Milwaukee Bucks Blog – Page 31 – NBA Blog

Luke Ridnour should return soon for Bucks

Here’s the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the Bucks backcourt getting a bit more healthy:

Veteran guard Luke Ridnour participated in the Bucks shootaround Friday morning at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

And if Ridnour has his way, he will be on the court Friday night when Milwaukee (2-5) meets the unbeaten Indiana Pacers (8-0).

Ridnour has not played this season due to a herniated disc in his back, an injury that cropped up just before the Bucks played the season opener in New York on Oct. 30.

His return would be welcome news for the Bucks, who have relied on rookie Nate Wolters for huge minutes at the point guard spot. That’s because 21-year-old point guard Brandon Knight is sidelined again due to a right hamstring injury he suffered in the season opener.

Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders out 6 weeks after thumb surgery

Already facing a challenging season, the road to success in 2013-14 just got even tougher for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Bucks center Larry Sanders underwent successful surgery on Monday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, General Manager John Hammond announced.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Curt Crimmins, a hand specialist, at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin. Sanders will be sidelined for approximately six weeks and updates will be provided when available.

Sanders injured his thumb on Nov. 3 while involved in an off-court incident.

Bucks may lose Carlos Delfino for season

The Milwaukee Bucks are rebuilding and need all the help they can get from the talent on their roster. But an injury may remove a key player from the rotation. Here’s the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Bucks forward Carlos Delfino posted on his personal website Sunday that his foot injury will require additional surgery and it is likely he will miss the entire 2013-’14 season.

Delfino injured his right foot in the playoffs last season when he was with the Houston Rockets and he underwent surgery in May. He was in a walking boot when the Bucks opened training camp and said he had suffered a setback in his recovery.

Delfino and Bucks team physician Michael Gordon traveled to North Carolina last week to consult with specialists about the injury. And it was determined Delfino will need another surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot, with recovery time estimated at four to six months.

Caron Butler fined $15,000 for obscene gesture

The NBA has rules about how players can express themselves. There is a code of conduct, and it is not to be broken.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Caron Butler has been fined $15,000 for making an obscene gesture during the Bucks’ 105-98 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday, Nov. 1, at TD Garden in Boston, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

Butler’s actions occurred with 3:54 remaining in the fourth quarter of the game.

Milwaukee Bucks waive Trey McKinney Jones, Olek Czyz and Stephen Graham

The Milwaukee Bucks have requested waivers on guard Trey McKinney Jones and forwards Olek Czyz and Stephen Graham, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Graham (6-6, 215) appeared in five preseason games and averaged 5.8 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Czyz (6-7, 240) played in four contests during the preseason and averaged 4.8 points and 1.0 rebound, while McKinney Jones (6-5, 216) played in two games and averaged 1.5 points per game. All three players signed as free agents on Sept. 30.

The Bucks roster now stands at 15 players.

Giannis Antetokounmpo still earning his spot in Bucks rotation

The Bucks have what appears to be a talented new player. That his name is hard to spell and pronounce just adds to the fun. Here’s Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A buzz is building about Milwaukee Bucks rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Already he is being compared to Nicolas Batum, Paul George and Kevin Durant.

Not bad for a skinny 18-year-old from Greece, a player who is getting his first taste of NBA action during the current exhibition season.

But wait a second.

Coach Larry Drew is not ready to commit to putting the 6-foot-9 youngster into the playing rotation when the regular season begins next week.

The Bucks may want to be cautious when it comes to a player they value so highly.

Milwaukee Bucks exercise contract options on John Henson and Brandon Knight

The Milwaukee Bucks have exercised the third-year contract option on John Henson (6-11, 220), and the fourth-year contract option on Brandon Knight (6-3, 189), General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Henson, 22, appeared in 63 games (nine starts) during his rookie season, averaging 6.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest. The 14th overall pick by Milwaukee in last year’s draft, Henson posted eight double-figure rebounding games in his rookie season, including 25 boards against Orlando on April 10 that stood as the high game by a rookie in the NBA last season. Henson added 17 points and seven blocks in that game, becoming the first NBA player with 17+ points, 25+ rebounds and 7+ blocks in a game since Shaquille O’Neal did so during the 2003-04 season. Henson also snared 18 rebounds at Miami on Nov. 21, giving him the top two single-game rebounding totals by a Bucks rookie in the last 25 years.

Knight, 21, joins the Bucks this season after playing his first two years for the Detroit Pistons, where he was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The third-year guard has started 135 of his 141 career games, with averages of 13.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per contest. An All-Rookie First Team selection in 2011-12, Knight also participated in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at both the 2012 and 2013 NBA All-Star Weekends. In four preseason appearance for the Bucks, Knight has posted 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 22.5 minutes per game.

Under the terms of the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, the first two years of a first round draft pick’s contract are guaranteed, while the third and fourth year of the contract are the team’s option.

Bucks forward Ekpe Udoh out 4-6 weeks after knee surgery

Milwaukee Bucks forward Ekpe Udoh (6-10, 245) underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure to alleviate pain in his right knee on Thursday, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

The procedure was performed by Bucks orthopaedist Dr. Michael Gordon in Milwaukee. Udoh is expected to be sidelined for approximately 4-6 weeks.

Milwaukee Bucks announce changes to basketball operations staff

General Manager John Hammond announced today that Chris Gilmartin has been promoted to director of NBA scouting and that Luke Steele has been hired as advance scout.

Gilmartin enters his 17th season with the Bucks. He started his career with the franchise as the assistant video coordinator, then spent the last 10 seasons as the team’s advance scout. He served one season on the Milwaukee’s bench as an assistant coach, joining the staff in conjunction with Jim Boylan taking over as the 12th head coach in franchise history in January 2013. Gilmartin’s first association with the Bucks was in 1985 as a member of the promotions crew. He also served as a team attendant from 1987-89.

Born in New York City, Gilmartin is a 1993 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served as a student assistant under head coaches Steve Yoder and Stu Jackson. Gilmartin returned to Milwaukee in 1995 after coaching in the college ranks and received his law degree (J.D.) from Marquette University in 1997. He worked part-time in the Bucks video department while attending law school. Gilmartin and his wife, Robyn, have three children.

Steele begins his first season with the Bucks as advance scout. He comes to Milwaukee from the Atlanta Hawks where he spent the last 12 seasons, most recently working as the senior video coordinator. Steele started his career with the Hawks as a basketball operations intern in 2001, right after graduating from the University of Florida. He also had experience as a media relations intern with the Orlando Magic while in college. Before transferring to Florida, Steele played two years of college basketball at Emory University. He and his wife, Andrea, have one child.

Bucks add Junior Cadougan, Olek Czyz, Stephen Graham, Trey McKinney Jones to training camp

The Milwaukee Bucks announced their 2013 training camp roster today with the additions of Junior Cadougan, Olek Czyz (pronounced “Shiz”), Stephen Graham and Trey McKinney Jones.

Cadougan (6-1, 205) wrapped up a four-year career at Marquette this spring by averaging a career-best 8.5 points along with 2.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game during his senior season. The Toronto native finished his collegiate career ranked sixth on Marquette’s all-time wins list with 97 and eighth in assists with 435. Cadougan also participated with the Bucks entry in the 2013 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he appeared in two games for Milwaukee and totaled two points and three assists in 12 minutes of action.

Czyz (6-7, 240) joins the Bucks after spending the 2012-13 season with Virtus Roma in the Italian League, where he averaged 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 50 games. A native of Poland, Czyz moved to the United States at the age of 14 and played collegiate basketball for both Duke (2008-09 through 2009-10) and the University of Nevada (2010-11 through 2011-12). A WAC All-Newcomer honoree following his junior season (first in Nevada), Czyz posted collegiate career averages of 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in 77 career games.

Despite going undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2005, Graham (6-6, 215) has appeared in 239 NBA games over six seasons with Houston, Chicago, Cleveland, Portland, Indiana, Charlotte and New Jersey. He holds career averages of 4.0 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest. The Florida native spent the 2012-13 season with the Arecibo Captains in Puerto Rico, where he posted 8.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14 games. Graham’s twin brother and college teammate Joey has also played in the NBA.

Milwaukee native McKinney Jones (6-5, 216) attended South Milwaukee High School before embarking on a four year collegiate career that included two years at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and his final two seasons as a Miami Hurricane. A 38.5 percent 3-point shooter during his two years in Miami, McKinney-Jones left the program ranked sixth in career 3-point percentage.