When the Milwaukee Bucks laid down a new court design at BMO Harris Bradley Center, everyone liked the unique design. It was a callback to Milwaukee's championship days in the 1970s and featured a wood grain design that would be truly unique in the NBA.
There is plenty to say for NBA courts being an artistic outlet in the NBA, an expression of a team's personality.
They also need to be functional, right? There, the Bucks court is already failing.
Milwaukee played only two games at home this preseason and completed only one of them. The second was a 14-9 final Friday that was called shortly into the game. Players for both the Bucks and the Raptors were slipping all over the floor. The officials decided to call the game. The Bucks graciously offered all fans in attendance a free ticket to any home game in November.
There is still the big question to answer before Saturday's home opener (against the Raptors), can you actually play on the court?
That is what the NBA will determine when it investigates the court this week, Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:
John Steinmiller, the Bucks' executive vice president for business operations, said Saturday that the NBA officials will look into possible causes and make a recommendation to the team. One such option could be going back to the team's old floor.
On Friday night, NBA referee Danny Crawford and his crew halted the annual MACC Fund Game in the first quarter after Bucks players and members of the Toronto Raptors were slipping on the new hardwood court.
'There are so many elements that play into this," Steinmiller said. "The key is to eliminate them one by one.'
It is not uncommon that new floors are too slippery or have other conditions that force stoppage of play. This was the third time that the new floor had been used.
Not great press for the beginning of the year. There is time for the NBA to investigate and give the Bucks plenty of time to adjust or re-install their old floor so the season can go off without a hitch.
These things though are pretty odd. Especially from a league with the organization and standardization the NBA has. This is not some random league in Eastern Europe, after all.
It is not clear whether the court is unuseable. Friday was just the third time anyone had played on the court. Saturday will be judgment day when the game played in Bradley Center actually counts.
