They're saying all the right things, but really, the Milwaukee Bucks cannot sell short-term hope at the moment. How can they with 60% of their starting lineup and almost 50% of their scoring not wearing the fashionably baggy shorts at tip-off?
But what they can peddle in abundance is long-term faith. The question is whether you're buying.
Apparently, enough still are. There were a lot of people in the Bradley Center on Saturday night to watch a team with no Michael Redd, no Andrew Bogut and no Luke Ridnour play a Detroit outfit that hardly resembled the Pistons we'd all grown to know and loathe over the years. Allen Iverson is always a draw, but maybe there was something else in play.
Those who were paying attention before the Hindenburg ignited realized that the Bucks were 12-10 when Redd and Bogut were healthy enough to start together. That projected to a 42-victory season, more than good enough for postseason inclusion in this here Eastern Conference. Beyond that, it would've represented a 16-game improvement over last season, a Joe Alexander-size leap in the NBA.
As it was before the Detroit game, before the final injury in the bad-karma trifecta was visited upon them, the Bucks were two Ws from matching last season's total. Before the all-star break. And with all that had gone wrong, they were still in the playoff picture. They had a lot going for them before Redd and then Bogut and then Ridnour were forced to assume positions on the leisurely end of the bench.
"I don't know what's going to happen in the remaining games," first-year general manager John Hammond said. "We're asking these guys to do an awful lot. But I'd hope people would appreciate what we've done so far. Before the injuries, we were on our way to a good, solid year.
"Hopefully, people are thinking, 'These guys know what they're doing.' I know this - we'll get it right before it's all said and done."
And that's the question. With all the obstacles to run, including the economy, are there enough buyers out there willing to speculate on the future of a team that had given its customers little reason to do so before? Had the new regime banked enough goodwill before the injuries to make people believe that this wasn't business as usual at 4th and State?
Scott Skiles was well on the way to earning that level of trust. Before the Pistons game, he projected his usual steady bearing, the one that made you believe he was running Kobe and LeBron out there, not Keith Bogans for big minutes off no practice. What else could Skiles do? But at least he is the same guy not compromised by short-term thinking.
"There's not much fairness to it, but it doesn't change my job description," Skiles said. "I'm confident that we're still good enough to win."
Realistic or not, his remaining players are buying in by the way they scrapped with the Pistons. After all, the Bucks are still charged to do what they can with what they have. Beyond that, Hammonds has two responsibilities: To tame the payroll and then reshape the roster. Injuries or not, that hasn't changed.
It's doubtful the upcoming trading deadline will bring relief. Despite Charlie Villanueva's growing value, few teams are feeling compelled to offer his true worth. But how can the Bucks trade Villanueva or Ramon Sessions now? If the Bucks move forward as is, are their customers willing to extend them credit?
"We were a team that could compete," Hammond said before catching himself. "We still can compete. We're not waving the white flag."
--------
Send e-mail to mhunt@journalsentinel.com
Copyright 2009, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)
