The 5 most underrated players in Milwaukee Bucks franchise history
No. 2 Jack Sikma
If you look back at the history of the Milwaukee Bucks, they saw most of their team success from the late 60s to the late 80s, which included capturing the NBA title in 1971 and appearing in the playoffs 18 times during that span. During the run in the mid to late 80s, the Bucks benefitted greatly from the arrival of former Seattle Supersonics big man Jack Sikma, who had established himself as one of the top scoring and shooting centers in the league.
Sikma captured an NBA title in 1979 with the Seattle Supersonics, which was also the first of seven years that he would be named to the All-Star team in his Hall of Fame career. At the age of 31, Sikma arrived in Milwaukee after requesting a trade from the Supersonics and instantly became a major piece to then Head Coach Don Nelson’s building of a playoff team.
During his first year in 1986 with the Bucks, the team finished 50-32 overall and punched their ticket into the playoffs. The Bucks toppled the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round but ultimately lost in a seven-game series to the Boston Celtics in the semifinals. The following year, Sikma was the team’s second-leading scorer at 16.5 points per game, behind Terry Cummings, who was north of 20 a game on the year. They qualified for the playoffs again after a 42-40 finish but were bounced out of the first round by the Atlanta Hawks.
The Bucks would go to the playoffs in every season that Sikma played for the team (1986-1991) but failed to reach past the Easter Conference Semifinals. Sikma continued to be a major contributor to the team during the five years he was with Milwaukee. He averaged 13.4 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game during his time with the Bucks while also compiling a career-best 92.2 percent from the free throw line in the 1987-1988 season. Sikma might not have brought a championship to Milwaukee, but he did bring tons of wins and playoff appearances during the final years of the golden era for Milwaukee Bucks basketball.