At the observed halfway point of the 2009 National Basketball Season, the Bucks -- minus three front-line starters -- are 26-29. If the season ended today, they'd own the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Considering the team won 26 games overall last season, it's safe to say the Scott Skiles era is off to a pretty decent start. It's also safe to say that, even without Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut and (for now, at least) Luke Ridnour, all might not be lost for this team.
Milwaukee's 122-110 victory over Indiana Wednesday night backed up that claim. The Bucks scored at least 100 points for the third straight game, an impressive feat for a team missing its leading scorer.
And once again, Ramon Sessions played a major role.
Starting in place of Redd, Sessions continues to impress. The former second-round draft pick recorded his second double-double in the last three games, scoring 15 points with a season-high 17 assists.
In the eight games since Redd went down, Sessions has averaged 20.8 points and 7.5 assists per game. He's shooting 50.5 percent from the field (51-101) and 82 percent from the line. The Bucks are 4-4 during that stretch.
"He's been playing great," said Indiana coach Jim O'Brien. "He's a very difficult guy to contain."
He's not doing it alone, though. On Wednesday, Richard Jefferson led the way with 32 points while Charlie Bell came off the bench to score 20 as the Bucks shot nearly 54 percent from the field.
Why is the offense working so well? Because the players have bought into Skiles' system: they're moving the ball, they're making the extra pass. In short, they're working for a shot instead of jacking up a jumper at the first opportunity.
"That's one thing we knew we were capable of doing, scoring the basketball," Villanueva said. "We're playing good basketball now; regardless of the circumstances ... we're playing good basketball."
With Redd done for the year and Bogut out for at least the next two months, former reserve players can rest assured that their playing time won't suddenly disappear one day. That doesn't make things easier for Skiles, who'd rather have his full roster ready to go, but he does expect his players to have the same mindset regardless of who's available.
"If we're going to be really, really good as a franchise and a serious contending team, that means you have to have a high level of mental toughness," Skiles said. "When you go into games, you play the same all the time."
Equaling last season's dismal victory total was a step in the right direction of the Bucks, who have struggled at times to find consistency this season. Even playing shorthanded, the focus is still on the playoffs, which, strangely enough, are still well within reach.
The schedule is in the Bucks' favor: of their final 27 games, 16 come at the Bradley Center, where Milwaukee is 16-9 this season. Three of those games are against Chicago and New Jersey, the Bucks' closest competition in the playoff race.
As of today, according to the Bucks' media relations department, the team's second-half opponents have an overall record of 571-524 (.522 winning percentage) with two games each against the Bulls, Nets, Cleveland and New Orleans and three against Orlando.
"We're trying to make a playoff push," said Villanueva. "Regardless of who's on the floor, we're trying to make a push."
The Bucks will enjoy a few days off before returning to action Tuesday night in Detroit, the second of four consecutive games against Central Division opponents.
