16. Sam Cassell – Sam I Am
The Stats: Five seasons played in Milwaukee. 19.0/4.0/7.2/1.2/0.1 on 46.8/33.5/86.6.
The Accolades: 10th in points per game and 4th in assists per game among all Bucks. 18th overall in total steals, 14th in points scored and fourth in total assists among all Bucks. Led the 2003 Bucks in win shares.
The Breakdown: Sam Cassell might find his way into these sort of lists for a few different teams. Cassell played at least solid basketball for seven of the eight teams he found himself on over the years, and always seemed to be around for big moments.
In Milwaukee’s case, that moment was the 2001 season, the first 50 win season and trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since Don Nelson was the Bucks coach. Cassell was one-third of Milwaukee’s own Big Three in the 2000s–he, Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson made quite a formidable trio.
Those three were unable to bring the Bucks their second title, but that doesn’t invalidate anything that they accomplished. Those George Karl-led Bucks teams were among the highest points in franchise history, and as such all three of Karl’s Big Three find themselves very high on any list of the greatest Milwaukee Bucks.
Next: Number 15