Milwaukee Bucks: Marques Johnson remains undervalued in franchise history

When thinking of the greatest Milwaukee Bucks of all time, the first players that come to mind are generally Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and Sidney Moncrief. Marques Johnson’s name needs to be added to that conversation.

As we prepare for the 51st season in Milwaukee Bucks history to get underway, there likely isn’t a fan of the team alive who doesn’t know who Marques Johnson is.

For many fans of a certain age, the initial association with Johnson could well be to think of his role as a color commentator for Bucks games on Fox Sports Wisconsin, but his contributions to the franchise as a player need to be frequently celebrated too.

While Johnson’s playing career in Milwaukee only lasted seven seasons, he was an All-Star on four occasions. Coming into the league. Johnson was immediately able to score, putting up 19.5 points per game on 52.2 percent shooting in his rookie season.

More from Bucks News

• Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
• Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
• Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
• Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
• New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited

Johnson also did this without being able to take any three-pointers as the shot had yet to be introduced. Throughout his career, the California native was able to score efficiently, all while never really using the long-ball which eventually came into existence in the third year of his career.

Johnson was a lethal scorer in the paint, beating his defenders in a variety of ways. Using off-the-dribble moves, and a smooth catch-and-shoot stroke, Johnson was able to score and get to the line at will, in a way that wasn’t necessarily true for many of his contemporaries. From the free throw line, he was also a solid player, shooting over 70 percent in every year of his career.

Part of what really made Johnson special, though, was just how well-rounded he was. The former UCLA forward’s legacy and reputation was essentially assured based on his scoring, but Johnson’s feel for the game and basketball intelligence led to him influencing his teams in a variety of additionally important ways too.

Johnson was a great rebounder for his position, grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game for his time in Milwaukee. He also ranks among the all-time leaders for the Bucks in rebounds, even leading them all-time for offensive rebounds with 1,468. This allowed Johnson to get some easy buckets, adding to his ability to score efficiently.

Not only could Marques Johnson score, he could also make winning plays on the defensive end of the floor. Over his time in Milwaukee, Johnson averaged 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game, while his defensive win shares totaled 24.1, with his highest total in a single season being 4.2.

Johnson’s skill-set was even appreciated by his peers and some of the game’s all-time greats. Julius Erving, who frequently matched up against Johnson at a time when the Bucks and 76ers had a highly-competitive rivalry, was recently quoted as saying the former Buck was one of his favorite players to match up against.

The wider NBA community also held Johnson in similarly high regard, as he was voted to first team All-NBA in 1979 and second team in 1980 and 1981.

On top of all of this, Johnson’s influence on the changing shape of the game, and the overhaul in style that proved so successful for Don Nelson’s Bucks cannot be overlooked.

In 2018, it’s incredibly common to see forwards take on significant playmaking and ball-handling duties, but Johnson’s vision and unselfishness made him one of the early success stories of such a role. As Johnson explained to us here at Behind the Buck Pass back in 2015, he was even the first person to coin the phrase “point forward”.

Of course, all of these varied and significant contributions make a mockery of the fact Johnson’s No. 8 jersey isn’t yet hanging from the rafters of the Bucks’ arena. Having said that, with a bit of luck, Johnson’s reign as one of the most under-appreciated Bucks should soon come to an end.

Speaking to Gary D’Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel back in July, Johnson indicated that a jersey retirement could certainly be on the horizon.

"“I get a sense that it’s coming,” Johnson said of a jersey retirement. “Just trust me on that."

When that day comes, it will be cause for great celebration as one of Milwaukee’s greatest ever players, who is now also one of its favorite broadcasters, will finally get his due.