Why the Milwaukee Bucks Could Be a Bigger Story in East Than Miami
If Milwaukee Bucks' center Andrew Bogut didn't get hurt late in the 2009-10 regular season, some of the conversation in the offseason may have been centered around Milwaukee's prospects for the following year.
Bogut's injury derailed what could have been a special postseason, and the recent free agency bonanza in Miami has shifted attention away from a team that could be a dark-horse challenger for the Eastern Conference crown.
Coach Scott Skiles is building a strong team in Wisconsin, and he is doing it through a combination of savvy free agency moves and a willingness of his players to accept his defensive-based coaching strategies.
The Bucks recently re-signed forward John Salmons and spirited Corey Maggette away from the Golden State Warriors, and although neither player can hold a torch to Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, both fit Milwaukee's team concept.
That concept is primarily strong defense, and the Bucks were one of the better defensive teams in a conference where good defense was the rule.
Until Bogut's injury, many people felt the Bucks were a good bet for a First Round upset, and if he is fully recovered from the neck, wrist, and elbow injuries he suffered, the Bucks could take the next step in their development.
James' departure from Cleveland means the Central Division becomes primarily a two-team race between Milwaukee and Chicago, but in the Southeast, Miami will be faced with a steady diet of Orlando, Atlanta, and Charlotte.
The Southeast division could very well be the toughest division in the NBA, and the inter-division wars which will take place with four playoff teams from last season could give the Bucks a chance to gain an advantage in seeding in the East.
The two greatest areas of concern for Miami's super team happen to be the strength of the Bucks—and there is no center or true point guard on the Heat's roster with the talent of Bogut—and Bucks' point guard Brandon Jennings.
Bogut may be the conference's most talented center besides Orlando's Dwight Howard, and Jennings easily held his own against Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo, who are considered the top-two point guards in the East.
Jennings and Bogut are surrounded by a talented, but unheralded group of players such as Ersan Ilyasova, Salmons, Carlos Delfino, Maggette, and the newly acquired Drew Gooden.
That's a pretty strong supporting cast, and if Michael Redd can regain his shooting touch, he adds another element to a team which is long, talented, and deep.
Miami's acquisition of James and Chris Bosh grabbed all the attention, and rightly so, but questions immediately turned to who the Heat would choose to fill out their roster.
Pat Riley has added players such as Zydrunas Ilglauskas, Juwon Howard, and Mike Miller, and players such as Udonis Haslem and Jamaal Maglorie chose to re-sign with Miami.
Riley has done a better job of assembling a roster than I have previously given him credit for, but unless he plans on giving the younger members of the team considerable playing time, the Heat will be an older team.
Miami may potentially still add players, as Matt Barnes has been mentioned and Tracy McGrady is an option, but the basic roster for the Heat has already taken shape.
Wade, Bosh, and James make Miami the favorites not only in the East, but in the entire NBA, and if they are beaten, it will likely be due to match-ups at the center and point guard position.
Continuity also could be an issue, and Milwaukee exists in a class along with Boston and Orlando as teams who are strong at the point guard and center positions, and have the advantage of establishing team chemistry.
I expect Miami to be every bit as exciting as they are billed, but I also expect Milwaukee to build on the promise they displayed before Bogut's injury cast a shadow over their postseason.
Miami will grab all the headlines as they march through the 2010-11 season, but Milwaukee will likely craft their own tale in the shadows, and it could be every bit as interesting as the Heat's.
