Posted by:
gwoelfel on
October 27, 2008 at
5:17PM CST
BY GERY WOELFEL
The biggest question surrounding the Milwaukee Bucks during training camp had been this: Who’ll be the team’s starting power forward?
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But with the Bucks set to play their regular-season opener Tuesday night at Chicago, the biggest question now is: Who will be their starting point guard.
Since the start of training camp, Bucks coach Scott Skiles has been rather coy about the power forward situation.
Charlie Villanueva seemed the likely candidate to start, although veteran Malik Allen and rookies Joe Alexander and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute were also in the picture.
Skiles heightened the intrigue last week by saying Villanueva, who played well in the second half of last season, wasn’t a lock to start and that he wanted a defensive presence at the position, something that Allen and Mbah a Moute could offer.
But after Villanueva started the eight and final preseason game for the Bucks against the Bulls last Friday night at the United Center, Skiles praised the fourth-year pro and hinted the spot was his.
“Charlie Villanueva was looking good,’’ Skiles said.
While Skiles still hasn’t acknowledged Villanueva will start against the Bulls, Villanueva spent most of the Monday morning practice working with the first unit.
That wasn't the case with Luke Ridnour, the team's starting point guard. Ridnour, whom the Bucks acquired from Oklahoma City over the summer, was no where to be found at the Cousins Center.
Skiles said Ridnour was experiencing "tightness'' in his back and added Ridnour was "ify'' for the Chicago game.
If Ridnour can’t go, the Bucks will likely start second-year pro Ramon Sessions, who started seven games late last season after Mo Williams got hurt.
Skiles could also consider starting veteran point guard Tyron Lue, whom the team signed as a free agent over the summer.
But Lue said his preference would be to come off the bench.
In two other injury-related developments, Bucks center Andrew Bogut, who missed the last two preseason games with a sprained left ankle, returned to practice and will start against the Bulls and Allen, who has been slowed by a contusion to his left quad, also returned to practice and will be available against the Bulls.
Bogut wasn’t sure how many minutes he could play against the Bulls and was somewhat concerned about future games as well.
“It’s the type of injury that can go away and then come back,’’ said Bogut, who added his ankle was about 85 percent healthy. “We’ll see how it holds up.’’
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