EIGHT-MAN ROTATION
Pos	Player	Key Stat	Skinny
PG	Sam Cassell	8 games	Takes over games, but not from bench
SG	Ray Allen	17.1 PPG	He's got more game than he's showed
SF	Glenn Robinson	18.4 PPG	Sometimes plays like a Big Dog
PF	Robert Traylor	.537 FG %	Short leash, as J.R. Reid is dependable
C	Ervin Johnson	6.4 RPG	Defense: Yes. Offense: Not at all
SF	Tim Thomas	7.2 PPG	76ers don't miss him, Karl loves him
SF	Dale Ellis	94 threes	This year's Dell Curry, but better
PF	Danny Manning	9.1 PPG	Survived three ACL tears for 1 title run

		Despite making a lot of changes, bringing in a lot of veterans and some good shooters like Dale Ellis, I expect the Bucks to have a good season. They are in a little bit of a transitional phase and will struggle with size in the middle. It takes time for new players to adjust to George Karl's style, especially on defense. The Bucks will probably start off slowly, but will improve as the year progresses. It will depend on how they adjust to Karl's system. If the Bucks do well initially, they have a chance to fight for the division title because it's so wide-open.

"I think we were a little nervous when we lost the Currys," says Karl, referring to veterans Dell Curry and Michael Curry, who signed as free agents with Toronto and Detroit, respectively, "but I think the final product we have now is a better basketball team. It's got good versatility. It's got good depth. It's got veteran players. It's got young players. It's got good point guards. It's got good shooting.

"So, am I excited? Yeah, I'm very excited."

So should Bucks fans be. Karl's new-and-improved squad is unquestionably the best one to hit Milwaukee in the 1990s, and it could quite possibly be the deepest team in the franchise's history.

	Player to watch
	Allen Like Jesus Shuttlesworth in "He Got Game" Ray Allen can be a dominant player, but he just needs to decide which direction he should go in. Is Allen a solid, steady two-guard who never reaches his potential, or does he become the focus of the offense and start putting up big all-around numbers. It's not that 17.1 points a night isn't impressive, but for Allen, it's a disappointment.

Point guard
The operative word with this group is health. If veterans Sam Cassell and Haywoode Workman spend more time on the court than on the trainer's table, the Bucks should be in good shape. Cassell, who missed the bulk of the '99 season because of severe ankle injuries, is in tip-top shape, having shed more than 10 pounds. He played exceptionally well in the preseason. Karl knows having a healthy Cassell is critical to the Bucks' fortunes. Just two seasons ago, the point guard almost single-handedly guided lowly New Jersey into the playoffs. That season he averaged 20 points and eight assists a game. Karl says he's detected that Cassell is on a mission.

Workman's sterling performance last season was a surprising but certainly pleasant development. "He might have been our most valuable player last season," Karl says. "He gave us more than we ever expected." Workman, who sat out more than two seasons with a knee problem before coming to Milwaukee, is physically sound and should provide the Bucks with more-than-adequate insurance behind Cassell. Rafer Alston, whom the Bucks drafted in the second round last year, has made a legitimate pitch to make the team as well. Alston, by far the Bucks' fastest and quickest player, has been slowed by an ankle injury and may wind up on the injured list.

Shooting guard
Ray Allen vividly showed NBA observers during last season's playoffs against Indiana that he's on the cusp of being a star. Allen scored 20 or more points in each of the three playoff games vs. the Pacers. With the new no-handcheck rules, Allen could emerge as one of the league's monster scorers.

Karl doesn't want Allen, or anybody else for that matter, to concentrate solely on scoring, though. Says the coach: "Some night you're going to score 35 points and carry the team on your back because of your shot. The next night they're going to double-team you and take you out of the game, and you're going to have to be able to pass the ball and rebound and be a defender. That's what we need our top players to do."

Allen's backup, Vinny Del Negro, also figures to be more productive this season. Because of injuries last season, he had to play too many minutes at the point, not his natural position.

Small forward
Numbers sometimes can be deceiving, and they certainly were for Glenn Robinson last season. His scoring average dipped to a career low of 18.4, although his all-around game went up. Robinson may never make any all-NBA defensive teams, but he's far from being the sieve he was his first couple of seasons as a pro. "I'm expecting a pretty damn good year out of him," says Karl. "I'm going to be more demanding of him this year than last year."

Adding more firepower at this position are Tim Thomas -- an extremely gifted 6-10 swingman who fits perfectly into Karl's uptempo offense and trapping defense -- and Dale Ellis, who, despite being 39 years old, can still flick it with the best of them.

Power forward
There probably isn't a happier Bucks player than Robert "Tractor" Traylor. Karl has quit calling him "Rook," and now the second-year pro gets to return to his normal position of power forward. Bucks coaches love Traylor's enthusiasm and work ethic; they'd love him even more if he could improve his rebounding.

While Traylor is the odds-on favorite to start at this spot, he's got plenty of guys pushing him. The ever-versatile and crafty Danny Manning, who came to Milwaukee in a trade from Orlando, started a couple of preseason games and figures to get major minutes during the regular season. "A year and a half ago, Danny Manning was the best sixth man in basketball, and I think he'll be that type of player again for us," Karl says. "I really love his passing."

Center
The Bucks made serious pitches to sign free agent Lorenzen Wright (he ended up in Atlanta) and trade for Kelvin Cato (he was dealt to Houston), but will now settle on a center-by-committee approach. J.R. Reid, who opted to join the Bucks rather than remain in L.A. with the Lakers, has the inside track to start. "I enjoyed playing out there," Reid says, "but I think I'll like it much more here with Coach Karl. I know his coaching style and some of the things he likes to do. And I know a lot of guys on this team, so it was a good move for me."

Scott Williams, who played three years in college with Reid at North Carolina, raised eyebrows with a strong training camp. Ervin Johnson, who started for the Bucks in the playoffs, will scrounge for minutes. At least there's some depth here.

Coaching
If there was any doubt that Karl is among the best coaches, it had to be erased last season. Despite a shortened training camp due to the lockout and two major midseason trades, Karl somehow managed to lead the Bucks into the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Now, with a full training camp to teach his philosophies and with a more settled, cohesive lineup, Karl has his team in the early stages of becoming a true contender.