Bucks Interview Sloan, But Will Players Respect His Coaching Style?

Jerry Sloan seems to be one name that survived the first round of interviews during the Bucks current hunt for potential head coaches. He was one of many that want to be the man to fill the team's vacant position. At least three other people have also been to Milwaukee to vie to replace Jim Boylan at the helm of the Bucks in the past two weeks, though Sloan is reported to be leading the pack as of now.
Rockets assistants J.B. Bickerstaff and Kelvin Sampson, Lakers assistant Steve Clifford, and former Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan are known to have interviewed prior to Sloan, who was had his initial meeting with team staff last week. The 71 year-old Hall of Fame inductee is eldest and most experienced person to be considered for the position so far, as well as arguably the most accomplished.

Sloan Played NBA Ball Before Coaching Career Took Off

Sloan began his career in the NBA as a player for the Baltimore Bullets in 1965. He left Baltimore just a year later to play with the Bulls under Johnny Kerr for ten years. Earning the nickname “The Original Bull”, Sloan was a two-time All-Star in the late-sixties, and he still stands as Chicago's fourth most-scoring player in franchise history. A number of knee troubles during the mid-seventies forced an early retirement, however, shifting Sloan's focus from playing to coaching. The Bulls provided him his first opportunity at the helm, promoting him from an assistant after just a year. He would win ninety-four games in three seasons in Chicago before being replaced in 1982.

For three years following his ousting from Chicago, Sloan found work as a coach in the Continental Basketball Association and as a scout for the Utah Jazz. It wouldn't be until 1985 that the Jazz would bring him back into the NBA as an assistant. In 1988 he was awarded the head coaching position in Utah, beginning a storied twenty-three season career leading the Jazz.

With double-digit seasons of fifty or more wins, nineteen playoff appearances, and a pair of trips to the NBA finals, Sloan became the most successful coach in Utah before abruptly resigning in 2011.  He was tired of the way his young talent was performing, and perhaps the ranks of those new NBA players were tired of him. Either way, he has been publicly flirting over whether or not to attempt a return to the bench since bouncing mid season.  Jazz fans have seen Sloan hanging around at games for some time now.  He’s taken some time to reflect on what’s important in life, but the NBA may be just fine without him.

Kelvin Sampson To Check Out Bucks Coaching Position | Would Sampson Mesh With Jennings?

Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson will interview for a trio of vacant head coaching positions in the coming weeks, including with the Milwaukee Bucks. Currently serving under Kevin McHale in Houston, Sampson got the go-ahead from Rockets general manager Daryl Morey on Monday to accept invitations from the Bucks, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Charlotte. The move is the first from all three teams in an off-season effort to revamp their organizations, as a number of staff and coaching changes are expected in the coming months. 

The first person to be publicly considered for the job since the team refused to renew a relationship with interim head coach Jim Boylan last week, Sampson is a familiar face to some in Milwaukee. Scott Skiles hired him for his first assistant position in the professionals in 2008. He remained in Milwaukee for three seasons before signing a contract with the Rockets in early 2011. His only other experience in the NBA was as an advisory for the Spurs in early 2008.

Despite Sampson's limited time in the professional ranks, his resume is otherwise extensive. The 57 year old North Carolina native spent nearly thirty years at the helm of four different colleges starting in the early eighties. Debuting at Montana Tech in 1981, Sampson managed to win 496 games before a recruitment scandal in 2008 cost him his job at Indiana. He had lost just fifteen games in two seasons with the Hoosiers by that time, on track to mimic the 279-109 record he posted while at Oklahoma between 1994 and 2006. He led the Sooners to 11 NCAA tournaments during that time, though a 2002 final four appearance was their best showing.

Sampson has also been selected to head multiple international teams representing the United States throughout his career, as well as the 2012 Canadian national team.

Along with his past coaching accomplishments, Sampson's dealings during a controversial and heavily investigated period starting in 2003 will likely be discussed with the Bucks. President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches that year, Sampson came under-fire for making over 500 impermissible contacts with Oklahoma prospects, violating recruitment rules. The NCAA imposed a one-year ban on off-campus and telephone recruitment by Sampson starting in 2006. He avoided any more trouble until October 2007, when he was found to have ignored the NCAA sanctions on his recruitment abilities during his inaugural season at Indiana. The league further punished Sampson with a show-cause order, which effectively black-lists coaches from positions in the NCAA.

Jennings Likes Sampson 

Skiles saw beyond the mistakes, however, and Sampson's previous tenure in Milwaukee could be a valuable bargaining chip during negotiations. Star point guard Brandon Jennings built a lasting relationship with Sampson in his rookie season with the Bucks. Currently a restricted free-agent, Jennings reportedly was put-off by the coaching styles of both Skiles and Boylan. Should Milwaukee wish to retain him, hiring Sampson could be a major enticement.

Fired from Portland in 2012, Nate McMillan is also said to have been asked to interview with the Bucks. A 12-year veteran of the league, McMillan led the Seattle SuperSonics to their final postseason as an organization in 2005. He signed with the Trailblazers that off-season, and managed three playoff appearances with them before being let-go mid-way through 2011.

Bucks Post Season Recap | Does Boylan Stay On As Head Coach?

The Milwaukee Bucks enter an off-season of uncertainty following their first round playoff loss to the Miami Heat in four games on Sunday. Every aspect of the team from coaching staff to the roster will be under close consideration from general manager John Hammond and owner Herb Kohl. Even the Bucks future in Milwaukee is likely to be discussed.

Talks will be frank and honest. The team's playoff run this year was seen as more of a fluke of the numbers than anything else, as the Bucks were the worst team on paper to have made the postseason in over a decade. A losing record, few consistent stand-out starters, lackluster coaching from interim head coach Jim Boylan, just four wins in their last sixteen games, and their first loss-by-sweep in a playoff series since the 1980s. Those factors, and more, concluded with the obvious realization that, despite their presence in the playoffs, the 2013 Milwaukee Bucks were not a caliber of team that could have, nor should have, won a title.

Let's see what's first for Hammond and Kohl. A recent bid to relocate the Sacramento Kings to Washington was not approved by the league's relocation committee just this past week, and, while no such debate is scheduled for the Bucks, it has experts talking. A Vermont sports law professor spoke to the NBA TV network about the subject, and stated that he sees the delayed nature of discussions regarding a new arena in Milwaukee as the main driver for calls for relocation. Kohl maintains that negotiations for a new venue continue to progress, and more importantly said the former senator, that he would deny any offer to buy the team if it meant moving them from Milwaukee. But, while few argue Kohl's promise to not move the team, others such as Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce president Tim Sheehy still question the necessity of building a brand new arena. Sheehy told reporters over the weekend that he isn't against the project, but that he wants to take a cautious approach before spending millions of possible tax-payer dollars.

On the organizational side of things, the Bucks will also need to work out some personnel questions. Boylan, who took over at the helm after the unexpected dismissal of former head coach Scott Skiles mid-season, finished his inaugural year with a sub-.500 22-and-28 record. It was his first top-job since the 2007 season when he similarly took over a Bulls team that had suddenly found itself without leadership. Chicago chose not to renew their relationship with the 58 year old for 2008, and now Hammond faces the same decision. No rumored names have popped-up yet, though the free agent class of coaching talent deep and the Bucks also poses a number of knowledgeable assistant.

Does Kohl Keep Boylan As Head Coach?

The prospect of Boylan staying on as head coach does not bode well if the Bucks hope to maintain some of their more dynamic talent. More than one player complained of issues with Boylan this year, including star guard Brandon Jennings, who said that he felt the coach was making an example of him in early April during a string of losses. Jennings is now a restricted free agent, as is Monta Ellis, who, along with J.J. Reddick, is one of the team's leading scorers. Both Jennings and Ellis have confirmed interest in moving, and Reddick says that his own personal troubles with Boylan are also pushing him to look at other options.

But, among the eight possible free agents that could come out of the Bucks 2013 roster, at least one has publicly announced his wishes to stay in Milwaukee. Sixth man Mike Dunleavy told reporters that he would like to come back for a third season with the team in 2014.

Boylan Does The Deep Denial Press Conference | Bucks Fans Are Smarter Than That

Bucks head coach Jim Boylan isn't worried about taking a fairly lousy team into this year's playoffs. Deflecting questions at a recent press-conference regarding his team's many pit-falls going into the postseason, the first-year coach remained confident that Milwaukee would be a contender for a title. Highlighting the return of Brandon Jennings on Monday, and the continuing recovery of Larry Sander's back injury, Boylan said that the team will be stronger than ever come the first seven game series. For right now, the coach concluded, the focus would be on providing starters with a balance of ample rest but enough playing time to keep a rhythm through the remainder of the regular season.

Provided that comfort only by a lock in the eighth Eastern Conference playoff spot, the Bucks will need to change the beat of their drum before playing the Heat. Entering a Monday game against the Nuggets in the midst of a four-game slump, and just three wins in the last fourteen games, the Bucks will be the statistically worst team to make the postseason since 2000. Add to that a pair of losses to the struggling Bobcats and Magic last week, as well as a trouncing in Miami, and the Bucks don't look like a team whose season will move much past four games.

Confronted with the statistical facts, Boylan remained defiant. Ignoring naysayers is part of his job now said the coach, as is remaining encouraged. And, regardless of the outcome of that first-series, he is simply grateful and excited to take the Bucks to their first playoff berth in three years.

Bucks Versus Golden State | Bogut Plays Against His Old Team

The Bucks weekend game at Golden State was a night of firsts and comparisons for Andrew Bogut and Monta Ellis. The Oakland center and Milwaukee guard met for the first time since the pair were exchanged in a trade between the clubs last year, and, comparatively, it didn’t go well for Bogut.
Set-up as a determination of who got the short-end-of-the-stick in last season’s surprise deal, critics were expecting a tight match-up. Both the Bucks and Golden State are solid place-holders in their respective leagues, with Milwaukee on-pace for the final playoff spot in the Central, while Oakland is attempting to hold a sixth-seed in the Pacific. Contrary to the expectations, however, Jim Boylan and his team powered through a confused Golden State defense, putting up 103 points to Oakland’s ninety-three.

As a sweet surprise to Boylan and fans in Milwaukee, recent acquisition J.J. Redick made-up a large portion of the Bucks offensive output, scoring fifteen points with seven assists. Even without partner power-forward Ersan Ilyasova, Redick managed to help seal the team’s fifth win in the last six games with eight late points to put the Bucks up for good.

Bogut Had His Hands Full Against Milwaukee

Bogut also started without a supporting veteran playmaker, but unlike Redick, couldn’t make up the difference. All-Star forward David Lee was sidelined due to injury earlier in the week, and could only watch as the seven foot Bogut managed just four points and four assists in a half-hour of court-time. For his own part, Lee’s replacement, Carl Landry, picked-up an impressive amount of slack by knocking down a co-team-high eighteen points and ten rebounds.
Defensively, Bogut had trouble containing the Ellis and Brandon Jennings backcourt-duo, who took advantage of the Australian native’s continuing injury troubles. Weaving and cutting their way to an outstanding fifty-seven points between them, the pair embarrassed the dismissed Bucks center, who has had recurring back spasms during his time with Golden State.

 Ellis even earned a standing ovation from his former fans for his performance. Ellis thanked the Oakland fans for their support and gratitude for this nearly eight year career with the team. Bogut declined to talk to reporters following the game.

While analysts might have been surprised by the Bucks dominance on Saturday, the performances of Bogut and Ellis were easy to foretell. The career trajectories of the pair since the trade have been exact opposites, summarized by Ellis promotion to starting center while Bogut has appeared in just sixteen of Golden State’s last sixty-eight games.
Missing two of Oakland’s last meetings with Milwaukee in the past two seasons, Bogut’s delayed facing of his previous employers proved to be a lackluster authentication of the Bucks obviously unequal benefit from his release.

Bucks Trade For J.J. Reddick | Three Players Move To Orlando

Just four minutes before Thursday's trade deadline, the Bucks finally made the move. Long rumored to be in talks with various teams throughout the league regarding a number of deals, Milwaukee general manager John Hammond announced late that night that they had agreed to terms with the Orlando Magic. Six players will be shifting rosters as a result of the agreement, three from each organization.

J.J. Redick, Gustavo Ayon, and Ish Smith will be suiting up for Milwaukee in return for Doron Lamb, Tobias Harris, and Beno Udrih, who will make their way to Orlando over the weekend. Lamb and Harris were not currently active on the Bucks roster, and Udrih has struggled recently off the bench as a backup guard.

The deal was a mutual success for both organizations, said Magic general manager Rob Hennigan. The first year manager told reporters following the official release that after deliberating for days about the deal, he and his staff decided that the young talent he would be receiving would fulfill what his squad was looking for in this time of rebuilding. Highlighting Lamb and Harris as rookies ready for a chance to play, Hennigan said that they would fit nicely into his plans to build the future Magic roster through the draft and more trades. He is also excited to have Udrih as a true backup to compliment veteran Jameer Nelson at point guard.

Hennigan did admit some hesitation, however. Parting ways with veteran fan favorite Redick was no throw-away matter, said the manager. Averaging a career high in points and goal percentage this season, the seventh-year guard seems to have yet to hit a peak. Though, in his final year of a nineteen-million dollar contract, and with no guarantee of resigning with Orlando, Hennigan would rather get something out of him than nothing.

Is Redick The Answer In Milwaukee?

Redick provides a major pickup for Milwaukee, but also some conundrums for the future. With his improvement this season, the twenty-nine year-old has seen his stature on the market increase significantly over years past. Hennigan cited that as a main concern about the guard's willingness to resign with the Magic, and Hammond will be equally as skeptical.

Unless Redick's progress slows or stops once in Milwaukee, come the off-season, a plethora of big-number contracts will comes his way. If Hammond wishes to retain him for 2014, he had better be prepared to take out his wallet. Despite those future concerns, Redick will likely stay with the Bucks for the remainder of this season.

Already, some critics are calling the move a potential playoff-maker for Milwaukee. With his numbers this season, Redick will add yet another threat in the Bucks back court, combining with the already dangerous duo of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. Mike Dunleavy, the team's premier perimeter shot, will also benefit from the addition of Redick, who is shooting near forty-percent from beyond the arc. 

In addition to Redick, Milwaukee also picked up a duo of budding, though inexperienced, talent in Smith and Ayon. The pair are both in their second-years in the league, and have been used as trading-pawns during those seasons. And, while that trend likely won't stop in Milwaukee, both have been promising when they did find time on the court.