Bucks 2024-25 Season Thread

[Voyageur]

I don't know if any of you remember the 2005 Badger/Gopher football game. The 22nd ranked Gophers ran all over the 23rd ranked Badgers that day at the Metrodome. Lawrence Maroney and Gary Russell combined for 400yds rushing. The Gophers were up by 10pts with just over 3 minutes to play. I was there with my parents as usual. I bet my mother a pitcher of beer that the Gophers would win...

Improbably, John Stucco immediately drove for a TD - his only good drive of the game. Then with 30 seconds left in the 4th quarter, the Badgers blocked a punt and recovered in the endzone for the win. I had to buy all of the beer that night and now for 20 years, my father has reminded me that I should never bet beer with my mother.

Fast forward to Tuesday night. My parents (now in their 80s) moved to Minnesota to be closer to us. I offered to watch the Timberwolves / Bucks game with them on Tuesday. My dad's side of the family has long time connections with the franchise, but he hasn't really followed them much since the 80s. We sit down and watch the game, but the Timberwolves are dominating. In the 4th quarter my mother is reading a magazine and my father is obsessed with trying to figure out how to download an app to his phone. They've both given up on the Bucks. After Dante DiVincenzo nailed another 3pt shot to go up by 24 points, I jokingly leaned over and bet a beer with my mother...

The Timberwolves lose and my father will live out the rest of his life resolutely convinced that the key to any comeback of a Wisconsin team over a Minnesota team is for me to bet my mother a beer on the outcome of the game.

p.s. I walked over to their basement fridge and handed her a beer.


You're welcome.

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I love it! These are the memories that we all need to take forward with us. In a lot of ways, they shape who we are.

 

[McKnowledge]

Congrats to Rivers. He's destroyed another solid player. Kyle Kuzma. Rivers and Giannis criticizing him for not being "selfish enough." Stupid! Kuzma was contributing with scoring, solid rebounding, assists, and playing some solid defense and because the Bucks were losing, those two idiots hint that it's Kuzma's fault? Are you serious?

For openers, Giannis thinks it's all about him. Lillard feels the same way about himself. Both think they're above reproach, and here's Rivers on the sideline being totally clueless as to how you build team chemistry. instead, between him and Horst, they're looking for ways to replace the support group around them, blaming them for the misfires that are happening repeatedly.

The "flavor of the month" with Rivers is two guys off the bench. Porter and Trent. It will last until the end of March, and they'll be held responsible for the team failures. It's a story that keeps repeating itself with new people cast into the roles of those who cause the problems. It's ****** in the Bucks culture at this point. It happened with DiVincenzo, Connaughton, Holiday, Bledsoe, and others. They get run through the mill and cast aside. Some end up being solid players after leaving the Bucks and the malignant culture.

I can hardly wait until there's new ownership, firing of Horst and Rivers, and Lillard and Giannis traded so they can start to rebuild the culture like a team has to be built to be competitive in the NBA.

You’ve made some excellent points about the culture of my beloved Bucks. My Grandparents were season ticket owners back in the 70s and 80’s up until Kohl took over the franchise.

The draft and development of Giannis was a perfect storm of circumstances that culminated in a championship.

A lot of the credit goes to John Hammond for his vision of The Greek Freak’s potential.

I think Doc Rivers isn’t a good coach at all.

Jon Horst as a GM was too eager to put his stamp on the franchise and made unnecessarily bold moves that haven’t helped the Bucks…actually the opposite.

I would very much like to see a strong minded HC get hired by current ownership along with an experienced GM.

I think Mike Malone would be a great fit for this team.

 

[Voyageur]

You’ve made some excellent points about the culture of my beloved Bucks. My Grandparents were season ticket owners back in the 70s and 80’s up until Kohl took over the franchise.

The draft and development of Giannis was a perfect storm of circumstances that culminated in a championship.

A lot of the credit goes to John Hammond for his vision of The Greek Freak’s potential.

I think Doc Rivers isn’t a good coach at all.

Jon Horst as a GM was too eager to put his stamp on the franchise and made unnecessarily bold moves that haven’t helped the Bucks…actually the opposite.

I would very much like to see a strong minded HC get hired by current ownership along with an experienced GM.

I think Mike Malone would be a great fit for this team.

The sad part is that Horst actually thought about trading Giannis to get established stars instead of the kid on his way up. He's done everything he can to get people to forget Hammond. It will be over soon, and we can watch them fall to the bottom with little or no hope of getting back up because all their draft picks will belong to somebody else.

Congratulations to your grandparents. They deserve a pat on the back for supporting the team that everyone said was doomed to fail. A lot of us went to games like they did, before the Jabbar era and cheered for what we knew was another loss, just hoping they'd get close enough to gain some respect.

I was a proud season ticket holder myself until we moved too far out of the area and I couldn't get to enough games to make it worthwhile.

 

[Heyjoe4]

The sad part is that Horst actually thought about trading Giannis to get established stars instead of the kid on his way up. He's done everything he can to get people to forget Hammond. It will be over soon, and we can watch them fall to the bottom with little or no hope of getting back up because all their draft picks will belong to somebody else.

Congratulations to your grandparents. They deserve a pat on the back for supporting the team that everyone said was doomed to fail. A lot of us went to games like they did, before the Jabbar era and cheered for what we knew was another loss, just hoping they'd get close enough to gain some respect.

I was a proud season ticket holder myself until we moved too far out of the area and I couldn't get to enough games to make it worthwhile.

Reminiscing here. My brother and I would go to Bucks games before Kareem came around. Tickets were cheap and seat selection was outstanding. The Bucks weren't going anywhere but it was fun to watch up close.

I seem to recall a backup center named, I think, Dan Cunningham. I know he was Kareem's backup at C. He was always sitting on the edge of his bench seat, ready to go in. He wasn't very good but had a big heart. Those guys were fun to watch.

 

[weeds]

So the Bucks LOCKED UP THE 5TH SEED last night with their win over the Pistons. That 5th seed gives them the privilege of getting whacked to the ground in the first round by Oshkosh native Tyrese Haliburton and his Pacers. The Bucks will be golfing in no time again.

 

[DoURant]

So the Bucks LOCKED UP THE 5TH SEED last night with their win over the Pistons. That 5th seed gives them the privilege of getting whacked to the ground in the first round by Oshkosh native Tyrese Haliburton and his Pacers. The Bucks will be golfing in no time again.

I do like their chances against Indiana, better than against the Knicks. The Pistons get the Knicks in Rd 1, and they won that season series 3-1.

 

[Heyjoe4]

So the Bucks LOCKED UP THE 5TH SEED last night with their win over the Pistons. That 5th seed gives them the privilege of getting whacked to the ground in the first round by Oshkosh native Tyrese Haliburton and his Pacers. The Bucks will be golfing in no time again.

Agreed weeds, the Pacers will be a tough out.

I do hope they find some inspiration somewhere and give us the satisfaction of a first round win. I don't expect more than that. And who knows, maybe this is how they learn to play money ball without Lillard. Something tells me Lillard is done in Milwaukee anyway.

 

[Voyageur]

Reminiscing here. My brother and I would go to Bucks games before Kareem came around. Tickets were cheap and seat selection was outstanding. The Bucks weren't going anywhere but it was fun to watch up close.

I seem to recall a backup center named, I think, Dan Cunningham. I know he was Kareem's backup at C. He was always sitting on the edge of his bench seat, ready to go in. He wasn't very good but had a big heart. Those guys were fun to watch.

D-i-c-k Cunningham. He got very few minutes but was always ready to go. He sent quite a few years in the NBA for the game he had. The kind of guy who never complained about his minutes out there, and from what I heard was a fierce competitor in practice which made him a favorite among the players and coaches.

Yeah! Tickets were cheap. If I recall, I spent a little over $240 for two season tickets. I can't recall being honest. In those days I also had season tickets to the Packer games and would attend quite a few Badger men's basketball and football games. I attended Badger baseball at times, but not too often. After Rick and my cousin Hal were gone the games weren't as much fun. I liked the partying afterwards.... LOL

 

[Voyageur]

It's good that the Bucks get the Pacers. They can find out early enough just how far they've come over the last three or four weeks. That's the point now, forgetting the season prior to that. They've played some good ball and haven't had nearly as many off nights where they didn't belong out there.

They might surprise us but at this point, it's hard to say. Best to find out early. A solid win over the Pacers could make them even stronger.

 

[Heyjoe4]

D-i-c-k Cunningham. He got very few minutes but was always ready to go. He sent quite a few years in the NBA for the game he had. The kind of guy who never complained about his minutes out there, and from what I heard was a fierce competitor in practice which made him a favorite among the players and coaches.

Yeah! Tickets were cheap. If I recall, I spent a little over $240 for two season tickets. I can't recall being honest. In those days I also had season tickets to the Packer games and would attend quite a few Badger men's basketball and football games. I attended Badger baseball at times, but not too often. After Rick and my cousin Hal were gone the games weren't as much fun. I liked the partying afterwards.... LOL

D-i-c-k Cunningham! I was close. Yeah he was always ready but seldom called on. But he never did complain. A good team-first guy

 

[gopkrs]

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.

That's when the game changed imho, with Magic Johnson. He turned the ball over every time I he dribbled. At first they called it and the powers that be put a stop to that. And steps gradually went from 1 1/2 to 3 1/2. I don't like it but I still like to watch the playoffs. It's like a whole new season but actually important. And no doubting that there is some serious talent.
I probably should have said palmed the ball.

 

[Sanguine camper]

That's when the game changed imho, with Magic Johnson. He turned the ball over every time I he dribbled. At first they called it and the powers that be put a stop to that. And steps gradually went from 1 1/2 to 3 1/2. I don't like it but I still like to watch the playoffs. It's like a whole new season but actually important. And no doubting that there is some serious talent.
I probably should have said palmed the ball.

I think the game really changed after Jordan retired. Kobe and Shaq increased the tendency of one on one match ups in the early 2000's and Shaq's low post power paved the way for guys to just push their way to the basket. The ascendancy of the 3 point shot with Curry and the Warriors also helped turn the game into a perimeter contest. Instead of using a plethora of moves like Dr.J or having a great point guard drive and dish to get good shots, the game is now either a long 3 pointer or a push to the basket. After 15 minutes, I lose interest in the modern game. Its like modern architecture-no imagination.

 

[Voyageur]

It's amazing how both Pat Connaughton and Kyle Kuzma lit it up against Detroit. Granted the level of talent on the floor for the Pistons wasn't top notch but the fact is both players when given the green light can put up huge numbers. It also showed how Kuzma can move around the perimeter hitting 3s, and Connaughton can slash to the basket when he's told it's part of what they want from him.

Some people will dismiss it as being a fluke, and not their normal game capability but I beg to differ. Both put up huge percentages in their shots because they were allowed to play the game they play best.

As I've said, being critical about Doc's coaching and it still stands, he stifles the ability of a lot of players because he puts way too much credence in two guys leading the team and everyone else ending up being a spectator.

It's going to be interesting seeing how the Bucks handle both guys and their contracts next season. Kuzma has two years left on his, and Pat has one year with a full guarantee of over $9 million. Knowing how the Bucks have been operating with Horst, they will trade at least Pat to dump that contract, and possibly even Kuzma.

There's going to be a lot of changes before they tip off for the 22025-26 season. Not really for the better, but the beginning of the stripping of talent for potential players that show future promise. How that goes will depend on the people pulling the trigger on moving forward. It's going to rankle a lot of fans no doubt about it.

 

[Heyjoe4]

The Bucks have been playing very well of late, despite missing Lillard. Or it points to the potential problem of having two power-house players on offense on the floor at the same time.

I'm not sure that is the case though. It works or has worked in other places. Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry play on the same team. And Curry also played with Durant. There are a lot of examples.

Regardless, I hope Lillard recovers quickly from DVT, nothing to mess with. In the mean time, the Bucks are fun to watch - a good thing heading into the playoffs.

 

[Voyageur]

The Bucks have been playing very well of late, despite missing Lillard. Or it points to the potential problem of having two power-house players on offense on the floor at the same time.

I'm not sure that is the case though. It works or has worked in other places. Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry play on the same team. And Curry also played with Durant. There are a lot of examples.

Regardless, I hope Lillard recovers quickly from DVT, nothing to mess with. In the mean time, the Bucks are fun to watch - a good thing heading into the playoffs.

Next Saturday's game at noon on ESPN is going to tell an interesting story. It will tell us just how far this return has come, and how much Doc and his staff have learned about what the capabilities of his players are if he gives them the green light to play their game. Connaughton becoming only the 4th player in Bucks history to score 40 in a game is an impressive fact considering how many great players have gone through the franchise. The 22 put up by Kuzma in 12 minutes is an amazing stats line. These two could actually be the power they need to help carry them through the next few games.

I'm not all that concerned about Lillard being back to be honest. I think Giannis is a much better player when he's not dressed for games. He becomes more productive and does a great job in creating opportunities for others out there. I also see much more movement and ball sharing off the guard positions as well. Then there's defense. Without Lillard, it seems like the players understand their jobs out there and are needed less to create double teams because the Lillard replacement is doing his job.

When I was a sophomore in HS, we had this senior on our team that our coach thought was the greatest player he'd ever coached. He was good, yes, but when he was on the floor, the emphasis was always about getting the ball into his hands because he was the best we had. In reality, the rest of us ended up more like spectators than players because this guy was going to be the focus of our offense by direction of the coach. It cost us dearly until the "star" twisted an ankle in practice and wasn't able to play.

We went on a tear, averaging nearly double what we were per game, and beating everyone in sight. We had started 1-5 with him in the lineup and won 6 in a row without him. One of the teams we beat was ranked in the top 10 in the state. When he got back, the coach went back to the old plan of him being the team and we only won one game the rest of the year. The coach was told that he was going to be replaced the following year, and not one player on the team felt anything other than joy about it. He'd done that much to damage the potential we had because of his idol worship.

It's that idol worship that so many coaches, even at the NBA level have, and even though they try to act like they don't, you can see how they mollycoddle the "super stars" to the point that it's nauseating. Even when you hear players talk about how great it is to play with these guys and for those coaches, you can almost hear them gag on what they're saying.

Doc is no different. He sees Giannis and Dame as something they aren't. They still put their pants on like everyone else, one leg at a time.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Next Saturday's game at noon on ESPN is going to tell an interesting story. It will tell us just how far this return has come, and how much Doc and his staff have learned about what the capabilities of his players are if he gives them the green light to play their game. Connaughton becoming only the 4th player in Bucks history to score 40 in a game is an impressive fact considering how many great players have gone through the franchise. The 22 put up by Kuzma in 12 minutes is an amazing stats line. These two could actually be the power they need to help carry them through the next few games.

I'm not all that concerned about Lillard being back to be honest. I think Giannis is a much better player when he's not dressed for games. He becomes more productive and does a great job in creating opportunities for others out there. I also see much more movement and ball sharing off the guard positions as well. Then there's defense. Without Lillard, it seems like the players understand their jobs out there and are needed less to create double teams because the Lillard replacement is doing his job.

When I was a sophomore in HS, we had this senior on our team that our coach thought was the greatest player he'd ever coached. He was good, yes, but when he was on the floor, the emphasis was always about getting the ball into his hands because he was the best we had. In reality, the rest of us ended up more like spectators than players because this guy was going to be the focus of our offense by direction of the coach. It cost us dearly until the "star" twisted an ankle in practice and wasn't able to play.

We went on a tear, averaging nearly double what we were per game, and beating everyone in sight. We had started 1-5 with him in the lineup and won 6 in a row without him. One of the teams we beat was ranked in the top 10 in the state. When he got back, the coach went back to the old plan of him being the team and we only won one game the rest of the year. The coach was told that he was going to be replaced the following year, and not one player on the team felt anything other than joy about it. He'd done that much to damage the potential we had because of his idol worship.

It's that idol worship that so many coaches, even at the NBA level have, and even though they try to act like they don't, you can see how they mollycoddle the "super stars" to the point that it's nauseating. Even when you hear players talk about how great it is to play with these guys and for those coaches, you can almost hear them gag on what they're saying.

Doc is no different. He sees Giannis and Dame as something they aren't. They still put their pants on like everyone else, one leg at a time.

For now I'm choosing to watch the Bucks in the playoffs and enjoy the moment, win or lose. Is Doc a perfect HC for this team, Horst a perfect GM, the Lillard trade a good idea? No. There it all is in one sentence.

I refuse to let the actions of others - players, coaches, whatever, and totally out of my control, raise my blood pressure or live rent-free in my head. I'm enjoying Giannis' recent otherworldly play, even for him, and watching some new guys trying to find a bigger role. That's fun to watch.

Go Bucks!

 

[weeds]

I had forgotten that last season, Giannis didn't play due to injury against Indiana.

Besides the Bucks won the in-season tourney leading me to believe they're just layin' in the weeds.

 

[weeds]

When I was a sophomore in HS, we had this senior on our team that our coach thought was the greatest player he'd ever coached. He was good, yes, but when he was on the floor, the emphasis was always about getting the ball into his hands because he was the best we had. In reality, the rest of us ended up more like spectators than players because this guy was going to be the focus of our offense by direction of the coach. It cost us dearly until the "star" twisted an ankle in practice and wasn't able to play.

We went on a tear, averaging nearly double what we were per game, and beating everyone in sight. We had started 1-5 with him in the lineup and won 6 in a row without him. One of the teams we beat was ranked in the top 10 in the state. When he got back, the coach went back to the old plan of him being the team and we only won one game the rest of the year. The coach was told that he was going to be replaced the following year, and not one player on the team felt anything other than joy about it. He'd done that much to damage the potential we had because of his idol worship.

It's that idol worship that so many coaches, even at the NBA level have, and even though they try to act like they don't, you can see how they mollycoddle the "super stars" to the point that it's nauseating.

I don't know why but this part of your story reminded me of Mickey Crowe -- does that name ring a bell?

 

[Voyageur]

I don't know why but this part of your story reminded me of Mickey Crowe -- does that name ring a bell?

Mickey was an amazing HS player. But it's a good example. Our guy never came close to being 10% of the player that Crowe was.

Mickey and Joe Wolf. Two amazing players. Joe ended up going on to play in college and the NBA. Mickey kind of disappeared in college. I heard he had some psychological problems. It can happen when the focus isn't right.

Over the years, I've watched HS coaches destroy so many potentially good athletes for reasons that I will never understand. It makes me wonder what's wrong with the people of those communities where they don't see the harm these people are causing. I think a lot of Mickey's problems may have come from his dad and his obsession with his play to be honest. Just speculating though. From what I heard, whenever Mickey was going to be on the floor, the place was packed.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Mickey was an amazing HS player. But it's a good example. Our guy never came close to being 10% of the player that Crowe was.

Mickey and Joe Wolf. Two amazing players. Joe ended up going on to play in college and the NBA. Mickey kind of disappeared in college. I heard he had some psychological problems. It can happen when the focus isn't right.

Over the years, I've watched HS coaches destroy so many potentially good athletes for reasons that I will never understand. It makes me wonder what's wrong with the people of those communities where they don't see the harm these people are causing. I think a lot of Mickey's problems may have come from his dad and his obsession with his play to be honest. Just speculating though. From what I heard, whenever Mickey was going to be on the floor, the place was packed.

Mickey Crowe - the name seems so familiar. Who did he play for? Thanks V.

 

[Voyageur]

Mickey Crowe - the name seems so familiar. Who did he play for? Thanks V.

His HS career was at JFK Prep in St. Nazianz, WI. They weren't in existence too many years. they had a checkered history with Nuns who were overly tough disciplinarians from what I gather. He played in Madison for the Badgers in college but never reached any real fame there. He was drafted by the Bucks who thought maybe they could rekindle the player he was in HS but that failed.

Mickey dealt with a lot of issues off the court. I think a lot of it had to do with him finally being free from what he considered overly protective and demanding issues at home, school, and with his dad/coach. I just saw out here he's living in Eau Claire, which he always felt was home. He had a writer do his story and it's available on the market. Sounds like he's a really nice person who dealt with issues that he was able to handle. I'm happy for him.