LeBron James is a talented passing forward, as are players such as Draymond Green and Ben Simmons. Nikola Jokic is a splendid distributor from the pivot. Yet before all of them, the original “point forward” was none other than Milwaukee forward Paul Pressey.
The 6-foot-5 Pressey played small forward for most of his time with the Bucks, yet head coach Don Nelson did not want to waste his passing ability. Therefore, Nelson began running the offense through Pressey, allowing him to distribute and set up teammates, despite not playing the “point guard” position. It was a step towards the positional freedom of the modern NBA.
Part of the vaunted Milwaukee defenses of the 1980s, Pressey made three All-Defense teams during his time with the Bucks. His two-way ability helped to unlock lineups for his team, which could play a variety of players around he and Sidney Moncrief.
Pressey averaged 5.6 assists per game for the Bucks, including a career-high 7.8 assists per game in 1985-86. He was not simply the ball-handler, but the shot creator. Five times he led his team in assists, and his egalitarian offense elevated the entire team. For a player taken 20th overall in the 1979 NBA Draft, his return on investment was astounding.