M I L W A U K E E   B U C K S
Go-To Guy | Weakest Link | Burning Question | Outlook

Bucks at a Glance Coach: George Karl Last Year: 41-41 (Stats) Key Additions: F Marcus Haislip, F Toni Kukoc Key Losses: G Rafer Alston, G Greg Anthony, F Darvin Ham, F Glenn Robinson Projected Starters PG Sam Cassell SG Ray Allen SF Tim Thomas PF Anthony Mason C Joel Przybilla Key Subs SG Michael Redd SF Toni Kukoc PF Marcus Haislip C Ervin Johnson

By John Hollinger, CNNSI.com

A year removed from a surprise run to the conference finals, the Bucks decided to surprise the pundits the other way last year by missing the playoffs entirely. The disappointment was fueled by injuries and incompetent center play, but the overarching cause was the luxury tax. Faced with financial constraints, Milwaukee gave away Scott Williams before the season and settled on an out-of-shape Anthony Mason as its power forward.

With the frontcourt severely lacking, the Bucks' defense was more like Swiss cheese than the local Wisconsin cheddar. The team collapsed completely late in the season when seemingly every important player came down with a knee injury at the same time.

The Bucks head into this year looking to get back into the postseason. Glenn Robinson is gone and Tim Thomas will start in his place, while the rest of the roster hopes to come back healthier and happier than they were at the end of last season.

Ray Allen, G -- Allen's knee tendinitis was most notable on defense, where he was torched nightly during the Bucks' late-season swoon. With a summer of rest, he should be able to come back strong and contribute more at that end this year.

There's no doubt about his offensive skills. Allen is a fantastic shooter, handles the ball well enough to play point guard when Sam Cassell leaves the game, and is comfortable scoring in transition and taking his man to the basket. He is a bit small for a shooting guard, which limits his ability to score inside, but his other skills are so abundant that he still makes a fantastic first option.

Joel Przybilla, C -- George Karl may have spent a lot of time blaming his Big Three of Cassell, Allen and Robinson for the Bucks' slide last year, but it was the frontcourt that killed them. The play they got from the center spot in particular was completely inadequate. Przybilla started, but his tag-team partner, Ervin Johnson, played a lot of minutes as well. Together, they scored a whopping 398 points last year. That averages out to five points a game -- combined. They were such a drag on the offense that the Bucks had three players finish in the top 30 in scoring and still finished only eighth overall in points.

Heading into this year, things don't look much better. Przybilla doesn't score unless he's wide open for a dunk. Johnson doesn't even score then, as most passes sent his way bounce harmlessly off the cement blocks he's been using for hands. Basically, the Bucks are forced to give two end-of-the-bench types major minutes because they don't have a real center. How they could have traded Robinson without getting a big man in return is puzzling. The situation is so dire that Bucks fans may spend much of the year yearning for the glory days of Paul Mokeski and Randy Breuer.

Will trading Big Dog really change anything?

The Bucks sold it as a way to get rid of a problem, but it sure looked like a salary dump from here. The team was going to be over the luxury tax without the trade, especially considering that it needs some cash to re-sign promising guard Michael Redd.

Robinson isn't a great defensive player and the theory is that getting him out of the way will get Allen and Cassell more shots, but the Bucks also lost an automatic mid-range scorer who was incredibly consistent. A big part of the answer depends on how much of the slack Thomas can pick up. He played well off the bench two years ago but succumbed to the team-wide plague of knee problems last year and had one of his worst seasons as a pro.

It is ironic that Thomas is being hailed as Big Dog's replacement. The overly generous contract the Bucks gave him two years ago is what put them in this salary pickle in the first place.

Another up-and-down year

Fast Facts • Anthony Mason was the league's only player to play more than 3,000 minutes but average under 10 points a game. Every other player with that many minutes averaged at least 14. • Only two NBA players who played over 500 minutes last year had more fouls than points. Amazingly enough, they both played center for the Bucks. Ervin Johnson scored 208 points last year but committed 219 personal fouls, while Joel Przybilla picked up 198 fouls and 190 points.

Assuming a bout of healthy knees, Milwaukee's offensive fireworks will be enough to win on a lot of nights, even without Robinson. Allen, Cassell and Thomas are all potent scorers, as is Redd, whom the team is likely to re-sign. Toni Kukoc and newly drafted Marcus Haislip should help out off the bench as well.

Unfortunately, until they make a serious effort to upgrade their frontcourt, it's going to be hard for them to outscore teams on a consistent basis. The lack of a defensive stopper in the backcourt only magnifies the shortcomings of Milwaukee's centers. Getting back to the conference finals is a pipe dream until the problem is solved. As a classic doughnut team, Milwaukee will have a tough time just getting back into the playoffs this season.