"This is not last year's Milwaukee Bucks,"
Is a statement that rings very true.
They have improved by much indeed,
And tough games they've played a slew.

Contenders they're certainly not,
Having plenty of flaws to count.
But don't ever take them lightly.
They win a pretty fair amount.

The Eastern Playoffs are possible,
Though not necessarily a lock.
But they've got a great chance,
A six seed wouldn't be a shock.

People look at the stat sheet,
And proclaim Redd the star.
He certainly can hurt in bursts,
But he doesn't get them far.

Redd needs the ball in his hands,
Or he just plain ineffective.
Even when they feed him,
He'll sometimes look defective.

But make no mistake with Redd,
A defense he can really burn.
When he gets hot on the floor,
The Bucks game takes a turn.

But holding Redd down isn't all,
This year, others will step up.
Richard Jefferson is no slouch,
He too can put it in the cup.

Both are streaky players,
As up and down as they come.
But holding both down together,
Is tough no matter where you're from.

With two high scoring wings,
The Bucks any night can be tough.
But defense wins them games.
Stopping those two is not enough.

Andrew Bogut anchors the defense,
His skill is vastly under-rated.
He rebounds are near Przybilla's
And his skill has Milwaukee elated.

Fortunately for our Trail Blazers,
His back pain flared up again.
He didn't make the trip out West,
He wont be tending their pen.

The Prince has given quite a show,
Another Bucks second-round gem.
Can rebound and defend very well,
As a four, there's little to condemn.

Ridnour is a familiar face,
Who's skills our state has seen.
Beat's Roy in All-Star votes,
But has an average sheen.

His backup is a lot more flashy
Sessions causes other teams to lust.
But has a game much like Sergio's
And occasionally elicits disgust.

The Milwaukee bench is average,
Not wielding a ton of punch.
But too talented to go easy on,
Or they may just eat you for lunch.

Defense is the Bucks mantra,
Skiles has them working hard.
They've gone from last to seventh
In that defensive efficiency yard.

Three point shooting is low,
Ranked twenty-third out of thirty.
Clogging the lane might work.
If our bigs prove to be sturdy.

This first game back home,
After another long road-trip,
Has trap written in bold,
Our effort cannot dip.

Hold down Redd and Jeff,
Keep everyone out of the lane,
Work for good shots all night,
And the Blazers take this game.

No matter what the outcome,
Whatever the final score may be,
Raef Lafrentz will be 41 games in,
And with insurance he'll be practically free.

Be sure to check out Frank Madden and Alex Boeder at Brew Hoop for everything Bucks related.