Brandon Jennings had a very good rookie season for the Milwaukee Bucks and finished in the top three for the Rookie of the Year Award.  Jennings made a major impact for the Bucks and some have argued that he was the best rookie this year.  The award was announced earlier today and Jennings came in third behind Golden State Warriors’ guard Stephen Curry, and Rookie of the Year winner Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings.  Jennings proved he belonged as a starting guard in this league early, erupting for 55 points in just the seventh game of the season.  Jennings struggled from the field for most of the season though, as the size and strength of NBA players gave Jennings a difficult time finishing around the hole.  His shot selection was questionable at times, but adjusting to the size and speed of the NBA was the main reason Jennings shot just 37% from the field.  He still averaged 15.5 points, 5.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals.  His three-point shooting was pretty good though, as he shot the same as his overall field goal percentage, hitting 37% from behind the arc.

Jennings did have a little bit of an inconsistent year, but overall it was a good rookie campaign.  Also, he could explode for a big scoring game on any given night and his quickness proved to be a valuable asset when setting up his teammates.  The most impressive thing about Jennings so far is that he has stepped his game up big-time in the postseason.  He has helped the Bucks take a 3-2 series lead on the Atlanta Hawks, whom many expected to sweep the Andrew Bogut-less Bucks.  He opened the series with 34 points in game one and he has had only one off night in game two, where he had only 9 points and 3 assists on 3-15 shooting.  Other than that, Jennings has been pretty spectacular, especially when you consider the fact that he is still a 20-year-old rookie.  In five games so far, he is averaging 20.8 points, 3.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals, while shooting a much improved 45% from the field and 36% from three.  Jennings is having a great postseason run to cap off his solid rookie season, and look for him to continue to improve for the Milwaukee Bucks as he and his game matures.

The Milwaukee Bucks clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs after their 79-74 road win over the Chicago Bulls.  The Bogut-less Bucks were led by former Bull, John Salmons.  Salmons lit up his former team for 26 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in an otherwise offensively challenged game.  The Bucks also got a great game from Ersa Ilyasova, who gave them 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block off the bench.  The Bucks responded well without their star player Andrew Bogut, who is out for the year after his gruesome elbow injury the other night.  The Bucks are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, but the red-hot Miami Heat are right on their tails so they need to finish the season strong.

Kurt Thomas will likely be the Bucks’ new starting center for the rest of the year. He has played in 64 games (3 starts) this season for the Bucks and he is averaging 13.6 minutes, 2.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Thomas is shooting 50.3% from the floor but the Bucks have enough scorers on the team already. If Thomas hits the boards and plays good D that would be enough for the Bucks.

The Bucks have lost starting center Andrew Bogut for the season due to a dislocated right elbow, a sprained wrist and a broken right hand. Bogut played in 69 games (all starts) for the Bucks this season and he averaged 32.3 minutes, 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.5 blocked shots. He also shot 52% from the floor this season for the Bucks. This is a huge blow to the Bucks as Bogut is the best player on the team. He is impossible to replace so any chance of the Bucks pulling an upset in the first round of the playoffs is likely gone now.

The Milwaukee Bucks finished last season with a 34-48 record, good enough for 12th place in the Eastern Conference.  They came into this season without their team leaders in points (Richard Jefferson), rebounds (Charlie Villanueva), and assists (Ramon Sessions).  That had many lead to believe that the Bucks would be taking a step back this season, and be at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.  Well, things have gone very well in Milwaukee this season thanks to center Andrew Bogut having a career year, rookie point guard Brandon Jennings playing far better than expected, and the February acquisition of John Salmons.  Bogut is averaging 16.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.5 blocks while shooting 52% from the field.  The rookie Jennings has been an impact player since day one for the Bucks, averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals.  He hasn’t shot the ball well from the field (only 37%), but he has been a good threat from three, hitting 39% from behind the arc.  Then there is Salmons, who is averaging 18.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals since joining the Bucks.  They have gone 12-2 since acquiring Salmons and they are now at the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference with a 36-30 record.  Head coach Scott Skiles has done a great job with this group, and don’t be surprised if the Bucks make a run in this year’s playoffs.

The Milwaukee Bucks have been moving up the standings in the Eastern Conference ever since returning from the All-Star break.  They have now gone 12-2 since the All-Star weekend, and the trade they made for John Salmons around that time has been paying off.  The Bucks are 10-1 with Salmons, and with the Bucks Salmons is averaging 18.9 points, 3.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals.  He has been shooting 44% from the field and although he is a streaky shooter, opposing teams have to cover him as a constant threat from the three point line.  With the Bucks he has been hitting 34% of his threes.  The Bucks have definitely become a better team with Salmons, and the numbers and records prove it.  Before Salmons joined the Bucks they were at the number eight spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They are now at the number five spot and they are six games behind the Boston Celtics in the fourth spot.  Salmons’ former team, the Chicago Bulls, were at the fifth spot when he left and they are now out of the top eight spots, sitting in ninth place.  Injuries have more to do with the Bulls drop-off, but they are definitely missing Salmons now that they don’t have much depth.

The Bucks have traded 22-year old SG Jodie Meeks and 33-year old center Francisco Elson to the 76ers for 28-year old guard Royal Ivey, 30-year old center Primoz Brezec and a 2nd round pick. Meeks played in 41 games (0 starts) as a rookie for the Bucks this season and he averaged 11.9 minutes, 4.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Francisco Elson played in 11 games (0 starts) for the Bucks this season and he was averaging 5.6 minutes, 0.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game.

Royal Ivey has played in 26 games (0 starts) for the Sixers this season and he averaged 9.1 minutes, 2.7 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.7 assists per game. He has now played in 360 games (109 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 13.5 minutes, 3.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Brezec only played in 7 games (0 starts) for the 76ers this year and he was averaging 5.1 minutes, 0.7 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. He has now played in 328 games (214 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 18.7 minutes, 7.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

To be truthfully honest about this trade it probably doesn’t help either team.

The Bucks have acquired 30-year old SG/SF John Salmons from the rival Chicago Bulls for 27-year old forward Hakim Warrick and 23-year old forward Joe Alexander . Salmons has played in 51 games (28 starts) for the Bulls this season and he averaged 33.2 minutes, 12.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Salmons has now played in 571 games (219 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 25.3 minutes, 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Warrick played in 48 games (6 starts) for the Bucks this season and he averaged 21.3 minutes, 10.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. Joe Alexander has not played this season for the Bucks. He played in 59 games (0 starts) last year as a rookie and he averaged 12.1 minutes, 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. This was a solid trade for the Bucks as Salmons is the best player involved in this deal.

Milwaukee Bucks’ rookie Brandon Jennings has been playing very well for a rookie this season, but his shot has been struggling for quite some time now.  Jennings still has a game every now and then where he will light it up, but his shot has been far from consistent and opposing teams are starting to take note.  On the season he is averaging 17.7 points, 6.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on 38% shooting.  He is shooting 39% from three on the season, but he only hit 32% in December and 35% in January.  That is not too bad for three point shooting, but it is his overall FG percentage that is cause for concern, as it keeps getting worse.  He shot 42% in November, 38% in December, and 32% in January.  It looks like the 6’1″, 170 lbs. rookie has been hitting a wall.  Jennings is still a good playmaker for the Bucks, and is one of the top rookies in the league, but he really needs to start shooting at a better percentage.

The Bucks have signed 35-year old shooting guard Jerry Stackhouse to a contract through the end of the year. He played in 10 games (1 start) for the Mavericks last season and he averaged 16.2 minutes, 4.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Stackhouse has now played in 854 games (563 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 33.4 minutes, 18.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game. He is on the downside of his career but this was the type of signing that playoff teams make.