Last season, Darvin Ham and the Milwaukee Bucks went together like ham and eggs. The combo was a natural.
After missing most of this season with a foot injury, Ham has returned to the Bucks. Right now, his return has scrambled the eggs a little, as the Bucks are adapting to his presence in the lineup.
But, long range, Ham could help the Bucks go deeper into the playoffs than they have in years.
"I believe in him," coach George Karl said last weekend. "I could rationalize it with a lot of coach's stuff, but it's more of just a feeling. He was a key for us last season. I'm going to give him the playing time. I like what he gives us long range."
On Saturday night, Ham gave the Bucks 11 rebounds and some hustling defense in a double overtime win over the Chicago Bulls. He also made three key free throws -- not one of his strong points -- during the stretch runs of the game.
"I'm just glad we won the game, since we were 0-3 with me in the starting lineup to that point," Ham said. "We've been a little out of sync, but we'll get it back together. It feels great to be back playing and contributing."
The task now belongs to Karl to incorporate Ham into the lineup and still find adequate minutes for Mark Pope and Scott Williams.
Unlike last season, when Ham was just about the only "hustle guy" on defense for the Bucks, Pope and Williams stepped up while he was gone and filled those roles. In fact, the Bucks have been incredibly successful with Pope in the lineup.
So, the addition of Ham to the lineup will undoubtedly make the Bucks a better team going into the playoffs, but Karl has to make sure he still finds time for other contributors.
Bucks Buzz
What a clutch shot Sam Cassell hit in the win over the Bulls!!!! What really made it so great was the fact Sam has to hurry out past the 3-point range and then put the ball up while he was virtually falling out of bounds.
The shot at the buzzer of the first overtime put the game into the second OT, in which the Bucks finally pulled out their 126-122 win.
"That really was an amazing shot," Bulls' star Eldon Brand said after the contest. "We had the game, then we failed to box out on a rebound and Sam Cassell hit that amazing shot."
Cassell, who Karl refers to as the "Mayor of Mars," has been a key to the Bucks' rise to the top spot in the NBA Central. After a couple seasons of very inconsistent play, he has been great at point guard and is finally providing the type of floor leadership the team has always needed from the position.
-- Ray Allen's broken nose -- suffered during a game in which he scored a career-high 42 points -- has been healing despite the fact he has not worn a mask made to protect the injury.
"Even though my nose was broken, it wasn't displaced," Allen said. "I tried it (mask), but I couldn't breathe. So, I just let it do."
-- Speaking of career highs, Glenn Robinson set his with 45 points and Cassell with his 40 -- all within one week.
Brewers Buzz
With Geoff Jenkins and Richie Sexson signing four-year deals for less than $5 million per season, and All Star Jeffrey Hammonds signing for slightly more than $7 million, Jeromy Burnitz's salary extension of $20 million over two years is a steep price to pay.
One still has to wonder if the Brewers would not have been better off trading Burnitz over the winter for a younger player with potential. But, GM Dean Taylor did try to trade him to San Diego for third baseman Phil Nevin.
The Padres said no to Burnitz's salary demands, killing the deal. Let's hope the Padres don't end up looking smarter than the Brewers.
A worst-case scenario would be that the 31-year-old Burnitz starts to break down physically and spends chunks of the next three seasons on the DL. The Brewers have seen that before.
Nearly as bad would be for Burnitz to play like he did for most of last season -- which was to produce in spurts and hurt his team during slumps between those spurts.
But, Burnitz reported early to spring training camp and has seemed very focused on rebounding from his off-season.
He has the best supporting cast around him in years, with the addition of Hammonds and the prospect of having Sexson a Brewer all season.
Burnitz need not hit .300 to be effective. If he could hit .260 and continue his power production, he would be a big part of the Brewers' attack.
He has slowed down in the outfield a bit, but still is an adequate fielder with more than an adequate throwing arm.
While Burnitz's demeanor sometimes makes him look like a whiner and raises questions about his attitude, the truth is he has always played hard. While moody at times in the clubhouse, he is considered a good teammate by the players.
Finally, if you look at the structure of the salary, Burnitz received more than $11 million in its last season -- 2003. If that becomes a burden for the Brewers, you could see them deal him after the 2002 season.
So, whether you think the Brewers paid too much for Burnitz or not, he's here for at least a couple more seasons. Let's hope he plays well and earns every cent.
-- The Brewers sold more than 48,000 single game tickets, a club record, on Saturday. Lines reached over the Hwy.41 bridge into the Sausage Haus parking lot.
The club also announced it expects to reach 2 million in sales by the start of the season. We're in for some wild, fun times at the old ballpark this season.
-- This columnist heads for spring training on Wed., March 14. Look for reports on the Brewers daily in The Brew Crew Review at brewers.rivals.com and check out the buzz about the club in this column in OnMilwaukee.com
Admirals Buzz
The Admirals are used to hat tricks, but this coming Saturday "Cheap Trick" will present a concert after the game against the Manitoba Moose. It's just the latest in a long line of innovative promotions by the team.
Wave Buzz
The Wave moved into first place in the National Conference of the NPSL with a 20-4 win over Toronto Sunday. Nikola Tomicic scored a hat trick. The Wave could be on its way to establishing a dynasty in its league.
Sports Media Buzz
It's official now, so I can use his name. Congrats to Michael Bauman for being named the lead columnist for MLB.com, the official web site of Major League Baseball. Bauman has added a lot of class to local sports coverage for years and deserves this spot at this somewhat advanced stage of his life.
Just kidding. Michael and I are the same age. He has had my respect for years, although I have tried to seldom tell him in person. It's a sportswriter's thing.
Gregg Hoffmann covers Milwaukee pro sports for the Associated Press, USA Today and Baseball Weekly and publishes The Brew Crew Review at brewers.rivals.com. He also is the author of "Down in the Valley: The History of Milwaukee County Stadium."
