Buck the Trend: Milwaukee Will Get it Together

Just over a quarter of the season has passed, and the Eastern Conference is still a cluster of ‘what if/if only’ teams and three legit playoff teams that are playing amazing basketball (Chicago, Boston, and Miami).

Two perennial playoff teams are looking towards a better three quarters of the season. Orlando has put some pieces together that could become very dangerous come a month from now (Come on, you know that J-Rich, Gil, and Hedo are a better trio than Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, and Marcin Gortat), and Atlanta has been the forgotten team this year as they have put together a nice stretch of games since Joe Johnson went down (and came back).

Side note: Everyone has forgotten that the Hawks made the least amount of big moves and don’t intend to. Name one other playoff hopeful team in the East that can say that besides Boston.

Kobe Bryant was ejected after being flustered by the Buck's defense in a recent home defeat.

The real question, though, is who are going to fill in the rest of the remaining three spots? Well, for starters, don’t overlook my boy’s, the Milwaukee Bucks, who have been coming together slowly throughout the first part of the season.

Yes, Brandon Jennings is out for 4-6 weeks after breaking a bone in his foot, and who knows when Carlos Delfino and Corey Maggette are coming back from their respective concussions, but remember that Scott Skiles is coaching this team with two of the better assistant coaches in the league, Kelvin Sampson and Jim Boylan. They have this team playing some of the best defense in the league, something that is often overlooked when looking father down the road in the season.

I remember many of my youth and high school coaches saying that as long as the defense is there, the offense will eventually come around. Milwaukee has been one of the worst teams offensively this season, but not because of a lack of offensive firepower. John Salmons and Drew Gooden are starting to come around after signing new contracts with the team this offseason, and Andrew Bogut has been one of the best centers in the league so far.

What this team really has going for it, though, is the versatility they have with their role players, as many of them can play multiple positions and have playing styles that compliment each other.

Ersan Ilyasova has started to play like the guy we saw at the World Championships this past summer, and guys like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Chris Douglas-Roberts and rookie Larry Sanders have chipped in some nice contributions on both ends of the court.

The Bucks still have a long ways to go if they want to surpass last season’s success, but unlike last year there is more depth and chemistry with this team. Brandon Jennings sitting out for a month may be a good thing for him, too. He’s by far one of the most passionate and competitive players from his draft class. Tag that along with more time breaking down game tapes and I think he will finish the season stronger than how he started it.

Believe me, I was not the biggest fan of the Buck’s offseason moves, but the core young guys from last year haven’t lost a step and seem to be high character guys (unlike Skile’s last team). With the playoff experience from last year, there’s no reason this team can’t make some noise come late in the season.

Fear the Deer? Fear the Beer.

Qatar World Cup Has Huge Question Marks

This has been an especially unusual week in the soccer world.

The aftermath of Qatar winning the 2022 World Cup has swirled some controversy, with FIFA president Sepp Blatter being the main culprit after his remarks about homosexuals keeping to themselves at the tournament when it comes around in twelve years.

Blatter's comments on the subject were ones of buffoonery because all fans should have the right to enjoy a live World Cup experience if they so please. No one should be excluded or made less of in something as beautiful and world-unifying as the World Cup, whether you're homosexual, bisexual, white, black, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, etc.

At the same time, though, his comments are kind of a 'word-to-the-wise.'

Qatar 2022 is/will be one of the riskiest World Cups FIFA has ever put together. The Middle East is a place where people from the western world need to know local customs and rules for their own safety. FIFA is asking a lot out of Qatar, a country with only one big city and airport, but also from the fans who make the tournament so magical.

There's always the fear of crime and violence at a World Cup, but what Qatar brings along with those things is uncertainty. Qatar has never held a sporting event anywhere near as large as the World Cup. South Africa has one of the largest crime rates in the world, but they had held large sporting events before the 2010 World Cup, giving the nation some credibility (It didn't hurt much to have Nelson Mandela around, too).

Qatar brings a laundry list of questions that have never been needed, like: 1) How will they help fans deal with the excruciating heat? 2) How will they keep everyone entertained and spread out with only one big city? 3) How will the locals interact with people of such different cultures? 4) How will they regulate their laws and customs with so many people from more lenient cultures? 5) How will they draw comparable numbers like in previous World Cups when alcohol is illegal?

It's a true test for FIFA. One that could defy all odds and finally shine a better light on the Middle East and bring better relations with one of the most misunderstood areas in the world... That's a huge task, though.

These are uncharted waters FIFA/Blatter/bribed old men of the World Cup committee, so you better know what you're doing because I for one was pulling for an Australian World Cup (Take a second and think about how awesome that would be. Plus, they've already held a very successful Olympics and have multiple big cities), not to mention that many Americans are still upset with you skipping North America when it would have been our turn in the continental cycle.

FIFA is gambling on this one. Let's hope the house isn't bottom dealing.

Hollinger Says D-Rose is Not Elite

In John Hollinger's latest story where he throws a bunch of ridiculous stats in to make an even more ridiculous point, he makes the asinine statement that Derrick Rose is not an elite point guard because he doesn't go to the free throw line enough... That's it, that's his only reason.

Let's put this in a more traditional statistical viewpoint, since Hollinger's made up stats would take days to fully explain their meaning: In per game averages for the entire league, Rose is fourth in scoring and ninth in assists. He can beat his defender at will, has one of the best pull-up jumpers in the league, and recently added a strong three point jumper to his arsenal. Lest we forget he jumps higher than anyone in the league, making him virtually impossible to block, and his body control while in the air is a thing of beauty (Hollinger did credit Rose for that attribute).

Adding it all up, Rose would seem to be one of the most dangerous players in the league (he is), but according to Hollinger, he is not elite because guys like this and this get to the line more than he does.

Hollinger also calls him out on his free throw attempts per field goal attempt (a ridiculous stat to measure a players status in the league), and his true shooting percentage (combined field goal percentage and free throw percentage average). Here's what the numbers cruncher had to say:

"As with the TS% above, 32 of the league's point guards outrank him in free throw attempts per field goal attempt. That list includes his backup (C.J. Watson, 0.28); jump-shooting specialists such as Cleveland's Daniel Gibson and Memphis' Mike Conley; and a whole host of players who aren't nearly as good."

Most of the league's best point guards are ranked ahead of him, including Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams. Want to know who's first in that category? Devin Harris, a very good player, but one who is nowhere near elite status. If players like Harris and the ones mentioned above are ahead of him, isn't it a fair conclusion that the statistic favors certain types of players? Think about it.

To wrap up my point, advanced statistics can be a load of garbage that favor players who play in up tempo offenses and players who play small roles on good teams, hence the reason why a guy like Shannon Brown puts up better advanced stats in some categories than Rose.

Watch a Bulls game and recognize how Rose leads his team and how he can take over the game at will. That's elite to me.

NBA: Bulls Keep Looking Better

It pains me to say this, being a Milwaukee Bucks fan and all, but the Chicago Bulls are looking good... REALLY good. So good, in fact, that they handily beat the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers last night in front of a sellout crowd at the United Center.

It's still early in the season, though, meaning anything is still possible.

One thing that is certain, though, is that Derrick Rose is a legit MVP candidate. His numbers are up across the board, and his ability to hit threes these days has to make him the most difficult player to guard in the league. Not many players can break ankles like a point guard, jump like a slasher, and finish like a savvy veteran. Tyreke Evans knows what I'm talking about.

The Bulls are more than just Rose, though.

Joakim Noah has started where he left off from last season, Taj Gibson is looking like an in-his-prime P.J. Brown, Loul Deng is playing with a fire we've haven't seen since his first few seasons, and most importantly, Carlos Boozer is doing exactly what everyone expected of him after signing with the team last summer.

While the players deserve a lot of the credit, don't overlook the job that Tom Thibodeau has done in his first season as an NBA head coach.

It was a fair assessment before the season to say that he had some question marks by his name: Can he lead an NBA team after being a lifetime assistant coach? Will his defensive genius get in the way of developing the offense? Is he the best the Bulls can get? Yes. No. Sure looks like it now.

The best part about the Bulls (and the saddening part for a die hard Bucks fan) is that they look like a team on a mission for years to come. That's right Chicago, no more wondering whether your team will reach it's full potential. They will, and it's scary to think of how high the ceiling is for D-Rose and company.

I have a feeling there will be a third Bulls statue outside the home that Jordan built, with the hometown kid flying high next to his childhood idol.

Andre Miller Thinks NBA Has Gone Soft

So, Andre Miller, you think the NBA is trying to protect it's young stars by handing you a one game suspension for the 'bump' you gave Blake Griffin... If I'm not mistaken, a 90-foot dash across the court to tackle one of the game's young stars in a fit of revenge is deserving of more than just one game off.

Miller had some words for the NBA front office, saying, "It just shows you how soft the league has gotten, protecting young players. It's not like it was when I came in this league."

Okay, I agree that NBA officiating can be suspect from time to time, but in this instance there's no question about it. Look at the video below, folks, and keep an eye on what's going on under both baskets:



I haven't seen Andre run that fast since... well he's never really been that fast, so I'll leave it at that, but look at the momentum he gathers before hitting Griffin. It's reminiscent of a mountain goat trying to take out an elk. Seriously, it's ridiculous that Miller was allowed to do this and NOT GET CALLED FOR A FOUL.

Don't get me wrong, I like Andre Miller. He's one of the best ally-oopers (I'm making it a word) the game has ever seen, and he's been a strong, veteran leader in the NBA for many years, but saying the league is getting soft for handing out only a one game suspension is tad absurd. Feel lucky that you didn't get more (or even a fine).

These types of plays have never been allowed in the NBA, even when hand-checking was allowed. The only difference between the hard fouls from the 80s and 90s and the one Miller laid on Griffin is that NBA front office officials won't allow players to get away with hard hits with just a flagrant foul anymore. It's family entertainment, whether you like it or not. Hopefully you'll remember this the next time you have the longest active playing streak.