All of the medals won by Cheeseheads at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada came in team sports. Although native born Cheeseheads didn't win any individual medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics, there were some impressive team Cheesehead performances in speedskating and hockey. Here is a quick run down of the top 5 performances by Cheeseheads at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada:
#5) Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, WI): won 3 hockey national championships at the University of Wisconsin. Vetter was the goalie for the United States Women's Hockey Team (source). Vetter needed at least 29 saves against Canada in the Gold medal game, unfortunately she only made 27 saves en route to the United States losing to Canada 2-0 in the gold medal game. Quick question, did the way the Canadian women's hockey team celebrated their victory get way too much negative attention? I understand that there might have been some underage drinking (which I do not condone) but they won the freakin gold medal on their country's home ice? Shouldn't they get to blow off a little steam celebrating?
#4) Alyson Dudek (Born in Hales Corners, WI): won a bronze medal in the 3,000-meter short-track speedskating relay on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 (source). There is nothing more to add then that she was a Divine Savior Holy Angels High School graduate. As a former attendee of a number of Divine Savior functions, thank you for getting something right, you might want to consider naming a wing after Dudek because this might be the pinnacle.
#3) Ryan Suter (Born in Madison, WI): the former Badger and Admiral hockey player anchored the defense for the United States Men's Hockey Team (source). The United States lost to Canada in overtime in probably the most entertaining hockey games since the "Miracle on Ice." Speaking of the Miracle on Ice, I hate to be the turd in the punch bowl but there are some facts that get left out when talking about that game and the historical impact it had on the United States. First, it was shown on tape delay. Second, it wasn't for a medal...it was for a place in the Gold Medal game. Third, over time the historical importance gets built up more and more. I understand how big of an upset it was, especially with the Cold War as a back drop but answer me one question, where does hockey rank for the average American? Somewhere above tennis and below golf assuming Tiger is involved...I rest my case.
#2) Pettit National Ice Center (Milwaukee, WI): was constructed thanks to the generous contributions of the late Jane Bradley Pettit. Naming this world class speedskating facility #2 shows how few standout Cheeseheads participated in the 2010 Winter Olympics. That said, without the Pettit National Ice Center, the United States speedskating results at the 2010 Winter Olympics would have been even worse.
#1) Molly Engstrom (Born in Siren, WI): was a standout hockey player for the University of Wisconsin. As discussed above, the U.S. Women's Hockey team lost to Canada 2-0 in the Gold Medal game on Thursday, February 25, 2010. Although the United States women won the Silver medal, things could have been a lot worse without Engstrom (source). Not only was Engstrom named to the Women's All-Tournament Team, she was named Tournament Directorate Best Women's Defenseman for the 2010 Winter Olympics (source). Congrats on being #1 on my list of top performing Cheeseheads at the 2010 Winter Olympics, I am sure that will soften losing to Canada.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
2010 Milwaukee Brewers Spring Training Preview
The 2010 Milwaukee Brewers enter spring training with 57 players in contention for 25 roster spots. Absent injury, 15 roster spots are already locked down leaving 10 available roster spots. Below you will find a quick rundown of what 57 players are competing for the 25 roster spots along with my pre-spring training predictions of which players will make the opening day roster.
Lots of things can change between now and when the Brewers open their 2010 campaign on Monday, April 5, 2010 against the Colorado Rockies at Miller Park. Check back throughout spring training for a much more in-depth look at each player and position battle. In the mean time, here is a quick look at the 2010 Milwaukee Brewers heading into spring training:
Catcher:
- Guaranteed: Gregg Zaun
- Borderline: George Kottaras, Jonathan Lucroy, and Angel Salome
- Long-shot: Martin Maldonado and Matt Treanor
Cheesehead Sports Nut's Prediction: The Brewers will keep 2 catchers with the back-up catcher race the most wide open competition of spring training. Both Lucroy and Salome look to be in the Brewers long-term plans if they can stay healthy. That said, both would be much better served catching games in the minor leagues instead of starting once a week and occasionally pinch hitting at the major league level in 2010. As a result, my prediction is that the Brewers will keep Zaun and Kottaras.
Infielders:
- Guaranteed: Craig Counsell (UTIL), Alcides Escobar (SS), Prince Fielder (1B), Casey McGehee (3B), and Rickie Weeks (2B)
- Borderline: Mat Gamel (3B)
- Long-shot: Luis Cruz (SS), Adam Heether (UTIL), Joe Inglett (UTIL), and Hernan Iribarren (2B)
Cheesehead Sports Nut's Prediction: Again, absent major injury, 5 of the 6 infield positions are set in stone. That leaves the debate of whether to give Mat Gamel regular playing time in the minor leagues to let him develop or keep him on the major league roster. Besides monitoring McGehee's recovery from odd-season surgery, another interesting thing to keep an eye on throughout spring training is the production of Joe Inglett. What makes Inglett intriguing is his versatility, Inglett plays can play almost anywhere on the field besides catcher. If Inglett has a really productive spring the Brewers might keep Inglett, which would allow the Brewers to carry another relief pitcher. I know it is a bold prediction but I am going out on a limb here and saying the Brewers will keep Inglett as their 6th infielder along with Counsell, Escobar, Fielder, McGehee, and Weeks.
Outfielders:
- Guaranteed: Ryan Braun (LF), Carlos Gomez (CF), and Corey Hart (RF)
- Borderline: Jody Gerut (UTIL) and Jim Edmonds (CF)
- Long-shot: Lorenzo Cain (CF), Trent Oeltjen (LF), Logan Schafer (CF), and Adam Stern (LF)
Cheesehead Sports Nut's Prediction: Since I already went out on a limb above and said the Brewers will keep Inglett as their 5th outfielder/6th infielder that only leaves 4 outfield spots. Outside of the 3 penciled in starters (Braun, Gomez, and Hart), Jody Gerut's ability to play all three outfield positions should make him the 4th outfielder on the Brewers 25-man roster. If Jim Edmonds shows anything in the spring he will make the roster as the 5th outfielder which will be a hard pill for many Brewers fans to swallow...its Jim Edmonds, need I say more?
Starting Pitching:
- Guaranteed: Doug Davis (L), Yovani Gallardo (R), and Randy Wolf (L)
- Borderline: Dave Bush (R), Manny Parra (L), and Jeff Suppan (R)
- Long-shot: Eric Arnett (R), Josh Butler (R), Chris Capuano (L), Marco Estrada (R), Kyle Heckathorn (R), Chris Narveson (L), Alex Periard (R), Amaury Rivas (R), Mark Rogers (R), Cody Scarpetta (R)
Cheesehead Sports Nut's Prediction: The Brewers will most likely keep 6 starting pitchers to start the season if everyone stays healthy. The reason the Brewers might keep 6 is that they are handcuffed with Suppan, Parra, and Bush. Jeff Suppan is in the last year of a huge contract that pays him $12.5 million so it will be hard to bounce him from the rotation. Manny Parra is out of minor league options so the Brewers have to keep him on the opening day roster, place him on the disabled list or grant him his outright release. Finally, Dave Bush will not take kindly to getting sent down to the minors. As a result, my prediction is that the Brewers will keep Bush, Davis, Gallardo, Parra, Suppan, and Wolf with Suppan serving in the long relief role to start the season.
Relief Pitching:
- Guaranteed: Todd Coffey (R), LaTroy Hawkins (R), Trevor Hoffman (R)
- Borderline: Scott Schoeneweis (L), Mitch Stetter (L), Claudio Vargas (R), and Carlos Villanueva (R)
- Long-shot: John Axford (R), Zach Braddock (L), Tim Dillard (R), John Halama (L), Kameron Loe (R), Chuck Lofgren (L), A.J. Murray (L), David Riske (R), Chris Smith (R)
Cheesehead Sports Nut's Prediction: The Brewers would traditionally keep 7 relievers but since I predicted they will keep 6 starting pitchers that leaves only 7 bullpen spots (assuming my Inglett prediction comes true). As a result, my prediction is that the Brewers put Riske on the disabled list to start the season and keep Coffey, Hawkins, Hoffman, Schoeneweis, Stetter, Vargas, and Villanueva. Note this means I am going out on a limb and predicting that the Brewers will carry 13 pitchers and 12 position players.
Opening Day Lineup:
1. Rickie Weeks (2B)
2. Corey Hart (RF)
3. Ryan Braun (LF)
4. Prince Fielder (1B)
5. Casey McGehee (3B)
6. Gregg Zaun (C)
7. Carlos Gomez (CF)
8. Yovani Gallardo (P)
9. Alcides Escobar (SS)
Starting Rotation:
1. Yovani Gallardo (R)
2. Randy Wolf (L)
3. Doug Davis (L)
4. Dave Bush (R)
5. Manny Parra (L)
Closer:
1. Trevor Hoffman (R)
2. Todd Coffey (R)
3. LaTroy Hawkins (R)
Lots of things can change between now and when the Brewers open their 2010 campaign on Monday, April 5, 2010 against the Colorado Rockies at Miller Park. Check back throughout spring training for a much more in-depth look at each player and position battle. In the mean time, here is a quick look at the 2010 Milwaukee Brewers heading into spring training:
Catcher:
- Guaranteed: Gregg Zaun
- Borderline: George Kottaras, Jonathan Lucroy, and Angel Salome
- Long-shot: Martin Maldonado and Matt Treanor
Cheesehead Sports Nut's Prediction: The Brewers will keep 2 catchers with the back-up catcher race the most wide open competition of spring training. Both Lucroy and Salome look to be in the Brewers long-term plans if they can stay healthy. That said, both would be much better served catching games in the minor leagues instead of starting once a week and occasionally pinch hitting at the major league level in 2010. As a result, my prediction is that the Brewers will keep Zaun and Kottaras.
Infielders:
- Guaranteed: Craig Counsell (UTIL), Alcides Escobar (SS), Prince Fielder (1B), Casey McGehee (3B), and Rickie Weeks (2B)
- Borderline: Mat Gamel (3B)
- Long-shot: Luis Cruz (SS), Adam Heether (UTIL), Joe Inglett (UTIL), and Hernan Iribarren (2B)
Cheesehead Sports Nut's Prediction: Again, absent major injury, 5 of the 6 infield positions are set in stone. That leaves the debate of whether to give Mat Gamel regular playing time in the minor leagues to let him develop or keep him on the major league roster. Besides monitoring McGehee's recovery from odd-season surgery, another interesting thing to keep an eye on throughout spring training is the production of Joe Inglett. What makes Inglett intriguing is his versatility, Inglett plays can play almost anywhere on the field besides catcher. If Inglett has a really productive spring the Brewers might keep Inglett, which would allow the Brewers to carry another relief pitcher. I know it is a bold prediction but I am going out on a limb here and saying the Brewers will keep Inglett as their 6th infielder along with Counsell, Escobar, Fielder, McGehee, and Weeks.
Outfielders:
- Guaranteed: Ryan Braun (LF), Carlos Gomez (CF), and Corey Hart (RF)
- Borderline: Jody Gerut (UTIL) and Jim Edmonds (CF)
- Long-shot: Lorenzo Cain (CF), Trent Oeltjen (LF), Logan Schafer (CF), and Adam Stern (LF)
Cheesehead Sports Nut's Prediction: Since I already went out on a limb above and said the Brewers will keep Inglett as their 5th outfielder/6th infielder that only leaves 4 outfield spots. Outside of the 3 penciled in starters (Braun, Gomez, and Hart), Jody Gerut's ability to play all three outfield positions should make him the 4th outfielder on the Brewers 25-man roster. If Jim Edmonds shows anything in the spring he will make the roster as the 5th outfielder which will be a hard pill for many Brewers fans to swallow...its Jim Edmonds, need I say more?
Starting Pitching:
- Guaranteed: Doug Davis (L), Yovani Gallardo (R), and Randy Wolf (L)
- Borderline: Dave Bush (R), Manny Parra (L), and Jeff Suppan (R)
- Long-shot: Eric Arnett (R), Josh Butler (R), Chris Capuano (L), Marco Estrada (R), Kyle Heckathorn (R), Chris Narveson (L), Alex Periard (R), Amaury Rivas (R), Mark Rogers (R), Cody Scarpetta (R)
Cheesehead Sports Nut's Prediction: The Brewers will most likely keep 6 starting pitchers to start the season if everyone stays healthy. The reason the Brewers might keep 6 is that they are handcuffed with Suppan, Parra, and Bush. Jeff Suppan is in the last year of a huge contract that pays him $12.5 million so it will be hard to bounce him from the rotation. Manny Parra is out of minor league options so the Brewers have to keep him on the opening day roster, place him on the disabled list or grant him his outright release. Finally, Dave Bush will not take kindly to getting sent down to the minors. As a result, my prediction is that the Brewers will keep Bush, Davis, Gallardo, Parra, Suppan, and Wolf with Suppan serving in the long relief role to start the season.
Relief Pitching:
- Guaranteed: Todd Coffey (R), LaTroy Hawkins (R), Trevor Hoffman (R)
- Borderline: Scott Schoeneweis (L), Mitch Stetter (L), Claudio Vargas (R), and Carlos Villanueva (R)
- Long-shot: John Axford (R), Zach Braddock (L), Tim Dillard (R), John Halama (L), Kameron Loe (R), Chuck Lofgren (L), A.J. Murray (L), David Riske (R), Chris Smith (R)
Cheesehead Sports Nut's Prediction: The Brewers would traditionally keep 7 relievers but since I predicted they will keep 6 starting pitchers that leaves only 7 bullpen spots (assuming my Inglett prediction comes true). As a result, my prediction is that the Brewers put Riske on the disabled list to start the season and keep Coffey, Hawkins, Hoffman, Schoeneweis, Stetter, Vargas, and Villanueva. Note this means I am going out on a limb and predicting that the Brewers will carry 13 pitchers and 12 position players.
Opening Day Lineup:
1. Rickie Weeks (2B)
2. Corey Hart (RF)
3. Ryan Braun (LF)
4. Prince Fielder (1B)
5. Casey McGehee (3B)
6. Gregg Zaun (C)
7. Carlos Gomez (CF)
8. Yovani Gallardo (P)
9. Alcides Escobar (SS)
Starting Rotation:
1. Yovani Gallardo (R)
2. Randy Wolf (L)
3. Doug Davis (L)
4. Dave Bush (R)
5. Manny Parra (L)
Closer:
1. Trevor Hoffman (R)
2. Todd Coffey (R)
3. LaTroy Hawkins (R)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday Funday - Eric Heiden
Since the Winter Olympics are still in full swing I thought I would cover another famous Winter Olympic performance by a Cheesehead. Eric Heiden (born in Shorewood Hills, WI just outside Madison) turned in an epic speed skating performance at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
There were five speed skating events at the 1980 Winter Olympics: 500 meters, 1,000 meters, 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters, and 10,000 meters. Usually speed skaters specialize in either the shorter distances (500 meters, 1,000 meters, and 1,500 meters) or the longer distances (5,000 meters and 10,000 meters). Not Heiden, he specializes in ALL the distances. Here is a run down of Heiden's speed skating performance at the 1980 Winter Olympics:
- 500 meters: won the gold medal in a time of 38,03
- 1,000 meters: won the gold medal in a time of 1.15,18
- 1,500 meters: won the gold medal in a time of 1.55,44
- 5,000 meters: won the gold medal in a time of 7.02,29
- 10,000 meters: won the gold medal in a time of 14.28,13
You read that correctly, Heiden swept the speed skating events at the 1980 Winter Olymics in Lake Placid, New York by winning all five events. To put Heiden's performance in perspective:
- Heiden won 5 of the 12 medals the United States won at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
- Heiden won 5 of the 6 gold medals the United States won at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
- Only two countries (Soviet Union and East Germany) won more gold medals than Heiden at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
With all due respect to Michael Phleps, Eric Heiden had the most impressive all-around Olympic performance ever at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this column, check out last week's Winter Olympics themed "Sunday Funday" column where I covered Dan Jansen's gold medal performance in the 1994 Winter Olympics here.
Source:
- Eric Heiden's Speed Skating Times
- 1980 Winter Olympic Speed Skating Medals
- 1980 Olympics Medal Count
There were five speed skating events at the 1980 Winter Olympics: 500 meters, 1,000 meters, 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters, and 10,000 meters. Usually speed skaters specialize in either the shorter distances (500 meters, 1,000 meters, and 1,500 meters) or the longer distances (5,000 meters and 10,000 meters). Not Heiden, he specializes in ALL the distances. Here is a run down of Heiden's speed skating performance at the 1980 Winter Olympics:
- 500 meters: won the gold medal in a time of 38,03
- 1,000 meters: won the gold medal in a time of 1.15,18
- 1,500 meters: won the gold medal in a time of 1.55,44
- 5,000 meters: won the gold medal in a time of 7.02,29
- 10,000 meters: won the gold medal in a time of 14.28,13
You read that correctly, Heiden swept the speed skating events at the 1980 Winter Olymics in Lake Placid, New York by winning all five events. To put Heiden's performance in perspective:
- Heiden won 5 of the 12 medals the United States won at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
- Heiden won 5 of the 6 gold medals the United States won at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
- Only two countries (Soviet Union and East Germany) won more gold medals than Heiden at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
With all due respect to Michael Phleps, Eric Heiden had the most impressive all-around Olympic performance ever at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this column, check out last week's Winter Olympics themed "Sunday Funday" column where I covered Dan Jansen's gold medal performance in the 1994 Winter Olympics here.
Source:
- Eric Heiden's Speed Skating Times
- 1980 Winter Olympic Speed Skating Medals
- 1980 Olympics Medal Count
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Wednesday What Happened - The Ray Allen Heist
As the 2010 NBA trade deadline approaches, I thought enough time has passed that it was okay to take a look back at one of the worst trades in Milwaukee Bucks history...The Ray Allen Heist. If you still haven't gotten over former Milwaukee Bucks general manager Ernie Grunfeld giving away Jesus Shuttlesworth for ten cents on the dollar then click over to a happier Milwaukee Bucks article I recently wrote that outlines 5 trades current Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond should do in the next two days here. For those with a strong stomach...here are the terms of The Ray Allen Heist (source) that went down on Thursday, February 20, 2003:
Seattle got:
- Ray Allen (SG)
- Kevin Ollie (PG)
- Ronald Murray (SG)
- A conditional first-round draft pick
Milwaukee got:
- Gary Payton (PG)
- Desmond Mason (SF)
For the purposes of dissecting the trade we can throw out Kevin Ollie and Ronald Murray because both of those players were journeymen that were only included in the trade to make the finances work. That means the Milwaukee Bucks gave up hometown hero Ray Allen and a conditional first-round pick in arguably the best draft in NBA HistoryFN1 for disgruntled Gary Payton and high flying Desmond Mason.
Short-Term:
Gary Payton was in the last year of his contract and let it be known that he wanted to sign with a contender in the off-season to make a run at an NBA Ring before retiring. That is hint #1 there is no way in hell that Payton was going to re-sign with the Milwaukee Bucks. Furthermore, the Bucks already had an above average starting point guard in Sam Cassell so the acquisition of Gary Payton made for a crowded point guard position. Milwaukee's rental of Payton netted the Bucks 34 games (28 regular season and 6 playoff) where Payton averaged roughly 19 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal (source). The Bucks made the playoffs as the 7th seed but were dispatched by the eventual Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Nets in 6 games (2003 NBA Playoff Bracket).
After the season the Bucks released general manager Ernie Grunfeld from his contract to allow him to join the Washington Wizards as their general manager on June 30, 2003. Doesn't that seem fishy that Grunfeld made one of the worst trades in NBA History four months before he left the Bucks to join a conference rival? In their infinite wisdom, the Milwaukee Bucks replaced Grunfeld with Larry Harris. Many Bucks fans know Larry Harris as the general manager that went on to hand out some of the worst contracts in Milwaukee Bucks historyFN2.
Long-Term:
Gary Payton left the Bucks in the off-season as expected to join the L.A. Lakers in search of the elusive NBA Ring while Ray Allen went on to play four and a half season for Seattle where Allen averaged 24 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds and 1 steal (source). Ray Allen later was traded to the Boston Celtics where he joined a new "Big Three" (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen) and won an NBA Ring.
Sam Cassell was traded after the 2002-03 season along with Ervin Johnson (obviously...there must be a clause in both of their contracts that mandates they play on the same team) to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Joe Smith and Anthony Peeler. Cassell went on to be an All-Star and an All-NBA Second Team selection the next season in Minnesota. Peeler was released and Smith went on to have a productive career as a Milwaukee Buck.
To fill the void left at point guard by the departure of Payton and Cassell the Milwaukee Bucks handed over the duties to the oft-injured and under-sized T.J. Ford whom they selected #8 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Speaking of the 2003 NBA Draft, Seattle used the first round draft pick acquired in The Ray Allen Heist to select Luke Ridnour #14 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft. That's right, the Bucks could have had Luke Ridnour 7 years ago instead of T.J. Ford. Instead the Bucks made another horrible decision and selected Ford ahead of Ridnour.
Desmond Mason played with the Bucks for two more seasons before he was traded October 26, 2005 along with a 2006 first round pick to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for the uninspiring Jamaal Magloire.
Final Verdict:
Thanks to the incompetence of Ernie Grunfeld and Larry Harris, the Milwaukee Bucks turned Ray Allen and Luke Ridnour into Jamal Magloire.
Footnote:
FN1: NBA All-Stars selected in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Chris Kaman, David West and Josh Howard (source).
FN2: matched the Miami Heat's offer sheet of 5-years, $18.5 million for Charlie Bell; matched the Miami Heat's offer sheet of 6-years, $52 million for Mo Williams; re-signed Michael Redd to a max-contract of 6-years, $91 million; re-signed Dan Gadzuric to a 6-year, $36 million contract; and signed Bobby Simmons to a 5-year, $47 million contract.
Seattle got:
- Ray Allen (SG)
- Kevin Ollie (PG)
- Ronald Murray (SG)
- A conditional first-round draft pick
Milwaukee got:
- Gary Payton (PG)
- Desmond Mason (SF)
For the purposes of dissecting the trade we can throw out Kevin Ollie and Ronald Murray because both of those players were journeymen that were only included in the trade to make the finances work. That means the Milwaukee Bucks gave up hometown hero Ray Allen and a conditional first-round pick in arguably the best draft in NBA HistoryFN1 for disgruntled Gary Payton and high flying Desmond Mason.
Short-Term:
Gary Payton was in the last year of his contract and let it be known that he wanted to sign with a contender in the off-season to make a run at an NBA Ring before retiring. That is hint #1 there is no way in hell that Payton was going to re-sign with the Milwaukee Bucks. Furthermore, the Bucks already had an above average starting point guard in Sam Cassell so the acquisition of Gary Payton made for a crowded point guard position. Milwaukee's rental of Payton netted the Bucks 34 games (28 regular season and 6 playoff) where Payton averaged roughly 19 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal (source). The Bucks made the playoffs as the 7th seed but were dispatched by the eventual Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Nets in 6 games (2003 NBA Playoff Bracket).
After the season the Bucks released general manager Ernie Grunfeld from his contract to allow him to join the Washington Wizards as their general manager on June 30, 2003. Doesn't that seem fishy that Grunfeld made one of the worst trades in NBA History four months before he left the Bucks to join a conference rival? In their infinite wisdom, the Milwaukee Bucks replaced Grunfeld with Larry Harris. Many Bucks fans know Larry Harris as the general manager that went on to hand out some of the worst contracts in Milwaukee Bucks historyFN2.
Long-Term:
Gary Payton left the Bucks in the off-season as expected to join the L.A. Lakers in search of the elusive NBA Ring while Ray Allen went on to play four and a half season for Seattle where Allen averaged 24 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds and 1 steal (source). Ray Allen later was traded to the Boston Celtics where he joined a new "Big Three" (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen) and won an NBA Ring.
Sam Cassell was traded after the 2002-03 season along with Ervin Johnson (obviously...there must be a clause in both of their contracts that mandates they play on the same team) to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Joe Smith and Anthony Peeler. Cassell went on to be an All-Star and an All-NBA Second Team selection the next season in Minnesota. Peeler was released and Smith went on to have a productive career as a Milwaukee Buck.
To fill the void left at point guard by the departure of Payton and Cassell the Milwaukee Bucks handed over the duties to the oft-injured and under-sized T.J. Ford whom they selected #8 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Speaking of the 2003 NBA Draft, Seattle used the first round draft pick acquired in The Ray Allen Heist to select Luke Ridnour #14 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft. That's right, the Bucks could have had Luke Ridnour 7 years ago instead of T.J. Ford. Instead the Bucks made another horrible decision and selected Ford ahead of Ridnour.
Desmond Mason played with the Bucks for two more seasons before he was traded October 26, 2005 along with a 2006 first round pick to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for the uninspiring Jamaal Magloire.
Final Verdict:
Thanks to the incompetence of Ernie Grunfeld and Larry Harris, the Milwaukee Bucks turned Ray Allen and Luke Ridnour into Jamal Magloire.
Footnote:
FN1: NBA All-Stars selected in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Chris Kaman, David West and Josh Howard (source).
FN2: matched the Miami Heat's offer sheet of 5-years, $18.5 million for Charlie Bell; matched the Miami Heat's offer sheet of 6-years, $52 million for Mo Williams; re-signed Michael Redd to a max-contract of 6-years, $91 million; re-signed Dan Gadzuric to a 6-year, $36 million contract; and signed Bobby Simmons to a 5-year, $47 million contract.
2010 NBA Trade Deadline Advice for John Hammond
Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond has shown he can wheel and deal since he joined the organization in April of 2008. Of the roster Hammond inherited, only 5 players remain: 3 untradeable contracts (Michael Redd, Dan Gadzuric and Charlie Bell), 1 up-and-comer (Ersan Ilyasova) and 1 franchise center (Andrew Bogut).
As the 2010 NBA Trade Deadline approaches (Thursday, February 18, 2010) a quick look at the Milwaukee Bucks roster shows they have very few assets to trade:
Untradeable:
- Michael Redd (SG): has torn multiple knee ligaments the last two seasons. Redd is earning $17 million this year and has a player option worth $18.3 million next year.
- Dan Gadzuric (C): plays sparingly despite earning $6.75 million this year and $7.25 million next year.
- Charlie Bell (SG): has been starting since Redd's injury but Bell's age (30) and bloated contract (3-years, $11.55 million left) makes him untradeable until the last year of his deal.
Expiring Contracts:
- Luke Ridnour (PG): has been the 6th man of the year for the Bucks. Ridnour is earning $6.5 million this season and since the Bucks are still in the playoff hunt they will most likely hold on to Ridnour unless they get a really attractive offer.
- Kurt Thomas (PF): has drawn interest from Portland and other teams looking for a dependable veteran. Thomas is earning $3.8 million this season which is relatively cheap for a veteran big man as sad as that sounds.
- Hakim Warrick (PF): I grossly overvalued Warrick's value in my pre-season Milwaukee Bucks Preview here. Warrick's athleticism and versatility might be attractive to a borderline contender since he is earning $3 million this season.
- Joe Alexander (SF): Hammond's first draft pick as Bucks GM has been an absolute bust. Hammond (like Ron Wolf) swallowed his pride and did not exercise the Bucks team option for the 3rd year of Alexander's rookie contract. Alexander is earning $2.58 million this season which is VERY expensive for someone that has yet to appear for the Bucks this season and is toiling in the NBDL.
- Francisco Elson (PF/C): is out indefinitely with an injury so despite his cheap salary ($1.7 million) for an NBA veteran big man, the Bucks cannot trade Elson.
- Jerry Stackhouse (SG/SF): is earning a prorated $680,000 veteran minimum this season and is highly unlikely to get traded since he was signed a little less than a month ago which means every other NBA team could have signed Stackhouse if they were interested in his services.
Favorable short-term deals:
- Ersan Ilyasova (SF/PF): was drafted 36th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2nd Round of the 2005 NBA Draft. Ilyasova's career has been all over the map since getting drafted by the Bucks: Tulsa, OK (NBDL '05-'06), Milwaukee, WI (NBA '06-'07), and Barcelona, Spain (FC Barcelona '07-'09) before returning to the Bucks on a 3-year, $6.96 million deal this offseason. Ilyasova is a budding NBA star with a cheap contract which makes him borderline untradeable.
- Carlos Delfino (SG/SF): was drafted by the Detroit Pistons while Bucks GM John Hammond was a member of Detroit's front office. Hammond acquired Delfino this off-season in a sign-and-trade deal (3-year, $10.5 million contract with only $500,000 guaranteed in the 2nd year and the 3rd year is a team option) because of his affinity to Deflino which means Delfino is unlikely to get traded.
Prospects:
- Luc Mbah a Moute (SF/PF): The Prince (check here for an explanation of the nickname) has been a lock down defender since the Bucks drafted him in the 2nd round of the 2008 NBA Draft. Add in that The Prince's offensive game is improving and he makes next to nothing by NBA standards (2-years, $1.6 million left) and you see why The Prince is almost untradeable.
- Jodie Meeks (SG): too early to tell whether the rookie will be a good professional player. Based on his production in college at Kentucky and cheap contract (3-years, 2.3 million) the Bucks will hold onto Meeks based on potential alone.
Untouchable:
- Andrew Bogut (C): despite his expensive extension (5-year, $60.5 million) kicking in this season, franchise centers don't come along often so the Bucks would have to get an amazing offer to even entertain moving the future all-star.
- Brandon Jennings (PG): his 55 point performance put the Milwaukee Bucks on the national radar. Although the rookie has come back to earth in recent weeks, Jennings is the most untouchable player on the Bucks roster based on his potential and cheap rookie contract (5-years, $14.5 million).
Despite having few trade assets, I did my best to work the ESPN Trade Machine. Only try the trade machine if you have hours to kill but I guess if you have read this far then you must have ample discretionary time to spend on hypothetical NBA trades. All of these trades involve the Milwaukee Bucks taking on money long-term which Bucks GM John Hammond has said he will entertain since the Bucks only have $25 million committed for the 2011-12 season.
Here is the logic, teams want to dump long-term contracts for short-term contracts if at all possible. Furthermore, the Milwaukee Bucks will have a hard time enticing marquee free agents to sign in Milwaukee so they will most likely have to acquire them via trades. Finally, with a core of Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut locked up for the next 5 seasons players should be happier to play in Milwaukee then they have been in a long time. Here are my 5 trade deadline deals that the Milwaukee Bucks would do in a heart beat:
#5) Between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors:
Golden State gets:
- Joe Alexander (SF): 1-year, $2.58 million
- Kurt Thomas (PF): 1-year, $3.8 million
- Luke Ridnour (PG): 1-year, $6.5 million
Milwaukee gets:
- Anthony Randolph (PF): 4-years, $10.77 million left ($1.84 million in '09-'10, $1.97 million in '10-'11, $2.91 million team option in '11'-'12 and $4.05 million qualifying offer in '12-'13)
- Monta Ellis (SG): 5-years, $55 million left (first 4 years $11 million guaranteed each season and 5th year player option for $11 million)
It is no secret that Golden State has been trying to move Monte Ellis ever since his infamous motorcycle accident. Ellis's large contract and the emergence of rookie Stephen Curry has only increased Golden State's interest in trading Ellis. The currently hurt and disgruntled Anthony Randolph is the exact type of power forward the Bucks have been searching for since Vin Baker left many moons ago. This trade allows Milwaukee to fill holes at shooting guard and power forward in one fell swoop. Basically this trade is a salary dump for Golden State.
Speaking of salary dump trades, the Bucks shipping Richard Jefferson to San Antonio for Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto (who was then traded for Amir Johnson who was then part of the Carlos Delfino sign-and-trade) and Bruce Bowen (retired) is not looking like such a horrible trade with how bad Richard Jefferson is playing. The Spurs are considered one of the smartest franchises in the NBA so nice to see the Bucks fleece them in a trade. Also don't forget Jefferson is still owed $15 million next season. As the dust starts to settle, Richard Jefferson for Kurt Thomas and Carlos Delfino looks like a great trade for the Bucks.
#4) Between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Sacramento Kings:
Sacramento gets:
- Kurt Thomas (PF): 1-year, $3.8 million
- Luke Ridnour (PG): 1-year, $6.5 million
Milwaukee gets:
- Kevin Martin (SG): 4-years, $46.24 million left ($10.18 million in '09-'10, $11.1 million in '10-'11, 12.02 million in '11-'12 and $12.94 million in '12-'13)
The emergence of presumptive rookie of the year Tyreke Evans has lead to a crowded back court in Sacramento. Acquiring Ridnour would allow Evans to get some schooling under Ridnour just like Brandon Jennings has gotten in the first half of the season. This trade allows the Bucks to fill their gaping hole at shooting guard and allows Sacramento to transition from the Kevin Martin era to the Tyreke Evans era.
#3) The Milwaukee Bucks and the Portland Trailblazers:
Portland gets:
- Kurt Thomas (PF): 1-year, $3.8 million
- Milwaukee's 2010 1st round pick (top 5 protected)
Milwaukee gets:
- Rudy Fernandez (SG): 4-years, $7.79 million left ($1.17 million in '09-'10, $1.25 million in '10-'11, $2.18 million team option in '11'-12 and $3.19 qualifying offer in '12-'13)
- Travis Outlaw (SF/PF): 1-year, $4 million
Portland's GM Kevin Pritchard has been dubbed an NBA genius even though he is the guy that drafted gimpy Greg Oden (and his explicit camera phone pictures) ahead of Kevin Durant (possibly an all-time NBA great) so there is always room to snooker Pritchard in a trade. Plus, Pritchard is on record as having interest in getting bigger on the front line for a playoff run so Thomas is an attractive option. Rudy Fernandez is apparently "untouchable" at this point but the Bucks' draft pick might sweeten the deal enough for Pritchard to bite which would allow Milwaukee to get their shooting guard of the future while adding to their record number of international players all at once.
#2) The Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls:
Chicago gets:
- Kurt Thomas (PF): 1-year, $3.8 million
- Luke Ridnour (PG): 1-year, $6.5 million
Milwaukee gets:
- Kirk Hinrich (SG): 3-years, $26.5 million left ($9.5 million in '09-'10, $9 million in '10-'11 and $8 million in '11-'12)
Chicago is in full on salary dump mode. With the best young point guard in the NBA (Derrick Rose) and a fair amount of cap space going into the most anticipated NBA off-season in a decade, the Bulls are hoping to land one if not two of the prized NBA Free agents this off-season: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh or Joe Johnson. By dumping Hinrich's contract they get one step closer to landing one or possibly two of the aforementioned studs in the off-season. Milwaukee gets to shore up their shooting guard position for the next few seasons at a fairly palatable price with a contract that actually decreases in yearly payout, which is unusual in professional sports.
#1) The Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers:
Philadelphia gets:
- Hakim Warrick (PF): 1-year, $3 million
- Kurt Thomas (PF): 1-year, $3.8 million
- Luke Ridnour (PG): 1-year, $6.5 million
- Milwaukee's 2010 1st round pick (top 5 protected)
Milwaukee gets:
- Andre Iguodala (SG): 5-years, $68.7 million left ($12.2 million in '09-'10, $12.35 million in '10-'11, $13.53 million in '11-'12, $14.72 million in '12-'13 and $15.9 million player option in '13-'14).
If Philadelphia could throw an atom bomb and their roster and start over they would. Philadelphia's best player is Iguodala but $68.7 million over 5 years is a hefty sum to pay him so it wouldn't be all that surprising to see them dump his salary. You think the Bucks had it bad with Michael Redd and Danny G. Without Iduodala, Philadephia has $40.4 million committed to Elton Brand, Samuel Dalembert, Jason Kapono and Louis Williams for the 2010-11 season so anything is possible with Philadelphia.
If you read this far I want to thank you very much for spending all this time reading my random thoughts on the Milwaukee Bucks and potential trades that will never happen. Please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom or email me (bpbsports@gmail.com) your thoughts on these trades or any other trade ideas you might have as the 2010 NBA Trade Deadline approaches.
As the 2010 NBA Trade Deadline approaches (Thursday, February 18, 2010) a quick look at the Milwaukee Bucks roster shows they have very few assets to trade:
Untradeable:
- Michael Redd (SG): has torn multiple knee ligaments the last two seasons. Redd is earning $17 million this year and has a player option worth $18.3 million next year.
- Dan Gadzuric (C): plays sparingly despite earning $6.75 million this year and $7.25 million next year.
- Charlie Bell (SG): has been starting since Redd's injury but Bell's age (30) and bloated contract (3-years, $11.55 million left) makes him untradeable until the last year of his deal.
Expiring Contracts:
- Luke Ridnour (PG): has been the 6th man of the year for the Bucks. Ridnour is earning $6.5 million this season and since the Bucks are still in the playoff hunt they will most likely hold on to Ridnour unless they get a really attractive offer.
- Kurt Thomas (PF): has drawn interest from Portland and other teams looking for a dependable veteran. Thomas is earning $3.8 million this season which is relatively cheap for a veteran big man as sad as that sounds.
- Hakim Warrick (PF): I grossly overvalued Warrick's value in my pre-season Milwaukee Bucks Preview here. Warrick's athleticism and versatility might be attractive to a borderline contender since he is earning $3 million this season.
- Joe Alexander (SF): Hammond's first draft pick as Bucks GM has been an absolute bust. Hammond (like Ron Wolf) swallowed his pride and did not exercise the Bucks team option for the 3rd year of Alexander's rookie contract. Alexander is earning $2.58 million this season which is VERY expensive for someone that has yet to appear for the Bucks this season and is toiling in the NBDL.
- Francisco Elson (PF/C): is out indefinitely with an injury so despite his cheap salary ($1.7 million) for an NBA veteran big man, the Bucks cannot trade Elson.
- Jerry Stackhouse (SG/SF): is earning a prorated $680,000 veteran minimum this season and is highly unlikely to get traded since he was signed a little less than a month ago which means every other NBA team could have signed Stackhouse if they were interested in his services.
Favorable short-term deals:
- Ersan Ilyasova (SF/PF): was drafted 36th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2nd Round of the 2005 NBA Draft. Ilyasova's career has been all over the map since getting drafted by the Bucks: Tulsa, OK (NBDL '05-'06), Milwaukee, WI (NBA '06-'07), and Barcelona, Spain (FC Barcelona '07-'09) before returning to the Bucks on a 3-year, $6.96 million deal this offseason. Ilyasova is a budding NBA star with a cheap contract which makes him borderline untradeable.
- Carlos Delfino (SG/SF): was drafted by the Detroit Pistons while Bucks GM John Hammond was a member of Detroit's front office. Hammond acquired Delfino this off-season in a sign-and-trade deal (3-year, $10.5 million contract with only $500,000 guaranteed in the 2nd year and the 3rd year is a team option) because of his affinity to Deflino which means Delfino is unlikely to get traded.
Prospects:
- Luc Mbah a Moute (SF/PF): The Prince (check here for an explanation of the nickname) has been a lock down defender since the Bucks drafted him in the 2nd round of the 2008 NBA Draft. Add in that The Prince's offensive game is improving and he makes next to nothing by NBA standards (2-years, $1.6 million left) and you see why The Prince is almost untradeable.
- Jodie Meeks (SG): too early to tell whether the rookie will be a good professional player. Based on his production in college at Kentucky and cheap contract (3-years, 2.3 million) the Bucks will hold onto Meeks based on potential alone.
Untouchable:
- Andrew Bogut (C): despite his expensive extension (5-year, $60.5 million) kicking in this season, franchise centers don't come along often so the Bucks would have to get an amazing offer to even entertain moving the future all-star.
- Brandon Jennings (PG): his 55 point performance put the Milwaukee Bucks on the national radar. Although the rookie has come back to earth in recent weeks, Jennings is the most untouchable player on the Bucks roster based on his potential and cheap rookie contract (5-years, $14.5 million).
Despite having few trade assets, I did my best to work the ESPN Trade Machine. Only try the trade machine if you have hours to kill but I guess if you have read this far then you must have ample discretionary time to spend on hypothetical NBA trades. All of these trades involve the Milwaukee Bucks taking on money long-term which Bucks GM John Hammond has said he will entertain since the Bucks only have $25 million committed for the 2011-12 season.
Here is the logic, teams want to dump long-term contracts for short-term contracts if at all possible. Furthermore, the Milwaukee Bucks will have a hard time enticing marquee free agents to sign in Milwaukee so they will most likely have to acquire them via trades. Finally, with a core of Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut locked up for the next 5 seasons players should be happier to play in Milwaukee then they have been in a long time. Here are my 5 trade deadline deals that the Milwaukee Bucks would do in a heart beat:
#5) Between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors:
Golden State gets:
- Joe Alexander (SF): 1-year, $2.58 million
- Kurt Thomas (PF): 1-year, $3.8 million
- Luke Ridnour (PG): 1-year, $6.5 million
Milwaukee gets:
- Anthony Randolph (PF): 4-years, $10.77 million left ($1.84 million in '09-'10, $1.97 million in '10-'11, $2.91 million team option in '11'-'12 and $4.05 million qualifying offer in '12-'13)
- Monta Ellis (SG): 5-years, $55 million left (first 4 years $11 million guaranteed each season and 5th year player option for $11 million)
It is no secret that Golden State has been trying to move Monte Ellis ever since his infamous motorcycle accident. Ellis's large contract and the emergence of rookie Stephen Curry has only increased Golden State's interest in trading Ellis. The currently hurt and disgruntled Anthony Randolph is the exact type of power forward the Bucks have been searching for since Vin Baker left many moons ago. This trade allows Milwaukee to fill holes at shooting guard and power forward in one fell swoop. Basically this trade is a salary dump for Golden State.
Speaking of salary dump trades, the Bucks shipping Richard Jefferson to San Antonio for Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto (who was then traded for Amir Johnson who was then part of the Carlos Delfino sign-and-trade) and Bruce Bowen (retired) is not looking like such a horrible trade with how bad Richard Jefferson is playing. The Spurs are considered one of the smartest franchises in the NBA so nice to see the Bucks fleece them in a trade. Also don't forget Jefferson is still owed $15 million next season. As the dust starts to settle, Richard Jefferson for Kurt Thomas and Carlos Delfino looks like a great trade for the Bucks.
#4) Between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Sacramento Kings:
Sacramento gets:
- Kurt Thomas (PF): 1-year, $3.8 million
- Luke Ridnour (PG): 1-year, $6.5 million
Milwaukee gets:
- Kevin Martin (SG): 4-years, $46.24 million left ($10.18 million in '09-'10, $11.1 million in '10-'11, 12.02 million in '11-'12 and $12.94 million in '12-'13)
The emergence of presumptive rookie of the year Tyreke Evans has lead to a crowded back court in Sacramento. Acquiring Ridnour would allow Evans to get some schooling under Ridnour just like Brandon Jennings has gotten in the first half of the season. This trade allows the Bucks to fill their gaping hole at shooting guard and allows Sacramento to transition from the Kevin Martin era to the Tyreke Evans era.
#3) The Milwaukee Bucks and the Portland Trailblazers:
Portland gets:
- Kurt Thomas (PF): 1-year, $3.8 million
- Milwaukee's 2010 1st round pick (top 5 protected)
Milwaukee gets:
- Rudy Fernandez (SG): 4-years, $7.79 million left ($1.17 million in '09-'10, $1.25 million in '10-'11, $2.18 million team option in '11'-12 and $3.19 qualifying offer in '12-'13)
- Travis Outlaw (SF/PF): 1-year, $4 million
Portland's GM Kevin Pritchard has been dubbed an NBA genius even though he is the guy that drafted gimpy Greg Oden (and his explicit camera phone pictures) ahead of Kevin Durant (possibly an all-time NBA great) so there is always room to snooker Pritchard in a trade. Plus, Pritchard is on record as having interest in getting bigger on the front line for a playoff run so Thomas is an attractive option. Rudy Fernandez is apparently "untouchable" at this point but the Bucks' draft pick might sweeten the deal enough for Pritchard to bite which would allow Milwaukee to get their shooting guard of the future while adding to their record number of international players all at once.
#2) The Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls:
Chicago gets:
- Kurt Thomas (PF): 1-year, $3.8 million
- Luke Ridnour (PG): 1-year, $6.5 million
Milwaukee gets:
- Kirk Hinrich (SG): 3-years, $26.5 million left ($9.5 million in '09-'10, $9 million in '10-'11 and $8 million in '11-'12)
Chicago is in full on salary dump mode. With the best young point guard in the NBA (Derrick Rose) and a fair amount of cap space going into the most anticipated NBA off-season in a decade, the Bulls are hoping to land one if not two of the prized NBA Free agents this off-season: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh or Joe Johnson. By dumping Hinrich's contract they get one step closer to landing one or possibly two of the aforementioned studs in the off-season. Milwaukee gets to shore up their shooting guard position for the next few seasons at a fairly palatable price with a contract that actually decreases in yearly payout, which is unusual in professional sports.
#1) The Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers:
Philadelphia gets:
- Hakim Warrick (PF): 1-year, $3 million
- Kurt Thomas (PF): 1-year, $3.8 million
- Luke Ridnour (PG): 1-year, $6.5 million
- Milwaukee's 2010 1st round pick (top 5 protected)
Milwaukee gets:
- Andre Iguodala (SG): 5-years, $68.7 million left ($12.2 million in '09-'10, $12.35 million in '10-'11, $13.53 million in '11-'12, $14.72 million in '12-'13 and $15.9 million player option in '13-'14).
If Philadelphia could throw an atom bomb and their roster and start over they would. Philadelphia's best player is Iguodala but $68.7 million over 5 years is a hefty sum to pay him so it wouldn't be all that surprising to see them dump his salary. You think the Bucks had it bad with Michael Redd and Danny G. Without Iduodala, Philadephia has $40.4 million committed to Elton Brand, Samuel Dalembert, Jason Kapono and Louis Williams for the 2010-11 season so anything is possible with Philadelphia.
If you read this far I want to thank you very much for spending all this time reading my random thoughts on the Milwaukee Bucks and potential trades that will never happen. Please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom or email me (bpbsports@gmail.com) your thoughts on these trades or any other trade ideas you might have as the 2010 NBA Trade Deadline approaches.
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