This offseason, we at Gino's Jungle would like to think we have covered everything from A to Z when it comes to the Boston Celtics. With the regular season tip-off quickly approaching we decided it was time to take a look at the enemies. For the next five weeks we will be giving you the down low on all thirty teams in the NBA. We'll be doing this somewhat in conjunction with Celtics Blog's NBA team previews.
Team Name: Milwaukee Bucks
Last Year's Record: 46-36
What did they do this offseason?
The Milwaukee Bucks were fairly busy this offseason making moves to fill out there roster. After losing Luke Ridnour, Jerry Stackhouse, and Kurt Thomas from last year's squad that took the Atlanta Hawks to six games, the Bucks went out to build another contending team.
Who did they get? How about Celtics-killer Corey Maggette? Maggette is most likely going to be the sixth-man off the bench, and a very good one at that. The Bucks also went out and added Kenyon Dooling, Drew Gooden, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and wait for it... wait for it... Earl Boykins.
What will they be good at? Bad at?
Good: Under head coach Scott Skiles the Bucks are sure to be a solid defensive team once again this season. The Bucks had the second highest defensive efficiency last season and should be just as good on the defensive side of things this season.
Good: When assessing all of these teams in this series, one thing I have paid close attention to is each team's depth. Some teams are very deep all around (Celtics, Heat, Lakers), while others are very deep at certain positions, and others are not deep at all. The Bucks are one of those teams that have good, but not great, depth all around.
A second unit of Dooling, Douglas-Roberts, Maggette, Illysova, Mbah A Moute, and Gooden should provide solid depth at most positions for the Bucks.
Bad: Similiar to 90% of the teams in the league, the Bucks lack front court depth. If anything happens to Andrew Bogut's elbow, the Bucks are done. D...O...N...E. DONE. That would force an undersized Drew Gooden to start at center, and create a huge gap on the bench at the center position.
What should we expect from the Bucks this season?
While my co-host on the Celtics Late Night Show, Nick Gelso, thinks the Bucks are going to be the fourth best team in the Eastern Conference, I have to disagree. Are the Bucks going to be a good team? Yes. Can they beat out Chicago, Atlanta, and even New York? Probably not.
If I was a betting guy, which I am sometimes, I would put my money on the Bucks taking home the 6th seed once again this season. If they can do that and get into the playoffs, they may just be able to surprise one of the top four teams in a first round matchup.
The Expert's Take: (Frank Madden from Brew Hoop on goals for this year’s squad)
Missing the playoffs would be a harsh blow given the excitement generated by the team's late season surge a year ago. And realistically, even another hard-fought first round exit would be something of a disappointment given the money spent to improve last season's squad. With Cleveland in LeRuins, the door is clearly open for the Bucks to challenge Chicago for the division title and a spot in the East's top four, which could mean a 50-win season for the first time since the 2001 squad that came within a game of the NBA Finals.
Final Prediction: 47-35 (6th in Eastern Conference)
Written by:
