posted October 26, 2006 at 10:02 EST in NBA Articles

Redd makes them tick

I like what the Milwaukee Bucks have done with their roster the past couple of seasons, acquiring a nice mix of talented youngsters and wily, but not overly aging, veterans.

However, I have to say that I think the instability at the top of the franchise (the team may be sold at some point in the near future) will eventually lead to instability on the court. 

As most adults will readily admit, s - -t usually rolls downhill - and most times, manages to land squarely on the people who least deserve it. In this case, that could be the Bucks players and coaches.

At any rate, I think the Bucks are headed in the right direction and should once again be a legitimate playoff team in 2006-07. Here’s my preview on Milwaukee for the upcoming season.

Point Guard

The Bucks traded away promising point guard, T.J. Ford this past offseason because of the apparent talent of former backup, Mo Williams, who provided several absolutely electric moments for Milwaukee last season. The Bucks also made a wise move by acquiring veteran, Steve Blake who will provide excellent leadership and outside shooting ability when Williams is not on the floor. If former Temple Owl, Lynn Greer ever gets the hang of playing the point guard position, Milwaukee could also benefit from Greer’s best asset – his wonderful shooting ability.

Shooting Guard

Michael Redd is no longer just an outstanding shooter. The talented sniper has developed into a much more complete player and a real team leader who can create a shot for himself at any time from any spot on the floor. Youngster, Charlie Bell is going to be a fine player as well and can certainly fill in capably for Redd for stretches of time.

Small Forward

Bobby Simmons is an excellent all-around player who probably doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. Simmons is a decent scorer and shooter and should probably be better in his second year in Milwaukee after learning of how to mesh his game with Redd’s. 

One move the Bucks made that I didn’t like was the acquisition of perennial head case, Rueben Patterson. Yes, Patterson is athletic, but he is not a particularly good shooter or defender – and we all know what kind of person he is. Why Milwaukee ever signed him, I have no idea, but like most teams that have employed Patterson, they will probably end up regretting their decision at some point in the near future.

Power Forward

The Bucks acquired the talented Charlie Villanueva by trading Ford to the Toronto Raptors In a move that should benefit both teams. Villanueva, who put up very good numbers last season in limited playing time, could turn out to be a 20 and 10 player in the league for a long time. At the very least, I expect Villanueva to put up 16 and 8 on a regular basis. Veteran Brian Skinner, a hustling overachiever, will spell Villanueva and provide the Bucks with plenty of high energy, rebounding and defense off the bench.

Center

The Bucks made a wise choice by selecting Andrew Bogut with the number one overall selection in last season’s draft. Bogut may never turn out to be a dominating low post player, but he is smart and doesn’t seem too timid, two good traits a lot of veteran centers can’t claim they have. Backup Dan Gadzuric is a player I’ve always liked – and expected more out of. He is a little more athletic that Bogut, if not as solid in some other areas.

Prognosis

I expect the Bucks to make the playoffs again this upcoming season, but will probably need a little more firepower to advance past the first round this year. If Williams and Villanueva mesh well with the Bucks’ other starters, then who knows, a second round appearance could be in the works.

Eric Williams is a syndicated columnist and can be heard every Wednesday at 3pm EST on BetUSradio.com. You can contact Eric at Eklass66@yahoo.com.