiana are for the time being.

There’s the show on ESPN that announces the winners, but prior to that, there’s the show before the show, the one where the lottery balls are plucked out and four-ball combinations determine the first, second, and third draft picks.

I bet these two guys can make a hell of a smoothie.

Twitter:  Larry Sanders has an invite to tryout for the U.S. men’s basketball team this summer.

Just found out I got selected to workout/tryout for the USA Basketball team this summer! Such and amazing honor,Glory be to God! #Olympics

— Nappy Gilmore(@LarrySanders) May 22, 2013

All this lottery buzz for Cleveland lends itself to thinking about Mike Brown and LeBron James’ time with the Cavs.  For a while, LeBron played like the player with the most talent, but also like a player who had no idea how to put it to good use.  There were too many offensive possessions that ended without anyone but him touching the ball.  He looked uncoached or uncoachable, for lack of a better phrase. His scoring and defense were amazing almost from the start, but he had room to grow with respect to rebounding, playing offense from the paint, and passing in the overall context of a team’s offense.

In 2013, he dominates the NBA and has now make a case for himself as one of the all-time greatest players.  What happened in-between? Could it have been his experience in international play?

Back in 2008, Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski threatened to leave LeBron off the Olympic team.  Four years later, they were singing his praise as the world’s greatest player.

“LeBron James is a different player and a different person than he was in ’06,” Colangelo said in a private moment after the United States’ 107-100 gold medal victory. “And I say that with exclamation marks. He’s matured incredibly as a person, player and leader.”

Sanders isn’t LeBron James, of course.  But he could mature a bit.  And playing with the world’s greatest assemblage of talent on one team and learning from Krzyzewski or a Kryzewski-level coach can’t hurt, can it? What if we assume that Sanders doesn’t suffer a physical injury during international play?

The U.S. men’s basketball team holds a mini-camp July 22-25 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution:  Despite still technically being the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Larry Drew interviewed for an identical position with the Milwaukee Bucks Monday.  According to Chris Vivlamore, Drew communicated via text message that the meeting “went well”.

The 2013 Milwaukee Bucks weren’t exactly known for their efficiency, but they sure made quick work of the playoffs. The Bucks became the first team eliminated from the 2013 NBA Playoffs after their fourth straight convincing loss to the Miami Heat.

Game 4 followed a similar trend to the previous three contests. Milwaukee managed to hang around for three and a half quarters – never leading, but never trailing by more than 11. The Heat eventually pulled away in the fourth quarter to secure a 88-77 win , thanks to a 19-5 run that finally sealed Milwaukee’s playoff fate.

“The Heat know their strength,” Bucks guard Monta Ellis said. “They know when to turn it on, and that’s what they did the whole series. We’ve been playing close, playing hard – they’re just a better team.”

Demoralized by its team’s inconsistent play and 3-0 deficit, the sellout crowd failed to generate a playoff atmosphere. When the Bucks would make a mini-run, Ray Allen and Udonis Haslem were there to answer with wide-open corner threes and uncontested midrange jumpers, respectively.

“It seemed like every time we were making some sort of move, the Heat would make a big play or we would commit a turnover,” Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. “When you’re playing against a quality team like Miami, and you makes some mistakes, they usually capitalize.”

The Heat didn’t even need star shooting guard Dwyane Wade, who sat out with a sore right knee. Wade received treatment in the locker room prior to the game and was suited up on the bench, but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra never intended on using him Sunday afternoon. Mike Miller replaced Wade in the starting lineup.

Bucks forward Luc Mbah a Moute was tasked with chasing around LeBron James for 40 minutes and received high praise from the reigning MVP after the game.

“Mbah a Moute is a very disciplined, strong defender,” James said. “He tries to keep you off balance, and if you’re not strong with the ball, he can cause turnovers. I watched a lot of film on him throughout the year on who he guarded – some of the best offensive players that we have in our game – and how he approached that matchup.”

Despite Mbah a Moute’s defensive effort, James led the Heat with 30 points on an efficient 13-20 shooting from the field. He added eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals to his line.

The only other Heat players in double figures were Haslem (13 points, 6-9 fg, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks), Allen (16 points, 5-10 fg, 4-7 3p, 7 rebounds) and Chris Bosh (10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks). Milwaukee’s perimeter players were guilty of sagging in too far when James penetrated and not fighting through screens, which resulted in no shortage of open looks for Allen, Shane Battier, Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers.

Monta Ellis (20 points, 10-20 fg, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 turnovers), Mike Dunleavy (17 points, 5-9 fg, 3-6 3p, 5 rebounds) and J.J. Redick (10 points, 5-11 fg, 0-3 3p) kept Milwaukee alive offensively. All other Bucks combined to shoot just 24.4 percent (10-41) from the field.

After the game, Milwaukee’s players and head coach were left to address the future and reminisce about this season — one that can be viewed as both a success or failure depending on the standard.

“Our goal coming into this season was to make the playoffs,” Bucks head coach Jim Boylan said. “We have a young team that is inexperienced in a lot of ways. The opportunity for them to play against the world champions in a four game series and compete well – and I know they swept us 4-0 — is going to pay dividends down the road for all of our guys.”

Bucks guard Brandon Jennings sat out the entire fourth quarter and played only 22 minutes. Boylan opted to go with Ellis at point guard in the final frame, with shooters J.J. Redick and Mike Dunleavy surrounding him. Jennings finished with just three points on 1-7 shooting, one assist and one steal.

“With some matchups out there, I just felt that we needed to stay with the guys that were out there, who were giving us a little offense,” Boylan said.

Apparently, that explanation never trickled down to his starting point guard.

“I have no idea,” said Jennings, when asked why he was benched in the fourth quarter. “I just play the game to play. It’s something I can’t really dwell on, because I don’t know and I don’t really have an answer.”

Jennings’ benching came under severe scrutiny given his hazy future with the team. Jennings, whom the Bucks failed to reach an agreement with on an extension, will have big decisions to make this summer. He can either enter into restricted free agency this summer or force Milwaukee’s hand by accepting a one-year qualifying offer (worth around $4.5 million), after which he would become an unrestricted free agent.

When directly asked if he wants to stay in Milwaukee, Jennings gave an ambiguous response.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I can’t really answer that right now. You’ll know July 1.”

Boylan, whose own status with the team remains unclear, is hoping Jennings will be back in a Bucks uniform next season and beyond.

“I think he’ll be back,” Boylan said. “Brandon is a big part of our franchise. He’s been here with me the whole time. I’ve watched him develop, and he’s done some great things for our team in a lot of different ways – both on the floor and off the floor.”

Jennings isn’t the only starting guard with contract decisions awaiting. Ellis’ future with the team is equally murky, but he took time after the game to reflect on the positives of this season.

“There are always great things,” Ellis said. “I love my teammates. I love the situation that we were in. We just have to get better, and that’s the biggest thing.”

Yet, he shied away from speculating on his future with the Bucks. Ellis, 27, holds an $11 million player option for next season and could opt out to pursue another long-term contract.

“That’s a decision I have to make,” Ellis said. “I still haven’t had time to sit down and think about it yet.”

Those words also ring true for many other members of the Milwaukee Bucks. Dunleavy and Redick, who are both set to become unrestricted free agents, will have to consider whether Milwaukee is the best place to extend their careers. Marquis Daniels and Samuel Dalembert will join them in free agency. The Bucks hold a team option on Gustavo Ayon for $1.5 million. Joel Przybilla will likely contemplate retirement. Larry Sanders and Ekpe Udoh may have to mull over a potential contract extension offers. Bucks GM John Hammond will have to decide whether to retain Boylan and his staff.

But more importantly, Milwaukee’s front office will have to commit to a vision for the future.

The only question is, will it still be “playoffs or bust”?