Milwaukee Bucks: O.J. Mayo, New-Look Bucks Open Preseason In Cleveland

It’s been an offseason of change for the Milwaukee Bucks and fans will get their first peek at the restructured roster Tuesday night when the Bucks open their preseason schedule at the Q in Cleveland to take on the young and highly touted Cavaliers.

One of the biggest new additions for the Bucks is shooting guard O.J. Mayo, the first guy general manager John Hammond pursued after Monta Ellis opted for free agency last summer.

"“We knew in dealing with the Monta situation, we didn’t know what was going to happen and we knew if we didn’t retain Monta, we needed some scoring,” Hammond told the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “One thing O.J. has always been able to do is score the ball, so that was a need for us and he fit the need.”"

Mayo was the third overall pick out of USC in 2008, taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves and swapped on draft night to the Memphis Grizzlies along with Greg Buckner, Marko Jaric and Antoine Walker for Brian Cardinal, Jason Collins, Mike Miller and, most significantly, the draft rights to Kevin Love.

After four years in Memphis, the durable Mayo signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks last season.

Durable? In five years, Mayo has missed 11 games—all in 2010-11 and none due to injury. He was benched for a game after getting into a fight with then-teammate Tony Allen over a card game on a team flight and then served a 10-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Mayo started all 82 games in Dallas last year after spending most of his last two seasons in Memphis as a reserve and averaged 15.3 points, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 44.9 percent from the floor, a career-high 40.7 percent from 3-point range and 82 percent from the free-throw line in 35.5 minutes a game. He posted his highest-ever true shooting percentage (55.6 percent) and effective field-goal percentage (51.9 percent) and his assists were also at a career-high clip in 2012-13.

His player efficiency rating wasn’t spectacular—just 13.9, below the league average of 15—but at 25, Mayo still has room to grow as a player.

One thing Mayo appreciates in coming to Milwaukee is some stability. After playing in the final year of a contract for two straight seasons, Mayo has a three-year deal with the Bucks.

"“The last two years were kind of like a one-year deal,” Mayo told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Automatically you put some sort of pressure on yourself to perform at the best level. Now I have a comfort level. I have a three-year deal and I’m happy the Bucks gave me that opportunity. I’m very blessed.”"

Another factor in Mayo’s decision to come to Milwaukee: His younger brother, Todd, is a junior guard at Marquette.

Here’s an interview with Mayo, in which he discusses his excitement about being in Milwaukee:

Some of the newest Bucks won’t be in action Tuesday night. Center Zaza Pachulia—the only player on the Milwaukee roster who has played for new coach Larry Drew—is out with bursitis related to surgery on surgery on his right Achilles’ tendon over the summer and forward Carlos Delfino, back in Milwaukee after playing last season with the Houston Rockets, is recovering from a broken right foot.

Forward Ekpe Udoh has missed some practice time with swelling in his right knee and forward Khris Middleton has a nagging ankle injury.

In practice, Milwaukee’s starting unit has consisted of two holdovers and three newcomers. Forward Ersan Ilyasova and center Larry Sanders have been joined by forward Caron Butler (acquired in the sign-and-trade deal that sent J.J. Redick to the Los Angeles Clippers), Mayo and point guard Brandon Knight (acquired in the sign-and-trade swap that sent Brandon Jennings to the Detroit Pistons).

In all, the Bucks have 11 newcomers and just four holdovers from the team that went 38-44 and lost to the Miami Heat in a four-game sweep in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

The other holdovers are forward John Henson, entering his second season, and Udoh, who started nine games a year ago.

The newcomers also include rookies Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 15th overall pick in June’s draft out of Greece; Miroslav Raduljica, a 7-foot free agent from Serbia; and guard Nate Wolters, taken 38th overall out of South Dakota State by the Washington Wizards and then traded first to the Philadelphia 76ers and then to the Bucks on draft night; as well as veterans Middleton (trade from the Pistons), Gary Neal (free agent from the San Antonio Spurs), Pachulia (free agent from the Atlanta Hawks) and Luke Ridnour (free agent from the Minnesota Timberwolves).

[slider_pro id=”17″]