October 6
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Rewarding his team for a good week of work while keeping an eye on what lies ahead, Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles gave his players a day off on Sunday. Normally, taking a day off is not a big deal for a National Basketball Association team, but considering the schedule that lies ahead, it was significant for the Bucks. Sunday was the only opportunity that Skiles could see for his players to catch their breaths and put their feet up. The Bucks will open their exhibition season tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Bradley Center in what will be the first of four games in six nights. After that, it's off to China. "We've had to be thinking about how we're going to get them ..."
October 4
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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When Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond went about the business of overhauling the team's roster over the summer, he did so with the goal of improving the team and gaining some financial relief, and for the most part was pleased on both counts. Even so, the Bucks are keeping a close eye on the power forward position during this exhibition season. "If we're a little thin, it could be at the power forward position," Hammond said. "We're going to have to do it by committee . . . maybe a large committee. That committee being Charlie (Villanueva), Malik Allen, Francisco Elson, Joe Alexander . . . it'll have to be by committee." Villanueva is the incumbent at the position after taking ..."
September 30
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Andrew Bogut spent part of his summer in China, playing for the Australian national team in the Beijing Olympics. His trip ended on a down note when he sprained his left ankle in a quarterfinal game against Team USA, but the injury wasn't as serious as first thought. Now Bogut and the Milwaukee Bucks will be heading to China to play two exhibition games in mid-October, but he doesn't mind going back. It also will be a return trip for Bucks guard Michael Redd, who left Beijing with a gold medal as part of the unbeaten U.S. squad. "The China trip is a blessing in disguise, I think," Bogut said at the team's annual media day at the Cousins Center practice facility. "It's going to be tough on ..."
September 30
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Sure, the Milwaukee Bucks' players set some goals for themselves as they prepared for the opening of their first training camp under new coach Scott Skiles today at the team's practice facility. Some of those goals are a bit more ambitious than others. "At this point, I just want us to win the opening tip on opening night," guard Michael Redd said with a laugh Monday at the team's media day. "That's all I want to do. That's our goal. Just win the opening tip. Don't say anything about the playoffs. Coach Skiles mentioned that. Just go out and handle your business. Don't talk. Just do. I'm at that point. I am excited about the season, though." Some of the Bucks, coming off a 26-victory ..."
September 29
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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As the Milwaukee Bucks begin training camp this week attempting to rise to the level of playoff contender once again, former teammate Toni Kukoc has a bit of advice: Try playing a little team basketball. Kukoc, who won three championship rings as a member of the Chicago Bulls and played four seasons with the Bucks before retiring in 2006, is not one to go about dispensing unsolicited advice. In fact, during his days with the Bucks, he used to joke that he never tried passing along any helpful hints to the younger players because "they knew everything already." But Kukoc participated in the Bucks' golf outing last week and was asked about the state of the team and how it should go about ..."
September 26
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Milwaukee Bucks are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward their two exhibition games in China. Management just doesn't know how these games will affect the team's overall preparation for the regular season. The Bucks will play two games in China against the Golden State Warriors next month as part of an eight-game exhibition schedule. The long trip overseas could prove to be a major disruption although the hope is that the team will reflect back upon it as a positive bonding experience. "I don't want to prejudge it," said Bucks coach Scott Skiles, who will open his first training camp with the team next Tuesday. "It could be something that we look back on and say, 'You know what? It ..."
September 25
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles and his staff will face any number of challenges in an attempt to get a team that won 26 games last season pointed in the right direction. Not the least of these is a daunting early-season schedule that could set the Bucks back from the get-go if they don't go into the regular season ready to hit the ground running and improve on their dismal road record of the past couple seasons. The hand that the schedule-maker dealt the Bucks in the early weeks of the season is a subject of concern as the team prepares to open training camp next Tuesday. "It's a very tough schedule to start the year," said general manager John Hammond. "I thought (forward) Richard ..."
September 25
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Michael Redd admitted it wasn't easy staying informed about all the Milwaukee Bucks' off-season moves When the Bucks traded starting point guard Mo Williams to Cleveland as part of a three-team deal, Redd was with his U.S. basketball teammates in Beijing during the Olympic Games. "LeBron (James) came down to breakfast and told me about it," Redd said. "He said, 'We've got your point guard.' " Redd was smiling on Tuesday night as he and his teammates were introduced to season ticket-holders at a Bradley Center event. He talked with point guard Luke Ridnour, acquired in the Williams trade, and chatted with veteran forward Richard Jefferson, obtained in an earlier deal with New Jersey. "It's ..."
September 19
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Charlie Villanueva admits that he was caught off-guard by some of the Milwaukee Bucks' off-season developments. For instance, there was the June 26 trade that sent forward Yi Jianlian to the New Jersey Nets. Villanueva said a friend sent him a text message saying ESPN was reporting Yi and Bobby Simmons were going to the Nets for Richard Jefferson. "I was, like, 'There's no way,' " Villanueva recalled. "In my mind, I thought it was me going to be traded. With all the hype he (Yi) got . . . that one caught me off-guard. "I was, like, 'OK, whew.' " Indeed, the 6-foot-11 Villanueva is being given a great opportunity to seize the starting power forward position, with Milwaukee's new management ..."
September 18
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Andrew Bogut is scheduled to return to Milwaukee from Australia this weekend, and the 7-foot center is expected to be ready for the opening of the Milwaukee Bucks' training camp Sept. 30. Bogut suffered a badly sprained left ankle while competing for Australia against the U.S. during the Beijing Olympics, an injury suffered when he got tangled up with Team USA star Kobe Bryant. But a magnetic resonance imaging exam showed no serious damage, and Bogut has been rehabilitating the injury in his hometown of Melbourne for nearly a month. "Reports are that he's healthy and should start training camp 100%," Bucks general manager John Hammond said Wednesday. "That's what we are hoping and ..."
August 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Andrew Bogut and Kobe Bryant got tangled up on an innocent-looking play in an Olympic quarterfinal game, but when Bogut limped to the Australian bench, it was a momentary nightmare for the Milwaukee