2009-10 Milwaukee Bucks: Work Hard, Play Hard

That's the slogan for the Bucks this year, and in a blue-collar town, what more can you ask for.

But there's more to the NBA than just playing hard; you need talent, and the Bucks are slowly starting to acquire that.

It may not be LeBron or Kobe talent, but Milwaukee has the players that know how to get the job done.

Let's just hope they can do enough to improve on their 34-48 record from a year ago.

Not a lot of people are giving the Milwaukee Bucks a chance this season, but the fact that they play in the Eastern Conference can't be stressed enough, where 40 wins might just be good enough to make the playoffs.

Here is Milwaukee's roster of 15 players that plan to work hard and play even harder, as their season starts Friday in Philly against the 76ers.

Head Coach: Scott Skiles

Skiles is the man with the plan, and continues to stress defense with the Milwaukee Bucks.

It's working too, just at a slower pace than originally planned.

I see him as the perfect fit in Milwaukee and it’s just a matter of time until GM John Hammond gives him the right players to make a serious push.

Ever since 2001, when the Bucks were one game away from the finals, the team and the town has never been quite the same.

Let’s just hope that the things done in the offseason can bring a little excitement back to a city that desperately needs it, especially after what happened to its beloved Brewers in the summer of 2009.

Starting PG: Brandon Jennings

It was announced yesterday that Jennings, the No. 9 pick in the 2009 Draft, will be the starting point guard this year.

The Bucks can't believe that he fell into their laps, and he has too much talent to spend most of his time sitting on the bench.

Jennings will be one of the fastest guys in the league, who has big hands for a 6'2" guy, and should be able to handle the ball real well.

In preseason, Jennings averaged nearly 11 ppg and almost seven apg.

The lone skill that he needs the most work on is his shooting, but even in preseason, Jennings proved that his shot is there.

Any shooter goes through several slumps during the season, but I think the Bucks will have Jennings thinking pass first, as a true PG should.

With Jennings, the reward is much higher than the risk.

Starting SG: Michael Redd

The best scoring option the Bucks have, even if he's coming off surgery from a torn MCL and ACL that caused him to miss the second half of last season.

Michael Redd still needs to learn that he doesn't have to score points every time he touches the ball, because he does have help from four other guys on the floor.

It's without a doubt that Redd will once again lead the team in scoring, but if he can bulk up that assist total, the Bucks will definitely inch closer to that 40-win plateau.

A true leader will do anything to help his team win, and Redd will make sure that he does just that.

Starting SF: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

The reason that Mbah a Moute gets the nod here is because of his defensive abilities. Think of him as a younger Bruce Bowen (who they traded for, and later released).

He's not out there to score. He's out there to prevent one of the other team's best scorers from scoring.

Mbah a Moute's defensive versatility is what makes him so valuable.

He has the quickness to guard a two, the speed and height to go with a three and the length and strength to post up with a four.

The last thing the Bucks need is a scorer at the three. They have four other starters that are fully capable, as Milwaukee continues to bulk up its defensive awareness.

Starting PF: Hakim Warrick

A new acquisition who played for the Grizzlies last year, he will give Andrew Bogut the necessary help that Charlie Villanueva couldn't last year.

Warrick is a true PF, who stays down low near the post for those easy scores.

Last year, Villanueva meandered away from the hoop far too often, hurting Milwaukee's chances for a layup and/or dunk.

Warrick is one of the best dunkers in the league, and knows how to score from close range.

His lanky frame will also help on defense, as he should challenge Bogut for the team's lead in blocks.

Starting C: Andrew Bogut

During his first three years in the league, I always told people that Bogut played too soft for a center, especially on defense.

He would always go for the charge, instead of going for the block.

Bogut has learned to "toughen up" and play more angry, because in the NBA; the angrier, the better, at least when your job is to bang down low.

Every game, Bogut has the potential to earn a double-double, which will considerably help the Bucks win games at a constant pace.

Forward: Joe Alexander

Alexander is still waiting for his chance to shine, and all of Milwaukee is waiting for Alexander to break out of his shell and prove he belongs in the NBA.

He has freakish athleticism with his 6'8" frame, which earned him the proper nickname of "The Freak."

Last year, he launched an internet campaign called "See Joe Dunk," in hopes that he would be named to the All-Star Game Dunk Contest. It didn't work, though.

Alexander will provide relief to Mbah a Moute and be another possible scorer off the bench, and maybe the league will see Joe dunk a little more this season.

Guard: Charlie Bell

Bell, like Mbah a Moute, has solid defense, but I think his height puts him in a bench role rather than the starting three.

He can score, too, but last year his shooting was off more than it was on.

Bell can play the point, the two guard and even the three when the Bucks go with a smaller lineup, so he’s proven to have versatility.

He might even be the first man off the bench for Skiles.

Guard/Forward: Carlos Delfino

Delfino was acquired in the offseason via a trade with the Toronto Raptors because of his ability to play both guard positions and the small forward.

He will provide depth off the bench, something that Milwaukee has lacked in the past.

I believe Delfino is an above-average passer for the three position and might be fighting with Bell for minutes as the season goes along.

Forward/Center: Francisco Elson

Elson might find playing time to be scarce this season, with the Bucks resigning Ersan Ilyasova and needing to play Dan Gadzuric.

Elson simply goes out and does what is needed of him, whether it be to eat up minutes to rest the starters or go grab some rebounds, because no one else will. Though he will most likely be doing more of the first this season.

However, if injuries occur to other Milwaukee big men, it will be nice to have Elson around, giving you quality minutes.

Center: Dan Gadzuric

I still can’t figure out why he was signed to a six-year, $36 million deal those years back.

But because Milwaukee is paying him the big bucks (no pun intended), they need to get him as many minutes as possible.

Gadzuric’s range is pretty much limited to slam dunks because he just looks darn right funny from anywhere else. That's why he's called "The Dunking Dutchman."

Plus, his free throw shooting is atrocious.

The lone plus side with Gadzuric is his athleticism to dunk and block shots that probably shouldn’t be blocked.

Forward: Ersan Ilyasova

Ilyasova, like Alexander, is still waiting for his time to prove himself.

Unlike Alexander, Ilyasova may need some injuries to happen before he gets his chance.

That’s why Milwaukee resigned him, a solid backup plan.

He has range and can post up, making him a viable option at three or four.

Guard: Jodie Meeks

Meeks was a steal in the second round of the 2009 Draft, on top of getting Jennings.

He has tremendous shooting ability and can go off for 30 points on any given night.

The only problem is that he needs to be able to find playing time at already full guard positions.

Meeks has shear athleticism and if he keeps it up, he may push Bell and Delfino for time on the floor.

Guard: Luke Ridnour

Ridnour was supposed to be the starting point guard, but I think the Bucks made the right decision to put him on the bench.

He keeps it simple on the court, making the passes he knows he can make.

Like Jennings, Ridnour’s shooting is also a problem, but if he ever gets to the free throw line, count it.

When Ridnour was brought in, I always saw him as the middle ground to the next point guard for the Bucks, which was supposed to be Ramon Sessions, but I’ll take Jennings instead.

If Ridnour and Jennings ever see time on the floor at the same time, Milwaukee’s ball movement will be phenomenal.

Forward: Kurt Thomas

As the old man of the team, Thomas will have a role similar to Elson’s.

He will go out and do his job when called upon. Plus, Thomas even has a jump shot, which has plagued Milwaukee’s big men in the past.

Thomas is the only remaining member of the Richard Jefferson trade done in the offseason.

Guard: Roko Ukic

I don’t know much about Ukic, but I believe he will start the season at the very end of the bench.

He probably won’t see too much playing time as the season goes along, and it would take several injuries for him to have a fluid role for the Bucks.

Hammond apparently saw something in Ukic,, though to agree to the trade with the Raptors in the offseason.

Cheerleaders: They Bring "Energee!"

Everybody forgets about the cheerleaders, but they play a big role on the team.

The title says it all, they are the ones who lead the cheers, and try to bring that excitement during each game.

These ladies have been troopers the last few years, because even they knew that the team sucked.

But if the cheerleaders show signs of giving up, it won’t be too long before the rest of the fans do, too.

The Milwaukee Bucks cheerleaders even have the perfect name for the squad, because game after game, they are the ones who provide the "Energee!" for the entire arena.