BY GERY WOELFEL

Doug Melvin’s patience has to be running out.

After all, how much longer can the Milwaukee Brewers general manager tolerate Derrick Turnbow’s act.

Turnbow has been, in one word, horrible. Tuesday, against the Cubs, Turnbow was torched again. He pitched 2/3 of an inning and gave up six runs, all earned, while surrendering four walks.

This season, Turnbow has pitched six innings. His ERA is a gruesome 15.63.

It’s time for the Brewers to trade Turnbow, although it’s unlikely any team would want him and his $3.2 million salary.

If the Brewers can’t swing a deal, they should simply release him.

Instead of wasting a roster spot on Turnbow, the Brewers should bring up someone from their Class AAA team, the Nashville Sounds.

Veteran Joe Dillon would be a prime candidate. So would the ever-versatile Vinny Rottino.

Turnbow has had more than his share of opportunities to prove his worth to the Brewers and hasn’t delivered. Melvin knows that all too well.

BY GERY WOELFEL

There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day for Scott Skiles.

Ever since Skiles was named the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks almost two weeks ago, he has been constantly on the move.

Tuesday wasn’t any different.

Skiles spent time meeting with other Bucks’ officials, fielded calls from the media, went house hunting and, last but not least, tried to tie up some loose ends in completing his staff.

“We’re making progress,’’ Skiles said. “Nothing is finalized yet. We’re still talking to a couple of guys’’

While Skiles said he intends on hiring four assistants, he declined to divulge the names of the coaches he is considering.

However, it is hardly a secret that three of them are:

*  Jimmy Boylan, who was an assistant coach for Skiles when the latter was the head coach for the Chicago Bulls and his successor when he was dismissed on Dec. 24.

* Joe Wolf, a Kohler native who played in the NBA for 11 years and then went into coaching.

Wolf was the head coach of the Idaho Stampede in the CBA before coaching the Colorado 14ers last season in the NBA’s Development League.

* Kelvin Sampson, the former Indiana University head coach who agreed to a buyout with Indiana University officials last season after being charged by the NCAA for recruiting violations..

There is growing speculation in NBA circles that Lionel Hollins, a former NBA player and head coach, could also be joining the Bucks’ coaching staff.

Hollins played 10 years in the NBA, starting in 1975 with Portland. He was a point guard on the Trail Blazers’ 1976-77 NBA championship team.

Hollins, who made the NBA All-Star team once and was chosen to the all-NBA defensive team twice, had his No. 14 jersey retired by the Blazers last April.

Hollins served as the Vancouver Grizzlies’ head coach in 1999-2000, compiling an 18-42 record.

He was also an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies last season.

+ One of the toughest aspects of being a general manager is dealing with agents.

Bucks general manager John Hammond shouldn’t have much of a problem on that front, though. At least, that’s the sentiments of Roger Montgomery.

Montgomery, a San Antonio-based agent, represents several NBA players, including Bucks small forward Desmond Mason.

Montgomery said he dealt with Hammond when one of his clients, Maurice Evans, played for the Detroit Pistons during the 2005-2006 season. Hammond was Pistons’ general manager Joe Dumar’s right-hand man.

“I really liked dealing with (former Bucks GM) Larry Harris, but if they had to replace him, John Hammond was a real good choice,’’ Montgomery said. “I dealt with John and Joe in Detroit, and I was really impressed with how John handled things.

“I just liked his style; I liked how he went about his business. He always gave a fair representation of the situation and he was always truthful.’’

+ One can’t blame Brian Butch if he’s a little nervous these days.

The University of Wisconsin center/power forward is eagerly awaiting to see if he’ll be invited to the NBA’s pre-draft camp next month in Orlando.

Butch, who possesses an excellent touch for a big man and has a well-founded reputation for being a team-oriented player, recently competed in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

Butch averaged 14 points and 7.3 rebounds a game at the PIT. He also shot .486 from the field and 43 percent on 3-point attempts.

“In that kind of a situation, guards take over,’’ Butch said of the PIT. “There aren’t many set plays.

‘But I thought I played pretty well. I shot the ball well and did a lot of the little things, too.’’

Some NBA scouts project Butch as a mid-to-late second-round draft choice.

At Portsmouth, Butch was measured at 6-11¾ with shoes and 6-10¾ without shoes.

BY GERY WOELFEL

 By now we’ve come expect the unexpected from Ted Thompson.

So the Packers general manager’s first two selections in Saturday’s NFL Draft shouldn’t have been surprising, right?

Right.

With the Packers’ first pick, Thompson took Kansas State’s Jordy Nelson, a wide receiver. Did you, did anyone, expect Thompson to take a wide receiver? I think not.

By all accounts, the Packers’ wide receiving corps is pretty darn good.

Donald Driver is a very good receiver.

Greg Jennings is a very good receiver.

James Jones showed flashes last season as a rookie that he could be very good.

Koren Robinson is a solid backup receiver. Ditto for Ruvell Martin.

Yet Thompson still took Nelson even though the Packers could have used a cornerback, or a safety, or an offensive lineman or a tight end.

And Thompson could have added a good tight or a good safety if he had just held on to the team’s first-round selection — No. 30 overall — instead of trading back.

Instead, at No. 30, the New York Jets took Purdue tight end Dustin Keller.

At No. 31, the New York Giants took the player I envisioned Thompson taking, Kenny Phillips of Miami. Phillips could have easily challenged wildy-erratic Atari Bigsby for the starting strong safety position.

But Thompson took Nelson who will likely be, at best, the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart.

Why?

Thompson’s second draft pick -- Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm  -- wasn’t as baffling, but it was close.

Everyone expected Thompson to take a quarterback, especially since he has failed to acquire a decent one via a trade or free agency.

But for Thompson to use his second, second-round pick on Brohm wasn’t prudent. What's more, it could have adverse ramifications.

One can only imagine the myriad emotions rushing through Aaron Rodgers’ mind right now? Drafting a quarterback, especially with such a high pick, wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for him.

Thompson could have easily waited another couple of rounds to pick a quarterback like former Packers’ draft whiz Ron Wolf did on several occasions.

 In the later rounds, Wolf consistently unearthed gems like Matt Hasselbeck and Aaron Brooks and Ty Detmer and Craig Nall.

Thompson insists Rodgers is the man. But what if Rodgers is shaky in preseason, and Brohm looks good?

Can you say quarterback controversy?

BY GERY WOELFEL

The Chicago Bears didn't make the sexy pick but they made the corrrect one.

The Bears, with the 14th overall pick, passed up Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall, whom they liked a lot and whom would have been a highly-popular choice.

But the Bears have an aging and ineffective offensive line and selecting offensive tackle Chris Williams of Vanderbilt.

Look for Williams to immediately step in at left offensive tackle.

While Williams was certainly a solid pick, one still has to wonder how tempted the Bears might have been to take offensive lineman Branden Albert of Virginia, whom some NFL teams had rated ahead of Williams.

Albert was selected immediately after Williams.

What'll be interesting to see now is whether the Bears take a quarterback in the second round with their 44^th overall pick, perhaps Chad Henne of Michigan.

* Good news for the Packers: The Lions, who need a big-time running back, passed on Mendenhall and took offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus of Boston College. Matt Millen strikes again.

* The New York Giants are definitely serious about trading talented but enigmatic tight end Jeremy Shockey.

The Giants would love a late first-round pick for Shockey, who is better than any tight end in this draft.

Two teams that certainly need a blue-chip tight end and are picking at the tail end of the first round are Seattle, which has the 25^th pick, and Green Bay, which has the 30^th pick.

The Saints are perhaps the most interested team in Shockey and would likely give up their second-round pick, No. 40 overall.

* Packers GM Ted Thompson has a penchant for trading back in the draft to acquire extra picks.

He could do so again this year, perhaps with Atlanta, which has three second-round picks.

If Atlanta doesn’t take Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan with the third overall pick, the Falcons will likely attempt to get into the first round and try to snare Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm.

* Every draft usually has a player that takes a major slide. Can you say Aaron Rodgers?

This year’s candidates, one scout told me, are Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston, a projected top five pick, and Ryan.

* Don’t be surprised if defensive back Aqib Talib of Kansas, a projected mid-to-late first-round pick, slides out of the first round.

Some teams, in fact, wouldn’t take Talib and his baggage if he was available in the last round.

* There are a lot of NFL officials who believe St. Louis, with the second pick, will take defensive end Chris Long of Virginia.

But if the Rams scouts and player personnel people have their druthers, tackle Glenn Dorsey will be their guy.

* New Orleans, with the 10^th pick, is still lobbying to get up to No. 2 for Dorsey.

* New England, picking at 7, is still all ears and is entertaining offers for its top pick.

* Buffalo, with the 11^th pick, wants wide receiver Devin Thomas of Michigan State.

However, the Bills believe they can still get their man by trading back four or five spots.

* Some teams are a little concerned about Tyrell Johnson, the safety from Arkansas State who is projected as a late first-round pick.

Johnson, considered the best safety in the draft, has a neck problem that may prompt some teams to pass on him.

BY GERY WOELFEL

The Milwaukee Bucks’ housecleaning project continues.

In the wake of firing their general manager, Larry Harris, and their head coach, Larry Krystkowiak, the Bucks’ three main assistant coaches from last season have also been dismissed.

Veteran assistant coaches Jim Todd and Brian James both confirmed Friday they were told they wouldn’t be retained.

Furthermore, it is believed Tony Brown, another veteran Bucks assistant coach, has also been informed he won’t be returning to the Bucks’ coaching staff.

Both Todd and James were hoping to remain with the Bucks as they both found a comfort zone in Milwaukee.

In fact, Todd had spent six seasons in Milwaukee, working for four different coaches.

He spent two seasons as an assistant coach under Chris Ford and one season under George Karl, Terry Porter and Krysktowiak.

“Milwaukee has always had a special place in my heart,’’ Todd said. ‘I know it sounds corny, but it’s true.’’

Likewise, James had hoped to resume his coaching career in Milwaukee, where he has lived the last three years.

But James, who has worked for several other NBA teams over a 10-year period, realized his job status was in jeopardy when the Bucks hired Scott Skiles as their head coach last week.

More often than not, a new coach will try to surround himself with his “own’’ coaches, ones they have worked with before.

That is apparently what Skiles will do. Skiles also had previous head coaching stints with the Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls.

“He’s a good coach; I have the utmost respect for Scott,’’ James said. "He told me this is the first opportunity where he’s been a head coach where he could bring in his own staff.

“So it’s disappointing, but I understand the situation.’’

The aforementioned three assistant coaches weren't the only Bucks' casualities this week.

Jarinn Akana, who was an assistant coach and player development employee, was dismissed as was long-time trainer and travel coordinator Andre Daniel and assistant athletic trainer John Anderson.

Akana joined the Bucks last summer and worked extensively this season with the team's highly-touted rookie Yi Jianlian.

Akana, who worked with Yi and other Chinese players before joining the Bucks, is expected to assist Yi and other members of the Chinese National Team as they prepare for the Olympics.

Daniels had been in the Bucks' organization eight years, the last four as the team's head athletic trainer. Anderson had been with the Bucks four seasons.

BY GERY WOELFEL

Whenever you get a chance to draft a blue-chip offensive tackle, you do so.

Just ask Bill Parcells.

The new Miami Dolphins boss showed how strongly he feels about having a quality left offensive tackle Wednesday when he signed Jake Long of Michigan as the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft.

Parcells knows a top-shelf left tackle is invaluable, that it is the most vital position on the offensive line. If you don’t have a highly-competent left tackle, you better have plenty of backup quarterbacks.

The Packers have been blessed to have a stellar offensive left tackle in Chad Clifton. Clifton consistently kept Brett Favre from being blind-sided by a pass-rushing defensive end or outside linebacker.

But Clifton is 31 and heading into his ninth pro season. He has been physically nicked up the last two seasons.

As such, this weekend’s NFL draft might be the ideal time for the Packers to look for Clifton’s successor.

Certainly, Packers general manager Ted Thompson will have to take a long, hard look at Sam Baker if he’s still on the board when the Packers make their first selection, No. 30 overall.

Baker is the latest offensive tackle to come off the Southern California assembly line. He has ideal size at 6-foot-5 and 312-pounds and, at times, was downright dominating.

The only concerns about Baker are his relatively-short arms and whether he can stay healthy.

While the Packers are reluctant to take short-arm offensive linemen, they haven’t shied away from players with some health issues.

Last season, the Packers chose defensive tackle Justin Harrell, who was injury prone at Tennessee, with their first-round pick.

Other options:

I was told several weeks ago by a Packers official that the team would likely draft either an outside linebacker or a defensive back with their first pick. And that could still happen.

Three cornerbacks could possibly be available for the Packers: Antoine Cason of Arizona, Aqib Talib of Kansas and Brandon Flowers of Virginia Tech.

Cason seems like the best fit for the Packers. He’s got good size – unlike Flowers – and has good character – some NFL officials have concerns about Talib.

Plus, Cason is playmaker -- he had 15 career interceptions – and he’s younger than most draft prospects.

"He’s just 21, so he’s going to grow as a player. He’s going to get bigger and stronger and faster,’’ said Ron Slavin, Cason’s Madison-based agent. "I think he could go anywhere from 19 on down to the end of the first round.

‘If the Packers would get Antoine Cason, they’d be getting a steal.’’

Another secondary player who would be tough for the Packers to pass on is Miami safety Kenny Phillips.

As for an outside linebacker, there is a chance, albeit a slim one, that Jerod Mayo of Tennessee could possibly slide to the Packers.

Versatile and steady linebacker Dan Connor of Penn State is also projected by some NFL scouts as a late first- or early second-round pick.

Some other thoughts:

* An NFC veteran scout told me he’s convinced that former University of Wisconsin and current Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas is better than Jake Long.

* The scout also believes Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm is better than Packers QB Aaron Rodgers.

* I’m hearing the Rams, with the No. 2 pick, and the Saints, with the No. 10 pick, are looking to wheel and deal.

* Some teams have taken former UW defensive back Jack Ikegwuonu, recovering from a serious knee injury, off their draft board.

However, there is still scuttlebutt Ikegwuonu could go in the fourth round.

* The Bears seem to be leaning toward drafting a running back with the 14th overall pick, with Rashard Mendenhall of Illinois, Felix Jones of Arkansas and Jonathan Stewart of Oregon on their radar screen.

* There have been rumors the Packers might acquire defensive back Lito Sheppard of the Eagles, although I’m hearing he’s headed to Tampa Bay for a second-round pick.

* Wisconsin defensive tackle Nick Hayden figures to be a fourth- or fifth-round pick.

*Another Packers’ rival, the Lions, have Mendenhall and Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey in their sights with the 15th overall pick.

* If the Packers don’t take a defensive back with the first pick, they may take one in the second round with Charles Godfrey of Iowa being a distinct possibility.

BY GERY WOELFEL

Before the Milwaukee Bucks packed their bags and headed out on their summer vacations last Thursday, they knew if they were still on the team next season they would have a new head coach,

The consensus opinion at the time was the Bucks would hire either Rick Carlisle or Scott Skiles. I queried some Bucks players about both individuals and their reactions were generally mixed.

There was one player, however, whose face began to cringe almost in a painful manner when I mentioned Skiles. His look spoke volumes.

It was amply apparent he wasn’t a Skiles’ guy, and it was equally apparent he wasn’t looking forward to playing for him.

The player went on to say that he had conversations with several members of the Chicago Bulls, whom Skiles coached until being fired last December — on Christmas Eve, of all times.

What this particular player heard from some of the Bulls about Skiles was anything but complimentary. To some Bulls, Skiles was condescending, egotistical and insensitive. And, no, they weren’t sad to see him fired.

That sentiment was shared by several Phoenix Suns players when Skiles was fired back in 2002. In Phoenix, Skiles also alienated some players, including Hall-of-Fame in-waiting point guard Jason Kidd.

You can go to the bank with the idea that Skiles will do the same in his new job in Milwaukee. That’s the way he’s wired. He’s incredibly intense and driven to succeed — just like he was as a rather non-athletic player who broke into the NBA as a first-round pick of the Bucks in 1986.

Skiles is also honest. At times, he’s brutally honest. He doesn’t pull any punches and, according to some of his former players, he doesn’t care whether he offended you or not.

Such candidness by a coach was once commonplace. Old school players accepted criticism whether it was meant to be constructive or not. They simply did what the coach told them.

That’s not the case anymore. Just ask Larry Krystkowiak, whom Skiles has succeeded as Bucks’ coach and who just happens to be one of his best friends.

On several occasions this season, Krystkowiak’s words fell on deaf ears. There were also times when, after he said something, a player said something back, using words that would make a sailor blush.

Say what you want about today’s players being better athletes and better players — and you’d probably be correct — but don’t say today’s players are more respectful of authority. They’re not.

Nor do most professional athletes care about anyone else but themselves. Many have a convoluted belief the universe revolves only around them.

When Terry Porter was fired as the Bucks coach a few years ago, one player called him to extend their condolences.

When Larry Harris was fired as the Bucks’ general manager a couple of weeks ago, not one player called him.

Yet, it was Harris who gave some of those players a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play in the NBA or went to bat for them during contract negotiations, giving them financial stability for the rest of their lives.

At Monday’s press conference at the Bradley Center, Skiles said he was a better coach in Chicago than he was in Phoenix and that he expected to be a better coach in Milwaukee than he was in Chicago.

If that is to happen, Skiles will have to tone down his act. He’s going to have to show more restraint. He’s going to have to embrace his players rather than distance himself from them.

And, if he doesn’t, the inevitable will likely take place for him — just like it did in Phoenix and Chicago.

Some other tidbits on the Skiles’ hiring:

n Contrary to a published report that Skiles got an offer he couldn’t refuse, the reality is he got a relatively-modest contract, by NBA standards, from the Bucks: a four-year deal worth approximately $18 million.

n Bucks officials at the press conference, including owner Herb Kohl, insisted Skiles was their top candidate since the coaching search began.

Yet, there are some individuals close to Carlisle who contend he was the Bucks’ primary target. Furthermore, they claim Carlisle could have had the Bucks’ job if he so desired.

But the Carlisle camp claims Hammond wanted a quick decision from Carlisle. Instead, Carlisle balked, apparently so he could look into other head coaching openings.

Hammond then focused all of his efforts on hiring Skiles.

n While Skiles and Krystkowiak are friends, Skiles virtually ruled out any possibility of Krystkowiak joining his staff as an assistant coach.

It wouldn’t be surprising, however, if Skiles hires some of his assistants from his days with the Bulls, including Jimmy Boylan and Ron Adams, who was once a Bucks assistant coach.

n While Krystkowiak is one of Skiles’ best friends, Krystkowiak’s agent, Warren LeGarie, is also Carlisle’s agent.

Meanwhile, Skiles’ "advisor’’ is Keith Glass. Keith Glass’ dad, Joe, represents Larry Brown, whom the Bucks apparently had some interest in hiring and is also the agent for Bucks backup guard Royal Ivey.

n Look for Hammond to add a couple of more people to his staff, including a director of scouting and someone with salary-cap experience.

n Nobody can accuse Kohl or any of his lieutenants i.e. Ron Walter, Mike Burr or John Steinmiller of "meddling’’ on the Skiles’ hiring. This was Hammond’s call all the way.