Milwaukee Bucks: What Josh Smith could have brought to the team
By Joel Gibson
It is 2:55 p.m. on Feb. 21. I survey the office landscape. I see all is clear and eagerly refresh my Twitter feed. With all the talk, all season, surely a big move out of Atlanta is bound to happen.
It is 2:57 and still nothing yet. Cannot believe how close they are cutting this. My mind is racing. Could another O.J. Mayo-like failed trade happen this season?
The clock hits 3 p.m. and in a stunning move, Atlanta backed out of trade talks with Milwaukee at 2:59. Unreal.
J.J. Redick has remained productive this season despite going to a new team. (Photo by Paul Gorbould/Flickr.com)
Milwaukee Bucks fans would have to be content with their new guard acquisition, J.J. Redick. Perhaps it is best for Milwaukee fans’ sanity to only have one talented player with maddening shot selection on the roster (see Ellis, Monta). Actually, scratch that, the Bucks sport two talented players with poor shot selection (also see Jennings, Brandon). Could the Bucks have really handled three players who get too trigger happy with their jump shots? Would interim coach Jim Boylan have been able to keep such a volatile team in check? These questions are legitimate and perhaps the only consolation Bucks’ fans have at the moment.
Had the trade gone through the Bucks would have boasted a starting lineup featuring Jennings, Redick, Ersan Ilyasova, Smith and Larry Sanders. Coming off the pine would be Monta Ellis (he has always been better suited to play a reserve role where his excessive shot selection would actually be encouraged) and Marquis Daniels at guard, young project/prospect John Henson, veteran shooter Mike Dunleavy, Drew Gooden and centers Samuel Dalembert and Joel Pryzbilla.
The aforementioned team would have two of the best shot blockers in the league, kept their explosive guards, given Ilyasova room to operate and provided another shooter. If that team go hot, they could be tough for anyone to try to play from behind against. Currently the Bucks sit in the eighth spot in the East, meaning they would have to face the Miami Heat in the first round (a task nobody is eager to take on).
Brandon Jennings loves going up against the Miami Heat. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
If you look closer though, you will see that the Heat have struggled against the Bucks the past couple years. This season, the Heat needed overtime in their first matchup to scrape up a win. In their second meeting, the Bucks crushed the Heat. Miami tends to struggle to contain explosive guards. Is there a team that has two more explosive guards on their roster than the Bucks?
It is fair to point out that Dwyane Wade would have dominated the matchup on offense. However, Chris Bosh tends to drift out to the perimeter more than coach Erik Spoelstra would like when facing physically imposing frontcourts (enter Sanders, Smith, Dalembert). In addition, the Bucks would have had an asset few other teams in the league have, a player who can match-up athletically with LeBron James.
The Heat no doubt would have been favorites to win the matchup, but the Heat may have had a harder time matching up with Milwaukee than most would suspect.
Milwaukee is unique in the fact they can sport big lineups while remaining quick. Chris Andersen would not be answer in the middle the Heat would need to keep the Milwaukee bigs from dominating the boards.
I am not saying that Milwaukee could have pulled off the upset. What I am implying is Smith would have changed everything for the Bucks. Had they met the Heat in the playoffs and been competitive Smith having never tasted real post-season success might be far more inclined to re-sign with Milwaukee.
That alone might be enough to cause Brandon Jennings to renounce his dissatisfaction with Milwaukee and embrace the small-market/underdog role. Clearly this is all based on speculation, but it is fun to think of what could have been had Atlanta not gotten cold feet at the last minute of the deadline.