Fear The Deer -- Milwaukee Bucks Dynasty

[benrich315]

Quote: Originally Posted by southernmetalhead

Aww man, after that Mayo clutch bucket in Game 6, I was hoping you could ride the momentum into a game 7 win. Still, a great season for the Bucks making the playoffs and getting to the conference semifinals. That doesn't happen often in Milwaukee. Looking forward to your off season moves to try and take the next step.

Me too dude. Was a really fun series though. The Bucks have only been to the semifinals six times in their 30 years as a team. Thanks for reading man, much appreciated!

[benrich315]

Chicago Bulls NBA CHAMPIONS










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[benrich315]

Off-season updates coming tonight or tomorrow!

[benrich315]

NBA Offseason Report

Player Retirements



Hall Of Fame Inductees



NBA Draft





Top 10 Picks




Bucks Pick



Free Agency







Bucks Signings



Bucks Roster Changes

-Bucks released PG Nate Wolters (free agent)
-Bucks released SF Khris Middleton (signed with Indiana Pacers)
-Bucks released SF Damien Inglis (free agent)
-Bucks released PG Kendall Marshall (free agent)
-Bucks trade C Larry Sanders and '15 1st Round Draft Pick to Portland for SG Wesley Matthews, PF Joel Freeland, '16 1st Round Draft Pick and '17 2nd Round Draft Pick
-Bucks released PF Joel Freeland

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[pfeifere1]

I finally caught up in this! By far my favorite nba 2k thread to read, everything is so well done.

As for your season, DAMN! What a year it was. Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals is no small feat. Well done benrich!

I like your offseason moves as well. BUT it looks like the Lakers are back in business with their 2 solid acquisitions, which I like to see.

Best of luck as you move towards season 2

[southernmetalhead]

Nice offseason moves, and I see you stuck to your Syracuse roots in the draft.

[benrich315]

Milwaukee Bucks 2015-16 Season Preview







Bench
PF Nerlens Noel | PG Reggie Jackson | SF Jerami Grant | SG O.J. Mayo | C John Henson
PG Isaiah Canaan | PF Rakeem Christmas | PF Johnny O'Bryant

Last Season: 42-40
Average Age: 23
Head Coach: Jason Kidd

Milwaukee, WI -- The Milwaukee Bucks finished the 2015 season by exceeding the expectations of every NBA analyst or fan of the game. With a record of 42-40, the Bucks rode late season momentum all the way to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

They took the six seed Atlanta Hawks to a brutal game seven and lost by six points. It was heartbreaking for Bucks fans, but it was motivation for the players.

This season, expectations are even higher for this young Milwaukee Bucks team. With an average age of 23 and a few new additions, they look shaped up to make a nice playoff run as a middle of the pack seed.

Farewells
The Bucks saw quite a few players depart this offseason. The two most important are C Larry Sanders and SF Khris Middleton. Sanders is coming off a solid year all around for him. He averaged 8.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 1.9 BPG. His defensive presence will be missed in Milwaukee, but his $11M/yr contract and big personality will not.

Middleton's offensive ability made him a great bench option. He can shoot from anywhere on the court, but what he lacked on defense really overshadowed his offensive game. He is not a very good one on one defender and isn't a strong rebounder. He was asking for more money and he got it from the Pacers at $6M/yr.

Less notable departures are guards Kendall Marshall and Nate Wolters. Also, SF Damien Inglis was waived prior to free agency. None of these players contributed enough to be considered valuable.

Newcomers
The Bucks made some nice moves during free agency. The biggest being center Roy Hibbert. Larry Sanders was a great defensive big man, but he was never strong on the offensive side of the ball. Hibbert brings the best of both worlds. Standing at 7'2'', 280 lbs, his inside presence will give the Bucks another option down low.

Reggie Jackson will be playing backup to Michael Carter-Williams. He is an exciting player and the winner of 2015 Sixth Man Of The Year while playing for Oklahoma City last season. His speed and decision making skills will make for a great addition in Milwaukee.

The Bucks also made some waves in the world of NBA trades. Pleasing most fans, the Bucks shipped Larry Sanders for Wesley Matthews and some draft picks. This is an exciting move as Matthews is deadly from long range. With O.J. Mayo seeming to be regressing, it's prime time for the Bucks to bring in another strong shooting guard to help carry the offensive load.

In the draft Milwaukee acquired yet another Syracuse alum in Rakeem Christmas. He averaged 18 PPG, 9 RPG, and 2.5 BPG. He has a 7'3" wingspan and is in exception shape playing over 35 MPG his senior season. He will be a nice addition to the young team as he rejoins old teammates Jerami Grant and Michael Carter-Williams.

Backcourt
The addition of Matthews only helps Milwaukee. The duo of Mayo, who had a great 2015 season, and Matthews at the shooting guard position may prove to be one of the best in the league. The two have eerily close stat lines. PPG (Mayo 15.5/Matthews 15.8), RPG (Mayo 3.4/Matthews 3.5), APG (Mayo 3.9/Matthews 4.2), and SPG (Mayo 1.1/Matthews 1.3). Hopefully they can live up to the hype they bring into this season.

Carter-Williams is coming off a solid season. He averaged 12.5 PPG, 5 RPG, 6.4 APG, and 1.9 SPG. All season MCW showed signs of improvement in all facets of his game. His shooting percent has increased, his turnovers decreased, and his assists rose. It seems the Bucks made a solid choice in trading for the young guard.

MCW's backup is now Reggie Jackson. Coming off his best season and the 6th Man Of The Year award, the Bucks have high hopes for the young guard. He played behind one of the best in the league in Westbrook last season. This season he is hoped to be even more of a contributor in rotation with Carter-Williams who played a lot of minutes last season and was in need of a solid backup.

Frontcourt
With one of the youngest and most interesting front courts in the league, Milwaukee has heads turning with the play of their two young stars in Parker and the Greek Freak. Parker is proving to be one of the best young talents in the league. Coming off a great rookie season, many expect him to lead this Bucks team even farther than last season.

Antetokounmpo also had a great season in 2015. He is coming off his sophomore season and he is ready to step up and show the league what he and this team are bringing to the table. Doctors report that he could be seven feet or even seven one by the end of the 2016 season and that only makes the Bucks owners and coaches grin from ear to ear.

Jerami Grant provides solid depth at the SF position. He has improved his jumpshot quite a bit this offseason and added on 10 pounds of muscle. He continues to impress with his hard work and athleticism.

Down low, Roy Hibbert leads the way at the center position. Coming off a solid season in Indiana, many were surprised his bailed out. But lucky for the Bucks he did. He will add a great presence in the paint both defensively and offensively. He is a dual threat which is an upgrade from the one-dimension Larry Sanders.

Backing up Hibbert is Nerlens Noel. He is an exceptional defender and steadily improving on the offensive end. With such a great frame and athletic build, Noel will will in the paint nicely when Hibbert is on the bench.

Rookie Christmas will likely not see too much playing time his rookie season. It will be a season of learning and growing for the young forward and he is excited to have the opportunity. John Henson is the third string center and brings a nice balanced skill set to the team.

Worst Case Scenario
Taking the pessimistic view on things, the worst case scenario is that the Bucks are too inexperienced to win the big games over more experienced teams. They have a great roster and coaching staff, it just all comes down to how they play and stay composed in the games that matter.

Worst case record prediction: (32-50)

Best Case Scenario
If all goes according to plan, Parker and the Greek Freak continue to grow their game (and bodies), the additions and roster moves pan out and chemistry is developed, then I think we have a 4/5 seed team here. They have strong depth at all positions and with such a young team, they are all constantly growing and becoming better, and molding into a strong team.

If it all works out, I can see this squad reaching a strong (48-34).

Record Prediction: (45-37)

QUICK LINKS
Roster | Team Overview | Stats | Standings

[benrich315]

Quote: Originally Posted by pfeifere1

I finally caught up in this! By far my favorite nba 2k thread to read, everything is so well done. As for your season, DAMN! What a year it was. Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals is no small feat. Well done benrich! I like your offseason moves as well. BUT it looks like the Lakers are back in business with their 2 solid acquisitions, which I like to see. Best of luck as you move towards season 2

Glad you checked back in! Thanks for the kind words. Was a fun offseason, my new additions got me excited for the season to begin. LA is no joke now. Rondo Kobe and Jefferson will be a beastly trio.

Quote: Originally Posted by southernmetalhead

Nice offseason moves, and I see you stuck to your Syracuse roots in the draft.

Thanks man, was trying to trim the team while adding depth all around. And yeah he was the best available but I may have been a little biased since he's from Cuse


Thanks for reading guys!