The Bucks had high hopes for the 2012-13 season, but things just didn’t work out as planned.  The Bucks were 38-44 in 2012-13, which had them in third place in the Central Division, 11.5 games behind the Pacers.  The Bucks then got swept 4-0 by the Heat in the first round of the playoffs.  Here is a look at the players who made the biggest impacts for the Bucks in 2012-13, in my opinion:

TEAM MVP:  Monta Ellis – 27-year old shooting guard Monta Ellis came to play every single night for the Bucks.  He played in 82 games (all starts) for the Bucks last year and he averaged 37.5 minutes, 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game.  Ellis had 9 double-doubles for the Bucks last year.  He had 37 games with 20 or more points, 9 games with 10 or more assists and 23 games with at least three steals last year.

BIGGEST SURPRISE:  Larry Sanders – 24-year old center Larry Sanders pushed Samuel Dalembert to the bench in 2012-13.  He played in 71 games (55 starts) for the Bucks last year and he averaged 27.3 minutes, 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.8 blocked shots per game.  He had 26 double-doubles and 1 triple-double for the Bucks last year.  He had 10 or more points 37 times last year.  He also had at least 10 rebounds 36 times last year and at least 3 blocked shots 34 times in 2012-13.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT:  Drew Gooden – 31-year old PF/C Drew Gooden got in the Dog House early in the 2012-13 season and he never got out.  Gooden played in 16 games (0 starts) for the Bucks last year and he averaged 9.4 minutes, 3.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  Gooden only shot 32.8% from the floor last year, which is simply awful for a big man.

The Milwaukee Bucks are 26-25 (51%) heading into the All-Star Break.  The Bucks are in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, 10 games behind the Heat….but they are only 4 games ahead of the Sixers for the last playoff spot.  Here is a look at the players who made the biggest impact in the first half of the 2012-13 season for the Bucks:

Team MVP:  Monta Ellis -This was a close call between Ellis and Brandon Jennings.  Ellis has played in 51 games (all starts) for the Bucks so far this year and he is averaging 36.8 minutes, 18.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game.  Ellis is the best offensive player on the basketball team for the Bucks, and they would be even better if he shot a little bit more the rest of the way in 2012-13.

Biggest Surprise:  Larry Sanders – 24-year old Larry Sanders has really stepped up his game this year, causing him to pass up both Samuel Dalembert and Drew Gooden on the depth chart.  Sanders has played in 45 games (29 starts) for the Bucks so far this year and he is averaging 25.4 minutes, 8.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 3.2 blocked shots per game.  Sanders is going to be a big part of the Bucks’ future.

Biggest Disappointment:  Drew Gooden – 31-year old Drew Gooden has been buried on the depth chart for the Bucks so far this year and he has not played well when given the chance.  He has played in 12 games (0 starts) for the Bucks so far this year and he is averaging 9.8 minutes, 3.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  He is only shooting 33.3% from the floor so far this year, which is pretty awful.

The Bucks finished with a 31-35 (47%) record in 2011-12 and they just missed making the playoffs.  Injuries took their toll on the team but they were in the playoff hunt right up until the end of the year.  Here is a look at the players who made the biggest impacts in 2011-12:

Team MVP:  Brandon Jennings – 22-year old point guard Brandon Jennings was the Bucks’ best player in 2011-12.  He played in 66 games (all starts) for the Bucks last year and he averaged 35.3 minutes, 19.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game.  Jennings wasn’t quite as much of a ball hog as usual and the result was that he shot better.

Biggest Surprise:  Ersan Ilyasova – 25-year old power forward Ersan Ilyasova came back from Europe with the vengeance in 2011-12 for the Bucks.  He played in 60 games (41 starts) for the Bucks last year and he averaged 27.6 minutes, 13.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.  The Bucks hope that Ilyasova’s 2011-12 season was not a mirage and more of a glimpse of things to come.

Biggest Disappointment:  Stephen Jackson & Andrew Bogut – 34-year old SG/SF Stephen Jackson and 27-year old center Andrew Bogut were huge disappointments for the Bucks in 2011-12, so much so that they dealt them both to Golden State in the Monta Ellis deal at the trade deadline.  Jackson quickly got into Scott Skiles’ Dog House due to poor shooting and a terrible attitude.  Jackson played in 26 games (13 starts) for the Bucks last year and he averaged 27.4 minutes, 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Jackson only shot 35.7% from the floor and 27.8% from the three point line for the Bucks last year.  Andrew Bogut got injured early in the 2011-12 season and he did not return.  Bogut played in only 12 games (all starts) in which he averaged 30.3 minutes, 11.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steal and 2.0 blocked shots per game.