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Milwaukee Bucks: 49 years in 49 days – 1983-84 season

By Ti Windisch

The Milwaukee Bucks rode the wave generated by two sensational stars pretty far during the 1982-83 NBA season.The season: 1982-83The record: 51-31The postseason: 5-4, lost in Conference FinalsThe story:The Milwaukee Bucks took yet another loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs in stride at the start of the 1982-83 NBA season. The Bucks had some postseason warts, sure, but they continued to dominate the competition for the rest of the year.MORE FROM BEHIND THE BUCK PASS9/14 - Milwaukee Bucks: 5 Potential Trades Before Training Camp9/14 - Milwaukee Bucks Daily: Bucks Reportedly Interested In Andrew Bogut9/13 - Milwaukee Bucks Daily: Khris Middleton Cracks Sports Ilustrated’s Top 50 Players9/12 - Milwaukee Bucks: 49 Years In 49 Days – 1981-82 Season9/12 - Milwaukee Bucks: Ersan Ilyasova Should Be Remembered Fondly Over TimeWith Sidney Moncrief and Marques Johnson on the roster, it was pretty obvious why Milwaukee didn't have problems with any teams but the absolute best ones. Sid the Squid was an All-Star the season before, but the 1982-83 season really cemented his legacy in a lot of ways.First off, he quickly backed up his All-Star season with another, proving he was here to stay. Even more importantly, Moncrief's defense was so tight the NBA just so happened to introduce the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1983, and none other than Moncrief would be the first-ever recipient of it.His offense wasn't half-bad either. Moncrief averaged 22.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Leading any team in scoring is a big-time accomplishment. Leading a team with prime Marques Johnson in scoring is on another level.Marques didn't take the year off himself. The original MJ put up 21.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game during the '82-83 season. Both Moncrief and Marques were All-Stars that year.Unfortunately, a bad trade involving a different MJ had negative repercussions on Milwaukee. Mickey Johnson, who had a great series against the 76ers in the previous postseason, was dealt after just six games for Phil Ford and a future second round pick.Ford was a noticeable downgrade from Johnson, who went on to have a nice season for the New Jersey Nets and Golden State Warriors after the deal. A trade for a point guard was necessary, thanks to Milwaukee giving up their own starting floor general earlier in the year.Quinn Buckner, who had been a two-way contributor who fit perfectly in Don Nelson's team-based offense, was dealt in September for Dave Cowens. Younger readers of this entire series of articles might initially rejoice--Cowens tore up the Bucks last time he met up with Milwaukee in the playoffs!The problem was that Cowens had retired after the 1980 postseason. He stayed retired for the 1980-81 season. And the 1981-82 season. Then came out of retirement at age 34, somehow still as a Celtic, and netted his old club Quinn Buckner.He lasted 41 games before retiring again, leaving the Bucks without two big-time players from their last playoff jaunt. Moncrief and Marques were good enough to get Milwaukee to 51 regular season wins, but could they carry the Bucks through the postseason even with a light supporting cast?Early on, the answer seemed to be yes. After getting a bye into the second round, the Bucks met up with the Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics. Milwaukee, shockingly, swept the Celtics for the first time ever in a seven-game series. Boston responded by letting head coach Bill Fitch go after the season, and going on a legendary tear for the rest of the decade.MORE FROM BEHIND THE BUCK PASSMilwaukee Bucks: 5 Potential Trades Before Training Camp1 h agoMilwaukee Bucks Daily: Bucks reportedly interested in Andrew Bogut3h agoMilwaukee Bucks Daily: Khris Middleton cracks Sports Ilustrated’s Top 50 players1 d agoMilwaukee Bucks: 49 years in 49 days – 1981-82 season1 d agoMilwaukee Bucks: Ersan Ilyasova should be remembered fondly over time2d agoThe victory meant the Bucks were going to the Eastern Conference Finals, and taking on a very familiar nemesis--the Philadelphia 76ers. Philly had sent the Bucks packing in seven games two postseasons prior, and in six games in the season before.Unfortunately for Milwaukee, the Sixers continued the pattern and beat the Bucks in five in 1983. Julius Erving was aging out of his prime, but stellar contributions from Andrew Toney and a prime Moses Malone made up for his sagging production.For the second straight postseason, Moncrief's scoring dropped heavily against Philly, again going down to about 15 points per game. Without the scoring punch Mickey Johnson provided the postseason prior, the Bucks didn't have the firepower to outlast Philadelphia.NEXT: 49 years in 49 days: 1981-82 seasonWho knows how differently that series--and decade--could've looked if Milwaukee still had Buckner, who missed the last Sixers series due to a thumb injury, and Johnson, who tore up Philly last time around.
The Milwaukee Bucks rode the wave generated by two sensational stars pretty far during the 1982-83 NBA season.The season: 1982-83The record: 51-31The postseason: 5-4, lost in Conference FinalsThe story:The Milwaukee Bucks took yet another loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs in stride at the start of the 1982-83 NBA season. The Bucks had some postseason warts, sure, but they continued to dominate the competition for the rest of the year.MORE FROM BEHIND THE BUCK PASS9/14 - Milwaukee Bucks: 5 Potential Trades Before Training Camp9/14 - Milwaukee Bucks Daily: Bucks Reportedly Interested In Andrew Bogut9/13 - Milwaukee Bucks Daily: Khris Middleton Cracks Sports Ilustrated’s Top 50 Players9/12 - Milwaukee Bucks: 49 Years In 49 Days – 1981-82 Season9/12 - Milwaukee Bucks: Ersan Ilyasova Should Be Remembered Fondly Over TimeWith Sidney Moncrief and Marques Johnson on the roster, it was pretty obvious why Milwaukee didn't have problems with any teams but the absolute best ones. Sid the Squid was an All-Star the season before, but the 1982-83 season really cemented his legacy in a lot of ways.First off, he quickly backed up his All-Star season with another, proving he was here to stay. Even more importantly, Moncrief's defense was so tight the NBA just so happened to introduce the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1983, and none other than Moncrief would be the first-ever recipient of it.His offense wasn't half-bad either. Moncrief averaged 22.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Leading any team in scoring is a big-time accomplishment. Leading a team with prime Marques Johnson in scoring is on another level.Marques didn't take the year off himself. The original MJ put up 21.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game during the '82-83 season. Both Moncrief and Marques were All-Stars that year.Unfortunately, a bad trade involving a different MJ had negative repercussions on Milwaukee. Mickey Johnson, who had a great series against the 76ers in the previous postseason, was dealt after just six games for Phil Ford and a future second round pick.Ford was a noticeable downgrade from Johnson, who went on to have a nice season for the New Jersey Nets and Golden State Warriors after the deal. A trade for a point guard was necessary, thanks to Milwaukee giving up their own starting floor general earlier in the year.Quinn Buckner, who had been a two-way contributor who fit perfectly in Don Nelson's team-based offense, was dealt in September for Dave Cowens. Younger readers of this entire series of articles might initially rejoice--Cowens tore up the Bucks last time he met up with Milwaukee in the playoffs!The problem was that Cowens had retired after the 1980 postseason. He stayed retired for the 1980-81 season. And the 1981-82 season. Then came out of retirement at age 34, somehow still as a Celtic, and netted his old club Quinn Buckner.He lasted 41 games before retiring again, leaving the Bucks without two big-time players from their last playoff jaunt. Moncrief and Marques were good enough to get Milwaukee to 51 regular season wins, but could they carry the Bucks through the postseason even with a light supporting cast?Early on, the answer seemed to be yes. After getting a bye into the second round, the Bucks met up with the Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics. Milwaukee, shockingly, swept the Celtics for the first time ever in a seven-game series. Boston responded by letting head coach Bill Fitch go after the season, and going on a legendary tear for the rest of the decade.MORE FROM BEHIND THE BUCK PASSMilwaukee Bucks: 5 Potential Trades Before Training Camp1 h agoMilwaukee Bucks Daily: Bucks reportedly interested in Andrew Bogut3h agoMilwaukee Bucks Daily: Khris Middleton cracks Sports Ilustrated’s Top 50 players1 d agoMilwaukee Bucks: 49 years in 49 days – 1981-82 season1 d agoMilwaukee Bucks: Ersan Ilyasova should be remembered fondly over time2d agoThe victory meant the Bucks were going to the Eastern Conference Finals, and taking on a very familiar nemesis--the Philadelphia 76ers. Philly had sent the Bucks packing in seven games two postseasons prior, and in six games in the season before.Unfortunately for Milwaukee, the Sixers continued the pattern and beat the Bucks in five in 1983. Julius Erving was aging out of his prime, but stellar contributions from Andrew Toney and a prime Moses Malone made up for his sagging production.For the second straight postseason, Moncrief's scoring dropped heavily against Philly, again going down to about 15 points per game. Without the scoring punch Mickey Johnson provided the postseason prior, the Bucks didn't have the firepower to outlast Philadelphia.NEXT: 49 years in 49 days: 1981-82 seasonWho knows how differently that series--and decade--could've looked if Milwaukee still had Buckner, who missed the last Sixers series due to a thumb injury, and Johnson, who tore up Philly last time around. /
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Although it didn’t seem that way at the time, the 1983-84 season would be the last of a mini-era for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The season: 1983-84

The record: 50-32

The postseason: 8-8, lost in Conference Finals

The story:

Being good but not good enough can, in some ways, be worse than simply being bad. When the Milwaukee Bucks have been bad, there is less pressure on the organization. Rebuilds take time, after all, and it’s hard to lust for a terrible team to win a title.

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That’s what made the early 1980s such a frustrating time for Milwaukee. The Bucks came so close to winning a title time and time again, and spend all of their regular seasons in the decade thus far looking practically unbeatable. Until they went to the postseason and were beaten, usually by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Although it doesn’t justify them, this is an explanation for the bevy of trades and other moves Milwaukee made in the era. To fix a pair of holes left in the Bucks roster from some failed trades of years past, the team brought in Tiny Archibald and Mike Dunleavy (no, not the one Giannis Antetokounmpo decked in 2015) for the ’83-84 campaign.

Archibald is an NBA legend, but much like fellow former Boston Celtic and then Milwaukee Buck Dave Cowens his best ball was behind him by the time he got to Milwaukee. Tiny was 35 that season, and only played 46 games in what turned out to be his final season.

Much like the season before, despite players shifting like sand in an hourglass around them Sidney Moncrief and Marques Johnson continued to carry the Bucks to a whole lot of wins. Injuries plagued the Bucks, who had just six players suit up in 70 or more games that season.

In addition to Moncrief and Marques, Junior Bridgeman carried a lot of the scoring load. Although he was a sixth man who worked in bench units, it couldn’t be said that Bridgeman wasn’t one of the most important cogs on those Milwaukee squads.

Bob Lanier and Alton Lister manned the frontcourt spots for most of the season in Milwaukee, and their combined consistency was huge for the Bucks. Lanier missed ten games and Lister missed none. The two of them, plus other strong defenders like Sid the Squid, resulted in the Bucks having a stellar defense.

Finally, a second-year player by the name of Paul Pressey found more of a role in his second Bucks season. There weren’t enough forward minutes for Pressey to play a major role quite yet, but he played in 81 games and put up averages of 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.

All of those pieces combined to make a Don Nelson team that won 50 games–less than the previous seasons, but still enough to capture the Central Division title. The postseason brought a first-round matchup with the Atlanta Hawks.

Milwaukee took a two-games to none lead over the young Dominique Wilkins-led Hawks, but Nique and his squad charged back to tie the series at 2-2. Since the first round was made up of five-game series at the time, the next game would determine the series winner.

A terrific team effort from the Bucks led to a blowout victory. Wilkins scored just 12 points on 6-19 shooting from the field, and seven different Bucks scored in double digits. Next up was a seven-game series with the New Jersey Nets that Milwaukee was able to finish up in six games, going 4-1 after New Jersey took Game 1.

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Darryl Dawkins had some big games, but the combination of Milwaukee’s one-two punch of Moncrief and Marques plus suffocating defensive play led to the Bucks making it back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Their opponent was a Boston Celtics squad out for blood after being swept by Milwaukee in the last postseason. Like most historic Boston teams there was no shortage of threats to deal with for the Bucks, but none were more dangerous than Larry Bird.

Bird averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.4 steals per game on his way to a Finals appearance. The Bucks managed to steal one win, but with Bird leading both teams in scoring in each of the first four games the Celtics proved to be too much for Milwaukee.

Next: 49 years in 49 days: 1982-83 season

After another crushing postseason defeat, the Milwaukee Bucks organization felt it was time for some more moves. Next year’s Bucks squad would look significantly different.

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