Milwaukee Not Alone As NBA Punchlines

The Big Lead, one of the premier sports blogs and partial inspiration for this Web log, pointed out the hot mess that is the Milwaukee Bucks. They lost their best player, Charlie V, for nothing and traded its second best player and got less than that in return.

However, the Bucks aren't alone in their ineptitude, and they could be a sleeper squad for the eight spot in the East if Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut stay healthy and Brandon Jennings excels at the point.

Here are five teams that are worse off than Milwaukee.

1. Memphis Grizzlies. Last season, the Grizzlies were out performed by their collegiate roommates, who won 33 games last season. The Grizz won only 24, despite having Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo mostly because they employed guys named Darko and Marko in addition to a guy who played his college ball at Colgate.

Now, the team that cried poor and traded Pau Gasol to the Lakers for a steaming pile of crap, just inherited one of the NBA's worst contracts in Zach Randolph.

You don't need to be smart enough to take Derrick Rose's SAT to realize how much trouble this franchise is in. Well, at least there's the BBQ and Beale Street.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves. Al Jefferson should be showered with gifts fit for a king, if not for averaging 22 points and 11 boards since finding Minnesota, then definitely for dealing with a franchise so inept, the Washington Nationals think it's funny.

Throughout the Mocking of the NBA Draft segment, I noted the Timberpups hadn't had a good PG since Starbury skipped town. Someone apparently read that and took it to heart as the T-Wolves drafted three point guards in the first round, and another in the second. Even though one of them wants no part of the Twin Cities, one of the other three two other guys has got to be good, right?

3. Indiana Pacers. I cannot believe that this team won 36 games last season. I guess that is a testament of how much of a badass Danny Granger is because no point guard, no post presence and the Association's worst head coach means a win total in the teens in any other situation.

Once upon a time, the Pacers were one of the Eastern Conference's powerhouses, now their only claim to fame is having the best arena in basketball.

4. Sacramento Kings. It wasn't too long ago that this franchise was a Predrag Stojakovic three-ball from knocking off Kobe, Shaq & the rest of the Lakers. Since then, this franchise has fallen on hard times, so much so, the city's best basketball player is its mayor.

Kevin Martin is nice and Tyreke Evans will be a welcome addition. But how likely is the front line of Spencer Hawes/Jason Thompson to succeed? Probably as likely as Stojakovich is to make an open three in a Game 7 of a Western Conference Finals game.

5. Toronto Raptors. Quick, name a player on the Raptors other than Chris Bosh. I'll give you hint: it isn't Tracy McGrady or Vince Carter. If you said Jose Calderon, then you would be correct. But would you even know about him had there not been a glaring need for a point guard on your fantasy hoops squad?

Toronto will lose Bosh in the summer of 2010 and the only players with any name recognition would be Calderon and DeMar DeRozan, who just won't be able to handle life without Song Girls or Lil' Romeo.