The Milwaukee Bucks are absolutely loaded at point guard for the 2011-12 season.  22-year old Brandon Jennings will be the starter.  He played in 63 games (61 starts) for the Bucks last year and he averaged 34.4 minutes, 16.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  He has now played in 145 games (143 starts) in his first two years with the Bucks and is averaging 33.4 minutes, 15.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game.  Jennings does need to pass the ball a lot more as he is only shooting 37.9% from the floor and 35.2% from three point range so far in his NBA career, and that won’t cut it.  29-year old Beno Udrih was acquired in the big draft day deal involving the Bobcats & Kings.  He played in 79 games (64 starts) for the Kings last year and he averaged 34.6 minutes, 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  He shot an amazing 50% from the floor for the Kings last year.  Udrih has now played in 503 games (234 starts) in his first seven years in the NBA and he is averaging 24.3 minutes, 9.6 points, 2.3  rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.  He will be the backup probably at both shooting and point guard in 2011-12.  26-year old Shaun Livingston played in 73 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 17.3 minutes, 6.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.  He has now played in 266 games (79 starts) so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 23.5 minutes, 7.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.  31-year old Keyon Dooling is likely #4 in line at point guard for the Bucks.  He played in 80 games (22 starts) for the Bucks last year and he averaged 22.0 minutes, 7.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.  Dooling has now played in 675 games (84 starts) so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 19.8 minutes, 7.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.  He is likely to be dealt before the 2011-12 season begins.  The Bucks are absolutely loaded at point guard for the 2011-12 season.

The Milwaukee Bucks have a glut of players at power forward and point guard.  That leads me to think that the Bucks are going to be making a couple of trades before the 2011-12 season begins.  Keyon Dooling, Carlos Delfino and Ersan Ilyasova are the most likely Bucks to be moved in a deal.  Getting Stephen Jackson and Beno Udrih is a good start to rebuilding the offense of the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks took 22-year old, 6’10″, 228 pound power forward Jon Leuer with the 40th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.  Leuer played in 34 games for Wisconsin last year and he averaged 33.5 minutes, 18.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.  He played in 123 games in his four years in college and he averaged 22.8 minutes, 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.  This should make the locals happy with Leuer staying in Wisconsin.  He gives the Bucks another big body but he’s going to have to work hard to make it in the NBA.

With the 19th overall pick, the Bucks took 18-year old, 6’8″, 225 pound forward Tobias Harris.  Harris played in 34 games for Tennessee last year and he averaged 29.2 minutes, 15.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.  The Bucks will have the luxury of bringing along Harris slowly as they have a lot of players ahead of him on the depth chart.  He has a huge upside though, so I look for him to climb that depth chart pretty quickly.  The Bucks have to feel good about dealing down 9 spots and still getting a player like Tobias Harris.

The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired 33-year old SG/SF Stephen Jackson, 25-year old point guard Shaun Livingston and the 19th overall pick in the first round tonight from the Bobcats.  The Bucks also have acquired 28-year old point guard Beno Udrih from the Kings as part of this deal.  The Bucks have dealt 31-year old SF/SF John Salmons and the #10 overall pick to the Kings in this deal.  They also sent SG/SF Corey Maggette to the Bobcats in this huge trade.

33-year old SG/SF Stephen Jackson might come to the Bucks and be the first option offensively in 2011-12.  Jackson played in 67 games (all starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 35.9 minutes, 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  He has now played in 747 games (656 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 33.5 minutes, 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  25-year old point guard Shaun Livingston played in 73 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 17.3 minutes, 6.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.  Livingston has now played in 266 games (79 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 23.5 minutes, 7.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.  28-year old point guard Beno Udrih played in 79 games (64 starts) for the Kings last year and he averaged 34.6 minutes, 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  Udrih has now played in 503 games (234 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 24.3 minutes, 9.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

31-year old SG John Salmons had a disappointing year for the Bucks last year, so they didn’t mind getting rid of him.  Salmons played in 73 games (70 starts) for the Bucks last year and he averaged 35.0 minutes, 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Salmons played in 103 games (98 starts) in his two years with the Bucks and he averaged 35.8 minutes, 15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  The Bucks were also probably doing backflips to get rid of 31-year old small forward Corey Maggette as part of this deal.  Maggette played in 67 games (18 starts) in 2010-11 with the Bucks and he averaged 20.9 minutes, 12.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in his only year with the team.

The Kings dealt the #7 overall pick to the Bobcats as part of this deal. 

The Bucks are in a win now mode.  Getting rid of Maggette and Salmons’ contracts was huge for the Bucks.  The interesting thing about this deal, other than the Bucks getting the best player in it (Stephen Jackson), is that the Bucks got two point guards.  I wonder is that means Brandon Jennings is on the trade block tonight?

The Milwaukee Bucks are trying to package the #10 overall pick and center Andrew Bogut to the Timberwolves for the #2 overall pick and salary cap filler.  The T-Wolves are on the hunt for a legit center and Bogut definitely qualifies as one of those.  The Bucks must be convinced that Bogut won’t be able to stay healthy or they would be dumb to deal him as centers are hard to find.  If the Bucks can’t get a deal done, then they will likely be looking to add a power forward or center in the first round at #10.  Power forward Tristan Thompson out of Texas would be a good fit for the team.

The Milwaukee Bucks have four free agents heading into this off-season and will be surprised if more than one of them are on the team next season.  Forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is a restricted free agent and I think the Bucks will match almost any offer he gets, as long as no one is willing to grossly overpay for him.  SG/SF Chris Douglas-Roberts is also a restricted free agent but I don’t see the Bucks matching any significant offer he would get.  SG Michael Redd was once one of the best players on the Bucks but injuries have slowed him down the last few years.  I don’t see him returning to the Bucks for the 2011-12 season.  Backup point guard Earl Boykins played pretty well last year for the Bucks when called upon, but I don’t see them bringing him back either.

On June 16th, 1975, the Bucks traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers and SG/SF Junior Bridgeman was one of the key players the Bucks got back.  He played in 711 games in 10 years with the Bucks and he averaged 25.4 minutes, 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.  Bridgeman has played in the most games in Bucks’ history with 711.  He is also #7 in points scored (9,892) and he’s tied with Terry Cummings for #9 in steals with 607 of them.  Bridgeman will always be associated with Jabbar because of the trade 35 years ago, but he was a solid player in his own right.

Everyone likes to talk up 21-year old point guard Brandon Jennings, but he’s not that good.  Jennings played in 63 games (61 starts) for the Bucks last year and he averaged 34.4 minutes, 16.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  He only shot 39% from the floor, but that was an improvement over his rookie season.  Jennings has now played in 145 games (143 starts) in his first two years with the Bucks and he has averaged 33.4 minutes, 15.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game.  Jennings has only shot 37.9% from the floor and 35.2% from the three point line so far in his NBA career.  He should really think about passing the ball more, because he just can’t shoot.  The Bucks might try to deal him either at the NBA Draft or over the summer.

The 2010-11 season was a huge disappointment for the Milwaukee Bucks.  They added a lot of talent during the off-season and they still finished 35-47 on the year as they missed the playoffs by 2 games.  The Bucks are now 115-131 (46.7) during the regular season in Skiles’ three years in charge and they are also 3-4 (42.9%) during the playoffs.  Skiles still has a winning record in his NBA career as a head coach.  He is 396-382 (50.9%) during the regular season and he is 18-24 (42.9%) during the playoffs.  The Bucks will be expecting to get back into the playoffs in 2011-12, so they need Skiles to be up to the challenge.