Doing a Flip-Flop

In the Summer of 2005, the Bucks, desperate to remain relevant in the NBA, gave shooting guard Michael Redd a max contract. Redd is a good player, but there was always the question of whether or not he was worth the $91M the Bucks gave him. I always thought the Bucks were right in giving him the money because he was the one thing that gave the team credibility.

I was probably in the minority on that one. Redd's a scorer, but he really doesn't do much else. Don't get me wrong. He tries. But, effort and production are often two different things.

Somehow, someway, Redd survived the Summer of John. New GM John Hammond came in and cleaned house. Mo Williams got traded. So did Yi and Bobby Simmons. Most thought Redd was going to be on his way out, too. But, somehow, he made it through, and once he won the gold medal as part of the Redeem Team, the Bucks knew they couldn't trade him.

Well, times are different now. I've changed my mind. I think the Bucks should trade Michael Redd. It'll take some time, because he has to come back from an injured ankle and then show the other teams around the league that he is healthy. But, the time to deal the former Ohio State star, the self made NBA star, is now.

I didn't always think that way, so I know what's going through your mind (especially since it seemed I was one of his only supporters on the radio). What made me change my mind?

Well, the Bucks are 3-5 in the eight games Redd has missed. But, look at the teams that they lost two. Denver is 6-1 since trading for Chauncey Billups. The Celtics are the defending NBA World Champions. The Suns are a contender, and the Cavs have King James. The Bucks probably would not have won any of these games even if Redd were in the lineup. If he's not going to be a difference maker (and with the changes made on this team over the last six months he's not), then trade him for a piece you need (how about a power forward that Scott Skiles won't nail to the bench?).

The Bucks may be 5-7, but they aren't as bad as they look. They lose to the teams they are clearly worse than and beat the teams they are clearly better than. And, in most of the games they have lost, they have been very competitive. Last year, twenty point blowouts (and sometimes fifty point losses) were the norm. This year, that hasn't been the case. The fans are starting to notice. Trading Redd for a piece that fits better (power forward) will help this team improve, and maybe even make a run at a playoff spot.

Sometimes change needs to be made for change sake (there I go again, ripping off the future leader of the free world). Redd reminds everyone of the last regime the Bucks had. Larry Harris. Terry Porter. Terry Stotts. Larry K. He reminds everyone about the losing. He's not the reason for the losing but he is the embodiment of the losing. Dealing him now would almost wipe the slate clean.

Redd has been a good, sometimes great player for the Bucks over the years, but for the franchise to really move forward, for the Bucks to really be 'Ready to Rise' as the ad campaign says, they need to turn the page on the Michael Redd Era.