Open Gameday Thread vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Gameday Pump Up Music: Limp Bizkit -- "N2Gether Now"

The Big Picture: My secret shame is that I've played 3+ full seasons of NBA 2K9. Without simming anything. Believe me, I'm probably more disgusted than you are that I spent ~450 hours on video game basketball over the past year.

The point is I'm convinced that the Milwaukee Bucks will be NBA 2K10's secretly fun team, thanks to all the high flyers mixed with the sweet shooters, Michael Redd and Jodie Meeks. In real life, they almost certainly won't be able to pull it together, but it's fun to think about.

Scott Skiles has a reputation for being super strict and inflexible, but at what point does a team's inherent nature overpower the coach's nature? Brandon Jennings and Hakim Warrick are the flashiest new faces, two guys who play with an explosiveness rare even in the NBA. Ersan Ilyasova supposedly tore it up for the Turkish national team this summer, and Carlos Delfino always struck me as an unappreciated talent during his time in Detroit and Toronto.

Regardless of all the fascinating acquisitions they've made, they're not going to be a playoff team unless Andrew Bogut stays healthy all year, Redd finds the fountain of youth, and Jennings or Joe Alexander (I'm fully aware I'm the only one still holding out real hope) turns into a great player.

Key to Victory: Tyson Chandler is making his first appearance as a Bobcat. If he can shut down Bogut and sufficiently help everyone else from the middle on defense, the Bucks will be hard-pressed to do any of the things that makes their offense click.

Detail That Might Interest Only .08% of Fans: Jodie Meeks's final season at Kentucky was very comparable to J.J. Redick's final year at Duke. Redick was drafted in the lottery while Meeks lasted into the second round. Redick hasn't gotten a real chance in Orlando, yet, but with only an aging Redd in front of him, Meeks should get his minutes.

UPDATE: Per Bonnell, Raja Bell is out tonight with a sprained wrist. With Flip Murray still out with a shin issue, that means... Gerald Henderson: Activate!