The point guard position has been somewhat of a revolving door for the Milwaukee Bucks over the last 10 seasons, stretching back to 2011-12.
There have been a number of times that Bucks fans have tried to convince ourselves that we have our point guard of the future or long-term solution at the position during this stretch. As the Bucks got better and better over the last 10 seasons, going from rebuilding to playoff contender to championship contender to champions, it felt like point guard had always been the missing link.
As you can imagine, for a team that hasn’t drafted a point guard since 2009, most of the point guards that have been on the team since 2011-12 have come from other teams. Although it appears the Bucks truly do have their solution at point guard (slight spoiler), there have still been some talented players to come through Milwaukee.
It feels weird to say that point guard might actually be a strength this year and that the tandem of Jrue Holiday and George Hill could be the best Bucks point guard duo in many, many years. But the Bucks have come a long way in terms of point guard depth, and this top five will reflect that.
Top 5 Milwaukee Bucks point guards of the last 10 seasons – Honorable Mention: Michael Carter-Williams
When I first started thinking about this exercise, I was sure Michael Carter-Williams would be in the top five. However, upon further review, he just misses out as an honorable mention. Very similar to how the Bucks believed that Carter-Williams would be the long-term point guard of the future when they acquired him!
Carter-Williams played 79 games for the Bucks, averaging 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 steals. He was a very solid defensive guard but was terribly inefficient. He posted a 49.7 percent true shooting percentage and 45.5 percent effective field goal percentage, both numbers that are well below league average. He’s found a niche as a solid defender and passer off the bench but was a non-factor as a shooter.
Top 5 Milwaukee Bucks point guards of the last 10 seasons – No. 5: Brandon Knight
It’s crazy to look back and realize that easily the best season of Brandon Knight‘s career came as a member of the Bucks at the beginning of 2014-15. I really was upset the Bucks traded him away in the midst of that season, but he didn’t really come back to haunt them anyway.
As for Knight’s tenure as a whole, he played 124 games as a Buck and averaged 17.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He was relatively efficient with a 53.6 percent true shooting and 48.6 percent effective field goal rate, slightly below league average but the most efficient seasons of his career were with the Bucks.
As the original centerpiece of the trade that also brought Khris Middleton to the Bucks, Knight was a solid point guard for Milwaukee, but it inevitably didn’t work out as either side hoped. It would be cool if he could find his way back into the league.
Top 5 Milwaukee Bucks point guards of the last 10 seasons – No. 4: George Hill
Hill was a name that I didn’t really expect to be in this top five when I first started to think about it. But in his season and a half (so far) as a Milwaukee Buck, you can’t deny that he’s one of the five best point guards to play for this franchise over the last 10 seasons.
As of right now, Hill has played 106 games for the Bucks and averaged 8.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. Although his counting stats don’t jump off the page, his efficiency and advanced numbers will.
Hill had a 60.7 percent true shooting and 56.9 percent effective field goal rate, both well above league average. He was also worth 7.9 win shares and posted a 1.1 box plus/minus, both numbers that are higher than what Knight had but in fewer games. His numbers actually are better in the playoffs, with 10.7 points on a staggering 63.5 percent true shooting and a 59.5 percent effective field goal rate.
Hill provided great stability off the bench in his first stint with the Bucks, with efficient 3-point shooting, good passing, and solid defensive ability, part of the reason why he received some Sixth Man of the Year votes. In the playoffs, he might have even been the Bucks’ best point guard at times and it’s great to see him back.
You could certainly argue Knight over Hill, but over the next couple of seasons, it will be clear he’s ahead even if he’s not a full-time starter like Knight.
Top 5 Milwaukee Bucks point guards of the last 10 seasons – No. 3: Brandon Jennings
There was a zero percent chance that Brandon Jennings wasn’t going to be on this list. I’ll admit that it crossed my mind to put Hill over Jennings, but then I realized how silly that was and how much Jennings means to this fanbase puts him ahead on its own.
Then there’s what he did on the court and that solidifies it. Jennings played 160 games for the Bucks since 2011-12 and averaged 17.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 steals. The efficiency numbers weren’t great at a 51.1 percent true shooting and 47.1 effective field goal rate, but he also had some solid catch-all advanced numbers. He was worth 11.5 win shares (2nd among Bucks’ point guards of the last 10 seasons), had a 1.6 box plus/minus (3rd), and 4.9 Value Over Replacement Player (2nd), via Stathead.
Jennings’ best two seasons coincided with the beginning of this sample, where he really found his game as a scorer. But more importantly, Jennings became an incredible passer and playmaker in his final couple of seasons with the Bucks. He really became such an enjoyable player to watch by the end of his first tenure with Milwaukee. Although we didn’t get the same magic from Jennings when he made his return for 14 games in 2017-18, it was still so much fun to watch him back in a Bucks jersey.
Not quite as fun as seeing him courtside for the Bucks winning the title in six games and then him enjoying the parade, though.
Top 5 Milwaukee Bucks point guards of the last 10 seasons – No. 2: Eric Bledsoe
For all the bad feelings that Eric Bledsoe may have left with fans following his playoff disappointments, there is no doubt that there is a gap between him and the players on this list before him.
He played the most games of all the point guards in the last 10 seasons at 210. In those games, Bledsoe averaged 16.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. In terms of efficiency, he had a 57.8 true shooting and a 54.0 percent effective field goal percentage. His 19.2 win shares are easily the most of any Bucks point guard in the last 10 seasons as he was a borderline All-Star in multiple seasons.
Bledsoe was named to the All-Defense team twice in his Bucks tenure, once each on the first and second teams. He was easily the best defender of the Bucks’ point guards that came before him and made fans believe they had solved their point guard problems.
If it weren’t for some ill-timed playoff disappointments, Bledsoe absolutely could have been at number one. However, that would also mean the man at number one may never have been a Milwaukee Buck at all.
Top 5 Milwaukee Bucks point guards of the last 10 seasons – No. 1: Jrue Holiday
Despite playing the fewest games of all the point guards listed, there is little doubt that Holiday is the best point guard the Bucks have had in a long, long time. Although this is only the last 10 seasons, you could go back even further and not find a point guard as good as Holiday.
In 59 games last year, Holiday had one of his best overall seasons, averaging 17.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.6 steals. Due to his career-high 39.2 percent 3-point percentage, his efficiency numbers were predictably great, with a 59.2 percent true shooting and 57.0 percent effective field goal percentage; both career-highs. He also posted the highest single-season box plus/minus of any Bucks point guard since 2011-12. Although he wasn’t first in win shares or VORP, he would certainly have been if he had not missed games due to COVID.
It was no surprise to anyone who watched the Bucks at all that Holiday was named first-team All-Defense for the second time in his career and finished eighth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, something he could absolutely win in his career. Then there was “Playoff Jrue,” as his defense seemingly got even better as the playoffs went on.
Very few players get a defensive playoff highlight tape, but that’s how special Holiday was at that end. He’s locked up for many more seasons to come and will solidify his spot as the best Bucks point guard of the last 10 seasons but also one of the best to ever play the position for the franchise.
And yes, I did classify Malcolm Brogdon as a shooting guard, so you’ll see him ranked there when the shooting guard rankings come out.