Butcoach Scott Skiles and his revamped team have worked wonders. With one gameleft in the regular season, they were No. 6 in the East and bound for a playoffmatchup with Atlanta or Boston.
Howdid it happen? Andrew Bogut emerged as a top-notch center before suffering aseason-ending injury this month; Brandon Jennings dazzled as a rookie pointguard; new forwards Carlos Delfino and Ersan Ilyasova proved to be steadycontributors; shooting guards Jerry Stackhouse and John Salmons arrived duringthe season and replaced the injured Michael Redd's scoring punch. Most of all,the Bucks bought into Skiles' credo of intensity and defense. The Observers jointhe applause.
Frank:The phrase "steaming into the playoffs" seems apt, given the Bucks'skirmishes with the Celtics on Saturday night.
Artie:"Big Baby" Davis got huffy with a hard foul by Kurt Thomas, thenStackhouse and Paul Pierce got tangled up, and amid the woofing andtechnical-foul calls Scott Skiles went ballistic and got tossed.
Frank:And in Boston's previous visit Davisnailed Jenningson a drive and he bounced up into Big Baby's face.
Artie:If these teams meet in the first round, it'll be very interesting. Rajon Rondois a sneakily dirty player. Kevin Garnett didn't play Saturday but he's abig-time trash talker, and Pierce is right behind him. And you never know whenRasheed Wallace will erupt.
Frank:Whatever happens, Bucks fans have to smile. The headline on our preview said,"8 Would Be Great," but we really didn't expect it.
Artie:I've sure enjoyed watching this bunch. Different stars every night, but realsteady production by almost everyone, ain’a?
Frank:The trade that brought Salmons in from Chicagowas huge. Going into the final game, they were 21-8 since he arrived. But Ithink the turning point came a little before the trade. After their usualdismal western swing in January, they were drifting along at 19-25. But thenthey beat Dwyane Wade and the Heat in back-to-back games, and that was a realspark.
Artie:Now they've improved by almost 20 wins in two years under Skiles.
Frank:People naturally look at the offensive progress Bogut made, at Jennings' 55-point game early in the season,at Salmons' almost 20-point average as a Buck. But I think the biggeststatistic is defensive. As our chart shows, they're allowing eight fewer pointsper game than in 2007-’08. That's vital, because offensively the Bucks are 22ndin the league in scoring (97.6 per game) and 29th in shooting percentage(.436).
Artie:But their offense is much more fluid. Nothing against Michael Redd personally,but one big reason is his absence.
Frank:For years his shooting was their crutch. This season it's not just thateveryone on the floor can pass, butthey look to move the ball for bettershots.
Artie:With Jenningsthey have a true point guard who looks to distribute. Mo Williams and RamonSessions were "look to score first" guys.
Frank:And with Luke Ridnour playing so well, they have someone who can run thingswhen Jenningsis resting or struggling.
Artie:The key with Ridnour is that he's staying healthy. Another thing about Redd'sabsence: Salmons is a big improvement on defense at the "2" spot.
Frank:As for Bogut, one reason I think he emerged is that Skiles made a realcommitment to running the offense through him. In the past the Bucks would getit down to him a couple of times and then forget about him.
Artie:Which was nutty, since he's such a good passer. Another thing: Bogut is finallygetting help on the boards from Ilyasova. Boy, he has a nose for the ball! Andso fundamentally sound in blocking guys out.
Frank:With Bogut injured, they probably won't get to the second round. And I know youbelieve the NBA will make sure Bostongets most of the calls.
Artie:David Stern will move heaven and earth to move the Celtics ahead.
TrevorTremors
Frank:Last week I said we'd be rushing home from the Brewers' game Sunday to see thefinish of the Masters. Good thing you noticed that the game was shifted tonighttime for ESPN.
Artie:Some great observer you are!
Frank:Well, the night game spared you from having to watch your least-favoritegolfer, Phil Mickelson, don his third green jacket.
Artie:Just the thought had me nauseated. But to compensate, I now have amost-favorite Brewer—Casey McGehee, for hitting the ninth-inning homer thatbeat the Cardinals. Otherwise we might have been out there all night!
Frank:And I presume your least-favorite Brewer became Trevor Hoffman?
Artie:Friday night he blows the save with a home-run pitch and they lose. Sundaynight he blows the save with twogopher balls. It's enough to make you think his vaunted change-up and whateverhe calls his fastball are becoming the same pitch.
Frank:Our readers will have to take our word on this: Even before Hoffman came in,the Observers were asking why he should be used on this given night.
Artie:Of course it's the way managers have been operating for decades. You have azillion-dollar closer, you use him in a save situation.
Frank:Even a "save on a silver platter" situation like Sunday night—athree-run lead with three outs to go. And I suppose Ken Macha was eager to haveHoffman put Friday night behind him.
Artie:But still, guys like Bill James question the whole concept of closers. Cripes,any of your relievers ought to be able to get three outs regardless of theinning. Also, why wouldn’t you go to your “ace” reliever in the seventh inningof a tie game rather than save him for a hypothetical last-inning situation?
Frank:Way back when, that was the method. But specialization evolved to the pointwhere managers are programmed to use a certain guy for the seventh inning,another for the eighth and then the closer. And my feeling is that the morepitchers you use, the more likely that one will stink on that given night.
Artie:For Macha, it looks like the seventh is Todd Coffey's and the eighth is LaTroyHawkins'. But Sunday night Macha baffled us by using Carlos Villanueva and Hawkins in the eighth—with a totalof only 13 pitches!
Frank:Coffey finished the seventh, then was pinch-hit for. Villanueva gave up a hitto start the eighth, then got two outs—but Macha summoned Hawkins to face theNo. 8 hitter, Brendan Ryan.
Artie:Who was hitting .118. Hawkins got Ryan on four pitches, but he wasn't goodenough to hold the three-run lead in the ninth?
Frank:Ned Yost always said relievers needed to "understand their roles."But if the roles are so specific that they never pitch in the eighth or ninth,or never face right-handed hitters, might that not lead them to believe thatthey can't do those things?
Artie:Managers won't go to James' way of thinking, though, because the system is acomfort zone. "I used my eighth-inning guy and my situational lefty. I didwhat I was supposed to do."
Frank:When a closer gets hurt, the manager will sometimes declare "closer bycommittee," but they never stick with it. Until someone tries the Jamesapproach, there'll never be any data to indicate whether it'll work.
