MADISON — The NBA lockout dragged on so long it’s possible
people forgot about the unsightly offense the Milwaukee Bucks had
during their dismal 2010-11 season.

Not Andrew Bogut.

“It was terrible,” the Bucks’ center said. “We just couldn’t
score.”

Indeed, the Bucks couldn’t shoot from the outside, couldn’t finish
inside, couldn’t score consistently from anywhere.

It was a shame, too, because Milwaukee continued to play the kind
of defense coach Scott Skiles demands. Had the Bucks not finished
dead last in the NBA in per-game scoring (91.9) and field goal
percentage (.430), they would have had a fighting chance to make a
second consecutive playoff appearance.

Instead, their win total fell from 46 to 35 and general manager
John Hammond spent still another offseason making wholesale
changes. John Salmons, Corey Maggette, Keyon Dooling and Chris
Douglas-Roberts are out; Stephen Jackson, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Beno
Udrih and Shaun Livingston are in.

The Bucks came out way ahead in that offseason shuffle of NBA
veterans, especially since the new guys are better fits offensively
with the Bucks’ cornerstones, Bogut and point guard Brandon
Jennings. The acquisitions are proven shooters, which were in short
supply in Milwaukee last season.

For the Bucks, who open their abbreviated season Monday night at
Charlotte, it’s pretty simple: If they can regain their shooting
touch, they will be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. If
they don’t, Hammonds will be making more wholesale changes next
offseason.

Injuries also played a significant role in Milwaukee’s decline last
season. Bogut missed 17 games, Jennings 19, Ersan Ilyasova 22,
Carlos Delfino 33 and Drew Gooden 47.

But the Bucks still might have reached the playoffs if Salmons
hadn’t reverted to his career-long pattern of playing well, signing
a big contract and then forgetting how to score. On some nights,
the Bucks found themselves virtually devoid of scoring
options.

Players such as Maggette and Douglas-Roberts, who drive to the
basket for a living, found little room to operate with Bogut
setting up down low. And Bogut couldn’t play away from the basket
because complications with his surgically repaired elbow made his
right arm virtually useless and hindered his ability to shoot
anything but a layup or left-handed hook. The result was a horribly
dysfunctional offense.

“We’re so good defensively and we have an onus on defense and every
little detail on defense that I think we ourselves — not the
coaches, but we ourselves — carried that to offense,” Bogut said.
“At the offensive end we made it robotic, like we were defensively,
because we’re so good defensively. So the coaches weren’t teaching
that. We just picked that up. I think now we understand that we
need to be able to have a lot more freedom offensively. … We have
the talent right now that we should be able to score 100 points a
game.”

Another way for the Bucks to reach 100 per game would be to
generate more transition baskets from their stellar defense.

“Turnovers lead to easy transition baskets and I think we didn’t
take advantage of the turnovers that we forced to get easy
baskets,” Gooden said. “I think that’s something we’re going to
emphasize this year is getting out on the break and trying to get
four to six points on layups. That can win a lot of ballgames for
us.”

Actually, much more than that has to happen. Bogut must show he can
use his right hand again — he says his elbow is pain-free — and
not allow teams to overplay his left. Jennings must show
improvement on his shot after being basically the same player last
season that he was as a rookie. Delfino, Ilyasova and a
slimmed-down Gooden mostly have to stay healthy.

Unlike last year, when the new guys were supposed to help the
offense by going to the basket and drawing fouls, the new guys this
year will add something useful — namely, shooting. Jackson, a
notorious streak shooter, and Dunleavy, who moves well without the
ball, are proven wing scorers. As a backup point guard and
occasional playing partner with Jennings, Udrih could give Skiles
what Luke Ridour gave him so effectively two seasons ago.

“We’ve been what we thought we would be on paper,” Skiles said of
the offense. “We have a willingness to pass the ball, which is
good. We’ve got a bunch of guys that can put the ball on the floor
and make plays for somebody else. Our overall court vision is
better. We’re seeing open people and making nice plays. All that’s
very encouraging. We just have to work out some execution
things.”

An improved offense wouldn’t put the Bucks in a class with Miami,
Chicago, Boston and Orlando in the East, but it would probably put
them in the next tier of teams. Given good health, there’s no
reason that can’t happen.

—–

Contact Tom Oates at toates@madison.com or 608-252-6172.

—

(c)2011 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.)

Visit The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) at
www.wisconsinstatejournal.com

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Qualifiers: the Milwaukee Bucks have more than 40 years of history, so players should have at least two seasons with the team. Also, players will be classified under one position even if they played at more than one.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:

Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar began his record-setting career with six brilliant seasons in Milwaukee from 1969 to 1975. Abdul-Jabbar won three of his six NBA MVPs and one of his two Finals MVP awards during his tenure with the Bucks. He remains the Bucks’ all-time leading scorer and rebounder with 14,211 points and 7,161 boards. Abdul-Jabbar set the NBA’s all-time scoring record with 38,387 points and he did so on the 12th highest career shooting percentage (.559). His 19 All-Star appearances are the most by any player and he added 15 All-NBA and 11 All-Defensive honors.

Jack Sikma:

Seven-time All-Star center Jack Sikma played the last five years of his career in Milwaukee from 1986 to 1991. Sikma was a great defender and a highly skilled center who could pass and shoot like a smaller player. He averaged 13.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists with the Bucks and his .884 free-throw percentage ranks second in franchise history. He recorded 17,287 points, 10,816 rebounds, 3,488 assists, 1,162 steals and 1,048 blocks in his 14-year career.

Andrew Bogut(notes):

Current Bucks center Andrew Bogut joined the team as the top overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft. Bogut evolved into a nightly double-double threat and a tough defender. In 2009-10, he earned his first All-NBA selection with averages of 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, but a gruesome arm injury abbreviated his season. Bogut bounced back with a double-double season and led the league in blocks per game in 2010-11. His totals through 396 games include 5,043 points, 3,710 rebounds and 618 blocks.

Bob Lanier:

Hall of Fame center Bob Lanier wrapped up his NBA career as a Buck from 1980 to 1984. Lanier was a 20-10 player for the Detroit Pistons throughout the 1970s, but he still had All-Star years in him when he joined Milwaukee. He helped the Bucks become one of the top teams in the east as they reached two conference finals and five playoffs in five years. In 45 playoff games with Milwaukee, he averaged 15.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Lanier totaled 19,248 points and 9,698 boards in his 14-year career.

Alton Lister:

Alton Lister spent the first five years of his NBA career in the Bucks’ frontcourt. From 1981 to 1986, Lister maintained averages of 7.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, first backing up Lanier and then taking his place in the starting lineup. Lister owns the Bucks’ all-time shot-blocking record with 804 and his career total of 1,473 blocks places him 32nd all-time.

Sources:

Milwaukee Bucks Franchise Index, Basketball-Reference.com

David Friedman, “Dependable and durable,” February 26, 2008, HoopsHype.com

More from this contributor:

Milwaukee Bucks top five power forwards

Milwaukee Bucks top five small forwards

Milwaukee Bucks top five shooting guards

Milwaukee Bucks top five point guards

Los Angeles Clippers top five centers

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Qualifiers: the Milwaukee Bucks have more than 40 years of history, so players should have at least two seasons with the team. Also, players will be classified under one position even if they played at more than one.

Terry Cummings:

Two-time All-NBA forward Terry Cummings played five prime years with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1980s. Cummings was a versatile high-scoring forward who could create his own offense from the post and mid-range. During his initial stint with the Bucks, he averaged 21.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while leading the team to at least the Eastern Conference Semifinals four times in five years. In his 18-year career as a whole, Cummings racked up 19,460 points, 8,630 rebounds and 1,255 steals.

Vin Baker:

Four-time All-Star power forward Vin Baker began his career far better than he ended it. Spending his first four seasons with the Bucks, Baker quickly established himself as one of the top talents in his 1993 rookie class. He posted overall averages of 18.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks including two double-double seasons and two years of more than 20 points per game. Baker earned his last All-NBA selection in 1998; shortly after he left Milwaukee, his career took a sharp nosedive due to off-court troubles.

Greg Smith:

Former starting forward Greg Smith was an original member of the Milwaukee Bucks who spent three-plus seasons with the franchise from 1968 to 1971. Smith was the fifth starter on a team with four All-Stars. He averaged 9.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists overall, plus 11.6 points and 8.6 boards per game in the Bucks’ 1971 playoff run to their first NBA Championship.

Joe Smith(notes):

Current free agent power forward Joe Smith played his last two years as a full-time starter during a three-season stint in Milwaukee from 2003 to 2006. Smith was a disappointing return on a number one draft pick from 1995, but he has been a solid all-around player over the last 16 seasons. He averaged 10.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in Milwaukee, finishing second in win shares behind only Michael Redd(notes) during his tenure. Smith’s career totals include 11,208 points and 6,575 rebounds.

Curtis Perry:

Curtis Perry took over for Greg Smith at power forward for the Bucks in 1971. A former third round pick in 1970, Perry developed into an excellent rebounder and a gritty inside player. He played three seasons in Milwaukee and registered 8.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for three .700-plus teams. Perry later averaged a double-double in the 1974-75 season with the Phoenix Suns.

Sources:

Milwaukee Bucks Franchise Index, Basketball-Reference.com

Lyndal Scranton, “Perry tops list as best Bear of all,” March 9, 2009, Springfield News-Leader

More from this contributor:

Milwaukee Bucks top five small forwards

Milwaukee Bucks top five shooting guards

Milwaukee Bucks top five point guards

Houston Rockets top five point guards

Cleveland Cavaliers top five small forwards

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Bobcats sent top scorer Stephen Jackson to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday in a three-way trade involving the Sacramento Kings that gave Charlotte two picks in the top nine of the NBA draft.

In another sign of owner Michael Jordan’s rebuilding effort, the Bobcats also sent the 19th pick – Tennessee’s Tobias Harris – and backup point guard Shaun Livingston to the Bucks. Milwaukee, in desperate need of added scoring, also was to receive guard Beno Udrih from the Kings.

Charlotte got the No. 7 overall pick from Sacramento – Congo’s Bismack Biyombo – and forward Corey Maggette from Milwaukee.

Guard John Salmons went Milwaukee to Sacramento. The Kings also got the 10th pick from the Bucks: BYU’s Jimmer Fredette.

The deal, struck just hours before the draft and announced as the second round was under way, continued Jordan’s familiar theme of late: shedding veterans.

Last year, the Bobcats allowed guard Raymond Felton to leave in free agency and traded Tyson Chandler to Dallas to clear salary-cap space. In February, the Bobcats traded the franchise’s only All-Star, Gerald Wallace, to Portland for two first-round picks.

The 33-year-old Jackson, who averaged 18.5 points last season, is the latest to go following a disappointing 34-48 season that saw coach Larry Brown fired and replaced by Paul Silas.

The sometimes volatile Jackson, who is owed nearly $20 million over the next two seasons, has a similar deal to Maggette, who is to receive just over $21 million over the next two years. Livingston, who has worked his way back from a serious knee injury, is owed $3.5 million next season.

The Bucks understand that Jackson may be reluctant to move again – the third time in just over five seasons to the seventh team in his career – but are hopeful that he’ll become a floor leader who excels in the fourth quarter, something Milwaukee missed last season.

The moves also gave the Bobcats two high picks in what is considered a weak draft while also shedding future payroll. The Bobcats are hoping to make a splash in free agency in the summer of 2012.

The Bucks were the worst-shooting, lowest-scoring team in the NBA last season, averaging just 91.9 points per game. Salmons, who came in a trade deadline deal two seasons ago, sparked Milwaukee to its first playoff berth in four seasons and a 22-8 record down the stretch.

But after he signed a $40 million, five-year deal in the offseason, he slumped to 14 points per game and failed to provide the dynamic scoring the Bucks had hoped for.

Maggette was a bad fit from the start after needing ankle surgery that slowed him early in training camp. When he returned, he failed to break in as the sixth man in the rotation and was left with little playing time, no real role and a bloated contract.

The money-losing Kings were able to unload Udrih, who averaged 13.7 points a game last season, but is owed nearly $22 million over the next three seasons. Fredette, a prolific scorer in college, could help boost Sacramento’s backcourt.

The Milwaukee Bucks made another big trade just before the draft. Now they must hope the name they’ll be linked with forever doesn’t come back to haunt them.

Milwaukee picked guard Jimmer Fredette with the 10th pick of Thursday’s NBA draft, but were expected to send his rights to Sacramento as part of a three-team trade that also includes Charlotte.

A person familiar with the deal said the Bobcats will send 19th overall pick Tobias Harris to the Bucks as part of Thursday’s deal. The Bucks also received Charlotte forward Stephen Jackson, guard Shaun Livingston and Sacramento guard Beno Udrih, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced.

Harris worked out for the Bucks earlier in June and turns 19 next month. He’ll be given time to develop behind Jackson for a team that’s in need of talented scorers.

Harris played just one season at Tennessee, where he averaged 15.3 points. He was a finalist for the 2010 Naismith High School Player of the Year Award and competed in McDonald’s All-America game.

“Tobias Harris welcome to Milwaukee …. congrats,” Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings posted on Twitter.

Milwaukee also held the 40th pick in the draft.

The Bucks could use an eye-popping scorer like Fredette, who averaged 28.9 points his senior season at BYU and won nearly every collegiate national player of the year honor, after being the worst-shooting, lowest-scoring team in the NBA last year.

Instead, they’ll receive the three veterans in a trade – similar to what happened 13 years ago in the 1998 draft.

That year, Milwaukee selected Dirk Nowitzki ninth overall, but had already agreed to trade his rights and those of the 19th pick, Pat Garrity, for Robert “Tractor” Traylor, who was the sixth selection of the draft.

Nowitzki went on to be a star and eventual NBA champion this year with the Mavericks. Traylor lasted just parts of two seasons in Milwaukee before being traded and started just 73 games over seven seasons before his NBA career ended.

Even Garrity made a bigger impact on the league than Traylor did.

Still, the new additions provide talent in the backcourt around Jennings and backup Keyon Dooling.

Udrih can play either guard position and is a career 35.8 percent shooter from 3-point range. Jackson can play shooting guard or small forward and is considered an upgrade over John Salmons, who is headed to the Kings. Livingston provides depth.

Jackson’s season ended early last year because of a left hamstring injury, but he had been working out at the Bobcats facility this summer and dropped to 225 pounds, 20 pounds lighter than during the season. He averaged 18.5 points last seasons after three straight seasons over 20 with Golden State and Charlotte.

The Bucks understand Jackson may be reluctant to move again – his seventh team of his career and third move in the last five seasons, but expect him to play a vital leadership role in a team looking to get back to the playoffs after an unexpected 35-47 season.

Milwaukee still has a need down low to help former No. 1 pick Andrew Bogut. The Bucks hope power forward Drew Gooden will be healthy again after missing half of last season with plantar fasciitis.

After that, Milwaukee has a group of undersized forwards that includes Ersan Ilyasova, Jon Brockman, Carlos Delfino and Larry Sanders. The Bucks also made a qualifying offer to defensive specialist Luc Richard Mbah a Moute to give them the option to match any contract offers the third-year player might receive.

For the third straight year, the Bucks made a big splash before the draft.

In 2008, general manager John Hammond dealt Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons for Richard Jefferson. In 2009, Jefferson departed for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Amir Johnson. Last year, Hammond traded Dan Gadzuric and Charlie Bell for Corey Maggette.

Now Maggette is gone, too, after being hurt early and failing to find consistent minutes or a role in Milwaukee, in an exchange of contracts for Jackson, an explosive scorer with a volatile personality.