Links: The Glorious Works of Larry Harris
Stuck in the middle with the Milwaukee Bucks…
Back in the summer of 2005, the Milwaukee Bucks hit the jackpot and won the NBA Draft lottery. Bucks GM Larry Harris was so excited that he began shaking, literally. The Bucks drafted Andrew Bogut and hired Terry Stotts as head coach, Harris allowed cameras into his office to show the Bucks diligently working through the Draft process and preparing for the future, and many observers around the NBA declared the Bucks a team on the rise.
Over the last two seasons, the Bucks have gone 68-96. Some of their futility can certainly be attributed to injuries, but what if it’s more than that? What if it’s just poor decision-making from the front office?
Let’s look at some of Larry Harris’s moves over the last few seasons…
• Drafted Andrew Bogut first overall in the 2005 Draft. Bogut averaged 12 points and 9 rebounds a game last season. The man drafted second, Marvin Williams, averaged 13 and 5 last year. Chris Paul and Deron Williams were drafted after Bogut and Williams.
• Signed Bobby Simmons to a five-year, $47 million deal. Over the last two seasons, Simmons has played in just 75 games due to injuries.
• Traded Desmond Mason for Jamaal Magloire after reading about Magloire’s availability on the internet.
• Essentially traded Magloire for Steve Blake. Upon acquiring Blake, Harris said, “In Steve Blake, we added a talented point guard who had one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the league last season.”
• Traded Steve Blake to Denver for Mr. Ping Ping contender Earl Boykins.
• Hired Terry Stotts as head coach. In one-and-a-half seasons as the Bucks coach, Stotts compiled a 63-83 record.
• Traded TJ Ford for Charlie Villanueva. Last season, Charlie played in just 39 games due to injuries. TJ Ford led Toronto to the Playoffs.
• Drafted Chinese big man Yi Jianlian despite not having seen him play in person and despite warnings from Jianlian’s agents that he would not play in Milwaukee. Jianlian is still refusing to play for the Bucks.
• Signed Mo Williams to a contract six-year deal worth about $9 million per season.
The Bucks enter this season with Michael Redd as their go-to guy, Mo Williams at the point, and after that a lot of questions remaining. Will Bogut ever break out? Can Villanueva and Simmons stay healthy? How will Larry Krystowiak work out as coach? And what’s the deal with Yi Jianlian?
I hope Jianlian doesn’t play this year, re-enters the Draft next season and is drafted by Milwaukee again. That would be fitting. Also, the few Bucks games I watched last season, I thought Ersan Ilyasova was a pretty good young forward. Which is too bad, because he just left the Bucks to go play in Europe.
Bucks owner Herb Kohl recently said that this is basically a put-up or shut-up year for Harris, which must have been nice for Bucks fans to hear. As a Hawks fan, at least I know my team is at the bottom and rebuilding. The Bucks, however, are in that horrible middle, where they aren’t good enough to win a title (or even their Division) but at the same time have too much money invested in contracts to be in rebuilding mode.
Larry Harris must be a capable employee — he’s worked for the Bucks for a minute now, starting as their video coordinator and working his way up to GM. And the Bucks are in good shape salary-wise, currently 29th out of 30 teams with about $40 million committed next season. (Of course, they also only have 8 players under contract at the moment.)
But at some point Harris has to create some winning teams, doesn’t he? Put all those moves together and there are some curious conclusions. For instance, Harris turned Desmond Mason into Jamaal Magloire, Magloire into Steve Blake, Blake into Earl Boykins, and Boykins into nothing.
Oh wait, we have breaking news: The Bucks just signed Jake Voskuhl!
OK then, never mind — the Bucks are going all the way!
41 Responses to “Links: The Glorious Works of Larry Harris”
Jul.19 at 12:28 pm
khknucklehead says:
Lang keep an eye on your email in the next few days. I got something the whole SLAMdome will want to see.
Jul.19 at 12:30 pm
Gerard Himself says:
Free Dan Gadzuric! (note: I am dutch)
Jul.19 at 12:35 pm
Connor says:
Cool
Jul.19 at 12:38 pm
Joel O's says:
Whoa. Jake Voskuhl. Legitimate 7 footers like him don’t come often, man. The 4 and 3 he contributes in *gasp* just 14 minutes per are just, if you extrapolate them, phenomenal. I really think this will bring them over the hump. Who needs rookies when you have free agent signings like this?
Jul.19 at 12:45 pm
Steve O says:
At least they have the Brewers now….
Jul.19 at 12:47 pm
Decs says:
Yi should just get told to eat ass and go play in the CBA for his career if he wants everything handed to him, the weiner.
Jul.19 at 12:47 pm
Mr. Bob Dobolina says:
“Drafted Andrew Bogut first overall in the 2005 Draft. Bogut averaged 12 points and 9 rebounds a game last season. The man drafted second, Marvin Williams, averaged 13 and 5 last year. Chris Paul and Deron Williams were drafted after Bogut and Williams.” While it’s true that Paul’s contributions to New Orleans are far greater than Bogut’s to Milwaukee, it’s still not fair to bash Harris for passing up on him. Who’s to say CP3 would be playing this well if he was on the Bucks? and who’s to say Vegemite Sandwich wouldn’t put up better numbers in the Hornet’s system?
But I’m just sayin’
Jul.19 at 1:00 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
Assuming that Yi ends up playing for the Bucks, they’ll have one of the deepest front courts in the East (maybe the NBA). Considering the dearth of solid big men in the NBA, Harris can’t be considered a total bust. That being said, the obvious tanking by the Bucks last season was an insult to Bucks’ fans and basketball fans. If Simmmons, Redd, Williams, Bogut and Charlie V are healthy next year they will probably make the playoffs. Also - the Ford for Charlie V trade was originally seen as a steal for the Bucks and a brain fart for Colangelo. Funny how things work out.
Jul.19 at 1:02 pm
DP says:
Bobby is right, who says Mill town would be great if Stock Up and CP3 were on the team. After putting this list out Sam, this guy Larry Harris has done a terrible job of keeping his talent. Trading T.J. for Charlie is crazy. Charlie is good, don’t get me wrong but for T.J.? I still believe Mo(MISSISSIPPI STAND UP!) should have went to Miami because I don’t see this team going anywhere next year. Bogut better start averaging 20 and 10 next year if they have a chance to compete in the East because there frontcourt is horrible. play wit it.
Jul.19 at 1:26 pm
Sanchez says:
Has anyone seen Bogut’s latest hairstyle? its basically shaved all over except for a “rats tail” at the back. for those who dont kno wot a rats tail is well it looks like an, erm, rats tail! This is (marginally) better than a duck tail. Go the Mediocre-i mean Milwaukee Bucks!
Jul.19 at 1:56 pm
Gerard Himself says:
There are no barbers in Australia.
Jul.19 at 1:59 pm
Mike D'Antoni says:
Milwaukee…home of the Buck…stay frigid/
just signed MoWill for mid eight digits/
& the Hornets ain’t wanna play wit cajun fire/
so they just got Mase off the free agent wire/
Lake Michigan where he gonna angle for muskie/
J-Voskhul, what? don’t tangle with Huskies/
Eazy Yi say he gawn hit it back to Guangdong/
musta caught mo’ smoke than Tommy Chong’s bong/
D. Stern ain’t even say nan on the topic/
cuz the League stay greazy like Banana Tropic/
Big Bogut got a trap that don’t stay shut/
he don’t like “rap clips,” like huh say what?/
word on the street is B. Simmons is back/
and clear of the law, givin women some slack/
got the other Coach K and lil Larry in charge/
Chuck V still bald, Danny G still large…
Jul.19 at 2:17 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
That’s definitely the real Mike D’Antoni.
What was MIchael Redd’s reason for not signing with Cleveland 2 years ago?
Jul.19 at 2:37 pm
Gerard Himself says:
Money?
Jul.19 at 3:19 pm
Mongoose says:
Money
Jul.19 at 3:53 pm
Ron says:
The Bucks got what they deserved with Yi. The Sixers offered them a player and 2 first round picks this year to move up to that 6 spot to get Yi, who would’ve played in Philly, but they [the Bucks] didn’t want to make the deal.
Jul.19 at 4:04 pm
Air Yi says:
thatz wut we call “not a good fit” very funny read tho
Jul.19 at 4:17 pm
Co Co says:
Lang, while I agree with you that Larry has made some questionable decisions. They had every right to draft Yi if they thought he was the best player available. Now the fact that they thought he was the best player available is questionable, but anyway. They earned the right to take whomever they wanted with the 6th pick or whenever they picked. Players know how the draft works so they should suck it up and play for whomever picked them. If you can’t adhere to the rules of the draft then don’t enter.
Jul.19 at 4:18 pm
DDC says:
What’s funny about the Yi situation, is that Larry Harris made the pick based on what his father, Del Harris, had suggested.
Jul.19 at 4:37 pm
Young Chris #3 says:
khknucklehead, did you get a hold of the Lindsay Lohan sex pictures? Don’t be stingy…
Jul.19 at 5:02 pm
t-bird says:
The Bucks didn’t make this pick frivolously. If you think they didn’t know the player you are very mistaken. Yi will be playing for the Bucks. He will greatly benefit from Coach K’s approach and the Chinese Gov’t will be so pleased they’ll run Donald Fagan (Yi’s agent) out of town on a rail. The future is brighter for the Bucks than anyone can envision. Stay tuned….
Jul.19 at 5:21 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
Thanks for the comment, Larry.
Jul.19 at 5:53 pm
Mr. Bob Dobolina says:
HA^^^
Jul.19 at 6:13 pm
BallingNZ says:
Lang, have you had a chance to scope one of NZ’s finest out of Winthrop who’s been trialling with your Hawks; Craig Bradshaw? The answer to all your prayers…… Kind of.
Jul.19 at 6:52 pm
FLUXLAND says:
I’m not an expert on how an NBA team position hierarchy works, but how in the hell does a guy go from video coordinator to GM? Or Mike Brown with the Cavs… same thing.. video something or other to head coach? How does that make sense? Isn’t that like hiring the school janitor as the school principal?
Jul.19 at 7:41 pm
white hot eboy says:
@Vick’s Dog Man, are you sure you’re not Ryan posting under another name? Or are you just someone else who hate’s the extra e in my screen name? Or maybe you read my latest blog and feel angry because I hit the nail on the head about moron’s and their stupid comments. Let me know!!! It’s exicting to be hated on a message board.
Jul.19 at 7:50 pm
Tim Dennis says:
actually ballingNZ the finest that New Zealand has to offer is in las vegas this weekend for the nike main event. more chance there then craig bradshaw’s NBA career.
Jul.19 at 7:52 pm
white hot eboy says:
See I’m so shook by your agressive white hot eboy is a bitch comment that I mispelled exciting. Damn, I better retire from posting on the SLAM boards after 6 years because of your heinous insults. Or to be straight up and down with you, SHUT THE F*CK UP! You can put that on the Who Give’s A Sh*t channel!!
Jul.19 at 9:07 pm
El Boydelz says:
“Mr. Ping Ping contender Earl Boykins” and I’m STILL laughing at it… I’m a loser.
Jul.19 at 9:08 pm
JpT says:
what’s all the hate about? pour it out on the Heat. i hope they get themselves a Navarro or a Alston. Since alston wont be needed anymore.
Jul.19 at 9:33 pm
white hot eboy says:
I always thought Ritz crackers were evil because I always wanted to eat a whole bag at once.
Jul.19 at 11:00 pm
whooo! says:
i can’t blame the bogut pick. he was one of the best college players around, and they already had a tiny pg in tj ford! you’re gonna draft chris paul too!? and didn’t they get something else outta the steve blake trade? i know they unloaded joe smith, dunno if they got draft picks too. clearly they’ve made mistakes, but compared to some nba teams, it’s really not that bad.
Jul.19 at 11:46 pm
BallingNZ says:
Tim Dennis, I don’t get it bro? Who’s in LV? Nah don’t think Craig wil be making it this year, we need him for our NZ team in the Aus league anyway.
Jul.20 at 12:56 am
tike says:
Vick’s dog man one word WOW!!…and eboy your a lame you’ve been writing on these things for 6yrs…your probably a one time all-star by now…haha
Jul.20 at 1:09 am
theprognasticator says:
“the obvious tanking”? are you serious? The biggest mistake was to hire T Stotts. WE fire G Karl, and than hire one of his top assistants…..T Stotts. I was in favor of T Porter…with defense (given his back dealings with Sacramento-defense wasnt his forte) but serious, 4 out of 5 starters getting hurt is underplayed on this board.
Bogits’ numbers actually elavated with Coach K taking over…..M Redd was benched twice. Voshkul is merely depth…..Gadzuric shoulkd have been traded the day the Nets called…..Charlie V healthy playing on a team with “team” concept with Yi and Bogut, M Redd and Mo…..again…making the passes - and executing should be exciting.
Yi will have to play against our starting 5 to get a job = development. Defense, defense, and whoever plkays defense - sign them. Its simple.
This up tempo basketball of the 70s isn’t impressive
Jul.20 at 3:55 am
Keith says:
Would now be a good time to change the name of Milwaukees basketball team to the ‘Milwaukee Sucks’?
Jul.20 at 6:00 am
Tim Dennis says:
Ohh the junior tall blacks are in LV! at the nike main event some really great talent that should get some college’s talking
Jul.20 at 8:40 am
bootlace says:
Ersan Ilyasova IS the man, you really know your basketball Lang.
Jul.20 at 2:28 pm
J says:
Ruben for Joe Smith was a good deal.
Jul.21 at 12:00 am
Steve B. says:
Dude, Yi is his surname, Jianlian is his given name. It’s like Yao.
Jul.24 at 2:46 am
Paolo says:
Milwaukee SUcks! Hahahahah!! I like that!