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Milwaukee Bucks: 49 years in 49 days – 1992-93 season

By Ti Windisch

MILWAUKEE, WI - NOVEMBER 6: Frank Brickowski #40 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots a layup against Alonzo Mourning #33 of the Charlotte Hornets during a game at the Bradley Center on November 6, 1993 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Lou Capozzola/NBAE via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - NOVEMBER 6: Frank Brickowski #40 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots a layup against Alonzo Mourning #33 of the Charlotte Hornets during a game at the Bradley Center on November 6, 1993 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Lou Capozzola/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Milwaukee Bucks introduced some new faces but unfortunately kept on losing during the 1992-93 NBA season.

The season: 1992-93

The record: 28-54

The postseason: N/A

The story:

After a rough 1991-92 campaign, the Milwaukee Bucks tried to rebuild on the fly for the 1992-93 season. A series of trades before the season sent Jay Humphries, Larry Krystkowiak, Dale Ellis, and Lester Conner to various destinations.

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In exchange, Milwaukee got some relatively unimportant role players, a few second round picks, and, most notably, Blue Edwards and Eric Murdock. With most of the Bucks core being dealt in those moves, somebody had to some in and score some points.

Frank Brickowski hung around to do just that, and Edwards and Murdock were two of the other three Bucks to manage double-digit scoring per game. The fourth was Todd Day, a rookie that Milwaukee used the eighth overall pick on after their disaster season the year before.

Although points per game are far from a perfect metric, it’s pretty fair to say most impactful offensive players will drop at least 10 points per game. Using that crude analysis, that means the Bucks best player in the 1992-93 NBA season was one of: Blue Edwards, Eric Murdock, Frank Brickowski, or Todd Day.

Edwards and the Brick tied for the top scoring average, with both of them adding 16.9 points per game each night. Edwards had never and would never again hit 13 points per game, and Brickowski also set his career-best mark in per game scoring this season.

Somebody on the Bucks had to score–that’s just how basketball works–but these guys clearly aren’t supposed to be the ones leading the team in that stat. Going up against teams featuring players like Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing with Blue Edwards and the Brick clearly wasn’t going to net the Bucks a ton of wins.

Still, the trades kept coming as the season went on, with Milwaukee flipping Alvin Robertson for Orlando Woolridge before the February trade deadline. Woolridge went on to average 5.4 points across eight appearances in Milwaukee that year.

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Moses Malone, who seemed ageless just the season before, went from averaging 15.6 points and 9.1 boards per game in 82 appearances to putting up 4.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in just 11 played games that season. He’d play two more NBA seasons, but the Chairman of the Boards had effectively stepped down from NBA relevance.

In head coach (and, later, vice president of basketball operations) Mike Dunleavy‘s first season with the club, his Milwaukee Bucks went 28-54. Somehow there were seven teams in the Central Division at the time, and Milwaukee dropped from a tie for seventh to the true cellar this season.

With one of the worst eight offenses and defenses across the NBA, the Bucks didn’t have many redeeming qualities. Aside from another good draft pick coming in the draft, there wasn’t much to look forward to in Milwaukee for Bucks fans.

Next: 49 years in 49 days: 1991-92 season

At least the 1993 NBA Draft would contain an exciting young player, something the rudderless Milwaukee Bucks desperately needed at the time.

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