Charlotte Bobcats’ Luke Ridnour Takes Shot At Milwaukee Bucks
By Greg Swartz
Former Milwaukee Bucks and current Charlotte Bobcats point guard Luke Ridnour certainly seems happier following his Feb. 20 trade to Charlotte.
Ridnour was quick to share his feelings about his season in Milwaukee with Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, saying:
"“I was glad to get out of Milwaukee,” said Ridnour. “It’s a good situation here. I’ve only played five, six games here so I’m trying to get used to it. It’s a good city and I’ve been in the playoffs before and just to be back in the hunt where every game is big, it’s just a lot different feeling.”"
One certainly can’t blame Ridnour for being honest. After all, the Bucks currently sit at 13-53, dead last in the NBA.
Ridnour was part of a trade deadline deal that also saw guard Gary Neal get shipped to Charlotte, with Milwaukee taking back point guard Ramon Sessions and forward Jeff Adrien.
At the time of the trade, Milwaukee was just 10-43. Remarkably, Ridnour has almost equaled that win total with Charlotte in just 11 games (7-4 record).
Before the season started, it’s safe to assume Ridnour felt the Bucks could once again compete for a playoff spot. Milwaukee had grabbed the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference the season before while finishing 38-44. Although they lost guards Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis in free agency, it didn’t appear tanking was on the agenda. The Bucks were still very much active last summer, signing shooting guard O.J. Mayo to a three-year, $24 million deal and trading for Ridnour to bolster their backcourt.
Ridnour, who had started all 82 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves a season ago, found himself in and out of the starting five for Milwaukee this year. In his 36 games (13 starts), Ridnour was averaging just 5.7 points and 3.4 assists on 38.4 percent shooting from the field.
With the Bobcats, Ridnour finds himself back in the playoff hunt. Charlotte is currently 32-34, good for seventh place in the East. Their recent three-game win streak looks like it may have secured a playoff spot, with the ninth seed New York Knicks now five and a half games behind.
It’s clear Ridnour and the Bucks weren’t working out.
Here’s hoping he’s happier in Charlotte.