The 3rd Man In Sounds Off: Bucks make $44 million mistake

Nothing seems to be going right for the Milwaukee Bucks as they sit in the basement of the NBA with a 2-13 record, while the face of the franchise sits at the end of the bench in street clothes.  Before the season began the Bucks decided to give Larry Sanders a $44 million extension, which begins next season, and this decision could not look any worse.

Although Sanders averaged a near double-double last season (9.8 PTS and 9.5 TRB), he has not produced anywhere near those numbers.  In fact he has been more productive at the local tavern then he has been on the court, as he has only played in three games due to missing time because of a bar fight.

After this incident he was required to have surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, and will miss a total of six weeks to recover.  Not only has he had off the court problems, but also before the injury he complained publicly about the lack of minutes he was receiving.

Although he does some positive things on the court, his technical fouls and actions off the court will always cause everyone to wonder if the Bucks made the wrong decision locking Sanders up to a big deal.

While a Dennis Rodman personality could create some excitement among fans, he does not have the personality to be a leader on a young, rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks team.  It is early but already Larry Sanders has shown that the Bucks made a huge $44 million mistake.

What are your thoughts on Larry Sanders? Did the Bucks make a huge mistake? Leave your thoughts below.  

Milwaukee Bucks: Time to Rebuild Not Reload!

The Milwaukee Bucks have been mediocre for the last 12 seasons, and it is time to rebuild and look towards the future.  Instead of finishing with a near .500 record and possibly making the playoffs as an eighth seed for a second consecutive season, it is time to restart and build a team that can compete at a high level for multiple seasons.

The Bucks are built around their young frontcourt of Larry Sanders, Ersan Ilyasova and John Henson, along with recent draft picks, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nate Wolters.  Rather than overpaying for veterans, the Bucks need to see what they have in these young players by giving them opportunities to play and develop.

The Bucks are years away from competing with Miami, Chicago, and Indiana in the Eastern Conference, so now is the time to rebuild for the future.  The 2013-2014 season will not be an exciting time for Bucks' fans, but if it means getting a high lottery pick in the deep 2014 NBA Draft, and allowing their youngsters to develop, it will be worth it in the end.

Bucks Hire Larry Drew to be New Head Coach

Larry Drew has agreed to a four-year, $10 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.  He replaced interim head coach Jim Boylan, who took over for Scott Skiles mid way through last season.  Drew was previously the head coach for the Atlanta Hawks for the last three seasons.  He compiled a 128-102 record and led the Hawks to the playoffs in each of those three seasons.

Larry Drew is not a wow factor like Jerry Sloan or Stan Van Gundy, but he is a veteran coach who has had success throughout his career.  The Bucks are a young, talented team led by big men Larry Sanders and John Henson, but they are in a rebuilding stage with J.J. Redick, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings all set to hit the open market.  Larry Drew needs to focus on building the Bucks into a solid playoff team year in and year out, with Sanders and Henson being focal points of the team.

Time will tell if Larry Drew was the right man for the job, but as of now this was a smart hire for the Milwaukee Bucks to bring in an experienced coach, who has had postseason success in the past.