Krause's Corner
with Dennis Krause

DOES SEATTLE PROVIDE WARNING FOR MILWAUKEE?
After 40 years, Seattle is in trouble as an NBA city. Claiming his group of investors lost $60 million in five years, Sonics owner and Starbucks whiz Howard Schultz sold the Sonics for $350 million to Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett. The clock is now ticking on the possibility (likelihood?) that the Sonics will eventually move to Oklahoma City once the Hornets head back to New Orleans in 2007.

The Sonics sale came about after failed negotiations between the team and the city of Seattle for either a new arena or a renovation of Key Arena. One can't help but think about the long-term future of the Bucks in Milwaukee and wonder if lessons can be learned from the drama in Seattle. After all, the Sonics came into the league one year before the Bucks and there are some similarities in the two markets.

The Bucks continue negotiations for a new lease with the Bradley Center and there appears to be solid progress. But that's only a temporary reprieve from the hard questions that will eventually need to be answered. Can the Bradley Center be renovated to be viable for the next NBA generation? Is a new facility needed instead? What is the public-private partnership recipe to pull either off?

There's still a widely-held perception around here that the Bradley Center is "new". It's not.
The only NBA arenas older are in New Jersey (1981) and New York (1968).
The Bradley Center opened in 1988, the same year as Miami Arena. The Heat has since moved to another new arena in 1999. The Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan also opened in 1988 and remains top-notch, in part because the Pistons own and operate it. In Sacramento, Arco Arena opened in 1988 and the Kings franchise is pushing hard for a new facility. They have a deal with the city that will go to a public vote this fall. A possible move to Las Vegas hovers over that vote. Key Arena in Seattle was re-built and opened in 1995. The Sonics say it's a losing economic facility as presently operated. Former Sonics and Blazers executive Bob Whitsitt claims the problem is the lease, not the building itself.

The personal wealth of the owner doesn't necessarily factor into the equation as much as you might think. Microsoft co-owner Paul Allen has lost millions in Portland with the Blazers. That franchise is the only major league team in town and yet its future is in considerable doubt as Allen explores the option of selling.

There are always cities out there lusting for a pro franchise. Kansas City is currently building an arena with the expectation that either an NBA or NHL team will move there in the next few years. The lesson: be careful not to take your NBA team for granted.

CHANGING NBA
I coudn't agree more with the emphasis by Larry Harris and Terry Stotts to try to improve the Bucks' defense. But the league is changing with a tilt toward offense in the wake of defensive restrictions. The Detroit Free Press recently ran a fascinating note that neither of this year's NBA finalists had anybody on the All-Defensive first team. It's the first time since 1981 that's happened. In fact, Miami and Dallas didn't even have anybody on the All-Defensive second team.

ARMSTRONG THE NEXT AVERY JOHNSON?
If you wonder why Indiana acquired 38-year-old Darrell Armstrong from Dallas, it could be with an eye toward its coaching future. Armstrong signed a one-year deal and says he wants to go into coaching after that. Gee, doesn't Rick Carlisle's contract with the Pacers expire in a year? Maybe Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird have identified Armstong as the next Avery Johnson--a longtime guard able to make a quick adjustment to coaching.

ULTIMATE WINNERS
If you believe that "it's all about winning championships," Bill Russell is your guy.
He won 11 NBA championships as a player with the Celtics. Twelve players in NBA history have won six or more titles. Nobody won more than Russell. His Boston teammate, Sam Jones, won 10. Two of this elite dozen had Bucks ties. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six rings, one with the Bucks and five with the Lakers. K.C. Jones spent part of the 1976-'77 season as a Bucks assistant coach. K.C. won eight championships as a Celtics player but actually has a whopping 12 rings. He added two titles as an assistant coach (1972 with the Lakers and 1981 with the Celtics) and two more as the head coach of the Celtics (1984 and 1986). Here's the list:

MOST NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS AS A PLAYER (Source: NBA)
Bill Russell 11
Sam Jones 10
John Havlicek 8
Tom Heinsohn 8
K.C. Jones 8
Tom Sanders 8
Frank Ramsey 7
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 6
Bob Cousy 6
Robert Horry 6
Michael Jordan 6
Scottie Pippen 6

TRIVIA TIME
Q: I later coached the Bucks but in 1976, my steal eliminated the Bucks from the playoffs. Who am I?

A: Chris Ford. In the third and deciding game of the first round of the 1976 playoffs at the Milwaukee Arena, Ford's steal of a Dave Meyers inbounds pass clinched a game and series victory for the Detroit Pistons over the Bucks. Until the success of the "Bad Boys" in the late 1980's, the Ford steal was perhaps the biggest moment in Detroit Pistons history.

VILLANUEVA MAKES GOOD IMPRESSION
I liked what I saw in Charlie Villanueva at his introductory news conference. Instead of shying away from questions about his consistency, he acknowledged that he uses the criticism as motivation. Villanueva's cool demeanor (Larry Harris likened him to a "silent assassin") should blend well with the more hotly emotional Andrew Bogut.

GREER SIGNS ON
A versatile guard from a high-profile college program who had to prove himself overseas. Sound like Charlie Bell? The description also fits for Lynn Greer, the former Temple star signed by the Bucks on Tuesday. He'll add valuable depth to the backcourt. It's clear that the money the Bucks have invested in international scouting is paying dividends.

IT'S ALL IN A NAME
Spend enough time in the Bucks media guide and you find out that the names of Bucks players (past and present) tell quite a story.

Appropriate for Milwaukee: Haywoode Workman, Brian Winters, Randy Breuer and Bob Boozer.

Fish and Game: Joe Wolf, Jim Fox, Kendall Gill, Kevin Duckworth, Jeff Webb and Orlando Woolridge.

Playing the Right Sport: John Block, Frank Brickowski, Harvey Catchings, Alex English, Paul Pressey, Derek Strong, Keith Tower, Pace Mannion and David Wood.

Color Schemes: Michael Redd, Blue Edwards, Anthony Goldwire, Rickey and Litterial Green, Chucky and Tony Brown and Rory White.

Occupations: Brian Skinner, Anthony and Desmond Mason, Lindsey Hunter, Anthony Cook and Vin Baker.

Food For Thought: Darvin Ham and Dudley Bradley.

Bar Time: Steve Mix and Calvin Booth.

Famous People: Hancock (Darrin), Washington (Richard), Pope (Mark), Moses (Malone), Ford (Phil and T.J.)

May Day: Scott and Todd.

Violent Side: David Thirdkill, Ricky Pierce and Bob Rule.

Home, Sweet Home: Eddie House, Randolph Keys and Jeff Lamp.

TV Shows: The Price (Jim) Is Right, (Lee) Mayberry RFD, Saved By The Bell (Charlie), The Wild, Wild West (Mark), The Young (Danny) and the Restless

Songs: Strawberry Fields (Kenny) Forever, The First Noel (David), Crying in the Chapel (Len Chappell), Love (Bob) Street

TRIVIA TIME:
Q: I played just 15 games with the Bucks at the end of my career in 1986-'87. I started in the ABA with Denver, had a huge Game 7 in the NBA Finals with Seattle in 1978 and then spent six seasons with the Knicks. You may know me by my nickname, "The Human Eraser". Who am I?

A: Marvin Webster. He had 27 points and 19 rebounds for the Sonics in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against Washington in 1978. The Bullets won the game, 105-99 in Seattle. The Sonics won the rematch in the 1979 finals but Webster had already cashed in and signed with the Knicks by then.

LATEST NBA GRAPEVINE
Former Bucks coach Terry Porter has been offered an assistant coaching job with the Pistons. He played for Pistons coach Flip Saunders in Minnesota. Porter has not accepted yet as he waits for his Portland ownership bid to play out. (Detroit Free Press)

Former Marquette star Travis Diener, a third stringer with Orlando, has drawn the interest of some other teams in trade talks. (Orlando Sentinel)

Now heavy with guards after the acquisitions of Randy Foye and Mike James, Minnesota is looking for frontcourt help--(perhaps Jamaal Magloire?) Marko Jaric is certainly available as trade bait. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

The Bulls might be interested in free agent Toni Kukoc, who is not expected back with the Bucks. Kukoc still lives in the Chicago area and started his NBA career with the Bulls. (Chicago Tribune)

Golden State is giving Indiana plenty of competition in the sign-and-trade scenarios with Atlanta for free agent Al Harrington. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Toronto is hoping to get more international help with the signing of swingman Anthony Parker, a 2-time Euroleague MVP who played with Maccabi Tel Aviv last season. The 31-year-old Parker is a Naperville, Illinois native who played college basketball at Bradley. He was a first round draft pick in 1997 and played with the Sixers and Magic before going overseas six years ago. (Toronto Sun)

BUCKS ON SI COVERS
As a longtime subscriber to Sports Illustrated and a student of its covers, I decided to research the history of the Bucks on the cover of the national magazine. It's been over 24 years since the Bucks were the subject of a cover story. Sidney Moncrief was pictured with the words "Taking Aim At The Title" in the February 22, 1982 issue. Sidney was also featured on the legendary "High On The Hogs" cover on February 13, 1978 while he was at Arkansas. Here's the complete list of Bucks covers: