Milwaukee Bucks Presser

[IamQuailman]

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the basketball media world! Welcome back to another season of Milwaukee Bucks basketball, and let me tell you, this one has been a long time coming. We appreciate you all being here today, because we have quite a bit to get into. First things first though... let's talk about the elephant in the room, shall we? Last season, we went to the NBA Finals. That's something to be proud of. That's something a lot of franchises would kill for. But we didn't just go to the Finals to show up and collect a participation ribbon. We went there to WIN. And we didn't. We lost to the San Antonio Spurs, a team powered by the singular force of nature that is Michael Jordan, and it stings in a way that doesn't really go away over the summer. You go on vacation, you try to decompress, and then you wake up at 3am in a cold sweat thinking about what could have been done differently in Game 5. That's just the reality of caring this deeply about winning. We are not here to sugarcoat it or wrap it up in a bow and pretend the offseason was some joyful, breezy experience. It wasn't. Losing at that stage, against that team, with that player... it leaves a mark. But here's the thing about marks: they can be motivation. And we have used every single ounce of that disappointment as fuel heading into this 1988-89 campaign.

Now, once the dust settled and we had a chance to breathe and assess the situation, the front office got to work. And the first question on everyone's mind was: who are we going to be this season? Are we going to stand pat? Are we going to blow it up? Are we going to make a splash? Well, the answer ended up being a little bit of all of the above, but the centerpiece of our offseason was a deal that, frankly, we are still a little giddy about. We acquired Dominique Wilkins from the Boston Celtics. Let that sink in for a moment. Dominique Wilkins. The Human Highlight Film. One of the most electrifying, jaw-dropping, take-your-breath-away basketball players on the planet is now suiting up in Milwaukee. We had to part ways with Mark Jackson and Trent Tucker to make it happen, and those are two guys we have a tremendous amount of respect for. They gave us real contributions and we wish them nothing but the best going forward. But when a player of Dominique's caliber becomes available, you do not blink. You do not hesitate. You pick up the phone, you get the deal done, and you figure out the rest later. His ability to get a bucket from anywhere on the floor, his explosiveness, his pure scorer's mentality... it is going to give opposing coaches absolute nightmares trying to game plan against this roster. And here's the part that really makes us smile: he's coming off the bench. That's right. Dominique Wilkins is our sixth man. Think about that for a second. Teams are going to spend their entire defensive preparation focused on Doc, Jeff, Terry, Charles and Alton, and then Dominique comes off the pine and reminds everyone why he is one of the most dangerous players in this league. It is a luxury that most teams could never dream of, and we do not take it for granted for even one second.

On the free agency front, we want to be straightforward with you all: it was a quieter summer than some might have expected. We were not out here throwing money at every big name on the market. We were intentional, we were disciplined, and we were focused on keeping our core intact above everything else. The number one priority was bringing Charles Barkley back, and we got that done during restricted free agency. Charles did not have to come back. There were other options out there for him. But he believes in what we are building here, he believes in this group of guys, and he made it clear that Milwaukee is where he wants to be. That means everything to this organization. Outside of that, we kept things relatively low key. We were not going to force moves just for the sake of making noise. This roster, top to bottom, is built to compete for a championship. Benoit Benjamin gives us another legitimate presence in the frontcourt behind Alton, and with the additions we have in place, the depth chart is in a good place. Sometimes the best move is knowing when NOT to move, and we feel very good about where we stand heading into the season.

Training camp was exactly what we needed it to be. Calm, focused, businesslike. No drama, no distractions, no headlines for the wrong reasons. Just a group of professional basketball players coming together with a shared purpose and a very clear memory of what it felt like to fall short last June. Doc Rivers ran the offense with his usual command and poise. Jeff Hornacek looked sharp. Terry Tyler, our guy, the linchpin of everything we do on both ends of the floor, came in locked in and ready to go. Charles was Charles, which means he was incredible and occasionally made everyone around him look at each other and shake their heads in the best possible way. Alton was solid in the middle. And Dominique, in those moments during scrimmages when he turned it on? The gym went quiet in that way it only does when someone is doing something truly special. This group has chemistry. This group has trust. This group has been through something together, and rather than let that Finals loss fracture them, they have let it bind them even tighter. We are not coming into 1988-89 with modest expectations or careful hedging. We are coming in with one goal, and everyone in that locker room knows exactly what it is. We came close last season. We know what it takes to get there. Now it is time to go back, finish the job, and bring a championship to the city of Milwaukee. We are ready.

[TheSyndicate]

What’s with the reports that during training camp, Charles was doing the Waffle House challenge, and then he like it so much that he stayed there for a week, and came in a little sluggish (understandable)?

[IamQuailman]

What’s with the reports that during training camp, Charles was doing the Waffle House challenge, and then he like it so much that he stayed there for a week, and came in a little sluggish (understandable)?

Whatever rust he had coming out the waffle house has worked itself out quickly (like the food you eat at waffle house). Charles is having a career year despite being surrounded by even more offensive weapons. We are thrilled with where he is at as a player!

[Darth Vegito]

You've been to 6 of the last 8 Finals. But you've only won 2. What do you say to those who are calling you the poor man's Jerry West since you seem to deflate in the largest moments?

[Eazy P]

Your team is off to a good start this season. Do you see your team making it back to the finals again for the 7th time? Should the eastern conference finals trophy be named after you?

[IamQuailman]

You've been to 6 of the last 8 Finals. But you've only won 2. What do you say to those who are calling you the poor man's Jerry West since you seem to deflate in the largest moments?

I would say to them "show me another team that went to 6 of the last 8 finals." We Milwaukee Bucks are the gold standard of consistency & excellence. Not all teams can win every year. Each year we fall off, we come back stronger after improving in the off-season... is this a championship year? I think it very well could be if the first couple weeks of the season are any indicator.

[IamQuailman]

Your team is off to a good start this season. Do you see your team making it back to the finals again for the 7th time? Should the eastern conference finals trophy be named after you?

That is the goal. ANything less than the finals will make us take a hard look inthe mirror. And honestly the IAMQUAILMAN Eastern Conference Champions has a nice ring to it.