I can't believe I'm saying this, but Fear the Deer

With March Madness wrapping up, the MLB underway and the NFL draft looming, there is still a storyline that is somehow still relevant. And that, ladies and gentleman, are the...Milwaukee Bucks?

With a 41-33 record entering April, the Bucks, Milwaukee has already surpassed last year's win total by seven wins. And with eight games left, the Bucks have guaranteed a .500 or better record and their best playoff positioning in years. What is the difference from years past? Well, it starts with Michael Redd.

With Redd in the lineup, the Bucks were a dismal 6-12. Without, Milwaukee improves to fourteen games over .500 with a record of 35-21 at the end of March. Frankly, I don't think this is a coincidence.

Much of the credit needs to be given to savvy general manager John Hammond. With the acquisition of veteran shooting guard Jerry Stackhouse and the trade (read: heist) of John Salmons, the Bucks now have the four things necessary to be successful leading into the playoffs. With two perimeter scorers, a solid post presence, a healthy mix of veterans and role players, and a hard nosed coach, the Bucks are poised to be a tough out in the playoffs.

The reason that John Salmons is an upgrade over Michael Redd is because Salmons is comfortable in his role. Redd was a complementary player who was thrust into a star's role without a star's talent. Redd is a volume shooter, who needs a lot of shots to score a lot of points, whereas Salmons shoots a higher percentage from the field (44% to Redd's 35%) and from three (38% to 30%). It also doesn't hurt that Salmons "only" makes $6.5 million to Redd's $17 million.

Salmons also has rookie Brandon Jennings to help fill the bucket from the back court. While Jennings started off the season on a tear, he seems to have settled into a role that suits him better. When Jennings acts as more of a playmaker and scores when he's open or hot, it is beneficial to the Bucks.

The story of the season however might be the resurgence or Andrew Bogut (or possibly surgence? I think he would have needed to play like this at some point earlier in his career for it to be a resurgence). Averaging roughly 16 points and ten rebounds a night, Bogut is definitely having a career year and is a candidate for Most Improved Player.

The role players on the Bucks might be the most crucial component of their team. On any given night, Carlos Delfino, Luke Ridnour or Ersan Ilyasova could lead the team in scoring, as all three are averaging just over ten points a game. Throw in Luc Richard Mbah a Moute as the defensive stopper and Jerry Stackhouse and Kurt Thomas as the crafty old veterans, the Bucks have a solid nine-man rotation entering the playoffs. (Note: This includes never playing Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric.)

Scott Skiles is the piece that brings all of these talents together. Skiles, a former point guard who holds the NBA record with 30 assists, is the perfect coach for Brandon Jennings. He is hard nose and preaches defense. He'll pull players if they are struggling, and roll with hot hands and hot lineups that are working. If the Bucks can hold onto the fifth seed, they'll likely face an aging yet formidable Celtics lineup. Get past Boston, and they'll run into Cleveland, who they've shown they can hang with. Whether that transfers over into a seven-game series is still to be seen, but at least they'll have the chance this year, which is better than they can say in years past.