Rethinking the Bucks with Radmanovic

It appears the marriage of the Milwaukee Bucks and 6'10'' free agent forward Vladimir Radmanovic is moving toward consummation. Earlier I panned the whole idea saying Radmanovic -- an unathletic, soft, big man shooter -- was exactly what the Bucks did not need. My position has not changed drastically, but a second look at Rad's stats has caused it to evolve somewhat.

What I overlooked in my earlier evaluation was Rad's incredible eFG% of 54.6%. That is better than Michael Redd's. Rad is, apparently, one of those rare players who are dead-on from behind the arc but can't hit squat from any closer (his overall FG% is a dismal 40.1%). I tend to dislike those players, but they do have, I will concede, some value.

Still, my other concerns about Rad remain. He doesn't rebound. He doesn't defend. And he will not bang down low. Thus, a starting line-up with him included essentially leaves all the Bucks' dirty work to young Mr. Bogut. Can he handle it? That is my central concern.

You see, I still think Bogut, who is essentially a finesse center, needs a bruiser next to him at the 4 spot in order to be effective. Remember Blazermania? Bill Walton blossomed into a superstar when the Blazers acquired PF and banger extraordinaire Maurice Lucas to play next to him. I think Bogut needs the same.

The Bucks with Radmanovic

If the Bucks do acquire Radmanovic, they effectively become an international-style, pass-and-shoot team. They will be very weak defensively, especially in the paint, and their rebounding numbers may suffer. On the other hand they will be quite potent and difficult to match-up with on offense. Thus, there are trade-offs.

It might work. I'm not totally convinced yet. Give me the summer to mull it over.