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Notebook: Bucks prepare for position battles in camp, preseason
ST. FRANCIS, Wis. -- One by one, the majority of the Milwaukee Bucks' roster sat on an elevated podium and addressed the media Monday afternoon in the laid back setting of the team's annual media day.
Come Tuesday morning when training camp gets underway, the atmosphere inside the Cousins Center will be totally different. Following a 15-win season and with an entirely new coaching staff, minutes at every position are up for grabs during training camp and the preseason.
"Minutes are wide open," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "That's what makes this a unique situation, the competitiveness. We feel we are a deep team."
Training camp and the preseason slate will go a long way in sorting out the logjam the Bucks have in the backcourt and frontcourt.
Milwaukee has four players capable of playing point guard, and that isn't including 6-foot-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo, who may see time running the show for the Bucks this season.
Outside of Kendall Marshall, who comes to camp on a non-guaranteed contract, all of Milwaukee's point guards -- Brandon Knight, Jerryd Bayless and Nate Wolters -- can also play the shooting guard position.
"I expect a lot of competition," Bayless said. "I wouldn't be surprised if it got a little heated at times, but at the same time, in a week and a half we need to find a way to balance it and come together.
"At the end of the day we're all going to be in this together."
Although he's had success playing off the ball in the past, Knight -- Milwaukee's leading scorer at 17.9 points per game last season -- seemed less than thrilled Monday about the possibility of playing shooting guard.
"At the end of the day, we're going to put the best guys on the court," Knight said. "I'm sure coach Kidd wants to win like we all want to do. The best players will be on the court and they will play. I know I'm going to be on the court because I'm going to show it in training camp, like I showed last year and like I show all the time.
"I'm a point guard. I know I'm going to be on the court as a point guard."
How much Knight or any of the other combo guards has to play at shooting guard could come down to how O.J. Mayo returns from a lost season. The 26-year-old was not available to the media Monday due to a physical appointment off site.
Khris Middleton could see time at shooting guard, but his natural position is small forward. Antetokounmpo is a wild card, as he can pretty much play anywhere but center.
Veteran Jared Dudley will try to earn time at small forward, while rookie Jabari Parker could play the three at times.
Parker and Ersan Ilyasova bring scoring to the power forward position, while John Henson is the better defender. Henson could also slide over and play some at center under certain matchups, but then he would be competing with Larry Sanders, Zaza Pachulia and possibly rookie Johnny O'Bryant for minutes.
"My rookie year was the same way -- I didn't know what I was going to be," Henson said. "I had no idea. I just have to come to play in training camp, and hopefully I'll be in a position to help the team."
Kidd will have time to sort everything out because the philosophy of the Bucks coming into the 2014-15 season is completely different than it has been in past years. While the team obviously wants to win as many games as possible, the expectation to make the playoffs isn't outweighing going about the rebuilding process in the correct way.
"We ask our fans to be patient, but we also ask them to come out every night and support us," Kidd said. "We're going to turn that corner and it is going to be exciting, but there are going to be times where we make mistakes.
"There are no expectations for us to win a championship (this season) or for us to compete (for one). The expectation is for us to get better each time we take the floor."
Inglis not ready: Bucks second-round pick Damien Inglis will be behind the eight ball at the start of his rookie season, as the 19-year-old's fractured right foot won't allow him to start camp on time.
Inglis had his walking boot removed about a month ago, but he experienced pain while trying to run last week. Doctors are targeting Oct. 13 as the date in which the native of French Guiana will be cleared.
"I'm not fully healed, but it is part of the process," Inglis said. "I knew it was going to take a while. Then I have to come back in shape and get the feeling back before the season."
Selected No. 31 overall by the Bucks in this past June's draft, Inglis fractured his right foot in a pre-draft workout in Oklahoma City.
Other than Inglis, the Bucks are healthy as camp begins.
One month left: Although things can change in a hurry, it doesn't appear likely that the Bucks will reach an agreement with Brandon Knight on a contract extension prior to the upcoming deadline.
In order to prevent Knight from becoming a restricted free agent after the season, the Bucks must sign him to a contract extension before Oct. 31.
"I'm just focusing on basketball right now," Knight said. "If it happens, it happens. At the end of the day, I'm going to be here regardless. I'm just focusing on this year and focusing on our guys. That's the main thing for me right now."
Offering praise: Jared Dudley's season was marred by injuries a season ago, but he comes to training camp fully healthy thanks to what he feels is a job well done by Milwaukee's training staff.
Dudley had tendonitis in both knees while playing with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013-14 and eventually had to tell coach Doc Rivers that he couldn't play the way he was accustomed to.
"When I got traded here, I got with the training staff within a week. Being hurt for nine or 10 months of the year, I was with them for 72 hours and felt 100 percent," Dudley said. "It was crazy.
"I was surprised with how good the training staff is. You hear about Phoenix's training staff get all the hype with how good they are, and they were, but you really don't hear about Milwaukee's training staff."
The glove didn't fit: Contrary to reports floating around the Internet, Kidd will not be adding Hall of Fame point guard Gary Payton to his staff in any way.
A report out of Greece had Payton hired by Kidd to mentor Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that is false.
"We're not signing GP," Kidd said. "He won't be joining the coaching staff. There could be a chance that he comes in and talks down the road, but he won't be joining the staff."
However, Kidd did say there's a chance highly regarded and longtime NBA assistant coach Tim Grgurich could join the organization in some capacity.
Freak accident: One member of the Bucks organization that didn't report to camp healthy was co-owner Wes Edens.
Edens suffered a broken right arm Saturday while riding his horse, Sasha, in a horse-jumping show in New York. He said he will undergo surgery Tuesday.
"This is my third surgery related to a horse accident in the last four years," Edens said. "That may be a sign, but it is a little bit of a disappointing way to start the season."
Other than talking about his accident, Edens did reveal that the Bucks will be hiring a team president in the near future.
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