Young 'Bucks'

 Bogut and Ford Guaranteed to Turn Heads

Jared Owens, staff writer           

The front office for the Milwaukee Bucks front office spent most of the off-season answering an array of questions on the future of this franchise.

Chief among those was why did coach Terry Stots select Andrew Bogut over Chris Paul for the number one overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft? The answer is simple, they knew something the rest of us didn’t: Bogut is not going to be a bust. After the first two games, Bogut was averaging 11.5 points, 13 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He is a dynamic piece to the puzzle that has the Bucks’ hopes high.

Another thing that Stots must have known prior to his pick of Bogut was that former lottery pick, point guard T.J. Ford, was healthy and due for a break-out season. Ford in his first few has posted Jason Kidd-esque numbers, warranting no concern for a new point guard and therefore passing on Chris Paul.

So far, Bogut and Ford have proven to be perfect counterparts to the Bucks’ star player, Michael Redd. Bogut has provided enough of an inside presence to keep double teams from consistently hampering Redd’s performance. Plus, Ford’s natural ability to be a slasher, along with his court vision, have taken the ball out of Redd’s hands in the open court, allowing Redd to roam and get open where he is comfortable.

Redd has been on fire, averaging just under 30 points per game, including his 41-point performance against the New Jersey Nets on Nov. 2. Undoubtedly, Redd is a fantastic player, but the emergence of these two future stars have really allowed him and the Milwaukee Bucks to take their games to the next level.

Are Bogut and Ford enough of an impact for the Bucks to win a championship this season? Probably not, but from what I have seen, it is not far fetched to say that they will make the playoffs this season. Maybe I am getting a little ahead of myself, with 80 games left. And maybe I’m sipping too much of the purple Kool-Aid, but this is a solid team that has made outstanding off-season acquisitions. Look out Lebron James. The Milwaukee Bucks may turn into your playoff rival for years to come.