Central Division

Milwaukee Bucks Power Rankings - 2011-12

Power Ranking
WEEKRECORDRANKCOMMENT
Week 1730-3319Within a half-game of a playoff spot on April 7, Milwaukee lost five of the next six games to pretty much guarantee that the No. 4 all-time franchise in division titles (behind only the Lakers, Celtics and Spurs) won't be heard from this postseason ... apart from those new Wendy's commercials with Junior Bridgeman.
Week 1629-3117Wondering how the Bucks' 9-27 record against .500-or-better teams hasn't knocked them out of the playoff hunt? It sure helps to be in the East. As of Monday morning, No. 5 Atlanta was 11-20 against .500-or-better teams, with No. 6 Orlando (12-20), No. 7 Philly (12-21) and No. 8 New York (12-20) no better.
Week 1528-2818Although its 13-4 surge since March 9 shines a significant spotlight on the Knicks' visit Wednesday to Brewtown, Milwaukee sees what we all see. Philadelphia, more so than New York, is truly the team that the Bucks are chasing after winning seven of their past road games and averaging nearly 109 ppg in that stretch.
Week 1424-2820I appreciate that pretty much no one outside of Wisconsin is rooting for the Bucks to overtake the Knicks for No. 8 in the East. But here's a Milwaukee cause we can all rally behind: Ilyasova is bidding to become the first player to average 12-and-8 in fewer than 28 minutes per game since Arvydas Sabonis in 1995-96!
Week 1322-2620The afterglow of three successive road wins by at least 20 points in Golden State, Portland and Charlotte -- something Milwaukee has never seen -- was pretty much erased by the two home Ls that accompanied the historic achievement. Losing to Boston was a killer and getting routed by Indy just rubbed it in.
Week 1220-2421Cannot lie: Bogut-for-Monta doesn't excite me. Yet I can't deny that (A) Monta's presence does give the Bucks some decent leverage for when it's B-Jennings' turn to get dealt and (B) Ellis' career average of 19.2 ppg is second only to John Williamson's 20.1 ppg among players never to make it to the All-Star Game.
Week 1117-2424On second thought, maybe it's time to resurrect those Leastern Conference jokes. With Stephen Jackson openly miserable, Brandon Jennings revealing he's eyeing bigger markets and trade rumors suddenly swirling around the luckless Andrew Bogut ... Milwaukee is still right there in the playoff hunt.
Week 1014-2328The games themselves have become such hard work without the injured Andrew Bogut -- as evidenced by the 119 points that the Bucks needed to beat Washington (by one) -- that we're only watching now to see if the Bucks can conjure up an unlikely trade solution to solve their Stephen Jackson problem.
Week 913-2027Scott Skiles' teams will always play hard, even when they're unhappy, but it's hard to see this one finding a way to climb back up into playoff contention without Bogut on the floor to anchor the defense ... and with B-Jennings' play reverting to uneven ... and with the ongoing distraction of Stephen Jackson's dismay.
Week 813-1826Swen Nater was the Buffalo Braves' last starting center and is thus legendary to me. So it's a great privilege to ignore all of the Bucks' recent misery and focus on the fact that Ilyasova's 29 points and 25 boards in New Jersey was a first for the Bucks since Nater had a 30-and-33 game in December 1976.
Week 712-1523Our fondness for B-Jennings' Van Exel-esque game is an open secret, but even we can't muster a pardon after publicly suggesting that market size is holding him back somehow. The pronouncement, furthermore, came after the PG on our All-Lefty Team managed just 22 points in a three-game span.
Week 610-1319The Bucks have beaten Miami (in Miami) with Bogut, and they've beaten the Heat (at home) without him. But they didn't get to celebrate the latter very long thanks to a deflating loss in Detroit right after going to 2-0 against the East champs. Only one more Heat date remains if you're keeping track: Feb. 13 in Milwaukee.
Week 58-1119Beating the Lakers on Saturday night without Bogut and Captain Jack was the least the locals deserved in a week they were forced to watch Prince Fielder snatched from their grasp and while more injury misfortune was heaped upon the luckless center from Oz. At least they can't take Major Goolsby's away, Milwaukee.
Week 46-917A smile has to crease Scott Skiles' face after the winless-on-the-road Bucks broke through with back-to-back wins at New York and Miami. Doesn't it? I was already smiling, though, because Brandon Jennings -- PG on our All-Lefty Team -- is playing more efficiently than ever before.
Week 34-722The Bucks aren't the only team in the NBA with a spotless record at home (4-0) and still waiting for their first win on the road (0-7). Somehow, though, I don't think you'll find many folks who would otherwise lob these guys into the same sentence with San Antonio.
Week 22-626The aforementioned 11 road dates in a span of 15 games were always going to be brutal, but Andrew Bogut's return to Australia to tend to personal matters and the Bucks' 39.5 percent shooting over the last four games without our favorite center clinched it.
Week 12-120A one-point loss in Charlotte on opening night was not the way to start. Not when you look at the Bucks' schedule and see that a five-game swing out West, launching a run of 11 out of 15 games on the road, starts Monday night in Denver.
Preseason35-4717Uncomfortable as it must have been to hear Stephen Jackson press for an immediate contract extension upon arrival in Milwaukee, seeing Jack plagued by persistent back trouble hurts the Bucks far worse, even with our man Bogut back.
Training Camp13-180Swen Nater was the Buffalo Braves' last starting center and is thus legendary to me. So it's a great privilege to ignore all of the Bucks' recent misery and focus on the fact that Ilyasova's 29 points and 25 boards in New Jersey was a first for the Bucks since Nater had a 30-and-33 game in December 1976.

Milwaukee Bucks