Weekly Bucks Report - Bucks 2008 Preview - Part 2

The Weekly Bucks Report is posted every Monday or Tuesday and is written by a man known only as "Two Name." Below is the 2nd part of the 2008 season preview.

Joe Alexander

Rookie

Alexander is intriguing. His athletic ability and energy have been highly touted. Anybody who can play for Bob Huggins is OK by me. His biggest contribution so far has been his ability to speak Mandarin when the Bucks took their preseason trip to China. He has made some shots and impressed in spurts, but I don’t think his real impact will be felt until Years 2 and 3. He started playing basketball late in his life, and the biggest learning curve he’s faced will take place this season. His defense and rebounding will be valued, but don’t expect much more than that.

Luc Mbah a Moute

Rookie

Think of a more athletic Bruce Bowen without the ability to hit 3-pointers from the corner. The Bucks drafted him for his defense and he is a prototypical Skiles guy. Bucks fans loved Ruben Patterson when he was here because he did the little things and played hard when his teammates mailed it in. They will do the same with Mbah a Moute, even though nobody will know how to pronounce his name all season.

Charlie Bell

2007-2008 stats: 7.6 ppg; 2.5 rpg; 3.1 apg

OK, Charlie. The failed Miami deal is finally in the past. You’re healthy now (kind of), and we need you to play like you did two years ago. Bell is the best defensive guard we have, and he’s on the bench. That concerns me a bit, but he will back up Redd and Ridnour when Sessions doesn’t play. There will be plenty of minutes for Charlie. He played for Tom Izzo at Michigan St., so I expect him to adhere to Skiles’ hard-knocks style. Solid bench guy who can knock down a shot. Good player to have.

Tyronn Lue

2007-2008 stats: 5.8 ppg; 1.5 apg; 1.1 rpg

He sees the floor only if Sessions proves too green to be a solid backup. Otherwise, it’s less than double-digit minutes for this guy. Not a big Ty Lue fan, but again, if Skiles likes him, I like him.

Ramon Sessions

2007-2008 stats: 8.1 ppg; 7.5 apg; 3.4 rpg

The Bucks’ point guard of the future is not ready yet. That might be too lofty of a description for him, but I like his quickness, defensively ability and willingness to become a true point guard. He won his teammates over at the end of last season by almost over-passing to get assists. When has that ever happened with a Bucks point guard?

Dan Gadzuric

2007-2008 stats: 3.2 ppg; 2.8 rpg

The man representing the worst transaction of the Larry Harris tenure is the Bucks’ backup center. Yikes! Danny G. tries so hard, you almost feel sorry for him. He just doesn’t have the skill set to become a decent NBA player. Unfortunately, he will play a lot. I just hope he understands that he can’t shoot or pass without embarrassing himself. Give the ball up!

New additions in the front court:

Francisco Elson; Adrian Griffin; Malik Allen

I’ll be honest, I don’t know a great deal about these bench guys. But they all are cut from the same cloth. They don’t care to shoot and they understand their roles as part of the team. Griffin played for Skiles in Chicago, so he knows what to expect. Elson got a lot of playing time for the Spurs last season, even during the playoffs. You welcome any Spur on your roster. You know former Spurts are schooled in the right way to play the game. Allen is a journeyman who will take Jake Voskuhl’s place as bench cheerleader who rarely sniffs the court.

Prediction:

I see Cleveland winning the Central Division, followed by runner-up Detroit. The Bucks will finish third, ahead of Indiana. No playoffs this season, but the Bucks will play hard and earn the respect of the fans. That’s the least we can ask after the last couple years.

Quick hits:

*I can’t wait to see Trenni on TV again, it’s been too long.

*I will miss the “Mo Williams Show” this year.

*Bucks have a very interesting coaching staff with Marquette alum Jim Boylan, former Indiana and Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson and Wisconsin-native Joe Wolf.

*If Sampson spends as much time molding young players as he did calling even younger ones while illegally recruiting, he could have a decent influence on a new roster.

*Skiles is known for drawing up great plays out of timeouts. You will hear this at least once a game from our beloved TV announcers.

*For those who don’t listen to hoops on the radio, tune in to Ted Davis on 620 once this year. He’s hilarious and brutally honest. He’s a homer who tells it like it is.