The last time Ersan Ilyasova ran about in a Bucks jersey, he served as the youngest member of Milwaukee's power forward hydra under Terry Stotts and Larry Krystowiak in the 2006-07. A slender 19-year-old straight out of Munch's The Scream, Ilyasova shared time with Charlie Villanueva, affable Brian Skinner and the laughable Dan Gadzuric, all along with then sophomore Andrew Bogut. The Bucks were not good, and frankly Ilyasova was not good.After that two-year NBA stint (with the first year being spent entirely on the roster of the D-League Tulsa 66ers -- yes, a great international teenaged player spent a formative year barnstorming Fort Wayne and Albuquerque; it truly is a credit to the D-League that no one laughs about this, and puts into perspective how little Fort Wayne is different from, say, Bloomington), Ilyasova took a two-year contract in Spain.
He did well there, and always maintained a relationship with the Bucks, even though the front office of the Bucks underwent a power shift. And lo! the Bucks and Ilyasova have decided they were meant for each other, and Ersan (now a mature 22) will play in Milwaukee next season.
As the always excellent Frank Madden of the perpetually spot-on BrewHoop notes, Ilyasova could very well start for the Bucks this season. Villanueva fled to Detroit amid Joe Dumars's Central Division swap meet. Aside from traded-veteran-in-waiting Kurt Thomas, Amir Johnson is the top non-Turkish power forward on the roster, acquired in a sell-off by Dumars after said swap meet. And Amir is good, or he could be good, so long as Brandon Jennings is winging alley-oop passes from halfcourt.
Madden has the best breakdown on the particular styles, pros and cons of Johnson and Ilyasova, so please read him to see that. But it bears emphasis that between Johnson and Ilyasova, two 22-year-olds scratching the surface of their basketball existence, the Bucks will pay only a combined $5.7 million this season. If either Amir or Ersan blossom -- and there are reasons to believe each has a solid chance -- the Bucks will be in good shape at the power forward position for the long haul. Without Villanueva. Or Brian Skinner.
