Apr 30, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks cheer prior to game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Chicago Bulls at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Chicago won 120-66. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s go back in time, and delve deep into the history of the Milwaukee Bucks.
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Our goal is to try to identify the franchise’s All-Time 15 man roster, their greatest starting five, and highlight the work of some of the franchise’s greats who may have flown under the radar.
What better place to start that process off than with the men who generally initiate the offense too? I am, of course, talking about the point guards.
The Bucks have been lucky to have some great point guards throughout the years, ranging from alpha dogs, do-it-all floor generals, score first gunners, lockdown defenders, and flashy distributors; Milwaukee has seen them all.
Who are the greatest in franchise history though?
That may not necessarily be who had the greatest individual numbers, but who left the most significant marks in the history of the Bucks, and who made the teams they played on that much better?
Let’s look at some of the contenders below, and at the end, don’t forget to vote for the three point guards who you feel deserve to be in with a shot of making the final 15 man All-Time Bucks roster!
The final results will be decided by a combination of readers votes and opinions and those of our staff here at Behind The Buck Pass, so make sure to have your say.
Next: The Big O
Oscar Robertson
Not only is Robertson a contender for the title of the greatest Bucks point guard of all-time, but he also belongs in the mix for the greatest one guard to step foot in the NBA.
Robertson was about as dominant and complete as any player in his era.
He was named an All-Star in twelve of his 14 seasons in the NBA. He made nine All-NBA First Teams and two All-NBA Second Teams. He led the league in assists on six occasions. He was a Rookie of the Year, an MVP, and most importantly, Robertson became an NBA champion as a Buck in 1971.
At 6’5″, Robertson’s size and physicality was a handful for not only point guards of his time, but opponents in general. Known as “Mr. Triple-Double”, Robertson would go and mix it with the bigs to grab rebounds, on top of dishing to teammates and getting his own points. He was the ultimate do-it-all floor general.
As a Buck, Robertson was coming to the tail end of his career, yet he still showcased everything that made him great. With a young and emerging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (at the time known as Lew Alcindor) at his side, he didn’t need to be the lead guy, but Robertson proved to be the perfect veteran complement.
For his time in Milwaukee, The Big O averaged 16.3 points, 7.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds, cementing a phenomenal legacy that could only have improved for Bucks fans if he had managed to come to Milwaukee earlier in his career.
Next: Sam I Am
Sam Cassell
Cassell spent five seasons with the Bucks and was a key component in the last Milwaukee team to make a really meaningful impact in the NBA.
Cassell had a pretty glittering career for a player who entered the league as the 24th pick of the 1993 NBA Draft. Individual accolades may not spell out his impact as Cassell only had one All-Star appearance and a single All-NBA Second Team appearance to his name, but as a teammate there was something much more to the Baltimore native.
Cassell picked up three championship rings in his career (two in Houston, one in Boston), and as both he and Bucks fans likely look back on with regret, he had a real chance at another one when Milwaukee just fell to Allen Iverson‘s 76ers in Game 7 of the 2001 Conference Finals.
The former Florida State Seminole was a driving force of that George Karl coached team, meshing perfectly with Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson to form a legitimate “Big Three” vibe around the Bucks.
For his time in Milwaukee, Cassell averaged 19 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals, and remains fondly remembered to this day.
Next: The Igniter
Jay Humphries
Humphries arrived in Milwaukee towards the end of the Sidney Moncrief era, and played a key role in keeping the Bucks competitive for a couple of years following the departure of “Sid the Squid” too.
The former Colorado Buffalo arrived in Wisconsin after the Bucks sent Craig Hodges and a second round pick to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for his services. Humphries would slot into the rotation immediately mid-season, but it would be the following season before he became a starter and really began to exert his influence.
With Moncrief’s health waning, Humphries picked up greater ball-handling duties than many of those who had come before him had the opportunity to, and he did a stellar job.
As a Buck, Humphries averaged 13.4 points, 6.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals. Although his Milwaukee teams mostly succumbed to first round exits and weren’t the most memorable, Humphries did a good job of helping to keep the Bucks competitive in a period of transition.
Next: The Hoosier
Quinn Buckner
Buckner may not be the flashiest or most remarkable name of any of those on this list, but his place in Bucks history shouldn’t be underestimated.
No true point guard has more assists than him in franchise history, with 2,391 dimes good enough for fourth overall and first among traditional one guards.
Buckner may have been overshadowed due to the fact that he played alongside teammates of the caliber of Moncrief, Bob Dandridge, Marques Johnson, Junior Bridgeman and Brian Winters, but in many ways he was part of the glue that set that team up to become a true force for the duration of the 80’s.
It was the defensive end of the floor where Buckner really stood out, making four NBA All-Defensive Second Teams in his five years as a Buck. All in all, you couldn’t really have asked for a more reliable and calming influence for a team that was stacked with dynamic talent.
In his five seasons in Milwaukee, Buckner averaged 10.3 points, 5.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals. A highly underrated player who went on to get a deserved championship ring with the Celtics in 1984.
Next: The Man Of Steal
Eric Murdock
Murdock was a journeyman pro, and in many ways his career didn’t amount to a whole lot, but in his early years and his time with the Milwaukee Bucks, he was truly excellent.
That’s more than could be said for the Bucks teams he was a part of though, as Milwaukee were consistently down near the Eastern Conference basement in Murdock’s time with the franchise.
Still that didn’t stop the former Providence Friar from showing what he was all about. With little help, as it was only towards the end of his time in Milwaukee that the next generation of talent started to come through, Murdock played solid defense, scored well and was a reliable distributor.
As a Buck, Murdock averaged 14.0 points, 6.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals.
Next: The Best Of The Rest
Nov 11, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center
Joel Freeland(19) and point guard
Mo Williams(25) reach in to try and take the ball away from Detroit Pistons point guard
Brandon Jennings(7) during the third quarter of the game at Moda Center. The Blazers won the game 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes – USA TODAY Sports
The Best Of The Rest
Of course, there are other contenders too, even if they didn’t necessarily have the same sort of longevity that the five players already mentioned had.
Gary Payton was outstanding in his incredibly short time with the Bucks averaging 19.6 points and 7.4 assists in his 28 games in Milwaukee, but considering the way in which he then immediately skipped town in free agency, it’s tough to consider him in any Bucks discussion where the word greatness is involved.
Mo Williams was outstanding as a primarily shoot-first point guard for the Bucks, and having signed an extension he seemed set to have a real chance to etch his name into franchise history. His averages of 14.1 points, 5.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds, weren’t enough to stop the Bucks from trading him away in a deal that couldn’t have looked great at the time, but looks even worse with hindsight though.
As inconsistent and polarizing as he could be, Brandon Jennings has a valid claim to at least get himself in a top five/top ten conversation too. It wasn’t all 55 point games by any means, but averages of 17.0 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds show he was certainly no slouch.
Who is the greatest?
Who do you think should make the final cut for the 15 man roster?
Vote for your three favorites below, and leave your thoughts in the comments section, or plead your case for them by mailing your thoughts to winin6podcast@gmail.com.
Next: Win In 6 Podcast #9: Greatest Bucks Starting Five
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