Deep Into The Woods

How far can Monta Ellis take the Bucks?

The bucks made headlines last March when they sent oft-injured Australian Big Man, Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson to Golden State for All-Star Monta Ellis. 

The move for Ellis can be looked at as the organizations first legitimate attempt at surrounding Brandon Jennings with talent, in the hopes it would persuade him into resigning. Andrew Bogut was considered to be a franchise cornerstone for Milwaukee; they believed he, paired with Jennings, would eventually equate to deep runs in the Playoffs.

Sadly, Bogut hasn't been able to stay on the court long enough to be a real contributor, having gone down with foot, ankle, elbow, wrist, and hand injuries at various times in his 7 seasons with the Bucks.

The Bucks organizations ultimately decided it was in the best interest of their team to move Bogut in order to add some consistency to the starting line-up. Their answer came in the form of sharp-shooter, Monta Ellis; Ellis, who had been in numerous trade rumors for the last couple seasons.

The move has has received mixed reviews. A common criticism is that the Bucks "gave up" on one of the few talented, true centers in te league. It's true that that the loss of Bogut has left a giant hole in the Bucks front court.

While Ellis can be counted on to put 20+ pts on the board night-after-night, he can't stop the like of fellow Central Division big men like Roy Hibbert, Greg Monroe, and Joakim Noah.

It's curious to see if the Buck's talented backcourt can make up for lack of talent inside. Ekpe Udoh was brought back to Milwaukee in the Bogut trade to pair along with possible starting PF Ersan Ilyasova.

It's up in the air if they can control the paint.

Is disgruntled All-Star Josh Smith the answer?

I'm curious to see if the Buck's big men will prove me, and other doubter wrong and show up in 2012-2013. I'm also curious if Brandon Jennings will debute a new haircut. But, joking aside, can the Bucks ever being taken as threat in Eastern Conference to established championship-caliber teams like the Heat and Celtics with their current roster? I have a hard time believing they can. I mean, I'm sure the combination of Ellis and Jennings will be exciting and get them into the playoffs, but how far? I can't see them getting too deep into the woods without adding talent inside. They need a defensive presence down low. Without one, I see them one and done for the foreseeable future.

-Josh