Scott Skiles' "Ugly" Milwaukee Bucks Become Unwatchable—Finally!

The Denver Nuggets also fall into the "run-and-gun category" as well, although they are not as egregious in their play as the previous two teams. 

Denver does feature two excellent defenders in Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby, but don't let that fool you. 

Guys like Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Chucky Atkins are still more concerned with jacking up jump shots than they are with defensive rotations and assignments. 

And five consecutive first round playoff defeats does little to dispel criticism of the Nuggets’ innate ability to avoid playing tough, non-gambling defense at all costs.

Yet the "defense-first mentality" features abounding success in the NBA, starting with San Antonio. 

The fundamentally-sound Tim Duncan, hard-nosed Tony Parker, foreign whirling dervish Manu Ginobli, and "dirty" player extraordinaire Bruce Bowen have produced numerous playoff series victories, including two world championships in the last three years.

The Ben Wallace led Detroit Pistons took the NBA by storm by playing in-your-face defense, rarely allowing a second shot, and relentlessly and tirelessly running and setting picks off the ball in order to get open jumpers for Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton. 

When it was all said in done in 2004, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince were hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy, while Laker superstars like Shaq, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton were left ringless at the hands of the Pistons. 

Six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances later, the Pistons brutish, defensive-minded style seems to be working....

Let's not forget about the revamped Boston Celtics this year either.  With the addition of long-time defensive stalwart Kevin Garnett, the whole team's attitude has changed.  Paul Pierce now takes pride in shutting down his defensive assignment. 

Kendrick Perkins has finally become the force in the paint that the Boston coaching staff always envisioned.  And Rajon Rondo and James Posey more than make up for Ray Allen's defensive lacking because of his bad ankle. 

The Celts boasted the NBA's best regular-season record in 2008 and seem destined for the Finals.

So why am I so excited? 

Because Bucks’ owner Herb Kohl has decided to forgo fan-friendly basketball and concentrate on winning championships.  Sure, Milwaukee won't be scoring 100+ points on a nightly basis anymore, but they will be winning more games. 

That in it of itself will bring the fans to the arena. 

Freshly-anointed GM John Hammond—who helped construct those great Piston teams—is running the Milwaukee Bucks now, and the first action of his regime was firing the oft-overwhelmed Larry Krystowiak and hiring a new coach. 

Hammond looked for a tough, hard-nosed, non-player-coddler to whip the Bucks into a contender.  Enter Scott Skiles—or as I call him, "The Perfect Fit.”

Skiles has already shown little regard to players' feelings when they question his in-your-face coaching style.  When Eddy Curry openly criticized it, he was traded to New York, AKA Basketball Purgatory. 

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