Bucks 2024-25 Season Thread

[Voyageur]

It was humiliating watching the Bucks play Atlanta last night. Don't be fooled by that charge in the 4th quarter. It really meant nothing. This team does not play defense and doesn't seem to be coached to really know how to play defense as a unit. When they make a good defensive play, it's purely by accident.

I've watched Kuzma, Giannis, and several others turn into observers, just like Lillard has been. I guess the fight has gone out of them. It's really time to disband the entire roster and find a way to start over, and it's not by giving away the future like we've seen Horst do. They should become the "low-rent-district" team that people can trade huge contracts to along with draft picks, so they Bucks can build the pot in two or three years, to rise back to the top.

Sometimes, when you're rebuilding, you turn your resources into huge reserves of resources in draft capital to make it happen. When you get to the point that you can get a couple of lottery picks over a couple of years in a row, you could hit pay dirt by getting at the top of that list.

With huge draft capital, and then money available for free agents in a couple of years, they could really return to the top if they have the right GM and President pulling the strings and using the cap space creatively to ensure that they have totally rebuilt the core of the team and surrounded them with complementary talent.

Because of history, Milwaukee is not a great place for players to go as free agents. The culture in the building has to change to get where you want to go. That's not going to happen unless they do a total rebuild. It took several years to rebuild the team when Herb Kohl bought them. He created an environment where players liked playing for him, and in Milwaukee. He did his best to get quality coaches and front office personnel, and the players they brought in through the draft were what you'd expect at the time. Money wasn't there for teams like it is now, and the Bucks were one of those teams that operated every near on a negative balance sheet because they did not have the corporate sponsors hanging around to feed the cost monster.

Things are different now. The Bucks have a seriously good bottom line because the sharing plan in the NBA does work. Also, because of Kohl, they began getting that corporate sponsorship they so sorely needed.

That's why I felt so bad when Junior Bridgeman died. He was in for 10% on the team, and I'd bet a dollar to a donut his plan was to eventually get ownership into a group he would build that would do justice to the franchise. Junior never went halfway into anything, including his play on the floor for the Bucks.

Now it's going to take someone else with deep pockets that really loves the franchise to step up, and build a group, and buy the team, and make them a top team. I just hope I live long enough to see it. I've been a fan since that first game they ever played in Milwaukee. I was in the 4th row, behind the Bucks bench and I've been as loyal a fan as I could be, no matter where I lived. I've seen games in places like LA, Sacramento, The Bay Area of San Francisco, Chicago, Milwaukee, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta, and New Orleans. In some of those places beyond Milwaukee, more than once.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Well Bucks fans!

We got our answer on what the Bucks need to do to win!

Just shoot 68.9% every game!

 

[Sanguine camper]

It was humiliating watching the Bucks play Atlanta last night. Don't be fooled by that charge in the 4th quarter. It really meant nothing. This team does not play defense and doesn't seem to be coached to really know how to play defense as a unit. When they make a good defensive play, it's purely by accident.

I've watched Kuzma, Giannis, and several others turn into observers, just like Lillard has been. I guess the fight has gone out of them. It's really time to disband the entire roster and find a way to start over, and it's not by giving away the future like we've seen Horst do. They should become the "low-rent-district" team that people can trade huge contracts to along with draft picks, so they Bucks can build the pot in two or three years, to rise back to the top.

Sometimes, when you're rebuilding, you turn your resources into huge reserves of resources in draft capital to make it happen. When you get to the point that you can get a couple of lottery picks over a couple of years in a row, you could hit pay dirt by getting at the top of that list.

With huge draft capital, and then money available for free agents in a couple of years, they could really return to the top if they have the right GM and President pulling the strings and using the cap space creatively to ensure that they have totally rebuilt the core of the team and surrounded them with complementary talent.

Because of history, Milwaukee is not a great place for players to go as free agents. The culture in the building has to change to get where you want to go. That's not going to happen unless they do a total rebuild. It took several years to rebuild the team when Herb Kohl bought them. He created an environment where players liked playing for him, and in Milwaukee. He did his best to get quality coaches and front office personnel, and the players they brought in through the draft were what you'd expect at the time. Money wasn't there for teams like it is now, and the Bucks were one of those teams that operated every near on a negative balance sheet because they did not have the corporate sponsors hanging around to feed the cost monster.

Things are different now. The Bucks have a seriously good bottom line because the sharing plan in the NBA does work. Also, because of Kohl, they began getting that corporate sponsorship they so sorely needed.

That's why I felt so bad when Junior Bridgeman died. He was in for 10% on the team, and I'd bet a dollar to a donut his plan was to eventually get ownership into a group he would build that would do justice to the franchise. Junior never went halfway into anything, including his play on the floor for the Bucks.

Now it's going to take someone else with deep pockets that really loves the franchise to step up, and build a group, and buy the team, and make them a top team. I just hope I live long enough to see it. I've been a fan since that first game they ever played in Milwaukee. I was in the 4th row, behind the Bucks bench and I've been as loyal a fan as I could be, no matter where I lived. I've seen games in places like LA, Sacramento, The Bay Area of San Francisco, Chicago, Milwaukee, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta, and New Orleans. In some of those places beyond Milwaukee, more than once.

I used to be a huge Bucks fan but not anymore. It has more to do with the game than the team. As I've posted before, the NBA game is unwatchable in my opinion. I don't have patience to watch guys lower their shoulder and take 4 steps to the basket. Giannis is the most egregious at it. College basketball has deteriorated even worse now that most teams are made up of freshmen, sophomores and transfers.

I know older fans such as myself got spoiled watching Dr. J, Bird, Magic, Jordan and Kareem, but the modern game has a lot more to do with muscle than finesse. A lot of the NBA players look like they could play in the NFL.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Last night, Rivers had no choice but turn both Giannis and Brook Lopez loose. They both responded by getting an OT win against the Pistons. The moment he quit tinkering with Brook's game, he was ignited.

It pointed out even more to me that Doc is most of the problem with this team. He just doesn't know how to keep his players encouraged. Instead of getting a player past a slump, he starts tinkering with the lineup, and we end with guys on the floor who don't match up with the opposition, on either side of the ball. I think the final count was Giannis 59 points, and Brook had 29? The rest of the team scored very few more than Brook alone.

Playing without Lillard last night saw Doc playing games with every guy on the team who could play the 1 and 2 out there. Meanwhile, he put PC in a role of an "extra guy on the floor." Pretty much ignored for shots. Meanwhile, A.J. was throwing up bricks, and should have been put in a better position to regain his touch, but he wasn't.

Even if they run off a string of wins, this team ain't going nowhere, even if they do make the playoffs.

As usual I agree with your assessment V.

I’m not convinced Doc is a huge problem, and I base that off his coaching accomplishments. He’s like 7th all time in wins. Yeah that’s the past and the game has changed. I just think he needs time to build a new team in Lillard’s absence.

Giannis is now a point forward. If opponents throw “the wall at him” - he’ll find other open guys, as shown in his 20 assist. 35 pts, and 17 rebounds. No one has ever done that.


So I’m being patient, and accepting what we’ve got.

Playoffs? I’d be happy with them getting a win in the first series. Don’t see them going farther.

This will be a huge test for Doc and the team with little time to prepare.

After that, all I want is a new GM. The guys getting playing time now are playing well. Cold comfort, I know.

Could they trade Lillard to recoup draft picks? I hope so. Will Giannis stay? For one more season, yes.

It’s not ideal for a team that, with Holiday, had a brighter future. And the former Memphis HC got whacked. Will the Bucks give up on Rivers?

Too soon to tell. And how many dead money HCs can they tolerate?

Play out the season. Make it as entertaining as possible and hope we have a new GM next year. I don’t see them whacking Doc though.

 

[Voyageur]

As usual I agree with your assessment V.

I’m not convinced Doc is a huge problem, and I base that off his coaching accomplishments. He’s like 7th all time in wins. Yeah that’s the past and the game has changed. I just think he needs time to build a new team in Lillard’s absence.

Giannis is now a point forward. If opponents throw “the wall at him” - he’ll find other open guys, as shown in his 20 assist. 35 pts, and 17 rebounds. No one has ever done that.


So I’m being patient, and accepting what we’ve got.

Playoffs? I’d be happy with them getting a win in the first series. Don’t see them going farther.

This will be a huge test for Doc and the team with little time to prepare.

After that, all I want is a new GM. The guys getting playing time now are playing well. Cold comfort, I know.

Could they trade Lillard to recoup draft picks? I hope so. Will Giannis stay? For one more season, yes.

It’s not ideal for a team that, with Holiday, had a brighter future. And the former Memphis HC got whacked. Will the Bucks give up on Rivers?

Too soon to tell. And how many dead money HCs can they tolerate?

Play out the season. Make it as entertaining as possible and hope we have a new GM next year. I don’t see them whacking Doc though.

The problem that I see may be that ownership and the President see Horst as the right guy for the job, and others are failing him but not through his fault.

With luck, they might see the light, but if they do, and they change GM and Prez, the two new guys will come in with the caveat that they get to choose the Head Coach, not accept someone from the past. Strangely enough, Rivers doesn't really have that win it all label on him around the league. He's looked at more as a 2nd tier coach capable of leading a team but not capable of instructing a team on how to make it to the next level. Right or wrong, I'm not going to guess, but in all honesty, I haven't seen anything in what he's done that convinces me he's got the tools to make them winners.

 

[Heyjoe4]

The problem that I see may be that ownership and the President see Horst as the right guy for the job, and others are failing him but not through his fault.

With luck, they might see the light, but if they do, and they change GM and Prez, the two new guys will come in with the caveat that they get to choose the Head Coach, not accept someone from the past. Strangely enough, Rivers doesn't really have that win it all label on him around the league. He's looked at more as a 2nd tier coach capable of leading a team but not capable of instructing a team on how to make it to the next level. Right or wrong, I'm not going to guess, but in all honesty, I haven't seen anything in what he's done that convinces me he's got the tools to make them winners.

Maybe. But Rivers wasn't given much to work with. I'm sticking with the terrible decisions Horst made. More than anything, or anyone, he's why the Bucks are in this predicament.