From Brandon Jennings to the NBA Draft to the aging Bradley Center to basketball in paradise, We’re Bucked has all the latest relevant and irrelevant Milwaukee Bucks news covered.
Addressing the Brandon Jennings trade rumors
"“The Milwaukee Bucks reportedly would be open to listening to offers for guard Brandon Jennings.”– Cleveland Plain Dealer"
This broad-based, end of sidebar rumor has been discussed by various media members, and shot down by another that didn’t join the trend of ending their headline with a question mark, so I won’t spend a lot of time explaining why Brandon Jennings is more valuable than anything the team would realistically get in return, short of the top two picks in the upcoming NBA Draft.
What I will say is that there is a major difference between “shopping” a player and “listening to offers” for that player. Part of the problem with this rumor is that a few writers didn’t take the time to differentiate between these two in their headlines or opening paragraphs, so naturally the incredibly generic piece of information is blown up into a “Milwaukee Bucks might want to get rid of Brandon Jennings” falsehood.
Every player in every sport can be acquired for the right price, so the fact that Jennings is expendable on some level simply shouldn’t be surprising. Nearly every pro athlete knows this, and if they don’t, they’re probably named Jay Cutler or Brett Favre. Like the Peter Gammons-Ryan Braun rumor last winter, this one probably has no legs and will be an afterthought in a couple weeks.
Do you love NBA mock drafts?
Mock drafts are popular in any sport because they tend to tickle the endorphins that make fantasy drafting so much fun, and provide an easy table for discussions over rising and falling stocks. I’m personally not the biggest mock draft proponent in the world, but I admit to perusing them every once in a while. Here’s a quick rundown list of mock-ups worth following as the 2011 NBA Draft draws closer:
T.E.F.S.A.A. Party (Taxed Enough For Sports Arenas Already)
How and when to replace the Bradley Center has become a fairly popular (and dividing) topic lately. Gov. Scott Walker predictably rejected the use of any public funding for a new facility after Milwaukee businessman Tim Sheehy floated the idea of extending the current .1 percent sales tax that was first implemented in 1996 to help pay for Miller Park.
In his Sunday column, OnMilwaukee’s Andrew Wagner lays out why he believes extending the tax is a bad idea, citing the fact that there’s little public support, and there are much bigger state, national, and NBA economic issues that deserve priority attention.
Wagner is absolutely right that a new arena won’t cure everything wrong with the Bucks, and the team has a favorable deal in place at the Bradley Center. It’s also a fact that the general public wants improved schools and infrastructure, but doesn’t want to pay for them, so why would a sports arena be the exception?
However, Wagner’s argument centers mostly on public support of the Bucks, which is far from the only thing beneficial about a new complex. A modernized arena would certainly boost the equity of Milwaukee’s downtown, draw in more national entertainment and sporting events, and likewise be as big of a return on investment as Miller Park has been over the past 11 years.
We have a few years before a concrete decision needs to be made about the Bradley Center and the Milwaukee Bucks, and it’s a good thing the issue is being discussed pro-actively. Wagner brings up good points, but including some public funds for a new Bradley Center is almost guaranteed to provide a major return on investment for Wisconsin and its largest city.
John Hammond loves BPAs
Hoops World has a few interesting quotes from Bucks GM John Hammond on the team’s “Best Player Available” approach to the 10th overall pick in the upcoming draft:
"“We’re probably going to go best player rather than need, because we feel we have multiple needs,” Hammond said. “That’s probably why we’re here — because we have multiple needs. We could add some shooting to our team. Who doesn’t need that? We also feel that we need to be more athletic — the old Jimmy Johnson rule, ‘Speed Kills.’ I think speed and quickness would be good for us. We do have multiple needs and we’ll see what we can address through this process.”"
Hammond said the exact same thing about this time a year ago, so it’s good to know he’s consistent in his draft philosophy. Whoever that BPA is, the odds are pretty good that he’ll fit an immediate and long-term need, and will be a wing.
How much is Derrick Williams worth to the Bucks?
That is probably a question rooted more in fun speculation than serious consideration, but Chad Ford did report that the Bucks could be calling the Minnesota Timberwolves about that No. 2 pick. Frank Madden over at Brew Hoop suggests a possible move that involves Brandon Jennings, but points out the fact that Milwaukee has little to offer other than him.
In ironic Milwaukee Bucks news…
John Salmons, Corey Maggette, and Jon Brockman will be participating in “A Night of Shooting Stars” on June 4 in Maui, Hawaii. Obviously the Basketball Maui organizers didn’t watch many Bucks games if those three are included in a night of shooting basketballs, but I’m sure Salmons, Maggette, and Brockman wrestled for months with the decision to spend a few days in Hawaii.