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
Continuing our look at the franchise’s great players, 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.
Having looked at the point guards last time out, this time we move on from the distributors to the shooting guards.
The Bucks have had an embarrassment of riches when it comes to scorers over the years, as you’ll see when you go through this list. With classifying players as rigidly as shooting guard always a contentious issue, we’ve stuck to the players that Basketball-Reference credits as primarily playing shooting guard during their time with the team.
Who are the greatest two guards 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 shooting 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: Sid The Squid
Sidney Moncrief
Although he may not be in the Hall of Fame yet like many other great Bucks, Moncrief may have a legitimate case to be recognized as the greatest Buck of All-Time.
Moncrief had an exceptional supporting cast around him, but he undoubtedly took the reins of the team during a strong period for the franchise in the late 70’s and 80’s.
He ranks first in franchise history in free throws made, second in games played, minutes played, offensive rebounds and assists, and third in points and steals.
Moncrief led the Bucks to seven straight 50 win seasons, was a regular All-Star and feature on All-NBA teams, as well as winning back-to-back defensive player of the year awards (the only guard to ever achieve such a feat).
The fact that Moncrief played ten seasons in Milwaukee and showed incredible determination and loyalty throughout must also be taken into account. Sure, his commentary may not be the best, but there sure haven’t been many better than him who have taken to the hardwood to represent Milwaukee.
For his Bucks career, Moncrief averaged 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
Next: Jesus Shuttlesworth
Ray Allen
Although the subject of conversation recently has focused more on the idea of a potential return, there can be no doubting that if Allen never steps foot on an NBA court again, he’ll still be one of the greatest shooting guards ever to play the game.
Coming out of UConn, the Bucks traded for Ray Allen who was selected with the fifth overall pick of the 1996 NBA Draft prior to his rookie year, and as a result they had the opportunity to watch him blossom into one of the league’s most dominant and versatile threats.
Allen is the league’s all-time leader in terms of made three-pointers, and as a by-product he’s potentially the greatest shooter the league has ever seen, but early on in his career he was so much more than the deadeye veteran shooter that was on display in the last few seasons.
Allen could finish explosively around the rim, and that combination of inside and outside scoring ability made him near impossible to stop at times.
Unfortunately for Allen and the Bucks, their relationship couldn’t amount to more than a Conference Finals appearance. That left many Bucks fans with the feeling of a legacy unfulfilled when Allen was traded to the Seattle Supersonics in 2003.
Still, Allen’s contribution can’t be disputed. As a Buck, he averaged 19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
Next: Redd Hot
Michael Redd
Redd’s reputation as a Buck was unquestionably tainted by the way his career petered out, and the monumental contract that represented such a significant weight around the franchise’s neck towards the turn of the decade.
I mean, how many players have contracts that end up looking so bad that they go from finishing one season on an $18.3 million deal to signing a $1.3 million deal the following season, just as Redd did when moving from Milwaukee to Phoenix.
Still that bitter ending, shouldn’t overshadow the stellar work that the former Ohio State Buckeye did during his time in Milwaukee.
Redd may only have made one All-Star appearance, but he was one of the league’s best players for a long time, as evidenced by his presence the USA’s 2008 Olympic gold medal winning squad.
Redd was the Bucks unquestioned driving force during a number of years were the team’s fortunes were mixed at best, and frequently much worse.
At his peak, Redd was consistently among the league’s league scorers, and his averages of 20 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists stand him in good stead in the Bucks pantheon also.
Next: Jonny Mac
Jon McGlocklin
Sometimes things just seem like they’re meant to be, and the Bucks picking up McGlocklin as part of the expansion draft that took place following the foundation of the team.
In McGlocklin, Milwaukee found a player who would go on to be an immediate All-Star in the team’s rookie season, and has been perhaps more constant throughout the team’s history since than any other single figure.
McGlocklin has filled all types of roles for the team both on and off the court, and long before he moved into the broadcasting position that he currently holds, the former Indiana Hoosier was an integral part of the Bucks championship run.
Following that success McGlocklin stuck around though, and even when towards the end of his career his role was dramatically reduced, McGlocklin always gave his all and focused on what was best for the Bucks.
Not only is McGlocklin’s play as a Buck worth commending, but so is his loyalty to the franchise. During his time in Milwaukee, McGlocklin averaged 12.6 points, 3.2 assists and 2.4 rebounds.
Next: Big Paper Daddy
Ricky Pierce
Sometimes there’s nothing more important than having a guy who can come in off the bench and completely change the course of a game. That’s exactly what Ricky Pierce offered the Milwaukee Bucks.
Despite only starting 48 games in his eight seasons as a Buck, Pierce amassed 7,570 points for Milwaukee and picked up two Sixth Man of the Year awards in the process.
The former Rice Owl was named an All-Star in his final season as a Buck, just before being traded mid-season to the Seattle Supersonics, but it was the 1989-90 season where he did arguably his best work in Milwaukee.
That year, Pierce averaged 23 points on an incredible 51 percent shooting from the field. That field goal percentage wasn’t a one off either, in fact for his time as a Buck he averaged 52 percent, the highest mark in franchise history for a guard.
To go with that, Pierce achieved averages of 17.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists overall in Milwaukee.
Next: The Bearded One
Brian Winters
Winters came to Milwaukee as part of the trade haul for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, impossible boots to fill but Winters did as good a job of any of carving out his own slice of Bucks history.
A super smooth shooter, Winters was part of a Bucks squad that made six post-season appearances in eight seasons. With quality players around him Winters offered both the perfect counter-threat and the most deadly distraction for Milwaukee’s opponents.
Winters made two All-Star appearances representing Milwaukee, and his all-round top quality play ensured his place among the franchise leaders in games, points and steals.
As a Buck, Winters averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds.
Next: The Best Of The Rest
Dec 14, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Monta Ellis (11) drives to the basket past Milwaukee Bucks power forward Khris Middleton (22) during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Best Of The Rest
Even though we listed six worthy contenders above, there were still some others who could have laid valid claims to their spot on this countdown.
Even if his numbers weren’t exactly dazzling by the time he got to Milwaukee, Alvin Robertson was a key contributor during his three years with the team. Robertson was even recognized as such with an All-Star nod in 1990-91.
As inconsistent and polarizing as Brandon Jennings was at point guard, and with a stay not dramatically longer than Gary Payton’s, Monta Ellis has an uphill battle to achieve any sort of favorable Bucks support in a context as significant as this. Averaging 19.2 points and 6.0 assists in his one full season in Milwaukee is an impressive tally by anyone’s measure though.
Many might scream for Paul Pressey’s inclusion here too, but don’t worry, although he did play some two guard for the Bucks he’ll make an appearance where the majority of his minutes came (at the small forward spot) in the next entry of this series.
Who are the greatest shooting guards in Bucks history though?
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: Milwaukee Bucks: All-Time Greatest Point Guards
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