Continuing our look at the franchise’s great players, let’s continue to go back in time and explore 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.
We have now covered the best of the best across all four positions from point guard to power forward, leaving us with just the search for the best big men in the middle to have ever anchored a Bucks team.
Where talent has traditionally been at a premium for the Bucks at power forward as we saw in the most recent piece in this series, there isn’t such a problem at center.
Of course, one man seems to obviously stand astride at the top of this list too, but there’s still conversation to be had. After all, this is our quest to establish an all-time great Bucks roster, not just the best starting center.
Who are the greatest centers 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 centers 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 Captain
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor)
He may not just be the greatest center in the history of the Milwaukee Bucks, nor just the greatest center in the history of the NBA, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a legitimate case to be considered among the best ever to play the game.
Abdul-Jabbar, at the time named Lew Alcindor, was drafted by the Bucks with the first overall pick of the 1969 Draft out of UCLA. In his time in Milwaukee alone, he would go on to pick up an NBA championship, three MVPs, a Finals MVP, Rookie of the Year, make six All-Star appearances, four All-NBA First Team selections, and be a two time Scoring Champion.
It doesn’t get much better than that.
Kareem’s sky-hook remains to this day one of the most reliable and efficient shots in NBA history, and possibly the toughest to stop, as once he got himself in position (not even necessarily that close to the basket) there was only ever one outcome.
The way in which his time in Milwaukee finished may not have been the way that any Bucks fan would have wanted to see his reign end in the Midwest, but Abdul-Jabbar remains a franchise legend, whose presence not only brought a ring, but also proved the catalyst for another couple of successful decades after he had departed.
As a Buck, Abdul-Jabbar averaged an astronomical 30.4 points, 15.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.4 blocks and 1.2 steals.
Next: The Dobber
Bob Lanier
Bob Lanier was a key component of some of the best teams in Milwaukee basketball history. The Bucks won their division in every single season that the New York native was with the team, even making two trips to the Conference Finals in the process.
Lanier was every bit the dominant throwback big man, that we unfortunately don’t see as many of in the modern NBA. It wasn’t just the fact that Lanier could score, but the fact that he could do so by banging inside, with a delicate hook shot, or stretching with an impressive mid-range jump shot.
Lanier was a towering rebounder too, and in spite of coming to Milwaukee towards the tail end of his career when knee problems were starting to become an issue for him, he still left an indelible mark in Bucks history.
Only one of Lanier’s eight All-Star appearances came in his time in Milwaukee, but he still put up incredibly strong numbers without having to be “the guy” on teams that included Sidney Moncrief, Marques Johnson, Bob Dandridge, Junior Bridgeman and Brian Winters.
That was more than good enough for him to earn the right for his jersey to hang from the rafters of the Bradley Center to this day.
For the Bucks, Lanier posted averages of 13.5 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Next: The Bogey Man
Andrew Bogut
Andrew Bogut is one of the biggest what if questions in Bucks history. Sure, Bogut has gone on to realize his dreams with the Golden State Warriors having picked up an NBA championship last season, but it’s easy to forget the type of player he was early in his time with Milwaukee.
Bogut may be a supplementary role player in many ways for the Warriors, but prior to his injuries in Milwaukee he was on course to become one of the league’s best all around centers.
Defense has always been Bogut’s bread and butter, and it’s an area where he is undoubtedly one of the best in the league, but prior to a horrific arm injury towards the end of the 2010 season, he was also a dynamic offensive threat.
Bogut’s dunks were generally more explosive and thunderous than most of his peers at center around the league, while his inside passing could be a joy to behold.
It’s all probably worked out for the best for Milwaukee as the current squad’s ceiling seems higher than the one which the Australian was a part of, but there’ll always be a “what could have been” feel to his career in Milwaukee.
For the seven seasons he played in Milwaukee, Bogut averaged 12.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
Next: Banger
Jack Sikma
Sikma was the model of consistency throughout a career that saw him become one of the most versatile and skilled big men in the Association. Sikma picked up a title with the Seattle Supersonics in 1979, yet by the time he reached Milwaukee in 1986 he was still improving and expanding his skill-set.
From the age of 22, to the age of 35, Sikma left a remarkable impression as a player who averaged double figures in points for every season he played in the NBA. He wasn’t only a scorer either, as particularly in his early days Sikma was an elite rebounder.
He was an All-Star for seven straight seasons with Seattle, before heading to the Bucks. Sikma’s Bucks made the playoffs in every single season that he was with the team, and it seems like no coincidence that after his retirement it took Milwaukee eight years before they’d return to the post-season.
Having not shot over 30 percent or greater from behind the three-point arc for his first eleven seasons in the league, Sikma managed to add that extra dimension to his game with three straight years where he achieved that feat towards the end of his time with the Bucks.
With the Bucks, Sikma averaged 13.4 points and 7.9 rebounds.
Next: Brick
Frank Brickowski
Brickowski was little more than a run of the mill role player/backup during his time in the NBA, with the one clear exception being his time in Milwaukee.
The New York native hit his stride and came into his own in the Cream City, starting over 237 games and averaging double digits in scoring throughout his three and a half seasons as a Buck.
Brickowski was a smart basketball player more than anything else meaning that in his time in Milwaukee he played everywhere from small forward to center.
It was in the middle where he really thrived though. Brickowski’s one year as a Buck where he played center more than anywhere else would prove to be the best of his career. In 1992-93, he averaged 16.9 points and 6.2 rebounds with a career high 54.5 percent field goal mark.
Unfortunately for Brickowski, the Bucks had little else positive going for them during his stay in the Milwaukee, and that team didn’t really go anywhere.
As a Buck, he achieved averages of 13.9 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Next: The Best Of The Rest
Mar 11, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center
Zaza Pachulia(27) passes the ball as Orlando Magic forward
Tobias Harris(12) defends during the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 97-91. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Best Of The Rest
The Bucks have had a number of guys come in and make a real, meaningful impact in a short period of time at the center position, and with slightly longer spells in Milwaukee they would most certainly have made the above shortlist too.
In his one full season with Milwaukee in 1975-76, Elmore Smith averaged 15.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, helping the Bucks to make their first post-season appearance post-Kareem.
Kent Benson spent his first two-and-a-half seasons in the NBA as a Buck, and put up solid numbers too.
The Chairman of the Boards, Moses Malone arrived in Milwaukee in 1992-93 and averaged 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds in his one fully healthy season.
In two brief spells with the Bucks, Zaza Pachulia was a consummate professional who was well-liked by fans, and made his teammates better.
AndI know I don’t need to explain to any Bucks fan how Larry Sanders had the potential to make this list easily once upon a time too.
Who are the greatest centers 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 Power Forwards
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