Krause's Corner
with Dennis Krause

SKINNER ANSWERS CALL
Forward Brian Skinner has made a positive difference since being inserted into the Bucks starting lineup. He is always ready when he's called on and produces. "That's something that I take more pride in than anything," Skinner told me recently on the Bucks Radio Network. "I never want to go into a situation where I'm not prepared and have a coach say I wasn't ready to play when my time came. You never know when you're going to play."

Skinner has developed a solid chemistry with center Andrew Bogut. "Hopefully some of the stuff I'm doing can rub off on him in terms of defensively. I'm trying to help him as much as possible, make sure he knows I have his back. He plays well. He knows what he's doing. He's a young player but it's great working with him." For his part, Andrew appreciates what Skinner has contributed. "He's made a big difference. He's a bruiser. He doesn't need the ball to be a factor," said Bogut.

When I mentioned to Brian that he brings a physical presence and a punishing style that the Bucks were searching for, he smiled. "I've been a guy who can score if he needs to score. I'm more of a role player. I pride myself on defense. I think we need some toughness. We didn't have enough physical toughness. Whether it be flagrant fouls, whether it be personal fouls, however, just make a statement. People don't look at the Milwaukee Bucks as a defensive team. (I want them to) show a little more respect by going out and playing a little bit more physical and make them work for what they're doing."

Skinner's starting role has coincided with a five-game winning streak. Still, Brian's been around long enough to know that things can turn. "It looks like (things are coming together) until you get a loss and then everybody says 'maybe we need to change somethin' up.' We got a good chemistry, offensively and defensively. We're playing well. We're holding people. The games before were more 10-point shifts. We're getting a lead and we're sustaining that. We're actually playing defense and we're making shots. Everything's working right now. We're starting to rebound a little bit better. Guys are coming off the bench and they're fitting into roles. We have six free agents. That was a huge thing--how are the free agents going to play together, knowing it's a contract year. I think we've meshed well together and we've played well together and it hasn't been a selfish-type ballclub."

SIMMONS CAN ONLY WATCH
That lazy smile still comes to the face of Bobby Simmons. You wonder if it comes much harder these days. Simmons is facing multiple surgeries to clean up his heel problems and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Simmons told me that "it's been very frustrating. For me, a guy who was ready to play in training camp, to have this setback is very frustrating." On the surgeries, Simmons says, "I'm hoping it just makes me that much better." He admits that watching the games is difficult. "I do as much as I can from the bench to let the players know what's going on and what they can do to make a difference." Simmons wants to be back on the floor making a difference as soon as possible.

HOIBERG THANKFUL FOR HEALTH
I visied with former NBA guard Fred Hoiberg for the Bucks Radio Network before Saturday night's game. He is now the Timberwolves assistant general manager. Hoiberg had to end his playing career because of heart trouble. "I feel great. I feel normal again," said Hoiberg. "It was a very tough thing for me. I had no symptoms at all. I went in for a routine life insurance exam and had an echocardiogram done. I found out I had a very life-threatening issue. I had an aneurysm in my aeorta that needed immediate attention. At the time, I went through the rest of the season--which, looking back, was a very dangerous thing to do. I went down to the Mayo Clinic after the season and did a battery of tests. I went into the cardiologist's office the next morning and the first thing he said was that 'you need open heart surgery immediately.' For me, it was a huge blow. I had just had my best season in the NBA, led the league in three-point field goal percentage. When I think of open heart surgery, I think about my grandparents. I went in and had the procedure done, had a few complications where I had to have a pacemaker. I just decided that the best thing to do for me was to move on the next stage of my life and not to take a chance. I decided to move on and got a great opportunity to stay with the organization. It's a heck-of-a lot more stressful watching the games up in the seats than it was sitting on the bench. You take very possession like it's the last one. It's a different feeling. You're in the office all day working on things, trying to make the team better instead of going home and taking a nap to get ready to play in the game. I told the players at the beginning of the year 'playing is a lot more fun. Savor it while you got it. Continue to work hard. Don't have any regrets when you walk away from the game.' For me, I don't have any. I always left it out on the court when I was a player and I'm trying to do the same thing in the front office. Just trying to have that hard work ethic and try to make the team better."

LUCAS AN "OLD SCHOOL" POWER FORWARD
When I was a teenager in the late 1970's, Maurice Lucas was the definition of an NBA power forward. I had enjoyed watching him play at Marquette, where he helped Al McGuire get to his first Final Four in 1974. The Warriors lost to David Thompson and North Carolina State in the NCAA Championship game and Lucas skipped his senior year to play in the ABA. After two years in the fading league playing for St. Louis and Kentucky, Lucas ended up in Portland when the ABA merged into the NBA.

Lucas was a key part of Portland's 1976-'77 championship season. He averaged over 20 points per game and helped turn the final series against Philadelphia around when he squared off with fists high against Darryl Dawkins. Lucas was at the Bradley Center last week in his current role as an assistant coach with Portland. When I remarked that if he fought like that in today's NBA that he would have been suspended, Lucas responded, "you better believe it. Probably for the rest of the series. The NBA has cleaned up its image."

At the time, Lucas was celebrated for his physical style. He even made the cover of Sports Illustrated with a headline of "The Enforcers". Maurice played in the NBA until 1988. He moved from Portland to New Jersey, then to New York, Phoenix, the Lakers, Seattle and finished his playing career back in Portland.

While Lucas told me that it's gratifying to help tutor young big men like LaMarcus Aldridge, he also acknowledged that the power forward position has vastly changed since he played. Now, tall "4's" who can shoot the three-pointer like Dirk Nowitzki are in vogue. "They're not rebounders," said Lucas. "I like to think I helped change the position because I could shoot outside." One senses that Maurice feels his NBA playing career is somewhat underappreciated by game historians. I agree.

Now 54, Lucas is still a towering presence. When we finished our interview, I told him how much I enjoyed watching him play. Andrew Bogut happened to pass by and may have had no idea who Lucas was. Too bad. Lucas helped put the "power" in the power forward position.

EAST GIVES BUCKS HOPE
Just over a month into the season, just three teams in the Eastern Conference have winning records. That, more than anything else, helps the Bucks keep their 6-11 start in perspective. It should also serve as a motivating force. Playoff spots are out there waiting for somebody--anybody--to seize.

Without being too dramatic about the first quarter of the Bucks 82-game marathon, it's possible that the just-completed Western road trip saved the Bucks season. When they left town, the Bucks were 4-9 and coming off a discouraging home loss to Boston. You didn't have to be a pessimist to fear an 0-4 road trip, which would have dropped the Bucks to 4-13. Even in the sputtering Eastern Conference, that would have been a deep hole to crawl out of.

Despite the rough outing in Utah, the Bucks seemed to have found something on the trip. The insertion of Charlie Bell into the starting lineup has made a tremendous difference. There will be some teams where the small lineup will work against the Bucks, but the early returns are positive on the change made by Terry Stotts. With Bobby Simmons perhaps out for the season, the Bucks can't sit around waiting for him to return.

The next step for the Bucks is to string together some wins at the Bradley Center. They're off to a 2-4 start at home. The December slate at the Bradley Center features games against Portland, Memphis, Seattle, Minnesota, Miami, New Jersey and Washington. In my view, the Bucks have an excellent opportunity to go at least 5-2 in those seven games. You could make a case that they have to.

The Bucks will have a heavy dose of home games late in the season. The trick is to stay in contention to make those March and April Bradley Center games pay off. The western trip didn't clinch anything for the Bucks. More importantly, it didn't eliminate them from anything either. Especially this season in the Eastern Conference.

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