Posted by Knicksfan:

They have been extremely active, they may feel that with Bogut the playoffs are very close. But first Redd and now Simmons to a lot of money. They must believe this is their year...

Posted by fishmike:

a couple things... when you see what Redd, Simmons and Hughes got I think Isiah did a good job with Crawford and Q. Neither of them are at that level yet but both could be and both are getting paid almost half.

The move is the clearest signal yet that the Bucks are serious about competiting for a championship this year.

Posted by PresIke:

Posted by roblackman:

Posted by PresIke:

HAHAH!!!

Check out what Chad Ford is writing in his article about what the Simmons deal tells us:

The move is the clearest signal yet that the Bucks are serious about competiting for a championship this year.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! It isn't like the Bucks were the Spurs before drafting Duncan #1. Is TJ Ford equal to the impact of David Robinson in his prime??

GIVE US A BREAK!

They should improve, but contend for a championship this year??

HA!

He didn't predict that they would win a championship, he is saying they are making the moves and spending the money that a team with championship aspirations would. And I agree.

I understand that Ford didn't predict the Bucks to win the championship, but I think most would read his article as stating that Milwakee is trying to contend (not win) the title this year. If one interpreted it as the "clearest signal" that they are interested in even attempting to be a good team -- while I think this is possible --I find it to be less-likely based upon the writing (UNLESS it is poorly written/edited, or DELIBERATELY ambiguous (to create reactions like ours so that Ford gets attention, negative or positive).

If he is saying that this is a sign of a real desire to turn the team around, and intends to be clear he should have written -- or the editors should have left references to -- examples of the Bucks complicity in not contending. Here's what is in the article from the entire paragraphy with the quoted sentence:

The move is the clearest signal yet that the Bucks are serious about competiting for a championship this year. In the past week, they signed the No. 1 pick in the draft, Andrew Bogut, agreed to a six-year, $90 million dollar deal with Michael Redd and began the on the court rehab for point guard T.J. Ford.

Unless he believes that the other moves the Bucks have made, like re-signing Michael Redd or encouraging TJ Ford to get well, shouldn't count as being interested in, or are less significant towards putting a winning product on the floor that can compete for the championship at some point, then I suppose that argument is valid. But that sounds strange.

After examing the article more carefully and knowing Chad's propensity for creating contraversy, I am beginning to think (as I write this) that the article was intentionally written in this manner, so to evoke reactions. Like I stated earlier, if he wanted to be clear with the point you are advocating he is making, (its a sign or wanting to turn the francise around) he could have done a MUCH better job of doing so. Here, I'll do it for him:

While the Bucks have made some significant moves over the past few weeks: signing the #1 pick in this year's draft, Andrew Bogut, re-signing their best player in Michael Redd to a $90 million deal, and beginning on the court rehab with TJ Ford, there has been speculation amoungst many league experts that the Bucks may have not been serious about putting a winning team on the floor. Signing Simmons is the clearest signal yet that the Bucks are serious about competiting for a championship this year.