NBA preview 2011-12: Central Division
Posted December 20, 2011 11:39 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
New Faces: Stephen Jackson (Acquired from Bobcats), Shaun Livingston (Acquired from Bobcats), Beno Udrih (Acquired from Kings), Tobias Harris (Draft), Mike Dunleavy (Signed from Pacers)
New Places: Keyon Dooling (Traded to Celtics), Chris Douglas-Roberts (UFA), Corey Maggette (Traded to Bobcats), Michael Redd (UFA), John Salmons (Traded to Kings)
The Bucks were the surprise of the east a couple of season ago and had the Atlanta Hawks on the ropes but couldn’t finish them off. All that served to do was raise expectations for last season only to see disappointment prevail as Milwaukee had to sit at home and watch the post season on the couch.
To be fair, injuries took their toll on the Bucks last season as key players Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut were dinged up and missed time. Last season, the Bucks were a tough defensive team under head coach Scott Skiles holding opponents to 44.7% and were one of only two teams in the top 10 in that category not to make the post season. You can expect the same defence in this campaign with Luc Mbah a Moute back with a new contract. But back to the post season chatter. So why did the Bucks miss the playoffs last season with such stellar defense? Well Milwaukee was last in scoring and last in offensive field goal percentage.
But the Bucks brought in some veteran players to help their cause this season. Stephen Jackson, Mike Dunleavy and Beno Udrich will provide some help on the perimeter that will hopefully lead to a better offensive output.
Burning Question: If the defence remains consistent, and there is no reason to think that Skiles will allow a letdown, can the Bucks get enough scoring to help produce wins? They broke the cash register for 100 points fewer times than any team last season but when they did, they were 17-4.
Prediction: If the stay healthy and find a way to put some points on the board Milwaukee could be in a battle for a playoff spot and return to the postseason. They have veterans with a young, dynamic point guard in Jennings but depth could be an issue. (3rd or 4th in the Central Division 8th or 9th in the Eastern Conference)
