There even have been times when Yi has excelled, including a career-high 29-point game in December.

As the first half of the season, according to games and not the All-Star break, winds down, the Bucks have had some bright stars, average performers and some real stinkers.

The Bucks have been healthier so far this season, and some of their players are starting to take it to the next level. The main improvement has been by third-year big man Andrew Bogut. Bogut has taken his game to a higher level with better defense, more assertiveness on the offensive end of the floor, and mixing it up in the lane while grabbing more rebounds.

Bogut is almost averaging a double-double every night with 13 points and 9 rebounds per game. If he continues to improve by getting his game up to 15 points and 10 rebounds a game, the Bucks could fight their way into one of the final spots in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Another early season success is Mo Williams. He is sharing the ball well, which he needs to continue to do, and scoring when the Bucks need him to. If he keeps going, he could put himself on the same level as the top point guards in the NBA. He is becoming one of those guards that can do it all. He also has been healthier lately, which is important to his ongoing improvement.

You might say Michael Redd has been one of the bright stars to this point, but I would consider his playing as average level for the ability he has. His scoring is down four points a game this season, and he has missed a handful of games already. When you are the leader of the team, you cannot afford to miss games.

Besides that, Redd is still shooting the ball well from behind the arc and the free throw line and from the field. He must, however, get back to the level he played at last year in order for the Bucks to turn things around.

Yi Jianlian may be a rookie, but he has been a solid contributor up to this point. Yi is averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds a game. There even have been times when Yi has excelled, including a career-high 29-point game in December.

Yi has shown signs of being a solid player by winning the NBA Rookie of the Month in December. It’s those moments in November and January when he has struggled to get involved in the game that have made him a decent player for the Bucks.

The other performer has been Charlie Villanueva, who is back from an injury and is averaging nine points and five rebounds a game. He needs to get more involved in the offense and defense so that he can move back to the level he played at while in Toronto.

The reasons for the Bucks not being a .500 ball club so far can be pointed out with a few players, most notably the resigning of point guard Charlie Bell.

Bell has struggled with scoring all season long. He is only providing six points and three assists per game and is shooting a horrible 27 percent from behind the arc.

Bell must continue his recent better play if the Bucks want to get back in the playoff race. It’s now time for him to prove to the team that he is a good player.

The second major disappointment has been bringing back Desmond Mason. Mason has not shot the ball well from the line and is not providing enough offense or defense. Players do not help a team out if they’re sitting on the bench. If Mason does not get back on the court and start contributing, the Bucks should let him go in the off-season.

The final disappointment is that Bobby Simmons is providing little offensive help to the Bucks. He is not even half the player he was when he was on the Clippers. Simmons must start taking better shots and knocking them down in the second half of the season. Otherwise, the Bucks should try to move him somewhere else, since he is not worth the money he is making.

The other players on the Bucks have not played enough to be given a fair evaluation, but if injuries occur as they do throughout a long season, the Bucks had better hope one of the other players can step up and turn the season around. Enjoy the second half of the season; hopefully, the Bucks will have more players contribute in order to turn this into a playoff season.

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