Bucks Linked to Bledsoe, Lin

With Milwaukee Bucks Summer League set to get underway tomorrow evening from Las Vegas, there have been plenty of rumblings around the circuit that the team has interest in acquiring a point guard to run the team going forward.

This past Saturday, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweeted that Bucks have kicked the tires on a possible trade for Rockets' PG Jeremy Lin, are also working on pitching an offer sheet for Suns' coveted restricted free agent point guard Eric Bledsoe and looking at Greivis Vasquez.

In addition to weighing possible trade for Lin, I'm told Bucks are pitching offer sheet to RFA Eric Bledsoe and pursuing PG Greivis Vasquez
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 5, 2014

Vasquez re-signed with Toronto last night on a 2-year/$13 million contract, so naturally, he's out of the question now. It's down to Lin or Bledsoe.

If I'm honest, it's unlikely the Bucks land either of these guys. My explanation:

Jeremy Lin makes $15 million for the upcoming season but due to a weird contract loophole, he will only count $8 million toward the cap. Regardless, the Rockets need that space to be able to sign Chris Bosh to the absurd contract they offered him this week. To put it simply, Lasry & Edens might not think that Lin is worth paying $15 million (and they'd be right).

Also, there is a conspiracy out there that since Rockets' GM Daryl Morey and Sixers' GM Sam Hinkie go way back, they'd be willing to help each other out in a trade. The Rockets want cap space and the Sixers want MOAR assets.

Lin might slightly derail the Sixers' second consecutive blatant tank season but they would probably be willing to take the risk if they get a first-rounder and another prospect (Clint Capela?) for their troubles. Bucks fans have serious doubts at John Hammond's ability to win a trade because we typically get fleeced in all deals we're a part of (see: JJ Redick trade where we could have theoretically obtained Bledsoe in the first place).

Speaking of Bledsoe, the thought around the league is that the Suns are going to match any offer sheet that Bledsoe is offered. Chances are, the Bucks would have to offer a 4/$64 offer sheet for Bledsoe to make the Suns think twice but even then, I've come to terms with the fact that the Suns, who have a ton of cap space themselves, will not hesitate to match.

The only outside chance the Bucks have is that Bledsoe has been in contact with new Bucks' head coach Jason Kidd has gotten through to him that he can be the coach to take him to the next level. Bledsoe would be a good fit with forwards Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo going forward. Bledsoe is a point guard that excels with the ball or without the ball.

One thing to think about with the Suns is whether they like Goran Dragic or Bledsoe more or if they think they can both play together long-term. I see no reason why they can't but if Bledsoe commands $16 million a year, Dragic is going to look to earn pretty close to that much himself. That's a lot of money to be tied up in a backcourt.

Anyway, the Bucks already have one true point guard on the roster and his name is Nate Wolters and he'll be attending Bucks' Summer League along with Parker and Giannis, among others.

Brandon Knight is also a "point guard" on the Bucks current roster but it's pretty apparent he's a combo guard at best and most likely a shooting guard.

It's refreshing to see that Bucks' management isn't forcing Brandon Knight as a point guard.

'Til next time.

-Big Money

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 95

After a week hiatus, Charlie and Mitch are back with another edition of Tapping The Keg podcast. We talk about all things Milwaukee Bucks for the first 15 to 20 minutes of the podcast going over Jason Kidd's hiring plus Jabari Parker and Summer League. Next, it moves to NBA Free Agency talking about LeBron James and whether he will go to Cleveland or Miami. Continuing on, we try to calm everyone down about the Milwaukee Brewers recent skid. It finishes with a little World Cup and Johnny Manziel talk.

Jason Kidd Doesn't Owe You Answers

Milwaukee Bucks introduced Jason Kidd to Milwaukee yesterday morning. They brought in their new coach after Larry Drew was ousted rather quickly, and the press conference did not make them go 1-0 to start the Kidd era. People tagged it as 'awkward' and Kidd avoided all sorts of questions about the situation itself. The criticism of Kidd's press conference happened at a rampant rate with everyone trying to make their own dodging joke. Bucks are in such a weird spot due to everyone on the Internet hating their coach, but everyone embracing their players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker. They aren't the bad boys, but not many people want this team to succeed next season.

It is sort of surprising to see how many media members rushed to criticize Kidd for dodging all sorts of questions. This is PR 101. Kidd didn't want to spend the press conference talking about what just happened. He knows at some point, Kidd will have to face the music and talk about the situation in Brooklyn, that will eventually happen, but this isn't the time for it. But right now, this is not the topic Kidd wants to talk about, he just wants to move forward. This is a problem right now with media and other outlets where they expect answers at the drop of a hat and then get pissed when it doesn't happen.

It makes sense that's how the new generation thinks about things because so many things happen immediately.  In the days before the Internet, you had to read about the press conference the next day and now, there is an immediate reaction with need of opinion. In reality, we need to let it simmer. Sure, Kidd didn't come up guns ablazin' where you want to go 'HELL YEAH COACH, LET'S RUN THROUGH SOME BRICK WALLS!!!'  We would love to have those sort of things from all of the coaches we bring in, but every coach is different. Kidd didn't need to win the press conference. He owes the media nothing and knows they are killing him right now yet the main part of the whole thing is building this young team to make a push to the playoffs. 

If Kidd's first season doesn't work out the way we want and the Bucks struggle again which would delight a ton of media members, that's fine if a couple things happen. For one, Giannis takes another step as a basketball player. Parker gets off to a good start in Milwaukee. Brandon Knight becomes a different point guard under the tutelage of Kidd. And maybe most importantly if he's not traded, Larry Sanders returns to form with a new coach. All of those things are more important winning next year. If the Bucks only win 24 to 26 games, but all of those things happen, the foundation is set for Milwaukee to be a real solid team for the future. That's more important than anything else right now. Winning is secondary despite everyone in the media wanting him to fall directly on his face.   

My stance on Kidd was always I thought it had some backstabbing elements to it, but in the end, he is the coach and if he wins, that's all that matters. What also is weirdly strange about the whole thing is Milwaukee stole the headlines from some of the biggest free agents. This story fascinated everyone in the NBA community. It also means a great deal of things for the Bucks in the national scope. People will look at this team closer. Bucks are going to get at least one or two games on national television whether it is an ESPN, TNT, ABC or FOX Sports 1 game because their matchups with Brooklyn are appointment television.  This paragraph is something we haven't been able to say about Milwaukee years so yes, good press is bad press. 

All is hopefully quiet on the Bucks front for now. It will be about filling the coaching staff and deciding what players they want to keep or bring in. It should be a fun offseason leading up to the October tip-off.  

Charlie. 

Jason Kidd, a Do or Die Decision for Milwaukee's New Owners

Milwaukee Bucks seems to have some momentum building in the last couple of months. They had new ownership. They added a top draft pick with Jabari Parker whom received standing ovations all over the city of Milwaukee over the weekend. Everyone really liked what Milwaukee was doing, but then they went for the remix by trading for Jason Kidd as their head coach. Larry Drew is now out as the head coach something he just found out today which is not the way to do things in coaching circles. Kidd made a power move and it worked, but at the same time, there are a great deal of consequences if this doesn't play out in Milwaukee's favor although there is always a chance this will work out for everyone.

Many people are wondering why people are coming to the defense of Drew, a head coach whom won only 15 games, the answer is simple. Drew got taken out back and drilled in the back of the head instead of being done the right way. It was a ruthless decision. Sure, it happens all the time in the business world, but Milwaukee flexed its muscles like the 5'6 bro tank-wearing guy at an O.A.R. concert wanting to start a fight with a 6'6 mountain of a man. Bucks have zero muscles to flex with their owners, General Manager and everyone else involved. That's why the furor is there from people. It's not what the Bucks did, rather how they handled the situation given the position they are currently in.

Bucks are not one of the best five organizations in the NBA. They are an organization with an arena and attendance problems. Some could argue they belong in the bottom five. If this thing blows up in their faces, Milwaukee could be left in the dust. What coach wants to come to Milwaukee if this is how they treat people? Not many will see the job alluring if you combine the lack of winning, the arena issues and the mob mentality of the organization. Sure, two out of those three could be fixed, but at the same time having people live in a perpetual state of fear isn't always the best business practice. Many people can make the argument Drew deserved to be fired given only winning 15 games out of 82, but at the same time, he is at least owed some respect instead of looking like a complete clown.

 If Milwaukee's owners knew this was going to happen, they should have told Drew to skip everything involved with Parker. The fact the Bucks trotted him out with their owners talking to Kidd without his knowledge makes him look like a puppet in a scheme. Some can say Drew looked like it was coming but there is not a chance in hell he realized his new boss was the Frank Underwood of the NBA. Anything to get what he wanted and attempt to take this team to the top. Marc Lasry was Kidd's financial advisor and now he's Kidd's boss, the head coach will have more protection than the President of the United States. Even though this thing went down in the dirtiest way imaginable, there is a chance it works out for Milwaukee and their ownership.

Kidd is not a bad coach based off one year. That's unfair. People cannot immediately claim he is terrible. Further, a first-year coach dealing with a team full of guys like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry, Deron Williams were all his peers at some point in his career. Kidd is coming to a Bucks organization where most of the guys watched him play throughout his career and may have looked up to him. He could do wonders for a guy like Brandon Knight. And most of these players are going to listen to Kidd and instill his beliefs as a coach even if many people from outside Milwaukee will want to see this Bucks team fail given what happened this weekend. Kidd gets a team full of young guys which I have always argued is easier on new coaches.

If Kidd brings the Bucks a Central Division title in the next three years, all will be forgotten. Even if Kidd leads the Bucks to consistent playoff appearances where they are higher than the seventh seed, I think people will be happy. No one will remember this little incident if the Bucks are winning basketball games. I don't know if Drew would have been better with this crop of talent or would have gotten fired mid-season if Milwaukee struggled again. If the latter would have happen, maybe it's better this way even if it did not happen in the greatest of circumstances.

The last concern for all Milwaukee basketball fans is Jason Kidd does whatever Jason Kidd wants. He has one of the biggest egos in the NBA and really does not give one damn about whom he hurts on the way. Kidd could easily find a better job in two months and tell the Bucks, he is moving forward. The man has consistently burned bridges throughout this entire career, both playing and now coaching. Hopefully, Milwaukee doesn't give him a need for gasoline and matches.

Charlie.

Jabari Parker: A Peek Into Milwaukee's Future

Milwaukee Bucks fans have waited for Thursday night since the start of the new year. It was evident Milwaukee headed for the top of the draft lottery given their struggles in the 2012-2013 season. For months, people debated whether Milwaukee would draft Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker or Joel Embiid. At times, everyone wanted Wiggins. Other times, it seemed like Parker became the choice. Embiid had his moment in the sun as well. But when the dust settled, Parker became the newest member of Milwaukee's professional basketball organization. 

Everything that he is doing is a perfect recipe for Milwaukee. Allegedly, Parker said he wanted to be a part of the Bucks organization due to its proximity to his hometown of Chicago, and he supposedly tanked the workout with Cleveland to ensure they would draft Andrew Wiggins. Whether that's true or not, causal Bucks fans all wanted Parker because it finally seemed like a player wanted to play for Milwaukee. You don't see that often. Todd Day said 'Mil-wauuuuuuk-ee, damn' when the Bucks drafted him in the mid-90's. Milwaukee once drafted a player in Yi Jianlian whom despised the idea of coming to the Cream City. Parker is a breath of fresh air. 

This is exactly what the Bucks want right now as an organization with new owners, trying to build a new arena and trying to start a future. If a small-market team wants to be a contender, they need to build through the draft. Brandon Knight, John Henson, Larry Sanders, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Parker are all top-20 picks (Knight drafted by Detroit). O.J. Mayo once was a top-five pick, but he doesn't count at this point. This is a smart foundation for the future. Milwaukee will be an outside contender for a playoff appearance next season. It could be a true transition year, but the Bucks are inching closer to being a top-tier contender in the Eastern Conference.

The great thing about the Eastern Conference is anything can happen honestly. With the West, it is a complete dogfight and could take years to come back to prominence. In the East, we have a team like Toronto going from a top 10 lottery pick to being the three seed this year in the NBA Playoffs. I am not saying Milwaukee get that fortunate, but anything is possible for Milwaukee next season. And if things go to hell again getting another top notch lottery pick isn't the worst thing in the world even if it sounds like the worst thing ever at this juncture. 

For years and years, we have waited for the Face of the Franchise for Milwaukee Bucks, and it feels like this team now has two of them with Giannis and Jabari. This could be the next great duo in the NBA. Sure, Wiggins and Kyrie Irving could be great, yet at the same time, there is some uncertainty if Irving will be there for very much longer. More so than 2010 when Brandon Jennings made a little push, this is the most exciting time it's been to be a Bucks fans in quite a long time, probably since 2000. This is the start of something special. 

When it gets closer to the season, we will talk about managing expectations for this team and Parker, but right now, let's relish in the fact Milwaukee is in a great spot. 

Charlie.

Bucks Draft: Who Will It Be?

Call it a cop out but I'm not going to make the mistake of trying to predict what will happen in an unpredictable. Rather, I'm going to lay out a few scenarios of what I think might happen. 

The day I've (we've all) been waiting for for the last six months is finally here.

The state of Wisconsin suffered through the worst season in Milwaukee Bucks history, en route to the worst record in the league for the '13-'14 season. They secured the number two overall pick in last month's draft lottery after the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the basketball world and somehow ended up with the first overall selection.

It was pretty much wide open as far as who could go where with picks one-three after the NCAA Tournament concluded. It was basically down to Kansas freshmen Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins, as well Duke freshmen forward Jabari Parker as the top three.

Then, after Embiid (fairly widely regarded as the best of the three) went down with yet another injury and had to undergo surgery, relatively unknown Australian guard Dante Exum has gone from the outside looking into the top three, to possibly being the third pick in the draft.

I rule out Exum going #1 or #2 because all reports are saying it's down to Wiggins or Parker at number one, then the Bucks will take whoever falls between the two diaper dandies with the number two pick.

ESPN.com's Chad Ford:

Sources: Cavs owner Dan Gilbert wants Andrew Wiggins at No. 1. Front office wants Jabari Parker. http://t.co/vkpjuqT2z4
— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) June 25, 2014

Also, new Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry was in Milwaukee this past Monday and spoke to the media. He said the draft got easier because of the Embiid injury.

Lasry is ruling out Bucks taking Embiid. "Our decision got a lot easier, mainly because Embiid got hurt."
— cfgardner (@cf_gardner) June 23, 2014

That basically all but solidifies what's going to happen, right? The Cavs take either Wiggins or Parker and the Bucks get the "scraps" (I use quotes because they're both great prospects), right?

I don't think it's going to be as simple as that when it's all said and done. Bucks' GM John Hammond said they can't really narrow it down to just two players, which, the way he said it, I didn't think that they were leaning toward taking someone other than Wiggins or Parker. He just kind of stated the obvious and didn't want to lose leverage or limit their options.

Obviously, this is going to be a crazy night trade-wise. The Cavs have apparently been very active in shopping their number one overall selection for more assets or a star. To me, the Cavs have a number of avenues to explore and (once again) don't know what they're doing. They probably want to get LeBron James back but that's a pipe dream. Evidently, owner Dan Gilbert and his front office are split. Gilbert wants Wiggins but the front office favors Parker.

It's no wonder none of the prospects want to go there. Reported dysfunction, an insane owner and a pretty toxic lockerroom with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters hating each other.

Meanwhile, in sunny Milwaukee, things are great. The Bucks have new ownership invigorating the community and a young group of good guys like Giannis, Brandon Knight and John Henson among others.

Who knows who will be left at the beginning of the season?

What we do know, however, is that Parker wants to play in Milwaukee. That's normally filed in the "Shit No One Says" category in NBA discussions but it was reported earlier this week that Parker "tanked" his workout for the Cavs to ensure they wouldn't take him.

Parker doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to do such a thing with his strong values and good character. Who knows, though? He's born and raised just down the road in Chicago and would be very close to his family. He did wear a green pin thing on his suit coat during his pre-draft media

What do I want?

I've long been a Wiggins fan over Parker. I've recently warmed more on Parker, especially since he allegedly wants to play in Milwaukee. I believe that Wiggins has more upside and might fill more of a need down the road offensively but fills a need defensively right away.

Parker is considered to be the most offensively NBA-ready but his defense needs a lot of work, not to mention he's a bit of a tweener. I think he's a four in today's NBA. I mean, he's 6'8" 250+ pounds. He should be able to hold his own.

It will be interesting to see what happens tonight. Again, gun to my head, I want Wiggins but I definitely wouldn't root against Parker.

Either way, it's a big night in Bucks' franchise history.

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 94

Tapping The Keg Podcast is back with a loaded podcast with Charlie and Mitch. We talk about a great deal of things starting off with Summerfest. We talk about the idea of it as well as how it is cooler to be an underage kid there along with highlighting the headliners we would like to see in the next eleven days. It continues with talking about the World Cup with Milwaukee's presence on Sunday along with some talk about U.S. Soccer's chances tomorrow. We talk a little bit about Milwaukee Brewers and why Washington Nationals could be a scary team in the next couple of months. Around the 34 minute mark, we start diving into the NBA Draft covering all topics as to what Cleveland might do, why either Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins is fine with us and much more.

Charlie.

Just Pick Baby - Milwaukee's Easy Draft Slot

When it comes to the final week of any draft whether it be the NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB, there are all sorts
of smoke screens that happen.  People want to try to throw off the scent of the other team. There were rumors of Duke forward Jabari Parker tanked his workout with Cleveland Cavaliers in order to get picked by the Milwaukee Bucks. Now it has moved to Cleveland being 50/50 on whom to pick between Andrew Wiggins and Parker. Dante Exum is starting to gain some momentum as well. It is officially the time where nobody know anything.

With Joel Embiid's latest injury picking second was the best thing to ever happen to Milwaukee's professional basketball team. Milwaukee doesn't have to decide to between Wiggins or Parker. They just have to pick the one Cleveland decided to pass on. It is that simple, no need to overthink things and do something stupid. Exum could definitely help the team, but international players this early have been costly for teams in the past. Milwaukee isn't going to do something crazy like trade out of the 2 position to help their team right away. All they need to do is pick the best player on the board.

Cleveland looks like they are going to make a pick. My assumption would be the asking price for the number one pick would be astronomically high. If they decide to trade the pick, all bets are off with what happens in this draft. After the first two selections, this draft might be one of the craziest ones we have seen in quite some time. There are so many different things that could happen after Wiggins and Parker are taken. If the Cavs trade the first pick, it will be a complete madhouse. Cleveland wants to make the playoffs therefore trading the pick might make sense, but at the same time adding a player like Wiggins or Parker could easily make this team a playoff contender in the weaken Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee gets to sit back and relax watching the world burn. They might work on trying to get another top 10 pick in the draft possibly from Sacramento or Philadelphia. Sacramento will have several offers to trade out of the top 10 with the latest rumor about Josh Smith getting traded then trying to get his buddy Rajon Rondo to California's capital (If this happens, we need a Hard Knocks of this team immediately). That package will not compare with anything Milwaukee has to offer tomorrow.  But at the top of the draft, Milwaukee only has to pick the guy left. That's pretty damn easy instead of all the different rumors happening with Cleveland in the past couple of weeks.

I know completely nothing, but it seems like Milwaukee would like to get back into the first round. If it is not Sacramento, it will be another team, possibly Phoenix, a team with two picks in the first round. Milwaukee seems like they would like to add to their arsenal by getting another first round pick in case the four second round picks don't pan out. Further, I believe Milwaukee will also take someone overseas that they can store for a couple years like they did with Zaza Pachuila and others since they have a mass quantity of picks in the second round.

This is the single most exciting day in the last couple years for the Bucks. They have been hanging around the eighth seed for the last couple of years and finally bottomed out like every Milwaukee fans hoped for in years past. Now, it's finally here. We will discuss the expectations and what might come with it in the coming days, but right now, it is time for Bucks fans to enjoy this moment.

Charlie.

Ford: Bucks and Lakers Could Be Trade Partners

ESPN.com's senior NBA writer and insider, Chad Ford, said in his chat yesterday that the Lakers are possibly looking to deal their #7 pick in the upcoming draft. Ideally, they'd like to get a veteran All-Star to go with Kobe Bryant but he speculates that they might not get such a talent for said pick.

Here's what he said exactly in response to a fan's question regarding the Lakers' plans for the #7 pick:

 Kobe is coming back. He doesn't want to be in the lottery. Of the players that will be left on the board when the Lakers draft, both Marcus Smart and Julius Randle would be instant impact players. But they wouldn't have the same impact that a veteran All-Star would. I think the Lakers will try hard to package that pick to get back a veteran talent to pair with Kobe if they can. But that's a big if. Teams covet the No. 7 pick, but I don't think they get Kevin Love, Al Horford, LaMarcus Aldridge for it. Maybe something like Larry Sanders and Brandon Knight.

This isn't totally far-fetched as it's been reported that the Bucks are likely to be active when it comes to acquiring another first round pick.

Naturally, this intrigues Bucks fans because with the new owners, you'd like to have a brand new infusion of rookies to move the franchise forward. I love Larry and Brandon. They're good guys who genuinely like (don't mind) playing in Milwaukee. However, you would be clearing a lot of future salary with Sanders' 4/$44 contract kicking in this coming season. I'm guessing the owners wouldn't be opposed to getting out of his deal after his shenanigans this past year.

Also, Knight will be in the final year of his rookie contract and will most likely be due to be overpaid after he'd undoubtedly improve yet again this year. Knight averaged a very solid 18 and 5 on the worst team in the league last year. He's too much of a gym rat to not improve.

The Bucks would more than likely have to take back a guy like Steve Nash for salary filler. Not sure what would happen with Nash if he did end up in Milwaukee but if he stays, I could definitely think of worse locker room guys to mentor the youth.

I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense for the Lakers to deal the pick because Kobe's clearly not getting any younger and this would be their chance to find the next legend to replace him, as they always seem to do.

The problem the Lakers face is that, outside of the #7 pick, they have exactly zero assets. They ended up not trading Pau Gasol, Nash is done, Kobe is done and the rest of their players last year were tank commanders. Nick Young, Wesley Johnson, Xavier Henry, etc. You kidding me? The only thing I'd be interested in personally (other than the #7 pick), would be Kendall Marshall who showed what he could do after the Lakers took a flier on him halfway through the season.

If the trade were to go down, they'd gain two assets from one and could have some talent to go with Kobe and they'd still have money to throw at a free agent this offseason.

For the Bucks, you'd have the #2, #7 picks as well as the plethora of second rounders that John Hammond covets. You could be looking at taking Jabari Parker and Marcus Smart with the 2 and 7 picks respectively. Those wouldn't be my two choices but those two have the best chance at impacting a team both on the court as well as turning the culture of the organization.

This type of trade really gives you options in a few different areas (who to take, who to start, etc.). Areas that I won't get into right now because that will be its own post, Tappers. That is all for now.

Be good.

-Big Money

An Open Letter to NBA Draft Prospects About Milwaukee

One of the more depressing parts of the NBA Draft is how many prospects do not want to go to Milwaukee.  I decided to write them an open letter to them.  

Dear Dante Exum, Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker and anyone to whom this concerns,

I know you don't want to go to Milwaukee. No one really does as an NBA player. Even in the early 90's, this was a problem with one of the most famous Draft Day moments with Todd Day going MILWAUUUKEE... Damn (Kevin Hunt is the man, 'All we do is drink cheese and beer' is a gold line), but truly, this is a great city with a bright future and the opportunities could be endless. But once again, I understand why Milwaukee doesn't sound as alluring as some of the other lottery picks.

Not every year do you see Los Angeles Lakers, winners of 16 NBA Championships or Boston Celtics, winners of 17 NBA Championships although did you know the Bucks have a championship under their belt in 1971?  Los Angeles and Boston are nice, but truth be told, the Lakers could be a mess for awhile plus Boston might be a year or two away as well. The same could be said for the Bucks, but they have a wealth of young players to not only play with but also hang out with in Milwaukee.

I realize Milwaukee gets a bad rap for the lack of a nightlife scene and that's probably accurate for an NBA player. There aren't swank clubs that only the elite hang out at meaning you will probably run into some fans attending a night club here. Just don't throw any bottles, okay. And yes there are no strip clubs downtown and don't be fooled by Arts. But the fact of the matter is there are a bunch of young guys to hang out with off the court like John Henson, Brandon Knight and Giannis Antetokounmpo whom are all under the age of 24. The nightlife might not be there, but at least you are not walking into a situation where you are the only rookie without many other young players.

The other thing about Milwaukee besides the nightlife and the franchise is the thought your brand will die in Wisconsin. Wrongo.  First of all, look at Kevin Love. He plays or played pending on this summer in Minneapolis, a little bigger city than Milwaukee, but he built his brand into multiple Taco Bell commercials along with being a must-follow on Twitter. Second, look at what Ryan Braun did before the PED scandal, what Aaron Rodgers has done and it is clear to see if you are as good as the Internet says you could be, the brand will go in a major way in Milwaukee. Plus you will be seen as a cornerstone of the players who saved Milwaukee basketball. Sounds pretty nice, doesn't it?

There will be pressure to win like anywhere else, but it might not be as intense as say Cleveland. The Cavs are picking their third top pick in four years, and with Kyrie Irving, there is a need to win right away. Bucks fans would love to back in the playoffs, but honestly, if they end up in the lottery for a second straight year, it is not the end of the days more so the continuing building process. Now, if they are still there after the second year, it becomes a problem. But right now, Milwaukee is about as low pressure as they come, right now. The microscope will be on because you are one of the best NBA rookies, but the local media will not be breathing down your neck.

All of this letter has been said without talking about the city of Milwaukee. It's a great one with a loving fanbase that will come back in no time. It's already building. Hopefully, you reconsider your stance on Milwaukee.

Signed,

Charlie Tritschler
CEO of SnoTap

Milwaukee Bucks: A New Era Begins

I've been lacking on my Bucks coverage over the past few weeks and for that, I apologize. Not to go all Tritschler on you but I was out of town visiting the parents two weeks ago and generally busy since then...so back off.

Alas, a new era of Milwaukee Bucks basketball has begun and the new blood has brought some marked excitement across Wisconsin.

New owners Wes Edens and Marc Lasry were officially approved by the NBA's Board of Governers this past Thursday and have seemingly taken the reigns from the shackles of Herb Kohl since then. Somewhat surprisingly, the new owners' haven't made any really drastic moves yet. I feel that many Bucks fans want a fire sale of the front office and coaching staff and for the organization to start completely anew.

Personally, I'm on the fence when it comes to the front office. I think GM John Hammond is decent to really good at drafting and assistant GM David Morway seems like more of the analytical type and could form a solid duo with Hammond when not under the control of a meddling owner.

As far as the coaching staff is concerned, I say dump them all. The play on the floor is generally a good barometer of how well the team is coached. How'd that turn out? The '13-'14 Bucks had the worst record in franchise history. Larry Drew was definitely part of the problem and is not part of the solution.

One thing the new owners have done properly was showcasing Edens' daughter, Mallory, at the draft lottery last night. She became the Internet's newest crush in a matter of minutes. Some might say Edens should be ashamed for taking advantage of his 18 year old daughter. In reality, it was a savvy business move to get the team some easy publicity.

Sites like SportsIllustrated and BroBible picked up on this and Mallory Edens was the second most talked about topic nationwide on Twitter last night.

The Internet’s Newest Crush is Mallory Edens, and She is Gorgeous -- http://t.co/5mT1olaTgs
— BroBible (@BroBible) May 21, 2014

Mallory Edens, daughter of Bucks owner, breaks Twitter during NBA draft lottery show http://t.co/zGVj8nUQTi (via @SI_ExtraMustard)
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 21, 2014

Here she is, Tappers:

Also, one Bucks fan put this cheesy song together which I thoroughly enjoyed:



Anyway, speaking of the Draft Lottery, Mallory's looks weren't even enough to get the Bucks the number one overall pick and instead, they'll have to settle for the number two overall pick as the #1 went to Cleveland (AGAIN!).

To use a cliche: I'm not upset the Bucks didn't get the number one pick, I'm just disappointed that Cleveland got it again and they won 18 more games than the Bucks this past season.

However, there was plenty to be happy about around the league regarding the lottery:

• Pinheads in Wisconsin can breath easy as the Lakers and Celtics didn't leapfrog the Bucks and take the one and two spots in the draft, due to preferential treatment. In fact, they didn't move up at all.
• The Detroit Pistons really got screwed on a trade technicality and went from a mid-lotto selection to having no first-rounder at all, meaning they won't get an injection of young talent into that wasteland of a starting five. They gave a $35 million contract to Stan Van Gundy and now have no lotto pick for him to choose.

The Bucks having the second pick isn't really the worst, all things considered. Granted, it really depends on who you want them to take and who the Cavs end up taking before the Bucks. ESPN's Chad Ford says they like Andrew Wiggins and also that they like Joel Embiid. I think they might also consider Jabari Parker at #1, given how antsy they are becoming to get back into the playoffs. 

I really want Wiggins so I'm hoping the Cavs take a chance on Embiid or go for the more sure-thing in Parker so he falls in our lap. I won't cry over getting any of the three or Aussie guard Dante Exum at #2.

I just think Wiggins can be plugged right into the Bucks' starting lineup at the shooting guard right away and can form a great defense-transition combo with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Many have said that Wiggins has the most upside but will be a bit of a project. I disagree. His defense is NBA ready and Bill Self didn't make the best use of the prodigy at Kansas. As I've said before, Giannis and Wiggins in the open court could be basketball porn.  

The draft is June 26 and there will be plenty of discussion and stories about what teams and potentially draftees are doing and not doing between now and then. Undoubtedly, the most sickening ones will be involving Kevin Love and where he thinks he wants to play and so forth. Love is arguably my favorite player but it will be unbearable after a few more weeks.

That's all for now, Tappers. Fear The Deer.

-Big Money