Milwaukee Bucks Blog – Page 59 – NBA Blog

Bulls trade John Salmons to Bucks for Joe Alexander, Hakim Warrick

In a trade finalized on February 18, the Chicago Bulls traded John Salmons to the Milwaukee Bucks for Joe Alexander and Hakim Warrick (pronounced Ha-keem). In addition, Chicago traded the Bulls’ regular second round draft choices in 2011 and 2012. Also, Milwaukee has the option in NBA Draft 2010 of switching first round picks with Chicago, so long as Chicago’s first round pick is not a top 10 selection.

“We like the combination of our player talent, cap flexibility and our ability to improve our team this summer in the free agent market,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “This trade is another step in the process of building our team and getting better.”

Warrick (6-9, 219), in his fifth season out of Syracuse, signed with the Bucks as a free agent on July 31, 2009. On the season, he has played in 48 games (six starts) and averaged 10.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg in 21.3 mpg. The 27-year old Warrick spent his first four years in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies after being selected with the 19th overall pick in the first round of NBA Draft 2005. He holds career averages of 10.2 ppg and 4.3 rpg in 21.6 mpg in 355 games played (88 starts).

Alexander (6-8, 230), the eighth overall pick in NBA Draft 2008, is in his second season in the NBA. Drafted by Milwaukee via West Virginia, the 23-year old Alexander missed the first 41 games of this season due to a right hamstring strain. On Jan. 20, he was assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League, where he has averaged 10.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.8 apg and 26.8 mpg in six D-League games (three starts). He played in six contests his rookie season, and averaged 5.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 1.2 apg in 18.0 mpg.

Currently in his eighth NBA season, Salmons, 30, has averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 51 games (28 starts) for the Bulls this season. Last year in 79 games with Sacramento and Chicago, Salmons enjoyed his best statistical NBA season when he averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steal per contest. He shot 47.2 percent from the field, and career-highs of 41.7 percent and 83.0 percent from the three-point arc and free throw line, respectively. In the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Salmons tallied 18.1 points per game, 4.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals in the seven-game series against the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics.

Originally drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 26th selection out of Miami (FL) in the 2002 NBA Draft, Salmons was dealt to Philadelphia where he played his first four NBA seasons. He signed as a free agent with Sacramento prior to the 2006-07 campaign and played two-plus seasons for the Kings before being traded to Chicago last year (February 18, 2009). In 571 career regular season games, Salmons has averaged 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 44.5 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from three-point distance and 79.8 percent from the free throw line.

Only 1,016 fans attend Bucks at Nets game during big snowstorm

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reports:

Even by Nets standards, the Meadowlands was e-m-p-t-y on Wednesday night.

You could find bigger crowds in ghost towns.

OK, that’s a stretch, right along with the official attendance listed as 12,873 in the Bucks’ 97-77 rout of the Nets. That number referred to tickets sold.

In terms of actual bodies filling actual seats, the Nets announced that 1,016 hearty souls braved the mega-snowstorm in North Jersey and congregated at the 18,974-seat Izod Center, giving it the feel of a high school game between Clifton and Passaic.

The Nets are famous for having some of the worst crowds in the NBA, but nothing comes close to this one. On this night, with entire lower tiers of the arena empty and not a single person sitting in the upper deck, fans were able to easily hear Bucks coach Scott Skiles yell at the officials. Conversely, when the Nets’ Courtney Lee misfired on a jumper, he clearly heard a fan say in not much louder than a conversational voice, “Hey, follow your shot.”

Bucks competing for playoff spot

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports:

The Bucks (23-26) have used their recent surge to put some pressure on the teams above them in the playoff chase. On Saturday they climbed into a virtual tie with eighth-place Miami (24-27), which lost in Chicago to suffer its fifth straight defeat.

And Milwaukee also stayed within one game of sixth-place Chicago (24-25) and gained ground on seventh-place Charlotte (24-25) in the conference standings.

The team’s only losses during this stretch were a five-point decision at Toronto, a one-pointer at Dallas and a 17-point defeat at Orlando.

The Bucks have benefited from solid play by center Andrew Bogut and point guard Brandon Jennings.

And the entire starting five has clicked since Carlos Delfino moved in at small forward, with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute switching to the power spot and Charlie Bell taking the shooting guard role vacated by the injured Michael Redd.

Milwaukee’s bench also has contributed, bolstered by the play of Ersan Ilyasova and the mid-January signing of free agent Jerry Stackhouse, who had not been in the league this season.

Francisco Elson out six weeks after hernia surgery

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that center Francisco Elson (7-0, 240) had successful surgery on Friday to repair a hernia. Elson is expected to miss six weeks of action.

Elson, 33, has appeared in 11 games for the Bucks this season and averaged 1.2 rebounds in 5.6 minutes per game.

The 20-25 Bucks are currently the 9th seed in the Eastern conference. The team has been led this season by super rookie point guard Brandon Jennings (17.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 6.2 apg, 1.2 spg) and center Andrew Bogut (15.9 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 2.18 bpg).

Bucks assign Joe Alexander to D-League

The Milwaukee Bucks have assigned second-year forward Joe Alexander to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana) of the NBA Development League (D-League), General Manager John Hammond announced today. Fort Wayne is led by Head Coach Joey Meyer, who previously coached the Bucks D-League affiliate in Tulsa. Alexander will meet with the team tomorrow and his first game with the Mad Ants will be Friday at Iowa.

“This is a good opportunity for Joe to receive regular minutes in real game action and continue his development as he returns from injury,” Hammond said. “We’re looking forward to seeing his progress as he works with Coach Meyer and his Fort Wayne teammates.”

Alexander, 23, was drafted by the Bucks with the eighth overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft. He appeared in 59 games as a rookie in 2008-09 and averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game. Alexander has not appeared in a game this season after suffering a strained right hamstring in training camp. He played three seasons at West Virginia prior to entering the NBA. In 82 games (70 starts) at West Virginia, he averaged 12.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 blocks. He was a First Team All-Big East selection as a junior.

In previous seasons the Bucks have sent Ersan Ilyasova (2005-06), Damir Markota (2007), David Noel (2007-08) and Ramon Sessions (2007-08) to the D-League. The NBA Development League also includes the Albuquerque T-Birds (New Mexico), Austin Toros (Texas), Bakersfield Jam (California), Dakota Wizards (Bismarck, North Dakota), Erie Bayhawks (Pennsylvania), Frisco (Texas), Idaho Stampede (Boise), Iowa Energy (Des Moines), Los Angeles D-Fenders (California), Maine Red Claws (Portland), Reno Bighorns (Nevada), Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Texas), Sioux Falls Skyforce (South Dakota), Springfield Armor (Massachusetts), Tulsa 66ers (Oklahoma), Utah Flash (Provo).

Bucks sign Jerry Stackhouse

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed guard/forward Jerry Stackhouse to a contract, General Manager John Hammond announced today. Stackhouse, 35, is a 14-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 854 games (563 starts) with Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington and Dallas.

Stackhouse (6-6, 218) was the third overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1995 NBA Draft. He owns career averages of 18.4 points, 3.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist. His best statistical season came in 2000-01 when he averaged a career-best 29.8 points (second in the NBA), 5.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He has spent the last five seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.

The North Carolina alum has participated in the postseason seven times with 64 games (16 starts) in games played with Detroit and Dallas. Stackhouse’s playoff averages are 14.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

Stackhouse was an NBA All-Star in both 2000 and 2001, was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1995-96 and earned the NBA’s Community Assist Award in October 2001. He ranks in the top 100 in NBA history in points (15,749, 90th), free throws (4,548, 41st) and three pointers (899, 78th). Stackhouse played two seasons at North Carolina, averaging 15.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 69 games. Like Bucks guard Brandon Jennings, he attended Oak Hill Academy high school.

Bucks to sign Jerry Stackhouse

Jerry Stackhouse is 35 years old and hasn’t brought much to an NBA court over the last few seasons, but he’ll reportedly get a shot at helping the Milwaukee Bucks, who will be without Michael Redd for the rest of the season.

ESPN.com reports:

The Milwaukee Bucks will sign veteran guard Jerry Stackhouse to a contract for the rest of the season, according to NBA front-office sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that Stackhouse is expected to formally sign with the Bucks on Monday or possibly Tuesday after the Martin Luther King holiday.

The former All-Star guard has been looking for a new team since the summer and was targeted by the Bucks — who began play Sunday two games out of the final playoff spot in the East — after Michael Redd suffered a season-ending knee injury last Sunday in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

Stack averaged 12.0 points per game for the Dallas Mavericks in 2006-07, 10.7 ppg on 40.5% shooting (and just 32.6% threes) in 2007-08, and last season played just 10 games for just 4.2 ppg on 26.7% shooting.

Scott Skiles back on job after hospital visit

Tom Enlund of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (via blog):

Coach Scott Skiles was back on the job Tuesday and feeling fine after missing Monday’s game against Phoenix due to a hospital visit.

Shortly before the start of the Bucks’ 105-101 loss to the Suns, Skiles was taken to a hospital in Phoenix for precautionary purposes due to an irregular heartbeat.

But all systems were go on Tuesday where Skiles was concerned.

“I feel good,” he said. “Normal. It’s something that happens to me about once a year since 2001. I take medication for it. It’s not uncommon. A lot of people have it. Unfortunately yesterday the medication didn’t take care of it and I had to go to the hospital.”

Scott Skiles hospitalized with irregular heartbeat

The AP reports:

Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat before Monday night’s 105-101 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Jim Boylan, who coached in Skiles’ absence, said the coach was doing well.

“He’s fine,” Boylan said. “He’ll be joining us in Portland. He has a little arrhythmia.”

InsideHoops talks to Jodie Meeks

Milwaukee Bucks rookie guard Jodie Meeks was selected 41st overall (second round) of the 2009 NBA draft and made a positive impression in NBA summer league play.

At Kentucky, he had a famous 54-point game on 15-of-22 shooting with 10-of-15 three-pointers in a win over Tennessee.

The 6-4, 208-pound scorer is getting limited court time in his first season, averaging 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per game. But he’s talented and has a bright future.