This year, the Bucks hadan extraordinary draft week as general manager John Hammond tried to build onthe team's surprising playoff appearance. First he traded for Golden State'sCorey Maggette, a proven NBA scorer at small forward. Then he drafted the6-foot-11 Larry Sanders in the first round to add size in the frontcourt.Finally, Hammondtraded a 2012 second-round pick to the Nets for Chris Douglas-Roberts, another"wing" scorer.
Artie, who conducts his own"war room" on Draft Night, is feeling, well, optimistic.
Artie: As a Bucks fan, last week was one of the best I canremember—and not just because of Sanders. They got Maggette for basicallynothing—namely, Dan Gadzuric and Charlie Bell. The second-round picks, forwardDarington Hobson and the oddly named big man, Tiny Gallon, could prove useful.And I really liked the move for Douglas-Roberts.
Frank: Do you agree that Sanders addressed the team's top need?
Artie: This guy could really complement Bogut, either as his subor joining him on the floor if the Bucks need to "go big." This pastseason they had good scoring balance and Ersan Ilyasova did a good job at powerforward, but he can't play the major minutes for 82 games. Luc Richard Mbah aMoute plays the "4" spot well, too, but at 6-8 he's sometimesout-sized.
Frank: It's been a mantra for years that the Bucks need a"legitimate power forward."
Artie: This reminds me of when the Bucks took Vin Baker in 1993.He was out of a smaller school, Hartford, likeSanders is out of Virginia Commonwealth. Baker wasalso 6-11 and pretty thin, like Sanders, and he turned out pretty well, atleast for a few years, ain’a?
Frank: Sanders only began playing organized basketball in the10th grade. With three years at VCU, that's just five years overall.
Artie: But he's incredibly fast for "a big," in Hammond's words. And hehas some huge wingspan that makes him an excellent shot-blocker. He needs a fewpounds and more offensive moves, but with his athleticism and speed he could bejust what they need.
Frank: Meanwhile, Hammondfound two more scorers in Maggette and Douglas-Roberts.
Artie: They both attack the basket, which will earn more freethrows, something the Bucks ranked real low in last season. But they can alsoshoot from the outside. And they play defense, which puts ’em in the ScottSkiles mode.
Frank: Douglas-Roberts was a new name to me.
Artie: He was a first-team AP All-American in his last year at Memphis, when they wentto the NCAA final. Last Nov. 18 at the Bradley Center,he had 31 points and 10 rebounds in 45 minutes for the Nets.
Frank: So with Maggette and Douglas-Roberts, they're stocked upfor scoring in case they lose John Salmons to free agency.
Artie: Yeah, but I think their draft picks showed they still wantto sign Salmons. They could have picked a couple of shooting guards but didn't,for two reasons: 1. It wasn't their biggest need, and 2. They didn't want to betelling Salmons, "We don't want you." Same thing with Luke Ridnour.They didn't draft or trade for a point guard, so they were telling Luke,"Your spot is still open."
Frank: We'll know about the free agents starting Thursday, whenthe signing period begins. But no matter what happens there, it's interestingto hear optimistic talk about the Bucks.
Artie: Can you believe it? I don't always feel this good evenafter a Packers draft. A lot of this, of course, comes from the trades. I saw apost-draft analysis on the NBA Network, and the talking heads were verypositive about the Bucks. They were saying it was good to talk about a team onthe rise instead of one that was cutting salary and uncertain about its future.For me, it's a season to look forward to!
In Soccer, It’s Net Pain
Frank: I guess thinking of the Bucks' future can comfortMilwaukeeans after the U.S.demise in the World Cup. Did you see the 2-1 overtime loss to Ghana?
Artie: I may have nodded off a couple of times, but the TV wason, yes sir. Now I probably won't watch another match until the final.
Frank: Nobody could look at either team after that 120-minutegame and deny that soccer is a really demanding sport.
Artie: Left it all on the field, they did. One flight of stairsfor me and I've gotta take a pause.
Frank: It is not, in fact, constant running as is sometimes said.But it's grueling compared to baseball…
Artie: Or golf. And especially NASCAR. Those guys don't run untilafter the race when they're sprinting to the garage area to duke it out withanother driver. But I do have a soccer question: What's with those guys whofall down, writhe around, get carried off on a stretcher and 10 seconds laterthey're up and rarin' to go again?
Frank: A time-honored way of delaying the game if you're ahead.Of course, the referee should add time at the end to compensate, but if yougain a few seconds in the exchange, why not?
Artie: After these divers finish with soccer, they can be extrason some TV emergency-medical show. They're that good.
Frank: When the United States tied it in the second half, it seemedinevitable that they'd score again.
Artie: Even I could tell they were much crisper in the secondhalf. How the hell did they manage to fall behind so early in three of theirfour games?
Frank: That's the million-dollar question. They got the goal on apenalty kick, but it was because they were attacking and relentless. But Ghana's goaliewas tough, they had a little luck and managed a lightning-strike score in theOT.
Artie: And at that point our guys were pretty well cashed in,energy-wise. I sure was hoping for a penalty-kick shootout. That's real drama!
Frank: As for melodrama, nothing's better than seeing France getbounced from the tournament, yelling "J'accuse!" at each other.Magnifique!
Artie: And Italy,too, not even getting to the final 16. It's fun to see the big shots humbled.
Frank: Supposedly mighty Englandgot drilled by Germanyon Sunday, but got screwed out of a goal because FIFA refuses to use TV replaysto backstop officials.
Artie: Just like our guys got jobbed in the Algeria game?
Frank: In that case, it was an offside call that was bogus. In England's case,a shot that bounced off the crossbar and landed at least a foot inside the goalline wasn't counted. Later on, Argentinagot a goal against Mexicothat should have been disallowed because of a clear offside. Every timeit was a "line" call that could have been rectified quickly by somereplay official alerting the ref. But FIFA refuses to use the technology.
Artie: Geez, the goals are so rare in the first place, and itseems like on half of ’em there's some question about offside or hand-ball orsomething. Why not get it right?
Frank: Well, now that the United States is out, do you have afavorite?
Artie: Gotta be the Netherlands! A country withlegalized pot and legalized prostitution. How can you root against that?
Frank: No comment.
