The Week Ahead April 5th-April 11th

With four games left until the first season of the Scott Skiles era is over coach Skiles appears to want to make it clear that things will continue to be done his way. After a lethargic effort defensively and offensively in quarter two on Saturday Skiles pulled his favorite move out of his pocket: bench those not giving enough effort to satisfy.

Charlie Villanueva, Richard Jefferson and Ramon Sessions were the men who started half two on the bench. Skiles has been known throughout his career for being as hard as anyone on his guys and that held up Saturday. With the season having slipped away in the last few weeks perhaps this was Skiles letting his guys know that on his squads the players will play hard whether it is game one or game 81 and whether they are playing for playoff position or ping pong balls.

I once heard somewhere that the only thing a coach had at his expense to use for the purpose of teaching players lessons was playing time. This seems accurate. It may have been in David Shields “Black Planet”; largely about George Karl and the 1994-95 Sonics. Karl may have said that, I wish I could remember. Karl was constantly battling with Kendall Gill and used minutes as his weapon. Gill complained up and down about Karl. The next year Gill was gone and the Sonics gave the Jordan and Company a couple of games during the finals of the Greatest Season Ever from the Bulls.

What does this all mean with regard to the Bucks? Maybe nothing; maybe everything, we’ll see where we end up. Ultimately respect of your players is what matters. I think Skiles has that. But he always has that in year one. I’ll hold my judgement until the third and hopefully fourth year. By that time Skiles act has usually worn thin.

I’m banking on Skiles having learned from his past experiences though. Surely he won’t repeat his mistakes for a third time. Between that and the fact that most of the guys who are here now won’t be in three years, I’m really thinking that this whole Scott Skiles thing will have a positive ending.

April 8 vs. Atlanta (43-34)
The Hawks have taken a nice step forward this year. Think of how good they would be if they had an owner. If they had an owner they would probably have Josh Childress, who would fill in nicely over the likes of Mo Evans and Ronald Murray. Murray has been a pretty effective gunner this year. The Hawks might even advance to the second round of the playoffs this year. If Josh Smith can focus in and put it all together for a few weeks they could be a surprise team. The first round battle with Boston last year was the greatest thing that could have happened to this franchise. It seemed to have united them and given them a chip on their shoulder for this whole season. Too bad they don’t have an owner to guide them.

April 11 vs. Oklahoma City (21-54)
Kevin Durant is coming to Milwaukee. Kevin Durant is coming to Milwaukee. Kevin Durant is coming to Milwaukee. Kevin Durant is coming to Milwaukee. Kevin Durant is coming to Milwaukee. And they have Shaun Livingston This, my friends, is must-see TV.