Mar 20, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) fouls Golden State Warriors forward Marreese Speights (5) with Milwaukee Bucks center John Henson (31) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 115-110. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
I think it’s time to give a lot of Bucks fans a reality check. This team was not meant to be amazing this season. In fact, Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose had them pegged tentatively as the 28th best team in the NBA coming into this season.
That seemed low to me at the time, but I did envision the Bucks as a middle of the road, 30 win team. Instead they won 30 games by the All-Star break, making me, Bill, Jalen and a lot of other analysts look pretty dumb.
That was paradise. Brandon Knight was having a career year, Giannis seemed to take massive strides (even for him) forward, and role players like Jared Dudley and John Henson were playing some of the best basketball they have ever played. Before the All-Star break it seemed as though the Bucks would have a fairly good shot at not just making the playoffs, but making it to the second round.
Then John Hammond decided to have us all snap back to reality. He traded away Knight in exchange for two young point guards (I’m no longer sure which was more desired) and the Plumdog Millionaire (who’s actually pretty good himself and much more commonly known as Miles Plumlee). And things fell apart, as they so often do.
The Bucks have won just two of their eight games since trading Brandon Knight, and Milwaukee’s fanbase is freaking out. Needlessly freaking out. Most people seem to have forgotten that this season was about continuing to rebuild, not about making a deep playoff run.
I’m not entirely sure trading Knight was the right decision, but I am entirely sure that no one will know for sure for years. Judging the “success” of the trade on the next few dozen games is illogical: that’s not the point of the trade. I don’t think you can say anything about if it was a good grade for years, until we all get a chance to see Knight’s development against that of Plumlee, Michael Carter-Williams and Tyler Ennis.
So stop tweeting about how it was . You’re for thinking this trade can be judged based on 20-some games (unless you read my articles in which case you’re and it’s not a problem).
Anyway, let’s get down to business. The Bucks had four games this week (all on the West Coast), so let’s go through them and see what happened…
…as much as I’d rather just pretend the Bucks didn’t play at all this week…
Next: Trouble In The City Of Angels