February 9
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons isn't claiming he's in a groove yet. But hey, it's a start. The Milwaukee Bucks guard went back into the starting lineup Tuesday night and responded with a strong performance to help the Bucks grab a 92-74 victory over the Toronto Raptors before an announced Bradley Center crowd of 11,975. Salmons had missed eight games with a strained right hip and returned against Phoenix last week. But a neck injury severely limited his effectiveness as he came off the bench against the Suns and Golden State, and he still didn't look right as the Bucks lost at home to Detroit on Saturday. This time Salmons was able to pl ay 35 minutes and finished with a team-high 17 points and six rebounds"
February 8
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Coach Scott Skiles hinted after Monday's practice that shooting guard John Salmons was close to making a return to the starting lineup. Salmons, who recently missed eight games with a right-hip injury, has come off the bench in the last three games including a 20-minute stint in last Saturday's loss to Detroit at the Bradley Center. But Monday was the first time Salmons practiced with the team and Skiles was asked afterward if it would still be awhile before Salmons returned to the starting lineup. "Not necessarily," said Skiles. "He may go right back in. Trying to get him some sort of practice minutes in the game where he can get his legs back under him and everything, that can be"
February 5
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Think back about 11 months ago when the backcourt duo of Brandon Jennings and John Salmons was clicking and the Milwaukee Bucks were making their playoff drive. Those were the days, right? The Bucks would like to reprise that winning tune but are finding it quite difficult due to injuries and inconsistency in the backcourt. Jennings was a picture of frustration on the Bucks' three-game trip as he was saddled with a minutes limit each night while recovering from a broken left foot. He played 17 minutes in Los Angeles against the Clippers, 24 on Wednesday in Phoenix and 20 on Thursday in Oakland. And the 21-year-old guard went 8 of 29 from the field (27.6%) in three Bucks losses, including 1"
January 27
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Bucks coach Scott Skiles sounded optimistic Wednesday night, saying in his pre-game remarks that guards Brandon Jennings and John Salmons could be returning soon. Neither player will be available as the Bucks host the Atlanta Hawks. But Salmons is making progress with his right hip strain. And Jennings went 1-on-1 during Wednesday's shootaround and could go 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 at Thursday's practice, Skiles said. Forward Drew Gooden remains out with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The Hawks will get two key players back as Al Horford returns to the starting lineup after missing two games with a sprained ankle and Marvin Williams returns after being out 11 games with a back contusion."
January 25
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Shooting guard John Salmons will miss a fourth consecutive game due to a strained right hip as the Bucks play the Bulls at the United Center on Monday night. Salmons indicated before the game he has been having pain in the hip for several weeks but finally had to sit out in Houston one week ago. He said he was not sure when he would be able to return. Drew Gooden missed the Bucks' 94-81 loss to Memphis on Saturday due to the plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Gooden was hoping he could play about an hour before the game but was a late scratch. It is the 17th game the 6-foot-10 veteran has missed with the injury. Gooden pulled out his left shoe while sitting at his locker and showed this"
December 23
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons carried the Milwaukee Bucks during the stretch run last season, making a huge difference after arriving in a February trade deadline deal with the Chicago Bulls. Now the veteran guard is one of the team's leading figures after signing a five-year contract as a free agent in the off-season. So his recent play bodes well for the Bucks, who have a chance for a winning road trip when they play the team with the league's worst record, the Sacramento Kings, on Thursday night. The Bucks are coming off a shocking 98-79 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday at the Staples Center. And Salmons played his part with a solid offensive game (20 points, six assists) and gritty"
November 2
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons stayed on the court long after practice finished Monday, carefully going over his footwork and taking some extra shots with the help of assistant coach Bill Peterson. Step by step, the Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard is shaking off the rust and regaining his form. It wasn't an easy first week for Salmons, who jumped into the starting lineup despite missing the entire exhibition season with a sprained right knee. Following lackluster performances in losses against New Orleans and Minnesota, Salmons responded with 14 points and some critical plays late in the game as the Bucks beat the Charlotte Bobcats, 98-88, in their home opener Saturday night. "We definitely needed that,""
October 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons was on the court taking some shots before the Bucks' exhibition game against Cleveland on Thursday night, and Bucks coach Scott Skiles said the veteran guard might be able to return to the lineup Friday against Minnesota. "He's doing better," Skiles said. "We might do something with him tomorrow in the morning a little bit, we might do some 2-on-2 live. Then maybe play him a little bit in the game (Friday)." Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (sprained right ankle) and Corey Maggette (left ankle surgery) were ruled out of the game against the Cavaliers, Skiles said. Jon Brockman (sprained left ankle) was not with the team. Skiles said the Bucks starters would be Carlos Delfino and Drew"
October 20
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons could be in the Milwaukee Bucks' starting lineup when they open the regular season in one week in New Orleans. That was the encouraging word from Salmons and Bucks coach Scott Skiles on Tuesday after the 6-foot-6 shooting guard practiced for the first time since the team opened camp in late September. Salmons had been sidelined with a sprained right knee suffered while playing in a pickup game in his hometown of Philadelphia before camp. "I did some running and a little bit of shooting," Salmons said of his activity Tuesday at the Cousins Center. "Not a whole lot of cutting yet. Maybe do some of that tomorrow and just go from there. "Just go day-by-day and see if the swelling"
October 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The mounting injury total is starting to frustrate Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles. With the calendar ticking down until the team's regular-season opener on Oct. 27 - just 15 days away - Skiles is wondering what his team will look like when it takes the court that night in New Orleans. Center Andrew Bogut (right hand, wrist and elbow) has yet to play in an exhibition game, although he said Monday he hopes to play either at Memphis on Saturday or against Minnesota on Sunday in Sioux Falls, S.D. Guard John Salmons still has not been able to practice with the team due to a sprained right knee. Forward Corey Maggette (off-season ankle surgery) completed his first full practice on Monday at"
July 3
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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It didn't take long for the Milwaukee Bucks to land their two primary targets in free agency - shooting guard John Salmons and power forward Drew Gooden. On Friday the Bucks reached an agreement in principle with Salmons on a multiyear deal, with parameters in the five-year, $40 million range, according to league sources. The 6-foot-6 Salmons, 30, played a key role in helping the Bucks reach the playoffs during the past season after he was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Bulls. He opted out of the final year of his contract on Tuesday, but Bucks general manager John Hammond moved quickly to keep the sharpshooter on the Bucks' roster. Gooden, a 6-10 forward and eight-year veteran,"
June 30
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons opted out of the final year of his contract Tuesday, a move the Milwaukee Bucks had been expecting since their season ended in early May. Bucks general manager John Hammond confirmed that Salmons had opted out of the $5.8 million remaining on his contract. The veteran guard had a player option for 2010-'11, and the Bucks also had offered an extension to that deal. The move means Salmons will be an unrestricted free agent Thursday when NBA teams are allowed to begin contract discussions with free agents. The Bucks remain very interested in re-signing the 6-foot-6 shooting guard to a multiyear deal, after he played a pivotal role in the team's march to the Eastern Conference"
June 28
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Now that the National Basketball Association draft is over, the real drama begins as LeBron James and an elite group of free agents will decide their NBA futures. But the Milwaukee Bucks have their own concerns as the free agency negotiation period begins on Thursday. Can they re-sign shooting guard John Salmons and point guard Luke Ridnour? The 6-foot-6 Salmons played such a key role in their drive to the playoffs, while Ridnour worked well in tandem with rookie Brandon Jennings and also as a veteran backup. General manager John Hammond already has been a busy man, trading for wing help by obtaining Corey Maggette from Golden State and Chris Douglas-Roberts from New Jersey. And the Bucks"
May 17
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Michael Hunt
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With the kind of stunt they should be teaching against in those sports-management classes, the Chicago Bulls once sent their mascot to the airport to greet free agent Tracy McGrady. I can't imagine the Bucks dispatching Bango to Mitchell for recruiting purposes, but maybe they should've in the case of Bobby Simmons. Anyway, the Bulls' personnel and business practices have been as awkward as they've been bad ever since Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson left the building. That's why I can't see them signing LeBron James this summer. They'll find a way to call a timeout when they don't have one. But what if they do end up with James? What if the Bulls use the $5.8 million they were going to be"
May 7
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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It's clear the Milwaukee Bucks want guard John Salmons in their lineup again next season. Bucks general manager John Hammond confirmed Thursday that he has discussed a contract extension with Salmons and his agent, Joel Bell. Hammond would not discuss specifics of the offer, but it is believed the Bucks have offered a maximum extension that would include Salmons' opt-in year and three additional years for a total of nearly $27 million. The 30-year-old Salmons has a player option for $5.8 million for the 2010-'11 season, but he could choose to opt out of the deal and become a free agent. If he does that, the Bucks and other NBA teams would not be able to negotiate with him until July 1 when"
May 4
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons is a wanted man. His Milwaukee Bucks teammates were unanimous in hoping the 6-foot-6 shooting guard would return next season, as they made a last stop at the Cousins Center before heading their separate ways Monday, a day after their first-round playoff exit. Salmons has an option worth $5.8 million for the 2010-'11 season. He can exercise the option or opt out of the deal and become an unrestricted free agent, or he might sign a contract extension with the Bucks. Asked on a scale of 1 to 10 where he would rate the importance of signing Salmons, point guard Brandon Jennings didn't hesitate. "It's a 10," Jennings said. "He's a scorer, somebody who helped us get to the playoffs."
May 3
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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It was a disappointing finish to a sensational 2½ months for Milwaukee Bucks guard John Salmons. He struggled to hit his shots in the final two games of the Eastern Conference playoff series as the Bucks squandered a 3-2 lead and fell to the Atlanta Hawks in seven games. And nothing was going right for the 30-year-old Salmons on Sunday as he made just 5 of 18 shots and was limited to 11 points in the Bucks' 95-74 loss to the Hawks in the decisive seventh game at Philips Arena. "It was just a long, grind-it-out series," Salmons said. "I think everybody was tired." The Hawks focused their defense on stopping Salmons, who had averaged 30.7 points against them in three regular-season games. In"
April 26
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Rookie point guard Brandon Jennings breathed a sigh of relief the first night he played with veteran John Salmons. That was the February evening in Detroit that Salmons calmly drilled a clutch three-pointer in the closing moments, lifting the Bucks past the Pistons and starting the late-season run that put Milwaukee in the playoffs. The backcourt partnership has prospered ever since and is having a major impact as the Bucks battle the Atlanta Hawks in a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. The Hawks lead the best-of-seven series, 2-1, entering Game 4 Monday night at the Bradley Center. Salmons and Jennings combined for 35 points and 12 assists in the Bucks' 107-89 victory in Game"
April 21
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons is putting his focus on the present and trying to help the Milwaukee Bucks in their first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. But he understands there are questions about his future in Milwaukee and whether he will sign an extension with the Bucks or choose to become a free agent this summer. The 30-year-old Salmons has a $5.8 million player option for next season, which led the Chicago Bulls to deal him to the Bucks at the February trade deadline. Salmons has the right to opt out of the final year of his contract when the Bucks' postseason run concludes. If he chooses not to opt out right away, the Bucks would retain exclusive rights to negotiate with him in the"
April 18
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons had absolutely killed the Atlanta Hawks in three regular-season games. But the Milwaukee Bucks guard started slowly and struggled with his shooting touch in the Eastern Conference playoff opener Saturday as the Bucks lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 102-92. Salmons finished with 16 points after getting just four in the first half, providing at least some assistance for rookie point guard Brandon Jennings, who shouldered the scoring burden with a 34-point effort. "Brandon really carried us throughout the game," Salmons said. "Hopefully he can continue to play like that and we can step up and help him a little bit more." Salmons sank 6 of 18 field-goal attempts and was 0 for 5 from"
April 17
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John vs. Joe. Pretty plain, if you go by just their first names. But when you add Salmons after John and follow Joe with Johnson, you have the makings of a burgeoning NBA battle. And after three regular-season previews, we know exactly what to expect. When the Milwaukee Bucks step on the court at Philips Arena in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon to face the Hawks in the teams' first-round playoff confrontation, John Salmons will be a target. . . as soon as he leaves the locker room. And for good reason. After torching the Hawks during the regular season with 32 points in a Game 1 road loss in overtime, 32 points in a Game 2 victory at the Bradley Center and 28 more big ones in a"
March 26
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Michael Hunt
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The numbers alone - a 15-3 record and a 19.6 scoring average from a position that wasn't even on the roster before Feb. 17 - tell you that the John Salmons trade has been one of the better deals made by the Bucks in a long time. It's below the Oscar Robertson move, which won them a championship, and light years beyond the Gary Payton fiasco, which precipitated a long and nasty fall. Enough to say: not bad. And despite the heat general manager John Hammond is taking from the four or five teams with cap room to spend because he might have helped the Chicago Bulls muscle in on the bountiful 2010 free-agent crop, the trade could get even better for the Bucks. Besides the two second-round picks"
March 23
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Milwaukee Bucks, as they say, are finding ways to win. Their ability to win on nights when maybe they shouldn't - like Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks at the Bradley Center - stems from an extremely high, yet unspoken, level of confidence that is permeating the team's locker room these days. That confidence comes from winning. And so, connect the dots and the result Monday was a 98-95 victory over the Hawks in a game that wasn't decided until the final minute and was one that looked as if it would result in anything but a victory for the Bucks throughout the first three quarters or so. It was the Bucks' 15th victory in their last 17 games and their eighth straight at home. The"
March 23
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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So you're John Salmons, the best Milwaukee import since Bavarian hops, and you're going back and forth in the fourth quarter with Joe Johnson like Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins, matching the Atlanta guard shot for remarkable shot in yet another of his habitually clutch performances for the Bucks. So what's that like? "The best person to explain that in this locker room is Brandon (Jennings)," Salmons said Monday night after dropping 32 on the Hawks, "because he got 55." And that right there would be one of the better reasons to fear the Deer. Jennings, a strong rookie of the year candidate in part because of the double-nickels he scored on Golden State back in November, had already"
March 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons had to be a tired man after playing 92 minutes on back-to-back nights during the weekend. But all Salmons' work and perspiration was worth it as he helped the Milwaukee Bucks to a pair of satisfying victories, a double-overtime thriller at Sacramento on Friday night and a gritty decision in Denver on Saturday night. Salmons' impact on the Bucks' fortunes is nothing short of amazing. Since his arrival at the trade deadline in February, Milwaukee has rolled to a 14-2 record and vaulted into the fifth playoff position in the Eastern Conference with a 38-30 overall mark. The 6-foot-6 veteran provided more evidence of the "Salmons effect" with his play in the crucial stages against"
March 5
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons is a quiet guy. That's one of the first things you notice about the unassuming pro the Milwaukee Bucks acquired at the trade deadline about two weeks ago. But don't mistake Salmons' demeanor for being unconcerned. In the words of Bucks coach Scott Skiles, "unflappable" is the more appropriate term. "He's a steady influence," Skiles said. "He's pretty much the same every day. You don't get the sense in a big game or a not-so-big game that he's going to ride the emotional roller coaster up and down. "He's not going to get rattled out there." Bucks fans got an look at Salmons' calming influence in his first game with the team. After a turnover in the final minutes had put a"
February 18
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons played a huge role as the Chicago Bulls secured a playoff berth and nearly upset the Boston Celtics in a first-round series last season. Now the Milwaukee Bucks are gambling he can have a similar impact for them in the final 30 games this season as they try to gain a playoff spot for the first time since 2006. The Bucks were set to acquire the 6-foot-6 guard before Thursday's trade deadline in exchange for expiring contracts, league sources said, although the Milwaukee players involved were not confirmed as of Wednesday night. Forward Hakim Warrick and center Francisco Elson were the Bucks players expected to be in the deal, but late Wednesday the situation was still fluid"