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      How John Hammond has made the Bucks better

      March 23, 2010 /

      Bill Simmons did a running diary of the Hawks/Bucks and Thunder/Spurs games last night. Here’s what he had to say about Bucks GM John Hammond…

      9:30: Johnson posts up Salmons for two, followed by Carlos Delfino (21 points) draining a 3. Bucks GM John Hammond made three great moves in the past year: The Salmons trade; gambling on Brandon Jennings at No. 10; and signing Delfino for nothing last summer. (Not only does Delfino fill up the stat sheet, play both swing spots and give you solid D, but he has a giant tattoo of a lizard on his left shoulder that looks cool in HD. There’s a lot to like.) Meanwhile, Joe Dumars ran the Pistons into the ground in the 18 months after Hammond bolted Detroit for Milwaukee. Were the two events related? Hmmmmmm.

      Hammond also signed Ersan Ilyasova, who first played for the Bucks during a rough 2006-07 season when he was just 19. After a couple of years in Spain, Hammond brought him back and he has played well, averaging 10-6, 44% FG%, 35% 3PT, and playing hard-nosed defense. The signing made Richard Jefferson expendable, so Hammond traded him to the Spurs and ended up with Amir Johnson (from Detroit), whom he shipped to Toronto for Delfino, who is averaging 11-5-3 and is shooting 37% from long range, while playing tough defense on opposing wings.

      I criticized the Jefferson trade at the time because I didn’t think that the Bucks got enough for him, but it turns out that with Ilyasova and Delfino, they did. Plus they’ll have significant cap space in the summer of 2011 with Jefferson and Michael Redd off the books. At that point, they’ll have six players under contract — Andrew Bogut, Brandon Jennings, Ilyasova, Delfino, Luc Mbah a Moute and Charlie Bell — and $25 million or more to spend. That’s a nice little nucleus, especially if they can keep Salmons at a reasonable price.

      I also thought Hammond should have retained Ramon Sessions, but with Ridnour playing pretty well, he was expendable.

      Hammond got off to a rough start in his first draft where he took Joe Alexander at #8, passing on Brook Lopez, Anthony Randolph, D.J. Augustin, Jerryd Bayless and Marreese Speights in the process. Passing on Lopez is somewhat understandable if you’re drafting for need (with Bogut already on the roster), but the team’s future would be even brighter if they had a forward like Randolph or Speights on the roster.

      Regardless, Hammond bounced back with the Jennings pick and has made a number of savvy moves to get the Bucks to where they are now. Is Milwaukee a threat to make a Finals appearance? No, but the Bradley Center is hosting some good basketball now and to fans in Milwaukee, that’s all that matters. Hammond seems to understand how to manage a small-market team and has put the franchise in a good position for years to come. That’s all you can ask for out of your general manager.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Report: Browns interested in Colt McCoy

      March 23, 2010 /

      ESPN’s Chris Mortesen is reporting that the Browns have genuine interest in quarterback Colt McCoy and could use their second round pick on the Texas product, or even package picks to move into the bottom of the first round.

      So far this offseason, GM Mike Holmgren has done some major reconstructive surgery on Cleveland’s quarterback position. He released Derek Anderson, traded for Seneca Wallace, signed Jake Delhomme and dealt Brady Quinn to the Broncos. But anyone with 20/20 vision or a strong pair of prescription eyeglasses can see that Wallace and Delhomme aren’t the answer. Wallace is fine in small doses, but struggles to carry a team on a full-time basis and Delhomme has been a disaster since the 2008 Divisional Round playoffs. I know that some Browns fans are optimistic that Delhomme will return to his 2007 form, but watch him orchestrate an offense without Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart at his disposal – and then evaluate how optimistic you are.

      That said, I don’t think McCoy is the answer for the Browns. He’s a class act all the way and he did some tremendous things at UT, but there’s no telling what kind of shape his shoulder is in. He recently told NFL.com’s Gil Brandt that he’s 100% and will be able to throw at the Longhorns’ Pro Day on March 29, but that will be the first time he throws since the BCS title game. Even if he does throw well and his shoulder has healed, there are still question marks surrounding his arm strength and his unfamiliarity with a pro style offense.

      Of course, the one thing McCoy has never been criticized about is his accuracy, which is vital for quarterbacks running the West Coast Offense. Maybe Holmgren believes McCoy is the right fit for his system and also likes the QB’s athleticism. Still, McCoy succumbed to Nebraska’s immense defensive line pressure in the Big 12 title game last season, raising questions about whether or not he could survive in the NFL.

      I guess what I’m ultimately saying is that I’m not completely sold on McCoy as a prospect. I loved watching him play at Texas and I think he can be successful because he’s an incredibly hard worker with a great head on his shoulders. But will he be successful? As a starter, I’m not entirely sure.


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      NFL, NFL Draft

      Will Braylon Edwards ever live up to his draft status?

      March 23, 2010 /

      It’s essentially now or never for receiver Braylon Edwards.

      The Jets re-signed the former first round pick to a one-year, $6.1 million contract extension on Monday. The tender is a 20% raise on the receiver’s 2009 salary, which is hefty price considering that he finished with only 45 catches for 680 yards and four touchdowns.

      There are several receivers that would kill to be in the spot Edwards is in now. In fact, up until he was traded to Baltimore this past offseason, Anquan Boldin was the poster child for receivers that want their own spotlight. He wanted to be paid and treated like a No. 1 in some team’s offense and now he finally has the opportunity. Edwards was given the opportunity to be the guy as soon as he was drafted in Cleveland and has yet to make the most of it.

      Edwards essentially has one year to prove that he can be Mark Sanchez’s go-to or else the Jets will probably allow the receiver walk in 2011. The team showed some faith in him by signing him to the $6 million tender, so now it’s up to him to finally prove to himself and those around him that he isn’t just an overpaid route runner.

      Personally, I think we’ve already seen the best that Edwards has to offer. He had one great year in Cleveland and I’m willing to bet that he spends his remaining years in the league never coming close to those 2007 numbers again. Does he have the talent? Absolutely. He has the size and speed to be an elite receiver in the league, but he has never learned to catch the ball with his hands. More times than not, he lets the ball get into his body, which is why he has so many drops. That’s been his biggest problem since his days in Ann Arbor and outside of the one year, he has never overcome that.

      Maybe he’ll prove me wrong, but something tells me he won’t.

      While it’s true that Edwards only posted 45-680-4 last year, 35-541-4 came with the Jets. Throw in the 6-156-1 that Edwards produced in the postseason, he averaged 2.7-46-0.33 in 15 games with the Jets. That translates to about 43-736-5 over the course of a full season. Last year, those would have been WR36-type numbers.

      What does this mean for 2010? Well, there are a few factors working in Edwards’ favor: 1) he’ll has almost a full year under his belt in the Jets’ offense, 2) Mark Sanchez is one year wiser, and 3) he’s in a contract year again. I would never expect Edwards to have another top 5 season like he did in 2007, but with all of these factors to consider, a top 20 finish certainly isn’t out of reach. He would only need to score an additional 50 points to reach that goal, and 15 catches for 250 yards and two more TD would get him there. I’d consider drafting Edwards after 25 or 30 WRs are off the board.


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      NFL

      Goodell to meet with Roethlisberger

      March 23, 2010 /

      NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced on Monday evening that he will meet with Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger to discuss the latest allegations of sexual assault that have been made against the QB.

      From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

      “First, I think the most important thing is we take the issue very seriously,” Goodell said during his first press conference of the NFL meetings being held here this week.

      “We are concerned that Ben continues to put himself in this position. I have spoken to the Steelers. I have spoken to Art Rooney directly about it. And at the appropriate time I will be meeting with Ben.”

      Charges haven’t been filed against Roethlisberger yet, but that doesn’t mean that he will escape discipline even if he’s ultimately never charged. If Goodell feels as though a player has sullied the image of the NFL logo, he will hand out punishment.


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      NFL

      John Salmons’ impact on the Bucks

      March 22, 2010 /

      Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel recaps John Salmons near-super human effort against the Kings and Nuggets last weekend.

      John Salmons had to be a tired man after playing 92 minutes on back-to-back nights during the weekend.

      But all Salmons’ work and perspiration was worth it as he helped the Milwaukee Bucks to a pair of satisfying victories, a double-overtime thriller at Sacramento on Friday night and a gritty decision in Denver on Saturday night.

      Salmons’ impact on the Bucks’ fortunes is nothing short of amazing. Since his arrival at the trade deadline in February, Milwaukee has rolled to a 14-2 record and vaulted into the fifth playoff position in the Eastern Conference with a 38-30 overall mark.

      The 6-foot-6 veteran provided more evidence of the “Salmons effect” with his play in the crucial stages against the Kings and Nuggets.

      In the final minute of regulation in Sacramento, he sank 2 three-point shots, one coming off a double screen that the Bucks executed perfectly following a timeout. Then he grabbed two offensive rebounds and converted baskets in the first overtime period, and he finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists while playing a game-high 53 minutes in the Bucks’ 114-108 victory.

      What to do for an encore?

      Well, how about taking a defensive turn on Denver all-star Carmelo Anthony and getting to the free throw line in the fourth quarter to help the Bucks seal a 102-97 victory, snapping the Nuggets’ seven-game home winning streak.

      Salmons ended with 26 points, four assists and three rebounds, and he was 9 of 9 at the foul line, including 6 of 6 in the fourth quarter.

      As I’ve written before, Andrew Bogut deserves a lot of credit for the Bucks’ recent run, but there’s no denying that Salmons has brought a dimension to the team that has been lacking for some time.

      The seven-year vet is averaging 20-3-3, while shooting better than 45% from the field and 38% from long range. With Michael Redd hobbled (and now injured), the Bucks were lacking a wing that could score consistently. Salmons has filled that void perfectly and has exceeded even the highest of expectations after the Bucks pulled the trigger to acquire him at the trade deadline.

      It’s funny — watching him play, you wouldn’t think he’d be a Scott Skiles kind of a player. His expression rarely changes, and his constant blank look could be perceived as apathy. But he plays hard, so who cares what kind of face he makes? He is seemingly unflappable, and that’s a trait that makes him a dependable crunch time scorer.

      Monday night update: Salmons had another great night scoring the ball, dropping 32 points against the Hawks on 12 of 19 shooting from the field. He also hit two free throws with under 30 seconds to play to give the Bucks the lead for good.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

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