Originally posted by BCH
Haislip's summer league play probably had something to do with the expendability of Robinson to the point they can justify a salary dump.
I'm sure that the Bucks are happy that Haislip has played well in the summer leagues and all, but he won't touch the floor next year--that is, not until it's pretty obvious that the team won't be making the playoffs! Haislip is behind SEVERAL players on the depth chart for PT. I have ranked the Bucks players below according to anticipated 2002-03 minutes/game:
1 Anthony Mason (38 minutes/game at PF)
2 Ray Allen (36 minutes/game at SG)
3 Sam Cassell (36 minutes/game at PG)
4 Tim Thomas (32 minutes/game at SF)
5 Michael Redd (12 minutes/game at SG, 16 minutes/game at SF)
6 Ervin Johnson (20 minutes/game at C)
7 Joel Pryzbilla (18 minutes/game at C)
8 Ronald Murray (12 minutes/game at PG)
9 Jason Caffey (10 minutes/game at PF)
10 Dan Gadzuric (10 minutes/game at C)
11 Marcus Haislip (no PT)
12 ?
Now OBVIOUSLY, Haislip will get to play a LITTLE--but only when other dudes are missing time due to injury. And, I must say, none of these top ten dudes are injury-prone players, so the Bucks SHOULD enjoy a relatively injury-free (but lottery-bound) season!
Caffey gets minutes because he is still under contract for three more years (for a ridiculous total of $17.1 mil). AND because he's a better player (at THIS point, anyway) than Haislip. AND because it won't be OBVIOUS that the Bucks AREN'T going to make the playoffs until late February or so.
No, I think the Bucks dumped Robinson's salary because they feel that Tim Thomas (from 27 minutes/game last year to 32 minutes/game in 2002-03) and Michael Redd (from 21 minutes/game last year to 28 minutes/game in 2002-03) can handle the increase in minutes, AND, of course, to SAVE MONEY and to MIX THINGS UP chemistry-wise and to MAKE TIM THOMAS START EARNING HIS DAMN MONEY! I don't think it has anything to do with Haislip. Although Haislip looks like he might be a pretty decent player for the Bucks in a few years, no doubt, huh?