Ill-Fated Milwaukee Bucks Court Is Finally Ready to Play on

After a failed test run in the preseason, the Milwaukee Bucks' new court will finally make its 2013-14 regular-season debut on Wednesday night.

Per the Associated Press, the floor has been "completely resurfaced to ensure player safety."

Those words will be put to the test under the NBA's watchful eye. The last time this court was put to use, the floor was so slippery that Milwaukee's final exhibition game on Oct. 25 was cancelled before the end of the first quarter.

Milwaukee's new floor emphasizes a sleek, modern design.

The angular shapes jutting out from each baseline give the image of an "M" from either end of the floor.

This wasn't accomplished by accident. Per an official team release, this feature was inspired by designer Robert Indiana, who created the Bucks court used at the MECCA Arena from 1977-87.

The design team minimized the red-and-green contrasts that dominated the old floor. At half court, it also stripped the team's name, leaving Milwaukee's famed buck head to stand alone.

For reference, here's what the old court—which the Bucks used for their first six home games this season—looked like.

Since the Bucks first unveiled their new look, the design has drawn some mixed reviews.

SI.com's Rob Mahoney called the move to a more green-dominant floor "a wise choice." He went on to say that "understatement is an asset, and here Milwaukee’s design team plays it well."

USA Today's Sean Highkin wasn't nearly as kind with his assessment: "Like the team they put on the floor, it’s just good enough not to be a disaster but not good enough to overcome its flaws."

For my money, the changes are good.

The old court had too much of a Christmas feel with all of that intertwined red and green. Between the coal-like performances of recent seasons and the fact that this country already starts its holiday decorating too early, limiting that mix of colors was a brilliant move.

But hopefully this is a superficial change and nothing more.

With the rash of injuries sapping the league's superstar pool, the NBA can ill afford to lose any of the remaining healthy bodies to a slippery surface.

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