The best laid plans of Mice and Owners
Competing in the NBA is such a multifaceted idea. One of the most compelling story lines in the NBA is how late season seeding will shake out. An interesting aspect of the playoffs is what they actually mean for each individual team. For most situations it would seem the expectations of the 1 seed would be vastly different than the 8 seed. But then there are the Bucks. With a win now owner the mere act of making the playoffs is a win. Unfortunately, when you are perpetually in "Win now" hoping to be playing meaningful games past April may not be the best idea.
In the Bucks case though, those first round playoff exits seem to be season goals. I would go as far to say that the ceiling for every Bucks team constructed under this win now philosophy would be the East's seventh seed. I would also go as far to say that finishing with that low seed is the worst place for a team in the Bucks position. For one, the talent drop off from the 1,2,3,4,5 to the 6,7,8 seeds is about as steep as it gets and two, middle of the draft draft picks usually aren't going to help you move past those low seeds. At the rate this franchise is going they will turn into a worse version of the Hawks circa. 09-12 except instead of getting a seed in the 3-5 range they will be getting a 7th or 8th seed and a first round sweep.
Probably the most interesting aspect of this Bucks plan would be the fan's perspective. Because I'm not the biggest Bucks fan I can only speculate but if it was me I would't be thrilled about my teams approach. I don't know if I would complain because complaining about having a playoff team seems.... funky. But I also wouldn't enjoy the whopping the higher seeds would put on us. Cause you see, employing a win now team building strategy apparently means you give longer term money to adequate NBA players like Zaza Pachulia and Gary Neal. These type of players give you a good chance of winning, but if your entire lineup is filled with just these players your prospects of doing well in the playoffs are pretty dim. I really, don't know if you can build for sustained success while also making the playoffs. Kinda seems like trying to have your cake and eat it too.
As for the current team, it seems like the quintessential Bucks team. LARRY SANDERS! paired with John Henson has some potential to be fun on defense and the offense may be the biggest question. With the recent improvement from the East's developing teams it may be harder to sag those low seeds but don't put it past this team. It may not look as good as the other more talked about teams but if OJ Mayo can bring the offense like he did in Dallas pre-Dirk's return from injury and with LARRY SANDERS! anchoring the D this team could make the playoffs again. Yay?
In the Bucks case though, those first round playoff exits seem to be season goals. I would go as far to say that the ceiling for every Bucks team constructed under this win now philosophy would be the East's seventh seed. I would also go as far to say that finishing with that low seed is the worst place for a team in the Bucks position. For one, the talent drop off from the 1,2,3,4,5 to the 6,7,8 seeds is about as steep as it gets and two, middle of the draft draft picks usually aren't going to help you move past those low seeds. At the rate this franchise is going they will turn into a worse version of the Hawks circa. 09-12 except instead of getting a seed in the 3-5 range they will be getting a 7th or 8th seed and a first round sweep.
Probably the most interesting aspect of this Bucks plan would be the fan's perspective. Because I'm not the biggest Bucks fan I can only speculate but if it was me I would't be thrilled about my teams approach. I don't know if I would complain because complaining about having a playoff team seems.... funky. But I also wouldn't enjoy the whopping the higher seeds would put on us. Cause you see, employing a win now team building strategy apparently means you give longer term money to adequate NBA players like Zaza Pachulia and Gary Neal. These type of players give you a good chance of winning, but if your entire lineup is filled with just these players your prospects of doing well in the playoffs are pretty dim. I really, don't know if you can build for sustained success while also making the playoffs. Kinda seems like trying to have your cake and eat it too.
As for the current team, it seems like the quintessential Bucks team. LARRY SANDERS! paired with John Henson has some potential to be fun on defense and the offense may be the biggest question. With the recent improvement from the East's developing teams it may be harder to sag those low seeds but don't put it past this team. It may not look as good as the other more talked about teams but if OJ Mayo can bring the offense like he did in Dallas pre-Dirk's return from injury and with LARRY SANDERS! anchoring the D this team could make the playoffs again. Yay?
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