Do the Bucks Stop Here?
Written by Jon Brown and edited by Jason Rubin
One of the biggest surprises of this NBA season has been the play of the Milwaukee Bucks, who were projected by many to be one of the worst teams in the league. They have taken the NBA by storm thanks in part to a team committment to coach Scott Skiles' defensive schemes. Their gritty defense is keeping them competitive despite the fact that 6 of the 13 players who have seen action for the Bucks this season are shooting below .400 from the field. Their hot start can also be attributed to the play of early Rookie of the Year candidate, Brandon Jennings. His choice to go to Europe and get in an extra year as a professional really helped him learn what it takes to be a professional.
Jennings is leading all rookies with just under 25 points per game to go along with nearly 6 assists per game and 5 rebounds per game. On top of that he's shooting a respectable 47.7% from the field and is connecting on over half of his three point attempts, proving critics wrong who have cited the range on his shot as a weakness. However, questions still linger as to whether or not the Bucks can keep it up and whether or not Jennings can keep playing at a high level. A few issues stand in their way. First of all, will Jennings hit the rookie wall? It's a common fear for first year players who have never played this many games in a season before. Can Jennings’ body handle the rigors of the NBA after playing 40 or 50 games? Only time will tell if Jennings can fight fatigue better than his fellow freshman.
I personally can see Jennings handling his heavy load better than most due to his season in Europe. As I mentioned, it should have groomed him for life as a professional so he has an edge on the competition. Jennings also seems to be very well conditioned and besides, he has a very capable back-up in Luke Ridnour who is capable of taking on an extra five minutes a game or so later on in the season to keep him rested. But there will be other factors besides fatigue that could cause Jennings’ performance to slip.
Thus far, shooting guard Michael Redd has only played two games for the Bucks. Prior to this season, Redd had been considered the Bucks’ first option on offense – though one wonders if that will change with Jennings in town. Perhaps when Redd returns Jennings will be able to focus more on distributing and Redd can pick up any scoring slack that might occur if Jennings were to hit a rookie wall. Jennings should welcome the accurate long-range shooting Michael Redd offers, a deadly weapon for Jennings to kick it out to when he penetrates and gets into the paint. Perhaps Jennings will keep his place in the Bucks’ pecking order. After all, his production is leading to wins. In other words, if it ain't broke, don’t fix it. However, Redd is the established presence on this team, so how does he feel about this situation? He seems like a professional who would welcome being a second option if it meant competing, but only time will reveal if the backcourt chemistry is right between these two. If they mesh well, the Bucks should prove to be a legitimate playoff bound team.
The Bucks also need the role players to keep it up and not run out of gas. Scott Skiles demands a gritty and intense effort every night from his players and guys like Hakim Warrick, Charlie Bell, Dan Gadzuric, Carlos Delfino and Luc Mbah a Moute have seemingly been more than happy to step up and provide it. Former first overall pick, Andrew Bogut, has also picked things up on the defensive end, playing at a level which many doubted he could. He is also second in team scoring with roughly 16 points per contest. If any of Milwaukee’s big men slip up and stop hustling and playing defense, they have veteran leader Kurt Thomas there to either give them a push in the right direction or steal their minutes. I don't see any reason why the Bucks can't remain one of the better defensive teams in the league as long as their supporting cast stays focused and fresh. The potential dog fight for the bottom four play-off spots in the East just got noisier because I don't see the Bucks stopping their great play anytime soon.
