ST. FRANCIS, Wis. -- Here are five observations of the Milwaukee Bucks from training camp:

	Don't blame Anthony Mason for being a divisive force on the Bucks last season.

1. The Bucks are intent on telling anyone who will listen that Anthony Mason was not the catalyst for the 5-14 finish that yanked Milwaukee from atop the Central Division into the lottery. According to Sam Cassell, the Bucks were victimized more by a spate of injuries ... and a lack of offensive rebounding ... and especially poor 3-point shooting in fourth quarters (under 40 percent) all season. Said Mason, who complained loudly to the media after many losses about Milwaukee's obsession with offense: "You know what? Me being vocal, if we don't win, Mase was a bad influence. Coach being vocal, when we don't win, he's a negative coach. There's been coaches and other players -- Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan -- who were just as vocal. But when they won it was like, 'That's a great leader.' " Said Bucks coach George Karl: "I'm extremely optimistic about Mase being here a second year, for a whole training camp."

2. Tim Thomas will be attracting more scrutiny than Mason, Cassell or anyone else who plays at the Bradley Center aside from Ray Allen. Thomas' $67 million contract is a big reason why Sen. Herb Kohl is in salary-avoidance mode today. Milwaukee has to have Thomas approaching Glenn Robinson's offensive production to justify parting with Big Dog for a 34-year-old (Toni Kukoc) and a future first-round pick that might not be a lottery selection.

3. Yet another reason to link the Mavericks and Bucks as similar teams: Both teams have spent considerable chunks of time devoted to defense in training camp. Karl estimates that 70 percent of his practice time has been defense-oriented and Don Nelson has been even more defensive in Dallas' workouts. The Bucks are pleased with their progress on D, especially given that center Joel Przybilla and power forward Jason Caffey have been sidelined. But ... "The one difference between us and Dallas," Cassell said, "is them guys don't get down on each other. They fall behind, 18-5, and they just play together."

4. Considering he has barely had a month to digest the failure of Team USA at the World Championships, Karl is coping pretty well with his second straight underachieving team, running the Bucks through training camp and following the baseball playoffs closely as always. "Maybe someday I can really sit back and say, 'It was going to happen to somebody and I'm the guy it happened to,' " Karl said of being the first U.S. coach to lose a game with NBA pros. "I still feel very privileged to have been a part of it. I'd do anything USA Basketball asked me. I take the experience away as a first-class experience." Asked, however, if the experience negated his ability to recharge for the recovery project ahead in Milwaukee, Karl scoffed. "I'm usually overcharged anyway," he said.

5. Robinson was traded away for, uh, slightly less than equal value. Darvin Ham, a treasured energizer off the bench, was allowed to join Robinson in Atlanta via free agency without resistance. Bucks fans can probably stomach those decisions, but there will be an outctry if Dallas' four-year, $12 million offer sheet to Michael Redd is not matched by Wednesday's deadline. That's why there's still a chance that Kohl will reverse field before the buzzer and match to keep Redd. That move would take Milwaukee's payroll past $60 million in 2003-04, but Kohl is undoubtedly weighing the added expense against the inevitable perception that the Bucks have stopped doing all they can do to win. If Kohl decides that he simply can't afford the luxury-tax implications of a Redd signing -- even though Redd would figure to be a bargain at $3 million in a couple seasons -- expect Milwaukee to pursue Walt Williams as a one-season replacement.

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. E-mail him at marc.stein@espn3.com.