The 5 most underrated players in Milwaukee Bucks franchise history
In the 55-year history of the Milwaukee Bucks, there has been a lengthy list of players who had varying levels of success while playing in the Cream City.
When you think of the Milwaukee Bucks, fans typically will think of today’s stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, or Jrue Holiday. Fans who have supported the team for decades might think of some old-school legends, like Glenn Robinson, Ray Allen, Michael Redd, Sidney Moncrief, Oscar Robertson, and Lew Alcindor (the eventual Kareem Abdul-Jabar). But there are a few Bucks who have been unsung heroes in the team’s history that had their careers lost in the shuffle. I took a look at five of the most underrated Milwaukee Bucks players of all time and the impact that they had on the team that has since been forgotten.
The Milwaukee Bucks 5 most underrated players in franchise history
5. P.J. Tucker
People tend to forget the impact that current Philadelphia 76ers forward P.J. Tucker had during the Milwaukee Bucks’ run to the NBA Finals during the 2021 season.
Tucker was acquired in a trade with the Houston Rockets in March of 2021 and was immediately seen as a major lift defensively for the Milwaukee Bucks. He only played 19 regular season games with Milwaukee when he arrived mid-way through the season, but his presence was felt the most during the playoffs.
Tucker was a menace defensively in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Brooklyn Nets, where he was tasked with guarding Kevin Durant throughout the series. Despite Durant averaging over 35 points per game against P.J. Tucker when he was the main defender, Tucker made life challenging for the elite scorer. Tucker held Durant to just 12.5 percent from three in a pivotal Game 4 win over the Nets during the series and forced Durant to attempt over 25 shots in five of the seven games, per Stat Muse.
Tucker’s defense continued to be a major asset during the NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns. He was tasked with guarding Devin Booker and Chris Paul, two of the toughest guards to matchup against and Tucker was able to handle both assignments. He matched up with Booker in over 75 percent of the possessions through the first five games of the series, where he forced Booker into five turnovers.
Against Chris Paul, he held the former Suns guard to just 18.2 percent shooting from the floor in the time he matched up with him, per NBA.com/stats. Tucker’s ability defensively was one of the major catalysts in giving the Milwaukee Bucks their first title in 50 years, and although he is no longer a part of the team, he still should be remembered as one of the main reasons the Bucks captured the 2021 NBA title.