Out of all the great players to have suited up for the Milwaukee Bucks over the years, which individual seasons stand out as the best?
After the amazing season Giannis Antetokounmpo just put together, optimism is high amongst all Milwaukee Bucks fans for what the future holds.
For the moment, a bigger question remains, though. Where does his 2016-17 season rank when compared to the best in Bucks in history?
Has Giannis’ most recent season eclipsed Andrew Bogut’s efforts with the “Fear the Dear” Bucks? Has it even gone past Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s efforts with Milwaukee in the early 1970s?
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Milwaukee’s history is filled with individual high marks, as a truly astonishingly group of players have played for the team over the years, and in many ways former Bucks have outperformed their teams individually.
As we continue to work our way through the franchise’s past as a part of our Bucks History Month, it seems like there’s no time better than the present to shine a brighter light on some of those great individual seasons.
So, without further ado, let’s get on to the list.
10. Andrew Bogut – (2009-10)
Stat line – 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.5 blocks per game
Accolades – All-NBA Third Team
Bucks Record: 46-36 (6th in Eastern Conference), 4-2 loss in first round of playoffs
After being selected with the first overall pick in 2005, much was expected of Andrew Bogut. Through his first four seasons, he slowly put together a respectable resume, before exploding in his fifth year in the NBA.
That year, Milwaukee paired Bogut with rookie point guard Brandon Jennings in a combination which propelled the Bucks to their best year in almost a decade. To this day, only the 2000-01 Bucks, who made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals have had a better season record since the turn of the century.
Bogut’s pairing with Brandon Jennings led to the team and the media coining the phrase “Fear the Dear”, and had many Bucks fans salivating at the thought of a decade of dominance from the pair.
Bogut had his most dominant year in the NBA on offense, averaging almost 16 points per game, while shooting at over 50 percent from the field. It was his ability to rebound and defend the paint which really set him apart in this season, though. Bogut finished second overall in blocks per game and really transformed Milwaukee into a defensive juggernaut under the tutelage of Scott Skiles.
Late in the season however, Bogut was cut down by one of the most gruesome injuries in NBA history as he dislocated his elbow while falling awkwardly after a dunk. Unfortunately, Bogut never really returned to this elite level of play, as this injury played havoc on his body, both physically and mentally.
Who knows how high Bogut could have been on the all-time Bucks list, if not for this injury.
9. Michael Redd – (2005-06)
Stat line – 25.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals per game
Accolades – N/A
Bucks Record: 40-42 (8th in Eastern Conference), 4-1 loss in first round of playoffs
An absolute stacked guard lineup in 2006 meant Michael Redd was snubbed for any awards come season’s end. While it’s true that Redd was voted into the All-NBA Third team and the Eastern Conference All-Star team in the 2003-04, Redd arguably had his best season in Milwaukee in 2005-06 with a monster scoring average of over 25 points per game, which was good enough for ninth best in the league that year.
Redd was the undoubted leader of this admittedly weak Bucks side, that just scraped into the postseason in eighth place. The next closest scorer on this side was the small forward Bobby Simmons who had 13.4 points per game.
Milwaukee rallied behind Redd, who reached his peak in game three of the playoffs against the top seeded Detroit Pistons. Redd dominated the contest, scoring 40 on that night, putting the Bucks on his back to win 124-104 and take the series to 2-1. The Bucks were then soundly beaten in games 4 and 5 but by no means did Redd disgrace himself, scoring 33 and 23 points respectively on those nights.
Much like Bogut, Redd’s career would be cruelly cut down by injuries, but not before he put together this brilliant season. Redd was an unstoppable force in the NBA and it’s a shame he was not rewarded for his efforts in terms of accolades.
8. Vin Baker – (1996-97)
Stat line – 21 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1 steal and 1.4 blocks per game
Accolades – NBA All-Star and All-NBA Third Team
Bucks Record: 33-49 (11th in Eastern Conference), missed playoffs
Vin Baker was drafted in 1993 by the Bucks and proceeded to spend four years in Milwaukee. He had four very productive seasons with the Bucks, highlighted by his final year where he received All-Star and All-NBA third team selections.
He led a very poor Milwaukee side, averaging a double double for the season, while also leading his team in blocks per game.
Another thing to be said for Baker was the durability his body possessed. In the four seasons he spent in Milwaukee, he only missed four regular season games, while averaging over 40 minutes per game in his last three seasons. In the 1996-97 season, Baker averaged 40.5 minutes per contest, good enough for sixth best in the league.
Baker really excelled around the rim in this season, often using his physicality, height and strength to finish strongly. Baker averaged 21 points per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field, highlighting his elite level of play on the offensive end.
Unfortunately, this was Baker’s last year in Milwaukee, as he was traded to Seattle the following offseason.
7. Bob Dandridge – (1975-76)
Stat line – 21.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game
Accolades – NBA All-Star
Bucks Record: 38-44 (4th in Eastern Conference), 2-1 loss in first round of playoffs
Bob Dandridge spent eight years in Milwaukee, including his second year in the league where he was a part of the championship winning Bucks side. He arguably had the greatest impact on this team, following the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trade, though.
The Bucks were left a shell of their former teams in the 1975-76 season, having lost two of their greatest players of all time in Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, who had retired two seasons prior.
The load then fell to Dandridge who stood tall, having his best season in the NBA. Dandridge led the Bucks offense, averaging 21.5 points, shooting at over 50 percent while helping the Bucks to top the Midwest division that year.
Dandridge continued to lead from the front into the postseason, averaging 22 points and 7.7 rebounds as the Bucks were unfortunately eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in a 2-1 loss to the fifth placed Pistons. Dandridge was rewarded with a place on the All-Star team.
Dandridge only spent one more season in Milwaukee before moving to Washington where he won another title in 1978. Dandridge however is immortalised in Bucks history, thanks in no small part to his exploits in the 1975-76 season, leading a fractured team to the playoffs basically off his own bat.
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo – (2016-17)
Stat Line – 22.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.9 blocks
Accolades – NBA All-Star, All-NBA Second Team, NBA All-Defensive Second Team, Most Improved Player
Bucks Record: 42-40 (6th in Eastern Conference), 4-2 loss in first round ofplay offs
Giannis Antetokounmpo entered this most recent season under enormous pressure. He was already the face of the franchise and had just signed a max deal worth $100 million over four years. His partner in crime Khris Middleton had gone down injured in the offseason and was not expected to return until after the All-Star break. Giannis was tasked with leading a somewhat makeshift team, and he delivered.
Let’s give a brief summary of some of his achievements from last season:
– Youngest Buck in history to start an All-Star game
– First Buck to start an All-Star Game since 1986
– Fourth Buck and first in over a decade to be named Eastern Conference Player of the Month
– Fifth NBA player in history to lead his team in all five major statistical categories
– First player in history to finish in the top-20 of all five major statistical categories
– First Buck to ever be named Most Improved Player
To say Giannis exceeded all expectations last year would be a colossal understatement, as he took the NBA by storm. Giannis had everything this past season. His length allowed him to lead the Bucks in rebounding, his vision saw him top the assists category and his elite defense had him topping the steals and blocks categories. This is without mentioning his scoring improvement which saw him finish with almost 23 points per game while shooting 52.2 percent. His three-point shot also started to drop, with his highest mark since his rookie year.
Giannis had an absolute monster year in 2016-17 and has every single Bucks fans salivating for more. Who knows, maybe he will continue to develop and blow this year’s stats out of the water in the coming season. If he continues developing at this trajectory, the MVP question will turn from “if” to “when” and Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s current grip on “best Buck ever” will start to become shaky.
5. Marques Johnson – (1978-79)
Stat Line – 25.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.2 blocks
Accolades – NBA All-Star, All-NBA First Team
Bucks Record: 38-44 (8th in Eastern Conference), missed playoffs
Marques Johnson may have been snubbed in the NBA 2K18 All-Time Bucks roster, but he is not to be denied on this occasion. Johnson is remembered as one of the greatest Bucks of all-time, highlighted by his elite second year in the NBA.
Johnson led from the front, topping the points, rebounding and field goal percentage averages on this side. His points total and field goal percentage were good enough for third and eighth best in the league, respectively.
Unfortunately for Johnson and the Bucks, they missed the playoffs in this season, but in no way was that a reflection on Johnson’s performance. Johnson earned his first of five All-Star nods, while also being voted into the All-NBA First Team, for the first and only time in his career.
Johnson was everything to this team and even though he continued his great form into the following five years in Milwaukee, he never reached the heights of this particular season.
4. Ray Allen – (2000-01)
Stat Line – 22 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.6 rebound, 1.5 steals per game
Accolades – NBA All-Star, All-NBA Third Team
Bucks Record: 52-30 (2nd in Eastern Conference), 4-3 loss in Eastern Conference Finals
Ray Allen’s legacy in Milwaukee is currently a contentious issue, due to the fact his number “34” was never retired and is currently being worn by a certain Greek who also happened to make this list.
What Milwaukee will do in the future with this number is completely up in the air at this stage. What’s not up the in the air is the impact Allen had on this Bucks team, especially in the 2000-01 season.
Allen combined with Sam Cassell and Glenn Robinson to form Milwaukee’s own “Big Three” and take the Eastern Conference by storm. The Bucks rolled into the Eastern Conference Finals in this season, thanks to a remarkable regular season record of 52-30. That record has yet to be beaten since the turn of the century, and no Bucks team has truly come near it, as of yet.
Allen was at the forefront of everything the Bucks did in this season, averaging 22 points per game while shooting 43.3 percent from three. Allen shot the second most threes in the league with 202 while his ability to spread the floor saw guys like Glenn Robinson dominate in the paint. Allen also topped the league in offensive win shares in this particular season, highlighting his value at that end of the field.
Allen’s biggest moment of the season came in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals, when he scored 41 points, while shooting 9-13 from three in a 110-99 win for Milwaukee. This squared the series at 3-3 and put Milwaukee one win away from the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, the Bucks were beaten in game seven, but Allen’s contributions to this side were not to be forgotten.
Allen was rewarded with an All-Star selection and a place on the All-NBA Third Team thanks to his efforts this season. Allen spent a total of seven seasons in Milwaukee, but none were as impressive, nor as important to Milwaukee as this particular season.
3. Terry Cummings – (1984-85)
Stat line – 23.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks per game
Accolades – NBA All-Star, All-NBA Second Team
Bucks Record: 59-23 (2nd in Eastern Conference), 4-0 loss in second round of playoffs
Terry Cummings was brought to Milwaukee, via a trade with the San Diego Clippers as a dominant power forward and one of the best scorers and rebounders in the league. In his first season in Milwaukee, he certainly didn’t disappoint with what turned out to be his best season as a Buck and one of the best seasons in franchise history.
Cummings scored the ninth most points in the entire league that season, averaging 23.6 points per game. Cummings also averaged 9.1 rebounds per contest, which was good enough for 14th best in the league that year. What really set Cummings apart, however, was his elite defense, as he finished the season with a defensive rating of 100.9, fourth best in the league.
Cummings was an all-around juggernaut in the league in 1984-85, helping Milwaukee to take the league by storm. He combined with Sidney Moncrief and Paul Pressey to help the Bucks finish with a record of 59-23. This to this day, it’s still the Bucks equal fifth best season in history. As a result, this particular team has been rightfully recognized, appearing on several occasions in the NBA 2K game franchise.
Cummings was awarded for his outstanding performance with selection into the NBA All-Star game, while also earning a place in the All-NBA Second Team. While Cummings would play a further four seasons in Milwaukee, he never quite reached the heights that he did in 1984-85.
2. Sidney Moncrief – (1982-83)
Stat line – 22.5 points, 5.8 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals
Accolades – NBA All-Star, All-NBA First Team, NBA Defensive Player of the Year, NBA All-Defensive First team.
Bucks Record: 51-31 (2nd in Eastern Conference), 4-1 loss in Eastern Conference Finals
Depending on who you ask, Sidney Moncrief might just be the greatest Buck of all-time. No he does not have the most points, rebounds, assists, blocks or steals in Milwaukee history, but his 10-year tenure with the side, coincided with one of the most successful periods in Bucks history.
For Moncrief’s entire 10 years playing in Milwaukee, they never once missed the playoffs and three times made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, as he was integral to their success.
No year in Milwaukee was Moncrief’s value more important than in the 1982-83 season. Moncrief was an absolute monster at both ends of the court. He averaged 22.5 points per game (13th highest in the league) while shooting over 52 percent from the field. His offensive rating of 120 and offensive win shares of 9.7, were good enough for fourth and second highest in the league respectively.
Moncrief’s biggest influence was on defense, though, as he was voted the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Moncrief would be often be tasked with locking down the opponents best guard, which at that time, included the likes of Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson. Moncrief is still the only Milwaukee player to win Defensive Player of the Year, with the only other occurrence coming when he won it again the following year.
Moncrief combined with other Bucks greats including Marques Johnson and Junior Bridgeman that year to lead them all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. This was one of the best ever Milwaukee side,s and Moncrief was the clear leader in that season. For his complete level of dominance on both ends of the court, he earns second place on this list.
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – (1970/71)
Stat line – 31.7 points, 16.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists *
*Note Blocks were not recorded yet in the NBA
Accolades – NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, NBA MVP, NBA All Star, All-NBA First Team, NBA All-Defensive First Team, NBA Scoring Champion.
Bucks Record: 66-16 (1st in Western Conference), NBA Champions, defeated Baltimore Bullets 4-0 in the Finals.
Was there ever going to be another anyone else at number one? Will there ever be a more dominant season than the one Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, and the Bucks put together in 1970-71? What a year it was.
Abdul-Jabbar took the league by storm in only his second season, leading the Bucks to a mighty record of 66-16, still the best record in Bucks’ history. Milwaukee then stormed through the playoffs, losing only twice and sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals 4-0 to claim their maiden title, and still the only one in franchise history.
This is one of, if not the greatest team in NBA history. Abdul-Jabbar combined with fellow Bucks greats including Oscar Robertson, Bob Dandridge and Jon McGlocklin to just steam roll through the competition. Abdul-Jabbar was the undoubted leader of this team, though, and remains arguably the greatest Buck of all time.
Abdul Jabbar to this day still holds many records from this season, including:
– Only Buck to win MVP
– Only Buck to win Finals MVP
– One of only three to earn All-NBA First Team selection
– Only Scoring Champion
Next: Milwaukee Bucks: Grading every draft of the past decade
It could be argued that Abdul-Jabbar had his best year for the Bucks the following year when he averaged 34.8 points, 16.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists while again winning MVP and leading the league in scoring, but in giving his team exactly what they needed to be crowned as the league’s best his ’71 season packs just a little more punch.