Milwaukee Bucks 2017-18 Presser
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2017 12:07 pm
GM Quailmen: Welcome, all! Welcome!
Quailmen: We had a bit of an anti-climatic season last year. We started out blazing hot, starting out 18-2 (18-game winning streak at that!) and then keeping relatively consistent after that. Had we not been derailed by injuries the last 2 months of the season, maybe things would be different. However, we overachieved a bit last year, in what we thought would be a reset season. We knew that last year was the start of a new direction for the team. And this off-season we decided to continue in that new direction by overhauling our lineup a bit more.
Quailmen: Let's start with the departure of long-time Milwaukee Buck, Enes Kanter. We greatly appreciate Enes and everything he had brought to our organization over the past 6 seasons. We look forward to the video compilation that we intend to play to honor his time with the Bucks when the Bobcats come to down later this season. However, with looming tax bills, we needed to bring in a younger player who can not be as much of a financial burden on us. Additionally, moving on from Enes opened us up to some additional off-season flexibility and signings. So while bittersweet, parting ways with Enes really opened up options for our team. And that 1st option that we decided to explore was Damian McNary. We are very intrigued by Damian's potential, as we could see him as an elite 2-way big in a division and conference where you NEED elite 2-way bigs. His youth is also very welcome on this team!
Quailmen: Through RFA, we brought back Hollis Thompson and emerging defensive stud Nerlens Noel, in order to fill the void at Center. Unfortunately, Nerlens was matched by the Kings, and we were forced to look to alternative options to address the now glaring hole at C. Answers were found with Andre Drummond, who is comparable to Enes on the glass and on the defensive end... and that's a compliment to say the least! He complements Damian down low, who is still struggling on defensive glass. We feel this is a great fit, as it allows Damian to focus on playing good man defense and letting the board crashing go to his supporting cast. Unfortunately, as part of the Drummond deal, we had to part ways with fan favorite Buddy Hield and Jose Jumper. We wish them both the best on their bright futures in this league!
Quailmen: In tandem with bringing in Drummond, we were simultaneously working with the Raptors on a deal to bring in Evan Turner who is the epitome of a glue guy. He does everything you would want, and then some. He makes the smart pass, he is an above-average rebounder for his position, he can score when needed, and he can play defensive on the perimeter. We feel this not only makes us stronger at the 3, but also allows us to bring both Hollis and Sean off the bench to give us the scoring punch we much needed. Unfortunately had to part ways with Jamychal Green, but this isn't the first time we parted ways, who knows.... maybe it won't be the last!
Quailmen: Our last big splash came in UFA Round 1, when we not only brought back our floor general, but brought in both Ed Davis (on a high value contract) and returning Nikola Pekovic. We also brought in some additional youth on the wing (Matthew Delladova and Patrick Riordan) and in the post (William Turner). In this regard, free agency was a huge success, and made possible thanks to some savvy cap handling from last season! Go me!
Quailmen: With that, I'll open it up to the media for questions.
Quailmen: We had a bit of an anti-climatic season last year. We started out blazing hot, starting out 18-2 (18-game winning streak at that!) and then keeping relatively consistent after that. Had we not been derailed by injuries the last 2 months of the season, maybe things would be different. However, we overachieved a bit last year, in what we thought would be a reset season. We knew that last year was the start of a new direction for the team. And this off-season we decided to continue in that new direction by overhauling our lineup a bit more.
Quailmen: Let's start with the departure of long-time Milwaukee Buck, Enes Kanter. We greatly appreciate Enes and everything he had brought to our organization over the past 6 seasons. We look forward to the video compilation that we intend to play to honor his time with the Bucks when the Bobcats come to down later this season. However, with looming tax bills, we needed to bring in a younger player who can not be as much of a financial burden on us. Additionally, moving on from Enes opened us up to some additional off-season flexibility and signings. So while bittersweet, parting ways with Enes really opened up options for our team. And that 1st option that we decided to explore was Damian McNary. We are very intrigued by Damian's potential, as we could see him as an elite 2-way big in a division and conference where you NEED elite 2-way bigs. His youth is also very welcome on this team!
Quailmen: Through RFA, we brought back Hollis Thompson and emerging defensive stud Nerlens Noel, in order to fill the void at Center. Unfortunately, Nerlens was matched by the Kings, and we were forced to look to alternative options to address the now glaring hole at C. Answers were found with Andre Drummond, who is comparable to Enes on the glass and on the defensive end... and that's a compliment to say the least! He complements Damian down low, who is still struggling on defensive glass. We feel this is a great fit, as it allows Damian to focus on playing good man defense and letting the board crashing go to his supporting cast. Unfortunately, as part of the Drummond deal, we had to part ways with fan favorite Buddy Hield and Jose Jumper. We wish them both the best on their bright futures in this league!
Quailmen: In tandem with bringing in Drummond, we were simultaneously working with the Raptors on a deal to bring in Evan Turner who is the epitome of a glue guy. He does everything you would want, and then some. He makes the smart pass, he is an above-average rebounder for his position, he can score when needed, and he can play defensive on the perimeter. We feel this not only makes us stronger at the 3, but also allows us to bring both Hollis and Sean off the bench to give us the scoring punch we much needed. Unfortunately had to part ways with Jamychal Green, but this isn't the first time we parted ways, who knows.... maybe it won't be the last!
Quailmen: Our last big splash came in UFA Round 1, when we not only brought back our floor general, but brought in both Ed Davis (on a high value contract) and returning Nikola Pekovic. We also brought in some additional youth on the wing (Matthew Delladova and Patrick Riordan) and in the post (William Turner). In this regard, free agency was a huge success, and made possible thanks to some savvy cap handling from last season! Go me!
Quailmen: With that, I'll open it up to the media for questions.