Milwaukee Bucks Blog – Page 61 – NBA Blog

Michael Redd out two weeks due to left knee

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that guard Michael Redd (6-6, 215) suffered a strained left patella tendon in Saturday’s home opening win against Detroit. Redd, 30, played 23 minutes in the win and left the game late in the third period with left knee soreness and did not return.

Redd underwent an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) exam on Sunday which revealed the injury. Redd will be re-evaluated in two weeks by Bucks orthopedic physician Dr. Michael Gordon, M.D., and his status will be updated at that time.

In two games this season, Redd has averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.5 steals (T-2nd in the NBA) in 31.0 minutes per game.Redd played just 33 games in the 2008-09 NBA season, averaging 21.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 36.5 minutes per game.

This season he got off to a slow start. In the two games Milwaukee has played, Redd averaged just 13.0 points on 32.0% shooting, and 4.5 rebounds.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Alan Ogg dies

The AP reports:

Alan Ogg, a 7-foot-2 shotblocker who played for UAB and spent parts of three seasons in the NBA, died Sunday from complications from a staph infection, a university spokesman said. He was 42.

UAB spokesman Norm Reilly said Ogg died at UAB Hospital.

Ogg averaged around 2.2 points per game in his short NBA career.

Condolences go out to his friends and family.

Joe Alexander injures hamstring, out 8-12 weeks

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that forward Joe Alexander re-aggravated his right hamstring injury during rehabilitation exercises this week.

After consulting with Bucks orthopedic physician Dr. Michael Gordon, M.D., Alexander is expected to be sidelined for a period of 8-to-12 weeks. Alexander will be re-evaluated on a regular basis and his status will be updated as necessary.

Alexander, 22, originally suffered the injury during voluntary drills prior to the start of training camp on September 17.

In 59 games during his rookie season, Alexander averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. In the 2009 NBA Summer League, Alexander tallied 16.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists over the five game schedule in Las Vegas.

Marvin Fishman, an original Bucks owner, passes away

Tom Enlund of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports: Fishman, an original owner of the Bucks and a man who helped bring professional basketball back to Milwaukee in the late 1960s, died Friday at the age of 84. With the backing of Wesley Pavalon, Fishman raised $2 million and their group, Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, was awarded an expansion franchise by the National Basketball Association on Jan. 22, 1968. Fishman once recalled how he bought a copy of every New York and out-of-town newspaper he could find the day after the franchise was awarded to look for “Milwaukee” in the headlines. Pavalon became the team’s chairman of the board with Fishman the vice chairman of the board. The Bucks drafted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) in 1969, and with Abdul-Jabbar teaming with Oscar Robertson, the Bucks won the 1971 NBA championship. Fishman’s smile was never more evident than after the Bucks swept the Baltimore Bullets in the championship series.

Austin Daye, Carlos Delfino suspended for fighting

Detroit Pistons forward Austin Daye and Milwaukee Bucks guard Carlos Delfino have each been suspended one game without pay for their roles in an altercation that took place during Wednesday night’s preseason game, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Daye has been suspended for striking Delfino in the face, and Delfino has been suspended for retaliating by swinging at Daye. The incident occurred with 34.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of Detroit’s 113-104 win over Milwaukee at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Daye and Delfino will serve their suspensions commencing with the first game of the 2009-10 NBA regular season in which they eligible and physically able to play.

NBA tells bench players stay seated so fans can see

Good NBA seats are expensive. Fans shelling out big money to sit near the court should expect a good view of the action.

But what about when players get off the bench and remain standing for a while? On the one hand, it’s nice to see guys cheer their teammates. On the other, these giants prevent fans from seeing what they paid to see.

The Cavs are one team with players who remained standing a lot, and now the league office has reportedly taken action.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

The NBA has issued a memo to its teams directing players on the bench to remain seated during games. Game officials will be keeping a closer eye and will issue faster warnings and possible technical fouls if not followed. Players are permitted to cheer, but standing during regular-game action and blocking the fans’ views apparently isn’t going to be allowed.

That goes for Tuesday night’s first preseason game at The Q, where the Cavs will host the Charlotte Bobcats in the first of eight practice games before the season opener.

The Cavs weren’t exactly thrilled that their custom has been legislated.

“It is hard to take that out of the game,” LeBron James said. “Part of the game is emotions, your teammates are all you have. That was part of the reason we played great basketball, because we cheered each other.”

I support the league protecting the paying fan’s view.

Oct 4: Wolves 117, Bucks 103

The AP reports: Kevin Love had 17 points and Minnesota made a whopping 50 of 56 free throws to beat Milwaukee 117-103 on Sunday night, making a winner out of coach Kurt Rambis in his preseason debut… The game was played with replacement officials, who called 73 fouls that resulted in 94 free throws total. The Bucks were 26 of 38… Love had six points and four rebounds in the first three minutes as the Timberwolves, who never trailed, jumped ahead 12-2. He finished with 13 rebounds in 21 minutes… Hakim Warrick led Milwaukee with 24 points, and rookie Brandon Jennings added 14 points.

Michael Redd returns to the hardwood

Remember Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Michael Redd? He’s fallen off the map recently but looks to remind everyone that he still exists.

The team has not accomplished much recently and in 2009-10 could take another step backward — unless Redd is his old shooting star self again.

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

Michael Redd stepped back on the Bradley Center floor Saturday for the first time since Jan. 24, when he crumpled to the court after tearing ligaments in his left knee.

The occasion was only an intrasquad scrimmage for the Milwaukee Bucks, not a real game.

But it still was a huge step for Redd, who scored 18 points while showing little rust as the Bucks players performed for an enthusiastic crowd of 5,864.

“I was a little nervous, to be honest with you,” Redd said. “I felt comfortable and just played. I’m a little sore right now, which is natural, but I felt good playing again.”

Aside from watching rookie point guard Brandon Jennings, it’s worth keeping an eye on Redd to see if he looks up to carrying a team.

InsideHoops talks to Brandon Jennings

Milwaukee Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings is a flashy, exciting point guard. And with Ramon Sessions gone, the kid has a great shot at being an immediate contributor.

Instead of spending one year on a college campus pretending to be a student, Jennings went overseas after high school and received limited minutes in Rome.

InsideHoops.com met with him in early August. Read the Brandon Jennings interview.

Wolves sign Ramon Sessions

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed guard Ramon Sessions. Minnesota originally signed Sessions, a restricted free agent from the Milwaukee Bucks, to an offer sheet on Friday, Sept. 4. Per team policy, terms of the contract offer were not disclosed. It’s been reported by multiple media outlets that the contract is a four-year deal for $16.4 million.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Ramon to the Timberwolves,” said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “Ramon has already demonstrated the ability to play significant minutes at the NBA level, yet is only 23. We believe, like our team, his best days are ahead of him.”

Sessions, a 6-3 guard from Nevada-Reno, had a break-out season in 2008-09, averaging 12.4 points (.445 FG%), 5.7 assists and 27.5 minutes per game in 79 contests (39 starts). His 5.7 assists per game led the Bucks and ranked 18th in the NBA. Sessions scored in double figures 53 times (12 times with 20+ points), dished out 10+ assists on 10 occasions and posted nine double-doubles during the season. Additionally, he finished the year with a 2.97:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, the ninth-best ratio in the NBA. He scored a career-high 44 points, along with 12 assists, against Detroit on Feb. 7.

In 2007-08 as a rookie, Sessions averaged 8.1 points, 7.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 17 games. He set a Bucks franchise record with 24 assists against Chicago on April 14, while also tallying 20 points. He became the first Bucks player to notch 20 points and 20 assists in the same game. Selected by Milwaukee in the second round (56th pick) of the 2007 NBA Draft, Sessions has averaged 11.6 points, 6.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds in 27.3 minutes per game in 96 career contests (46 starts).