Big Bucks

Basketball Digest, March-April, 2004 by Kevin Szantor

In your November 2003 "Quick Quiz," the answer to No. 9 stated that the Kansas City Kings drafted Phil Ford in 1977 and Otis Birdsong in 1978. It actually was the other way around.

In your Central Division season preview from the same issue, you said the Milwaukee Bucks have only Desmond Mason and Toni Kukoc to show in trades for the "Big 3" (Sam Cassell, Ray Allen, and Glenn Robinson). The Bucks also have T. J. Ford and Joe Smith to show for the three softies, two of whom were injured at the start of the 2003-04 season.

While not loaded with stars, the Bucks are very balanced and play with more urgency than last year's "team," And while Brian Skinner's injury has set them back, the Bucks will not lose 50-plus games.

Kevin Szantor Via e-mail

Kevin, so far you are right on the money about those upstart Bucks, who have served notice as playoff contenders, not 50-loss patsies. The Coach of the Year race so far has to be a battle between Milwaukee's rookie coach Terry Porter and Jeff Bzdelik of the Denver Nuggets.

However, name-checking Skinner as a setback for the Bucks actually may prove our argument that Milwaukee is a mediocre club.