SLAM DUNKS: The Bucks' best player is G Michael Redd (25.4 ppg, 39.5 percent 3-pointers), who has one of the sweetest strokes in the league. The southpaw ranked ninth in the NBA in scoring last season and has at his disposal one of the league's top young big-man tandems. ... F-C Andrew Bogut (9.4, 7.0 rpg) had a solid all-around rookie season. The Australian 7-footer shot 53 percent and also continued to display the good hands and uncanny passing ability that helped make him the top overall pick in 2005. Villanueva (13.0, 6.4) was the Rookie of the Year runner-up with the Raptors last season before coming over in a trade for Ford. With Bogut 21 years old and Villanueva only 22, few teams can match the young athletes the Bucks have up front.

AIRBALLS: In addition to Redd, both Fs Bobby Simmons (13.4, 42 percent 3-pointers) and Villanueva (33 percent) like to shoot from the outside. ... The point guard duties will be split between Maurice Williams (12.1, 4.0 apg) and Charlie Bell (8.4, 2.2), both of whom look to shoot first. ... Bogut also tends to drift away from the hoop at times. So, little is likely to change from a team that shoots a lot of 3-pointers, albeit at a high percentage, and rarely gets to the free-throw line. ... While Villanueva is an intriguing prospect, Milwaukee had to part with Ford (12.2, 6.6), who was a pass-first point guard that could push the ball and create shots for Redd and Simmons. GUESSWORK: The Bucks are a fairly deep team, but a pair of preseason injuries did not help their cause. Bogut sprained his left leg in practice earlier this month and is expected to be sidelined until mid-to-late November. Simmons suffered a stress reaction in his right heel and will miss the first couple weeks of the season. It will be interesting to see how Milwaukee deals with these injuries - and any ensuing ones - after a season in which Redd, Bogut, Simmons, Ford and Magloire combined to miss just 19 games.

THINKING CAP: The Bucks have all of their key components locked up until at least 2009, including Bogut, Villanueva, Simmons and Redd. The team gambled in August 2005 by giving Redd a six-year, $90.1 million contract that some felt was too much for a one-dimensional player. They also were criticized for overspending for Simmons, who inked a five-year, $47 million deal prior to last season. But both players enjoyed fine seasons in 2005-06, justifying the moves by GM Larry Harris.

D-LEAGUE CANDIDATE: G Chris McCray

THE COACH SAYS: "I have a lot of confidence in the roster. You don't want guys going down, but it's not like they'll be out for the season. They'll be back. Injuries are part of the NBA, and Andrew and Bobby will come back at some point, but until they do ... That's why Larry put together a roster that's versatile and deep."