Milwaukee Bucks 110, Three Netsketeers 96 (2-0)

(above: Nenard Krstc and the Nets almost held Redd under 40!)

I hate ESPN Sportscenter. During basketball season, I watch for Bucks highlights. I don't care about the other highlights, especially hockey. Tuesday night, they showed the Bucks/Sixers highlights in the first 5 minutes of the hour. Last night, they decided that all the other sports games in the world, including hockey games, were more important than the Bucks/Nets game, so they showed it in the last 5 minutes of the hour. If ESPN keeps this kind of behavior up, they will be the worldwide leader in pissing me off.

The Bucks, despite the evil intentions of ESPN, continued their outstanding first week of the season with a 110-96 powerslam of the New Joisey Nets -- in Joisey, no less. The Bucks now only have to win 5 more road games all year to match last year's total. I'm sorry -- I suppose the less we say about last year, the better. The game was marred by that totally overrated Richie Jefferson taking a swing at TJ Ford's (possibly cybernetic) spine, probably because he wishes he could play with a real point guard. Just kidding. Sorta. Anyway, I'm getting off track here. If I were a train, I'd be spilling my grain all over the landscape by now. Let's do this before all my grain is gone:

THE GOOD:
Michael Redd -- 41 points. He's taking better shots this year because opponents actually have to cover people besides him. With TJ around, Redd might end up scoring 28 a game, which is a marked improvement over the last guy to whom they gave max money. Again, the less said about him the better.

TJ Ford and Mo Williams, point guards/tag team partners -- Mo had virtually the same stats as Ford in this game, which bodes well for the Bucks in the future. They also played Williams and Ford together for a while, which I'll call their "Don't ever try to keep up with us" backcourt. Plus, Mo stuck up for TJ when Richie Jefferson went after his spine. Solidarity, bruthuh.

Andrew Bogut had 17 boards in 33 minutes, and the Bucks outrebounded those forlorn Nets 50-46 (and Joe Smith hasn't even played yet!). For Ford- and Redd-related reasons, this will never be known as the "Andrew Bogut Era," but I can't think of the last time a Buck got 17 boards in 33 minutes of play. Now, because he's a rookie, I don't think you want to play him 33 minutes every game. But it was nice to see the #1 pick put up a #1 stat.

(side note: Are the Aussies all going to be Bucks fans now that their best basketball player is in Milwaukee? I found a blog from Australia yesterday that mentioned that the Bucks were on Fox Sports Australia or somesuch. Let me be the first to welcome the entire continent of Australia to Bucks fandom, and let you know that I'll be happy to answer any questions except the ones regarding the Ray Allen trade. All I would ask is: as you're stuffing the NBA All-Star Ballot box with Bogut's name, you show some love to my men Michael Redd and TJ Ford as well.
Thanks. And by "my men," that doesn't mean I'm gay. Not sure how that works in Australia. Anyway, welcome aboard. I, too, cannot get to games in person, because I live in Dallas. It's in Texas -- you know, JR Ewing and all that? Of course you have Dallas in Australia, everyone does.)

THE BAD:
Take out Redd and Williams, and the team shot 16 for 58 from the field. Oh, well, we won by 16, so what does it matter?

Bobby Simmons exploded for as many turnovers as points (4) and more fouls than rebounds (6-5). If we would have lost, it would have been all his fault.

Again, they only forced 12 turnovers. I guess that's better than the 8 they got from Philly.

THE VERDICT:
They went into a likely conference rival and beat them. What else can you say? It's awesome. This is a totally different team from last year, from star to point guard to big guys to coach. It's nice to see Terry Stotts playing with a stacked deck this time, so he can get that lifetime winning percentage up to .500. Beats coaching the Hawks, now, doesn't it?

Saturday the home opener arrives vs. the Heat. With Magloire, Bogut, and Gadzooki, the Bucks are probably better prepared for Shaq now than at any other time in his giant career. Hopefully Antione Walker will throw a few shots off the top of the backboard and the Bucks will go 3-0. Wouldn't that be something?