Despite their perplexing struggles at the Bradley Center, the 2005-'06 Bucks are greatly improved. There are a few obvious reasons for the transformation: a healthy and electric T.J. Ford, and the size and presence of new center Jamaal Magloire.

A third vital component has been the team's bench play and overall depth. In fact, despite nagging injuries to starters Joe Smith and Bobby Simmons, the Bucks have barely missed a beat. And even with Andrew Bogut and Mo Williams forced into starting roles, Terry Stotts' bench has still been able to contribute quality minutes -- such as last Monday's big evening from Dan Gadzuric (18 points in 19 points) in New York.

As with the acquisition of Magloire, the majority of the credit for the team's improved bench goes to General Manager Larry Harris. Of the six players discussed below, Harris acquired four of them -- and he resigned the other two (Gadzuric, Kukoc) this offseason.

Mo Williams: Williams was originally expected to be Ford's primary backup, but his scoring ability (14.4 ppg) has earned him a prevalent role as T.J.'s running mate. With fewer ball-handing duties, Williams has cut back on his turnovers (1.5 per game, down from 2.5 last year); he's also dramatically improved his 3-point marksmanship, hitting 43.4 percent vs. 32.3 percent a year ago. Plus, he's hit some at big times, nailing buzzer beaters to beat Indiana on November 12 and Washington on December 2. In the latter game, Williams exploded for 35 points, a career-high.

Williams' emergence gives the Bucks an interesting matchup to exploit should they make the playoffs. Few teams have the ability to match both the Bucks interior presence and the combined quickness of Ford and Wiliams, which provides Stotts with a lot of lineup options to choose from.

Dan Gadzuric: Due to Bogut's arrival, former starter Gadzuric has been reduced to a specialized role off the Bucks bench: short-time spark plug. Gadzuric's 12.3 minutes per game are the fewest of his career, and his points (5.4) and rebounds (3.8) are down as a result. But despite playing no more than 21 minutes in any game, he's still managed to register 18- and 16-point outings. Gadzuric runs the floor well, a key for the up-tempo Bucks, but Stotts would like to see a little more defensive presence from his big man; Gadzuric has just 6 blocked shots in 222 minutes.

Andrew Bogut: Because of the injury to Joe Smith, Bogut has actually started 17 games. His numbers are modest but solid: 8.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg. His most memorable moment came on November 29 vs. Dallas when he rejected a last-second shot by Jason Terry to preserve a 2-point victory.

Like most rookie big men, Bogut has a tendency to get into foul trouble. He's also susceptible to the type of disappearing act he registered Saturday against Utah, when he was held to 2 points and 4 rebounds in 22 minutes. Overall, though, Bogut has been reliable and shows no reason for the Bucks to regret taking him No. 1 overall.

Toni Kukoc: At 37 years old, "The Waiter" is finally showing signs of slowing down. For the last three years, Kukoc has been arguably the most important reserve on the team. But his minutes (16.3) and scoring (5.5) numbers are down this year as he gives way to younger, improved reserves like Gadzuric and Williams. Frankly, the Bucks no longer need Kukoc to provide offensive firepower -- they just need him to spell the lead reserves and occasionally run the offense when Ford and Williams are on the bench. If he can stay healthy, Kukoc should still be a valuable playoff performer.

Jiri Welsch: Because of their shared Eastern European heritage, it's natural to compare Welsch and Kukoc. And Welsch's game is somewhat similar to Kukoc's, if only for its lack of a defining characteristic. At 6-7, Welsch is big enough to defend most small forwards. Offensively, he hasn't proven to be a great shooter (43.3 percent) but is capable of better things. Welsch even got a start when the team was shorthanded in Boston last week, and his minutes should continue to increase as the season progresses.

Charlie Bell: After some early success in an instant-offense role off the bench, the 6-3 Bell sprained an MCL and could be on the shelf for two months. Bell's minutes and his shooting had been sporadic prior to suffering the injury against New York on December 12. His absence should provide Welsch with more opportunities.

Beyond Bogut, there aren't any eye-catching names in the group, though Williams is quickly establishing himself as an offensive force. But despite the low profile, the Bucks bench has allowed them to overcome early-season injuries that could have sunk the first half. For that, Harris deserves the credit.