FIO Preview: Milwaukee Bucks

2008-2009 Milwaukee Bucks season preview and fantasy impact, courtesy of Fantasy Insider Online. Read the team preview here in the Yard, and then visit the FIO link for the rest. - Zach Harper Last Season Recap: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly This was a really poorly constructed and bad Milwaukee Bucks team last season. It was a roster full of overpaid and underperforming players (Michael Redd, Bobby Simmons, Maurice Williams) who either couldn't stay on the court or couldn't do enough to matter when they did. They were a team stuck in a poor transition period and waiting to fire their general manager, Larry Harris. They were forced to give minutes to rookie Yi Jianlin even though he hadn't earned them yet just so he would come to Milwaukee. They only had four players average double figures in points, and they had one of the worst final three months of the season in NBA history. There's a reason this team went 26-56. What went right for the Bucks? How about next to nothing? One positive thing that happened in moving forward for the future is that Andrew Bogut took the next step in becoming an All-Star big man in this league. Bogut accumulated career-highs in points, blocks, steals, assists, and rebounds. He became an imposing figure on the defensive end of the floor and was able to change a few games with his shot blocking. Mo Williams, coming off a big contract signing in the offseason, had a pretty decent year with 17.2 points and 6.3 assists per game. However, it wasn't any sort of significant improvement from his previous season (17.3 points and 6.1 assists). There was also the late emergence of rookie point guard Ramon Sessions, which I'll touch on in a bit. Last season, injuries and bad defense did this team in. Michael Redd, Mo Williams, and Bobby Simmons each missed double-digit games. The Bucks gave up 103.9 points per contest as a team and were absolutely terrible away from the Bradley Center. The team went 7-34 on the road and managed a below-.500 record (19-22) at home. From February 1 to April 16, the Bucks went 8-27. Four of those eight wins came in February, and the team finished the season on an eight-game losing (tanking) streak, all of which cost coach Larry Krystkowiak his job. 2008 Draft Impact (Below Average) The Milwaukee Bucks have addressed a pressing need to improve their forwards this offseason and the draft helped accomplish this glaring hole in the roster. With the eighth pick of the draft, the Bucks selected Joe Alexander out of West Virginia. Alexander was barely on anyone's radar going into the last college season, but used a great tournament run in February and March to bolster his draft stock. He catapulted into the lottery discussion as he showed a great ability to score all over the floor and some alleged outstanding athleticism. Alexander could very well be a solid pro in this league, but it won't be anytime soon. His athleticism isn't anything special on the NBA level, and he's not strong enough to create space for his jumper. Alexander won't contribute much this season unless the Bucks are riddled with injuries. In the second round of the draft, the Bucks selected another small forward who will be able to qualify as an undersized power forward by taking Luc Richard Mbah a Moute from UCLA. Luc Richard is a pretty athletic and physical defender who reminds a lot of people of a bigger Bruce Bowen or a better Ime Udoka. In the second round, a team wants to find a role player who can make a difference doing the little things and be a fan favorite in doing so (see: Paul Millsap, Carl Landry). That's exactly what Luc Richard is, and he should eventually be a nice piece for this bench. Off-Season Impact Moves Aside from figuring out the forward position, the Bucks wanted to do another thing this offseason, which was get away from bad contracts that limit their cap flexibility in the future. On draft night, aside from selecting two small forwards, Milwaukee decided to trade Yi Jianlin and Bobby Simmons (bad contract) to the New Jersey Nets for Richard Jefferson. This gives them a formidable scorer alongside Michael Redd and a player who will be able to spread the floor. Jefferson brings in a heftier and longer price tag than Simmons, but Milwaukee will always be able to find a taker for him if they want to get rid of the contract. They know they will get production from Jefferson, unlike what they were getting with Simmons. The other trade was a blockbuster, three-team deal between the Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Cleveland Cavaliers. The essentials to the trade for the Bucks were shipping Mo Williams to Cleveland and receiving Luke Ridnour, Damon Jones, and Adrian Griffin from the Thunder and Cavs. The Bucks signed Mo Williams to a big contract last season in the hope of being a contender in the East. They realized they don't have that kind of roster, so they decided to part ways with Williams and save the money. With Ridnour on the team, it opens up the chance for Ramon Sessions to earn a spot in the starting lineup much earlier than if Mo Williams were still in Milwaukee. Ridnour, if healthy, will be a nice option at the point who will look to distribute first and score later. Neither of the other players acquired will be of any significance. The Bucks made two personnel changes for the decision makers in their organization. First, Larry Harris was fired and John Hammond was brought in to be the GM for this team. Second, John Hammond hired Scott Skiles to be the head coach of the Bucks. Skiles will bring some much-needed toughness and defensive-oriented philosophies to the Bucks. The roster is in a bit of an overhaul at this moment, but Skiles may have enough talent available to make things interesting. The Bucks also made three signings to bolster their bench, veterans Malik Allen, Francisco Elson, and Tyronn Lue. Allen and Elson will help bolster the frontcourt for the Bucks, while Lue will provide a veteran presence at the point guard position. They aren't huge signings, but do provide Milwaukee with much-needed depth. Preview for the 2008-2009 Season Team MVP: Andrew Bogut, C - Even though Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson are the big names for this team, they will live and die with the production and progression of Andrew Bogut. As he evolves into a reliable scorer in the post and a player who can dominate the paint for eight-minute stretches during ball games, the Bucks will be able to compete with just about everybody. Bogut isn't the sexy pick here, but this Aussie's toughness in the post will prove to be the most important thing in Wisconsin not named Aaron Rodgers. Breakout Player: Ramon Sessions, PG - Fantasy basketball owners know all about Ramon Sessions, but the rest of the NBA viewing world is probably unfamiliar. Sessions had a breakout April, in which he averaged 11 points and 11 assists per game and even had a 24-assist performance in the second- to-last game of the season. He'll be battling Luke Ridnour this coming season for the starting point guard position and should win it by year's end. Sessions is a decent defender and a player who is all about setting up his scorers. Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson will benefit from a point guard like him. Bust Player: Michael Redd, SG - Yeah, I said it. Michael Redd has steadily been declining over the past two seasons because of injury and a failure to help his team win. He's no longer a number one guy for the Bucks (some, including myself, would argue that he never was a number one guy) and doesn't make enough impact plays to help the Bucks win. He cannot carry Milwaukee for one- or two-week stretches like he used to do, and his three-point shot is no longer completely terrifying for opponents. Redd will still put up 20 points per game this season, but it will be a deceiving 20 points. Playoff Contender or Pretender? This team is a pretender that will need a few things to fall into place for them to be a contender for one of the last two playoff spots in the East. The Bucks need to not only embrace Scott Skiles' style of play but also to excel at it and believe in it. Skiles may not be an exciting coach or someone who can make his players feel loved, but he knows basketball and knows what it takes to win. This team needs Michael Redd to play more effectively and be a leader on the court. They need Andrew Bogut to have an All-Star season and Charlie Villanueva to have a bounceback year (actually, last time he was good was in high school). Milwaukee needs Ramon Sessions to take the starting point guard spot and never relinquish it. If these things happen, then this team can approach 40 wins and earn itself a seventh or eighth seed in the wide-open Eastern Conference playoffs. Personally, I don't see a lot of that happening and I think this team is another player or two away from truly mattering in this league. But at least they are on the right track.