{image1}The Bucks look to have some definite plusses and minuses as they prepare for the regular NBA season.

Let's look at the negatives first and finish on an up note. First, don't expect to see point guard T.J. Ford soon, and if you listen to some people, ever again. Ford has not even started serious workouts yet after undergoing neck surgery.

Some believe the Bucks' No. 1 draft pick in 2003 might be done because of the injury. Bucks fans can only hope those people are wrong. Mike James, Maurice Williams and Erick Strickland will share time at the point guard.

Second, the Bucks will have little inside offense again. Gone is Brian Skinner, who provided some of that last season. Only Joe Smith has scoring ability down deep.

Daniel Santiago, Dan Gadzuric and newcomer Zaza Pachulia have big bodies and will bang around down there, but none have great offensive skills. The 6-foot-11-inch Pachulia, who is from Turkey and was acquired from Charlotte last summer, seems to have the most potential in that area. He's been averaging in double figures during the exhibition season.

For the Bucks to get much inside scoring, Desmond Mason, Michael Redd, Keith Van Horn and Toni Kukoc, who often start their offensive games on the perimeter, will have to slash to the basket.

Redd, Kukoc and Van Horn also will have to be more consistent with their shooting from the perimeter, because the other Bucks don't have great outside shooting skills. They averaged 28.6 percent from three-point range in their first five exhibition games.

Coach Terry Porter will get his team to hustle on defense, but the Bucks don't naturally defend the perimeter very well. The Dallas Mavericks ripped them up from that spot in the annual MACC Fund game last weekend.

The hustling defense should be the main positive for the Bucks. Porter has made it a priority since he took the job. The Bucks also will likely share the ball, another Porter priority.

They look like they could be pretty explosive if they get into the open court. James, who played a spot role with the champion Pistons last season, and Williams have quickness and can get the team out running. They should make the Bucks stronger at the point than they were after Ford went down last season.

Mason is exceptionally good in the open court. The Bucks big men also run the court pretty well.

Right now, likely starters look to include Van Horn and Smith at forwards, James and Redd at guards. Porter would like to zero in on one starting center, but might go with a committee of three until somebody separates himself. Zendon Hamilton, a 6-foot-11-inch free agent, also was in the center mix, but underwent knee surgery last week.

Mason, Williams, Kukoc and possibly Pachulia could give the Bucks some significant minutes off the bench. Mason has been leading the Bucks in scoring during exhibition games.

Virtually nobody is picking the Bucks to be as awful as they were picked to be before last season. Of course, they surprised a lot of people. That could mean they end up awful this season instead.

But, Porter made a believer out of this writer last season. He seems to have the knack for inspiring the modern player. (Maybe he should be the next USA Olympic coach.) Look for the Bucks to creep into the playoffs again this season.

Harris with Nellie

Former UW and Tosa East star Devin Harris looked good in last weekend's MACC Fund game between the Bucks and Dallas Mavericks. Harris scored a game-high 20 points and looked comfortable as a starter for the Mavs.

He is playing for former Bucks coach Don Nelson, who is notoriously tough on rookies. Harris will undoubtedly think his name is Rook before the season is half over, because Nellie will seldom address him by his first name.

Assistant coach Del Harris, another former Bucks coach, and former NBA point guard Avery Johnson, who now doubles as one of Nelson's assistants, will likely take the kinder, gentler approach with Harris.

Look for Harris to come off the bench, at least in the early part of the season. He started last weekend primarily because Michael Finley, another former UW star, was out with a sore hamstring. Finley and Steve Terry will likely start at guards, but Harris looks like he could step up at any time.

Hot Tix

Remember the Masters bowling tournament at Miller Park this Sunday. The tournament is well underway at the Bowlero, but makes history in the finals Sunday when the venue turns to the ballpark. ESPN is covering.

On Sunday, the Packers face a key game in Washington against the Redskins. A win will send the Pack into the bye week at .500. A loss will put them at 3-5.

The Bucks wrap up their pre-season schedule Thursday with a 7 p.m. game at the Resch Center in Green Bay against Memphis. The NBA season starts for real next week.

In hockey, the Admirals are in Utah for games Friday and Saturday nights, but return to the Bradley Center to host San Antonio at 7 p.m. Monday. The Wave holds its home soccer opener at the U.S. Cellular Arena at 7:05 p.m. Friday against the Chicago Storm.

College and prep basketball also start in November. For a preview of the top events in that month, see next week's State Sports Buzz column.