The Bucks' rough week came to a rough close Saturday night, as not even the return of Michael Redd and a night on their home turf could prevent the Bucks from dropping their fourth straight, 97-85 to the red-hot Cavaliers.  Redd came off the bench and shot just 5/16, but still led the Bucks with 20 points in 35 minutes.  Mo Williams was fairly quiet in his first game back at the BC, scoring 13 on just 6/20 fg, but LeBron James (32/7/5) and Zyrdrunas Ilgauskas (23/17) brought the goods for Cleveland.  As usual the Bucks hung tough for most of the game, but a late 11-2 run by the Cavs sealed it.

Three Bucks

• Ramon Sessions.  Though he shot just 6/17 from the field, Sessions generally outplayed his former mentor with 16 points, eight dimes, and just one turnover in a team-high 44 minutes.  Still lacking a consistent jumper, Sessions manufactured most of his points by making good cuts through the lane or knifing past defenders off his own dribble.
  
• Richard Jefferson.  It's difficult to expect anyone to contain LeBron James anymore, so the bright side of James' 32 points is that Jefferson (and Mbah a Moute) made him take a lot of shots (12/27 fg) to get there.  Otherwise Jefferson provided about what we expect from him: 19 points (7/14 fg), six board, three dimes, and a block.
• Luke Ridnour.  Starting next to Ramon Sessions for the first time, Ridnour tallied just one assist but made up for it with 16 points on just nine shots to go with six boards. 
  

Three Numbers

• 53-38.  Coming into the game the Bucks hadn't been outrebounded since November 8 against Phoenix, but Cleveland absolutely dominated the boards with a +15 edge overall and a huge 19-7 edge on the offensive glass.  Ilgauskas singlehandedly matched the Bucks with seven offensive rebounds, while Ben Wallace didn't score but half his 10 rebounds come off Cleveland misses.  Given the Bucks regularly score less efficiently than their opponents, those extra 12 Cleveland possessions gave the Bucks little chance.
• 0.  The best Buck in +/- terms was Joe Alexander, who played just 30 seconds and wasn't on the court for any points by either team.  In contrast, Mo Williams (+15) led three Cavs +10 or better.
• 5.  The Bucks totaled 18 turnovers compared to just 19 assists, with Luc Mbah a Moute contributing a whopping five of those in just 22 minutes.  In contrast, the Cavs turned it over just 10 times.

Three Good

• Redd's back.  Redd looked a bit rusty--most obviously in the second quarter, when a three point attempt from the left wing flew out of his hands as he was loading up, landing a couple rows behind him.  Still, Redd was aggressive (8/8 ft) and did a pretty good job of finding open teammates off his drives.  The final score tonight didn't show it, but the Bucks are at least inching back to health. 
  
• New ideas.  It didn't have much effect either way, but kudos to Skiles for trying to shake things up with a new-look starting lineup.  Luc Mbah a Moute has slumped a bit and Charlie Bell's shot hasn't been right all year, likely due in part to his bum leg.  They made way for Sessions and Charlie Villanueva, who was actually a question mark after reaggravating his hamstring injury last night.  Perhaps that was partly why Malik Allen saw so much more time than CV.
  
• (Pass).  Like last night, I'm boycotting my third bullet here.  I'm getting sick of looking for silver linings. 
  

Three Bad

• Shot in the dark.  After watching the Bucks suffer through another sub-40% shooting effort, I wondered when the last time was that they made 50% or better of their field goal attempts.  Answer: April 14, 2008 against the Bulls, making it 20 games and counting.  Yeah, it's been a rough year offensively.
• Outworked, for once.  It's not that Bucks weren't trying, but the Cavs' dominance on the glass translated into a 22-7 edge in second chance points--which happens to be the primary way the Bucks have been overcoming their perpetually cold shooting.
• Z's J's.  Ilgauskas did the dirty work with his 17 boards, but his silky smooth jumper set an early tone, capitalizing on the Bucks' collapsing defense to calmly nail jumper after jumper.  Though Ilgauskas' penchant for jump shots has translated into a not-great-for-a-big 48% career field goal percentage, he's up over 53% this year and made 11/17 tonight.

This might be a new-look Bucks team, but the second half in Salt Lake City tonight looked eerily familiar to a year ago, when the Bucks allowed a promising third quarter lead dissolve into an 11-point loss.  This time the final margin was 105-94, as Utah's young perimeter players stepped up again in Deron Williams absence.  C.J. Miles tallied 25 and Ronnie Price 16, while old reliable Carlos Boozer had his usual 20/11 before departing late with a quad injury.

Three Bucks

• Andrew Bogut. Having played only 16 minutes last night, Bogut looked fresh in tallying 16 points (6/13 fg) and a season-high 20 boards while handling the unenviable task of marking Carlos Boozer.  Offensively he couldn't exploit his size advantage most of the night, but as usual the Bucks' guards didn't give him many easy buckets either (I'm looking at you, Luke Ridnour). 
  
• Richard Jefferson.  Jefferson's night seemed somewhat disappointing only because it started with such a bang.  Though RJ had just two points in the game's final 20 minutes, he had 23 in the first 28 minutes and was a crucial part of the Bucks' 29-6 run that stretched across the end of the second and beginning of the third quarters.  
• Charlie Bell.  Bell followed up his 25 point effort in Denver with 15 in Utah, the kind of numbers which would be even nicer if Bell was able to provide them off the bench.  Instead, Redd's absence continues to force Bell into major minutes, which to his credit he's made the most of the past two nights.

Three Numbers

• .514.  Aside from the middle portion of the game where they seemingly lost interest, the Jazz were by far the more active team, creating easy buckets by cutting, stealing, and getting out in transition.  It's no surprise then that they made a very healthy 51% of their shots compared to the Bucks' 44%.
• 10.  Aside from their number of dunks, the Jazz's activity level also shines through in the block department, where they killed the Bucks 10-1.  Most of the swatting was done by Paul Millsap (5) and Andrei Kirilenko (4)--not a bad pair to bring off the bench.
• 13.  The Bucks entered the final stanza in a strange position: they were winning.  However, the Bucks' two point edge was blown away by the 31-18 edge the Jazz built in the fourth.  Overall it was a game of lopsided quarters: the Jazz won the first by 10, the Bucks won the second by 12, and the Jazz took the fourth by 13.

Three Good

• Bogut's back.  Still no signs of greatness in the post (we can dream, right?) but it's difficult to complain when your big man drops a 16/20 line.  The Australian anchor looked at home in the state where he played his college ball and once again helped the Bucks win the rebounding battle, 41-37.
• Coming back.  It looked like the road weary Bucks were on their way to getting blown out when they trailed by 16 early in the second, but as we've seen a number of times this season they didn't back down.  Sessions, Bell, Jefferson, Mbah a Moute and Bogut helped the Bucks climb out of their hole and then some, keying a 29-6 run that turned a 45-30 deficit with 6:54 left in the second into a 59-51 lead with 9:32 left in the third.  What happened next?  I'll direct you to the "Three Bad" portion below.
• Home cooking.  The best part about the Bucks' back-to-back out West?  It's over.  The Bucks now have a crucial--but very winnable--game Friday against New York at the BC, before heading out on the road again.

Three Bad

• Going cold.  Basically, the Jazz won because they remembered what they were doing at the outset of the game.  Price, Brewer, and Kirilenko dared the Bucks to keep up with them and the Bucks couldn't match the their intensity and athleticism.  Instead the Bucks took a lot of jumpshots and couldn't grab quite enough offensive rebounds to make up for their crooked shooting.
  
• Ridnour.  Ridnour couldn't get much going offensively (eight points, six assists, three turnovers) but his bigger problem was that Jazz fill-in Ronnie Price easily outplayed him with 16 points (7/13) and six dimes.  Price caused problems with his quickness and generally seemed the more lively of the two starting points.
• Laying off.  Fouls have been an issue for the Bucks all season, and they again outfouled their opponent tonight by a margin of 27-20.  It's hard to criticize the Bucks for being more aggressive defensively than in the past, but one thing that always gets me is how a Buck defender will often get right up on a man on the perimeter and make himself vulnerable to a dribble drive, even when the offensive player is a much better driver than shooter.  While it looks very intense and ball-hawkish, most of the time it just opens up the defender (Richard Jefferson, Charlie Bell, Joe Alexander, to name a few) to allowing a successful drive to the hoop or a foul.  Hey guys, sometimes it's OK to dare a mediocre shooter into taking an 18-footer.

While the Bucks' 5-6 record isn't going to turn many heads in L.A. or New York, it's tough to complain given what they're up against: an obscene eight back-to-backs in the first month, 12 of the first 19 on the road, and seven games and counting without Michael Redd. Add in all the new faces and the team's miserable preseason performance, and it's difficult not to feel a bit relieved with what Scott Skiles and company have managed to pull off in the first eleven games. Then again, the Bucks have little time to pat themselves on the back, with six of their next eight on the road, including back-to-back road games in Denver and Utah.

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Among the many sobering lessons learned by Bucks fans in recent years: few commodities are as precious in the NBA as road wins.  That means a nervous 101-96 overtime win in Memphis should suit the Bucks just fine, even if Scott Skiles might have seen his blood pressure rise a bit in the process.  Yet again the Bucks dug themselves a deep hole early, falling behind by as many as 16 in the second quarter--before storming back with a 27-15 third quarter that tied it going into the fourth.  But unlike against the Spurs on Wednesday, the Bucks couldn't hold off a late Grizzlies' comeback, blowing an 84-76 lead with 2:26 remaining, in no small part due to turnovers on three of four possessions. 

But just as all was looking lost, Ramon Sessions (20 points, six boards, four assists) stepped up to drill a triple from the top of the key, giving the Bucks a new life that they made the most of in OT.  Following an O.J. Mayo miss and a desperation heave by Sessions to end regulation, the teams traded baskets in OT before the Bucks pulled away in the final minute.  For Memphis, Mayo was the man early with 15 first half points (and 25 total) while Rudy Gay took up the burden late (24 points), but the Bucks' more balanced effort managed to eke it out.

Three Bucks

• Prince Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.  Charlie Villanueva's future as a starter is looking decidedly bleak right now, as CV's pulled hammy paved the way for the Prince to set new career highs in both points (19) and rebounds (17).  As you might guess from his ugly shooting line (6/16), Mbah a Moute didn't have his jumper working, but the good thing about energy guys is that they don't really need it to contribute.  The Bucks outworked the Grizz on the glass all night long, with Mbah a Moute single-handedly outrebounding Memphis on the offensive glass (ten to eight).  Time and again he wriggled past Darrel Arthur, Marc Gasol and Hakim Warrick to snatch Bucks' misses, earning the Bucks' crucial second chances on a night where they made just 39% of their shots.
  
• Ramon Sessions.  OK, I think we can safely say that Sessions' Rookie-of-the-Month performance last April has now been validated--this kid's very much for real.  Playing in just his 25th game as a pro, Sessions made 8/16 shots and was again the major catalyst off the bench before joining Luke Ridnour in the backcourt in crunch time.  Just as importantly, his three with 9.2 seconds remaining kept the Bucks alive when their collapse seemed imminent.
• Luke Ridnour.  Though Richard Jefferson led the Bucks in points (26), differential (+14), and also hauled down ten boards, let's take a moment to acknowledge Ridnour's rock solid performance: 14 points, six boards, seven assists, and zero turnovers.  Sessions has deservedly been getting all the buzz of late, but Ridnour was a steadying influence all night and iced the game by going 6/6 from the line in the final minute of OT.

Three Numbers

• 62-36.  The Bucks utterly annihilated the Grizzlies on the glass, outrebounding them by 26 in total.  In fact, the Bucks grabbed nearly as many offensive rebounds (23) as the Grizzlies managed defensive boards (28), a feat I can't recall happening anytime recently.  The Bucks' poor shooting certainly created more opportunities to chalk up rebounds, but full marks to Mbah a Moute (17 total), Bogut (15), and Jefferson (10) for outworking their opponents all night.
• 7.  Bogut continues to struggle to find ways to get involved offensively, though 5/8 fg would normally suggest he needs the ball more. Still, it's hard to argue that with a straight face on a night when he also racked up seven turnovers. 
  
• 48:35.  Jefferson tallied more than a full game's worth of minutes for the second time this season, the OT game against Washington being the first.  And while his stroke was eluding him (8/26 fg, yikes), Jefferson has clearly become the Bucks' undisputed leader with Michael Redd on the sidelines--playing big minutes, being a go-to guy late, defending opponents' top wing scorers, and frequently taking his younger teammates aside for veteran wisdom.  At this point he often gets by more on savvy than pure explosiveness, but Jefferson has also shown a renewed effort on the defensive end and on the glass.  So far, so good.
  

Three Good

• Road wins are good wins.  Yes, I'm going to say this every time the Bucks get one.  The Bucks now have three road wins in six tries; they need just four more wins away from the BC to match their paltry 07/08 total of seven.  And while great teams might have the luxury of complaining when they win ugly, the Bucks should be thrilled to escape Tennessee with a win.
  
• Kiddie patrol!  With Redd and now Villanueva on the shelf, there's been plenty of opportunity for Sessions, Mbah a Moute, and Joe Alexander (who also was productive in his 13 minutes) to earn playing time in Scott Skiles' rotation.  And let's give the new coach plenty of credit, too.  Bulls fans were almost taunting us in the preseason that Skiles would prefer guys like Malik Allen and Tyronn Lue over talented but inconsistent youngsters, yet aside from the opening couple of games there's been very little of those boring old vets--and justifiably so.
• Ready to rebound.  The Bucks aren't exactly deep up front, but that hasn't prevented them from being among the league's best on the glass.  The key?  Getting above average rebounding from basically every position.  Going into tonight's game, Bogut ranked 8th out of 47 centers, Villanueva 5th out of 69 PFs, Mbah a Moute 6th out of 51 SFs, and Ridnour 6th out of 65 PGs.  Jefferson, Sessions, and Alexander are also all average or better.

Three Bad

• Sweating with the Oldies.  Like most fans, I admit to being rather biased when it comes to the bench: I'd much rather deal with the rough edges of Sessions and Alexander than watch steady-but-perpetually-below-average guys like Allen, Croshere, and Lue.  So I won't worry too much about Allen and Croshere getting some early but unproductive minutes in Memphis, though the Bucks will likely need them to contribute at some point.
• Lucking out.  Marc Iavaroni doesn't have a ton of job security in Memphis, and the Grizzlies' offensive strategy might give you some idea why.  After riding Mayo's hot hand early, the Grizz got away from the early ROY favorite for long stretches of the second half, despite the Bucks' struggles to contain Mayo in basic PnR situations from the top.  Instead, the Grizz allowed the disappointing Mike Conley--who still can't shoot or get to the rack against NBA defenses--to handle the ball most of the time.  That greatly simplified the Bucks' task.
  
• Bell's blues.  Charlie Bell's stroke still doesn't look right, which becomes all the more troubling given the Bucks' lack of scoring depth without Redd and Villanueva.  In spite of back-to-back solid efforts against Cleveland and Phoenix, Bell's 0/4 effort in Memphis now has him shooting just 32.7% for the month of November. 

It's rare that you can look forward to a game against the Spurs, but the Spurs sans Parker and Ginobili just aren't the same, are they? That was painfully clear tonight, as the Bucks stumbled their way to an ugly but hard-fought 82-78 win at the BC, rallying from a 12-point halftime deficit to pull it out in the late going.  Mike Redd was once again in street clothes, and the Bucks will be awaiting word whether Charlie Villanueva's tweaked hamstring will condem him to the sidelines as well.  How bad is it for the Spurs?  They featured a starting backcourt of rookie George Hill and journeyman Roger Mason, while someone named Anthony Tolliver also played 28 minutes.  Yikes.

Three Bucks

• Andrew Bogut.  Bogut's been taking some heat lately for his lack of offensive production, and tonight wasn't exactly a breakout game in the scoring department: 10 points, 5/10 fg, and not a single trip to the line.  But Bogut at his best does a lot more than score, and that was certainly the case tonight against a decent big man by the name of Tim Duncan.  Playing a season-high 42 minutes, Bogut grabbed 17 boards (seven offensive), dished out four assists, recorded three steals and didn't turn the ball over, something he's struggled with greatly as teams double him more frequently this year.  And with the Spurs missing two-thirds of their big three, Duncan needed 20 shots for his 24 points and grabbed just five boards along with four turnovers.  No, Bogut didn't have an answer for Duncan in the late stages, but we'll take it.  Bogut's game highlight?  Befitting of his post offense lately, it started with him mising a short hook with five minutes left in the fourth.  But rather than drop his head and sulk, he tore away the rebound from Duncan to reset the offense.  Moments later he got what he deserved, hammering a one-handed follow dunk off Charlie Bell's miss.
  
• Ramon Sessions.  At this point there doesn't seem to be much doubt that Sessions brings more to the table than Luke Ridnour, but for now there's something to be said for using Sessions' scoring ability with the offensively-challenged second unit early and then keeping him in to close games.  It wasn't a monster game for Ramon, but efficiency sure is nice to see from your young PG: 13 points on 5/7 fg along with three boards, three assists and no turnovers in 24 minutes. More importantly, it was Sessions who quarterbacked the team to a 21-2 run that gave the Bucks their first lead midway through the fourth. He also had a huge pickpocket of Tim Duncan with two minutes left and a layup past Duncan with 30 seconds to go, keeping the Spurs at arm's length.  He continues to get in the lane with ease,  in stark contrast to Ridnour--whose lack of explosiveness means he can't get much more than floaters in the lane.
• Richard Jefferson.  He didn't exactly come out guns blazing, but Jefferson got the Bucks back into it with ten in the third and added a further six in final stanza.  All told, RJ tallied 19 along, nine boards, and just one turnover--and probably enjoyed having to guard Ime Udoka and Michael Finley rather than LeBron James or Paul Pierce.

Three Numbers

• 11-8.  The Bucks are the only team to have a winning record against the Spurs in the last ten years, and they kept it up tonight against a team that didn't look too much like the Spurs of old.  I think they'll take it.
• 14.  If you're going to lay bricks all night, you better be ready to get some of them back, and the Bucks did just that with 14 offensive rebounds compared to seven for the Spurs.  It carried over to the other end as well, as the Bucks outrebounded San Antonio 47-37.
• 7.  It wasn't a big assist night for the Bucks (17), but along with their prowess on the glass they also helped themselves greatly by taking care of the ball, turning it over just seven times. 

Three Good

• Scraping one out.  Beating the Spurs in their current state isn't anything to be too proud of, but at the moment the Bucks should be focusing on surviving November. Some beautiful basketball would be great, but the Bucks aren't good enough to worry about winning ugly.
• Youth movement.  The Bucks' lack of depth has been severely tested by Redd's absence, and you can only imagine what will happen if/when more injuries come (let's hope CV can go on Friday).  As a result, Scott Skiles hasn't had too much choice but to take a look at his youngsters.  Fortunately, Sessions and Mbah a Moute (another extremely solid 11/7 night) have outplayed their starting counterparts and helped keep the Bucks afloat.  Even Joe Alexander has gotten regular minutes of late, looking (dare I say?) pretty solid.  Gold stars all around, kiddies.
• Saved by the D.  With few options outside of Tim Duncan, the Spurs aren't the most difficult team to guard right now, though Michael Finley (8/12 fg, 19 points) did his best to pick up the slack.  The Bucks also did their part in the second half, once again finding a way to buckle down on defense and turn the Spurs into a jumpshooting team while the Bucks made their 21-2 run.  In conceding just nine free throws, the Bucks also found a way to D up without much fouling, an area they've frequently struggled in so far. 

Three Bad

• Et tu, CV?  Sure, Villanueva hasn't exactly been Mr. Consistency (has he ever?), and tonight marked the first time 08/09 that Skiles gave Mbah a Moute the starting nod over CV.  Still, Villanueva's the only true PF on the roster and losing him for more than a game or two would make things awfully...uh, interesting up front.  The good news is Mbah a Moute has been better than CV anyway, but after that the pickings are slim.  Malik Allen has been largely MIA of late but would likely get some of that burn and Alexander would no doubt also get some smallball time at the 4--which unfortunately isn't his best position.  If CV is out on Saturday, expect Elson to see more time against Kevin Garnett.
• Half empty.  Scoring 15 points in the first quarter is bad; compounding it with just 16 in the second is downright miserable.  No doubt the Bucks' 12 point halftime deficit would have been a lot worse against a healthier Spurs team, but tonight one half was enough to get it done.
• Starting guards.  Bell's managed to put together a couple decent games of late, but in general he's still struggling to find his shot and doesn't look much like a starting NBA guard.  The same can be said of Ridnour, who had a hot hand in Cleveland yesterday but otherwise has been roundly outplayed by Sessions of late.  Is it just his back bothering him?  Hopefully that's the explanation. 

Ten minutes in, it didn't seem like the Bucks could lose.  With 10 minutes left, it didn't seem like the Bucks could win.  And yet after 53 minutes that's just what happened, the Bucks rallying from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit and escaping with a 112-104 OT win at the BC. With Mike Redd nursing an ankle injury, Richard Jefferson delivered with 32 points, nine dimes, and a couple of steals in nearly 49 minutes of action, while the little man combination of Ramon Sessions (22 points, eight assists) and Luke Ridnour (20 points, 11 assists) led the Bucks' comeback effort.

Three Bucks

• Richard Jefferson.  Jefferson started off on fire with 14 in the first, helping the Bucks to an 18-point lead and the sense that it would be an easy night at the BC.  Yet the Bucks then went cold.  Like, ice cold.  No, make it absolute zero cold.  Fortunately, Jefferson came back in the fourth and got some help, too.  While he couldn't lock down Caron Butler all night (27 pts, seven boards, five TO), Butler missed four of his last five as Jefferson came out on top.
• Luc Mbah a Moute.  It's becoming a broken record, isn't it?  Another game, another big performance from the 37th overall pick. Though he missed the potential winner at the fourth quarter buzzer, Luc was again a catalyst and continues to show much more polish on the offensive end than anyone expected with 17 points on a tidy 8/10 shooting, including some big hoops late.  And on defense it was the same old story, as he helped contain Antawn Jamison to just 6/19 shooting.
  
• Luke Ridnour.  There's no way I should mention Ridnour without Sessions, but let's leave the youngster for later.  Ridnour returned from missing two games with back spasms and must be feeling better, as he had by far his best game as a Buck scoring 20 on 13 shots in addition to his 11 dimes and seven rebounds.  He also had some low points, namely when he turned the ball over for a bucket and followed it up with an offensive foul on the ensuing inbound.  Still, if this is the kind of game that Ridnour will deliver once every week or so, the Bucks should feel pretty good about their point guard position. And no, I did not expect to be saying that a week ago.
  

Three Numbers

• 37.  I almost couldn't believe the Bucks had that many assists, but there it is.  Ridnour, Sessions and Jefferson combined for 28 by themselves, and the Bucks had only eight field goals all night that didn't include an assist.  I don't think the Bucks can win consistently without Redd, but the benefit of playing two point guards at the same time is that you can at least be sure the ball will be kept moving.
• 51.  I'm having a hard time figuring out how the Wiz can get 51 free throw attempts and still lose, but they did.  Mostly it was because they couldn't cash in from the stripe--they missed 17 times from the line, which also happens to be the number of free throws made by the Bucks.  In reality the Wiz can blame this one mostly on wasted opportunities--their misses from the line and their terrible 2/18 shooting from deep.
• 9.  That was all the Bucks had to show for an awful second quarter in which the Wiz outscore them by a staggering 19--turning a 30-17 Bucks lead after one into a head-scratching 45-39 deficit after two.  It got even worse from there as the Wizards led by as many as 14 in the third and fourth before the Bucks made their run.

Three Good

• Car RamRid.  If Sessions and Ridnour are going to keep playing like this together, they'll need a nickname.  Ridnour took back his starting spot following two solid performances from Sessions, but it's tough to think about a brewing PG controversy when the two played so well together.  Sessions moved into the off-guard position for much of the night, playing a crucial role in the fourth with his ability to get into the lane and either dish or finish himself.  Don't expect to see too much of Tyronn Lue in the near future.
  
• Comeback Kids.  Yes, these Bucks should beat these Wiz at home.  Without Arenas and Haywood, Washington's lack of size and depth should spell major trouble given the Bucks' success of late pounding the ball inside.  So while there should be a sense of concern that the Bucks needed so much drama to dispatch the boys from D.C., there's also something to be said for digging yourself a hole and still managing to climb out of it.  Whereas last year's club seemed content to roll over at the first sign of adversity, the 08/09 Bucks are looking in the early going like a fairly plucky bunch.  In particular, the Bucks were able to turn the screws defensively in the final 10 minutes tonight, with Mbah a Moute and Jefferson stepping up to put the clamps on Jamison and Butler, respectively.  Hmm, Scott Skiles much?
• Fun with the Wiz.  What is it about playing the Wizards?  I know they're a zany bunch, but something about the motley crew from the capitol leads to entertaining (if not pretty) basketball.  In January, the Bucks' improbable home OT victory prompted me to call it the "strangest, least predictable" game of the season, and the two teams set out to provide an encore tonight.  Redd and Arenas were also missing from that game.  The only disappointment was that we weren't treated to yet another buzzer-beater.
  

Three Bad

• The Return of Emo Bogut (kinda).  His final line looks OK--10 points, 13 boards, two blocks--but Bogut continues to struggle from the line (2/7, now just 6/18 for the season) and he's turning the ball over far too carelessly in post.  Tonight he looked passive for much of the night in spite of the Wizards' massive size disadvantage, and when he does get in the post he's still too vulnerable to double-teams.  At this point I'm not sure why any team wouldn't double him immediately, as his superior passing from the high post still doesn't translate fully to back-to-basket situations. 
• Schedule toughening.  From a practical perspective tonight's game was crucial given what the Bucks have coming up: in Boston Friday, at home to Phoenix Saturday, and then road games next week in Cleveland and San Antonio.  Winning two of those would be awesome and one would be very acceptable.
• Going for the Jugular.  Up 18 in the first against a shorthanded Wiz team, a good team doesn't let up.  But the Bucks simply lost their rhythm offensively and couldn't keep Washington off the line on the other end, underscoring what we already knew--the Bucks remain very much a work in progress. 

There's nothing good about losing a home opener, but somehow I came away from the Bucks' 91-87 loss to a tired Raps team feeling....not so bad? The fact that I think Toronto is going to be a good team has something to do with that, and the Bucks' woeful preseason also left us with plenty of reasons to be concerned.  So on a night when the Bucks didn't seem to have much of an answer for Jose Calderon (25 points, nine assists) and Chris Bosh (20 points, 6/10 fg, 10 boards, six dimes) and got poor shooting nights from Richard Jefferson and Michael Redd (10/32, 28 points combined), there was something kinda fun about watching the Bucks claw back into the game and nearly win.

Neither team was at their best in the first half, with the Bucks grabbing an 8-0 lead early thanks to six quick points from Charlie Villanueva before the Raps eventually fought back to take a 41-39 halftime edge.  The Raps made their move in the third, leading by as many as 13 before the Bucks fought back in the fourth to take the lead on a Jefferson drive with three minutes remaining.  However, Calderon hit a go-ahead triple with 21 seconds left and Redd's potential tying jumper missed with eleven seconds remaining.

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• The home opener is 24 hours away, but the good news is you can still get tickets.  If you missed anything this week, here's a summary of links:
  
  • Bucks/Bulls: Box / BrewHoop Recap / Ty's Analysis / JS Recap / Video
  • Bucks/Thunder: Box / BrewHoop Recap / Ty's Analysis / JS Recap / Video
• Good news!  Everyone who understands math thinks the Bucks will be awful this season.  Don't open that link if you're easily depressed.
• Tom Enlund reports that David Stern addressed the Bucks' arena issues at the OKC opener and said...well,nothing.

  "I don’t want to say I have concerns (about the Bucks and the arena situation," he said. "I think the normal evolution of our league probably says at some point, there will be a new building in Milwaukee."

  Ya think? Herb Kohl tread softly on the issue last week, so it's really no surprise that Stern would essentially punt as well, especially given the lingering resentment towards Stern over the Sonics' move. From a PR perspective he probably needs to wait at least a year or two before he starts making veiled threats about the Bucks' future in Milwaukee. 
  
• Enlund also has a good take on Charlie Villanueva's role.  Considering Villanueva's maddening inconsistency the past few years, CV's start to the season was rather fitting--he looked destined for Scott Skiles' permanent doghouse in game one, only to lead the Bucks to victory in game two.

  "Charlie hasn't done anything to warrant not being in the lineup," Skiles said. "(To not start him) would have just been an arbitrary decision by me to try and do something different rotationally. So I think he deserves first crack at it."
  
  "He played well in exhibition. He's another guy who's trying to do everything we're asking him to do and we all know his natural ability. I've got to find a way to not only use him in the starting lineup but also use him with some second-unit guys, too."

• Bucks.com has a mailbag for Charlie Bell.
• Is this a cruel joke?  The Salt Lake Tribune writes that "Boston, Milwaukee, Orlando expected to be battling it out for tops in the East." Apparently this is serious.
  
• Enlund notes that Ridnour's back continues to be a problem, which might help explain his miserable shooting thus far.  Then again Ridnour's not a good shooter to begin with, so I'd like suggest he cease shooting anything other than wide open jump shots for the time being.  Feel better, Luke.
  
• Jim, Jon, and the Bucks broadcast crew are now Emmy winners--congrats to everyone at FSN Wisconsin for their continued great work! 
  
• Our buddy Ryan McNeill at Hoops Addict is taking nominees for the best dunks of all time.  And you can win stuff, too.  As far as Bucks-related nominees, this one immediately came to mind.

Sad in Seattle: Slipping on another jersey.

Bucks (0-1) @ Thunder (0-0)

Gametime: 7:00 p.m. central time

Lineups:

Bucks: Luke Ridnour / Michael Redd / Richard Jefferson / Charlie Villanueva / Andrew Bogut

Thunder: Earl Watson / Kevin Durant / Jeff Green / Chris Wilcox / Nick Collison

Injuries:

Bucks: Luke Ridnour started yesterday in spite of a sore back earlier this week.  Andrew Bogut is playing with a sore ankle. Tyronn Lue left last night's game after taking a shot to the midsection.

Thunder: Mouhamed Sene (knee) and D.J. White (jaw surgery) are out.  Russell Westbrook sprained his ankle on Tuesday but is expected to play.

07/08 Series:

Dec 7: Sonics 101 Bucks 95

March 5: Bucks 118 Sonics 106

07/08 Advanced Stats:

Bucks: Offense 21st (105.3 points/100 possessions) Defense: 30th (112.8) Pace: 17th (91.3)

Thunder: Offense 29th (100.5 points/100 possessions) Defense: 22nd (109.5)  Pace: 5th (96.4)

Three points:

• The Bucks don't have a forgiving schedule early, with a rather unheard-of eight back-to-backs in the first month and 12 of their first 18 on the road.  Their first B2B started last night with a 108-95 loss in Chicago, and the only games in the next month that won't be part of a back-to-back are November 5 vs. Washington, November 24 at Orlando, and November 26 at Atlanta.  That would make a win in OKC all the more valuable--while there should be plenty of energy in the building for the Thunder's first game, the Bucks' only other road game against supposedly lesser competition will be in mid-month against Memphis. The Thunder are 250-1 to the win the title, and rank dead last in Stein's, blogger's, and many other's power rankings. This, here, is a should-win.
• Keeping a surely amped Thunder team off the line is one key to victory. The Sonics shot only 22.8 free throws per game last year, barely more than half as many as the Bulls shot (44) against the Bucks last night. Scott Skiles' bunch was indeed aggressive on defensive, but the Bucks didn't deviate from the norm of allowing triple digits on the scoreboard.
  
• Kevin Durant averaged 29.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks against the Bucks last season. He shot 47.4 % from the field, and made 20-22 from the stripe. Needless to say, those are some of the finest numbers he put up against anyone in the league as a rook. These aren't last year's Bucks though. Richard Jefferson is here, and should give Redd some help, though last night Redd carried the offensive load with 30 points as Jefferson struggled through a 5/17 debut. Durant averaged 13.5 points on 34.6 % from the field against Jersey last season. Not only that, Jefferson averaged 29.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.0 steals on 53.8 % from the field against Seattle. And Oklahoma City actually resembles Seattle (on the floor) more than Milwaukee 2008-09 resembles Milwaukee 2007-08.
  

Coverage:

Bucks.com / The Oklahoman / The Thunderwold / Blue Blitz / Bend it Like Bennett

If Scott Skiles was looking to exact some quiet revenge at the United Center it will have to wait.  The Bulls and Bucks both looked rusty for much of the teams' season opener, but the Bulls' superior energy eventually won out as they pulled away late to win 108-95. 

Playing nine men, the Bulls had six players in double figures and got key contributions from former starters Kirk Hinrich (15 pts) and Ben Gordon (18 pts) in addition to a solid debut from first overall pick Derrick Rose (11 pts, nine assists, four turnovers).  While Rose wasn't blowing by Luke Ridnour, he and the Bulls' other perimeter players always seemed to be getting enough daylight to hurt the Bucks--whether it was by drawing a foul from a late-arriving help defender or by kicking it out to an open teammate.  As for the Bucks, 30 points from Mike Redd weren't enough, as newcomers Richard Jefferson (5/17 fg, 15 pts, 4 rebs) and Ridnour (7 pts, 6 rebs, 4 asts, 5 to) put in forgettable performances in their regular season debuts.

Three Bucks

• Michael Redd. The Bucks got a vintage performance from Redd--in both the good and bad senses.  Redd's three triples early in the third keyed a promising start to the half that saw the Bucks build a slim lead, and the sharpshooter finished with an efficient 30 points (10/19 fg, 4/8  3fg, 6/8 ft).  Beyond that, Redd grabbed just two rebounds and handed out one assist (albeit a nice one) while providing his usual doses of ill-advised shots.  Defensively he looked to be working hard, but Kirk Hinrich (while playing SG in the first half) and Ben Gordon (in the second) each put up good numbers against Redd.
• Andrew Bogut.  If only Bogut could have stayed on the court...and gotten some touches.  Having missed the final two preseason games with a bum ankle, Bogut looked reasonably mobile early on but barely got a look in the first quarter (he turned it over the one time he did) before heading to the bench with two fouls.  Foul trouble was a continuing theme in the second and third quarters, as Bogut spent the majority of his night watching from the bench and tallied just nine points (4/4 fg) and seven boards in 26 minutes. Given the Bulls were mostly single-teaming Bogut with the undersized Drew Gooden, using an inside/outside strategy seemed the obvious way to go.  But except for a couple trips early in the third the Bucks never took advantage of Bogut's size.
• Malik Allen.  I fully expect Allen to take his share of abuse this year from Bucks fans--after all, no one likes a teacher's pet.  But let's give him some credit.  In knocking down 5/7 shots and generally avoiding mistakes he did what he's supposed to do...which on a night like this is sadly enough to gain recognition.

Three Numbers

• 44.  The Bulls seemed a step quicker getting to the hoop all night, getting some occasional help from the zebras but mostly earning their 44-20 advantage in free throw attempts.
• 5/17.  That was Richard Jefferson's line from the field, which summarized a disappointing debut for the former Arizona hitman.  Ironically Jefferson's finishing seemed worse than his jump-shooting, but either way he didn't stack up to Luol Deng's tidy 8/13 shooting performance for 21 points. 
  
• 8:47.  Of the 20 players who made an appearance on the United Center hardwood Tuesday night, only one played less than 14 minutes: Charlie Villanueva.  Despite some last-minute noise that Malik Allen or Luc Richard Mbah a Moute might nick his starting spot, Villanueva was indeed there for tipoff, but he didn't last long before Skiles subbed in old standby Malik Allen.  Villanueva's last burn came early in the third, when a lazy outlet pass got Derrick Rose a breakaway dunk--and earned CV a seat on the pine the rest of the night.  Ironically, his non-participation the rest of the way helpd him earn the distinction of being the only Buck to finish with a positive +/- differential.
  

Three Good

• Young Buck. While Joe Alexander didn't take off his warmup, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute barely kept it on, playing 26 minutes of solid ball.  He made just 3/7 shots and got swatted twice, but showed a glimpse of what he might be capable offensively with a long jumper early and a nice drive and spin for two in the third.  Defensively he held his own and was the only sub to finish with a decent differential: -2 compared to -11 or worse for Lue, Allen, Gadzuric, and Bell. 
• Gadzuric's jumper.  Don't worry folks: just because the Bucks now have a legitimate head coach, it doesn't mean Dan Gadzuric is retiring his penchant for ill-advised jumpers.  He broke it out early in this one and predictably...buried it?  Aside from an overly ambitious pass intended for Bell, Gadzuric actually looked pretty solid, justifying Skiles' decision to give him the backup center minutes over Francisco Elson.  Now he just needs to knock it off with the jump shooting.
• It's early.  Deep breaths, people.  While game one was nothing to write home about, they're only a game below .500! 
  

Three Bad

• Stag-nation. Though the Bulls led just 55-52 at half, the teams were a lesson in contrasts offensively.  The Bulls were slashing, moving the ball and alley-ooping, looking for contact and being rewarded with 29 free throw attempts in the first 24 minutes alone.  The Bucks' offense was stagnant in comparison, relying mostly on jump-shots while getting nothing from the foul-plagued Bogut, who barely got a touch in the half court aside from some good work on the glass.  Not surprisingly the Bulls' aggression paid off in the end, as the Bucks started shooting blanks while Ben Gordon got hot with all 18 of his points in the second half.
  
• Running of the Bulls. The Bucks had been hoping to take a more up-tempo approach in '08, but on opening night they were mostly just spectators as Rose, Deng and Thomas helped the Bulls run-and-gun their way to a commanding 20-1 edge in transition points.  And it wasn't just that the Bucks weren't scoring on the break--they also were giving it away needlessly when they did try to push the ball.
• Pick a stat.  Look at the bottom line of the box score and it's obvious which team deserved to win.  The Bulls made a higher percentage from the field (.507 to .474), grabbed more rebounds (40-32), were slightly less careless (19-18 TO), blocked more shots (6-3) and collected more steals (9-5).